ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) are essential trace elements for humans, yet excessive exposure to Mn or Fe can accumulate in the central nervous system (CNS) and cause neurotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Mn and Fe exposure, alone or in combination, on inducing oxidative stress-induced neurological damage in rat cortical and SH-SY5Y cells, and to determine whether combined exposure to these metals increases their individual toxicity. METHODS: SH-SY5Y cells and male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to observe the effects of oxidative stress-induced neurological damage induced by exposure to manganese and iron alone or in combination. To detect the expression of anti-oxidative stress-related proteins, Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1, and the apoptosis-related proteins, Bcl2 and Bax, and the neurological damage-related protein, α-syn. To detect reactive oxygen species generation and apoptosis. To detect the expression of the rat cortical protein Nrf2. To detect the production of proinflammatory cytokines. RESULTS: We demonstrate that juvenile developmental exposure to Mn and Fe and their combination impairs cognitive performance in rats by inducing oxidative stress causing neurodegeneration in the cortex. Mn, Fe, and their combined exposure increased the expression of ROS, Bcl2, Bax, and α-syn, activated the inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-12, inhibited the activities of SOD and GSH, and induced oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration both in rats and SH-SY5Y cells. Combined Mn-Fe exposure attenuated the oxidative stress induced by Mn and Fe exposure alone by increasing the expression of antioxidant factors Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1. CONCLUSION: In both in vivo and in vitro studies, manganese and iron alone or in combination induced oxidative stress, leading to neuronal damage. In contrast, combined exposure to manganese and iron mitigated the oxidative stress induced by exposure to manganese and iron alone by increasing the expression of antioxidant factors. Therefore, studies to elucidate the main causes of toxicity and establish the molecular mechanisms of toxicity should help to develop more effective therapeutic modalities in the future.
Subject(s)
Manganese , Neuroblastoma , Humans , Male , Rats , Animals , Manganese/toxicity , Antioxidants/metabolism , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism , Iron/metabolism , bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Oxidative Stress , Apoptosis , NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)/genetics , NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)/metabolism , NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)/pharmacologyABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic is raging worldwide; the number of new cases and deaths is increasing daily. This study aims to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward COVID-19 among residents of Quang Binh, Vietnam. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted between the 1st and 10th of March 2022 in Quang Binh with 413 participants through convenience sampling. A self-designed questionnaire was used for data collection, using SPSS (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY) version 26.0 for management and analysis. RESULTS: Among the 413 participants, 80.5% of participants had good knowledge about COVID-19. Kinh people and those with a high level of education have higher odds of having good knowledge. 78.2% of participants had a positive attitude and 78.2% had good practice toward COVID-19. Knowledge-Practice scores and Attitude-Practice scores have a positive correlation. TV (65.4%) and the internet (66.6%) are the most popular channels for information about COVID-19. Common barriers for participants taking COVID-19 prevention measures were "due to the demands of life" (61%) or "due to the specificity of the work" (47.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Residents of Quang Binh have a moderate KAP towards COVID-19. Health education programs are needed to improve knowledge about COVID-19 among Quang Binh residents, with a focus on ethnic minorities and people with low levels of education.