Comparison of the Sensitivity of Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae-Meliponini) and Apis mellifera (Apidae-Apini) to Three Insecticides (Malathion, Imidacloprid, and Fipronil) Used in Costa Rica.

The decline of insect pollinators is a significant concern within the current biodiversity crisis. The paradox between the benefits that these animals represent to humans and the evidence of human activities driving their extinction calls for the urgent protection of bees. To address the role of chemical pollution in this scenario, we assessed the acute toxicity as well as four biomarker responses (cholinesterase [ChE], glutathione S-transferase, catalase, and lipid peroxidation [LPO]) elicited by dietary 24-h exposure to three insecticides (malathion, imidacloprid, and fipronil) on the stingless neotropical bee Tetragonisca angustula and the honeybee Apis mellifera. Malathion was the most toxic substance to both species, with 48-h median lethal doses (LD50s) of 0.25 ng/bee to A. mellifera and 0.02 ng/bee to T. angustula. Fipronil was also highly toxic and presented a similar toxicity to both species, with 48-h LD50s of 0.5 ng/bee (A. mellifera) and 0.4 ng/bee (T. angustula). Imidacloprid had the lowest acute toxicity with a 48-h LD50 of 29 ng/bee for A. mellifera, whereas T. angustula tolerated exposure higher than 35 ng/bee. Apparent biomarker responses were observed in bees of both species that survived exposure to higher concentrations of malathion (ChE inhibition) and fipronil (increased LPO). Our results suggest that specific sensitivity to insecticides varies greatly among compounds and pollinator species, but the use of different representative species can facilitate the prioritization of substances regarding their risk to pollinators. Further research is necessary to better characterize the risk that pesticides represent in neotropical agricultural landscapes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1022-1031. © 2023 SETAC.

Cáncer de cérvix: una mirada práctica / Cervical cancer, a practical view

Resumen Introducción: El cáncer de cérvix (CC) es un problema de salud pública en países desarrollados y no desarrollados; esta patología tiene repercusiones socioeconómicas en mujeres en edad reproductiva. Objetivo: Describir las características sobre métodos de prevención, tamizaje, diagnóstico y tratamiento del cáncer de cérvix. Método: Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica exhaustiva en un período de seis años (2016-2021) en la base de datos de la Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina, utilizando motores de búsqueda como Dialnet, Science Direct, Medline, LIlacs, Scopus para revisar los conceptos generales sobre cáncer de cérvix. Resultados: El CC es el segundo cáncer más frecuente en Colombia, la principal etiología del cáncer de cérvix es el virus del papiloma humano (VPH), el cual es un virus prevenible mediante la adecuada educación e información y seguimiento a sus lesiones precancerosas. Conclusión: El CC es una patología con altas tasas de mortalidad, especialmente en países en vía de desarrollo y en las infecciones asociadas a VPH de alto riesgo, afectando principalmente a mujeres en edad reproductiva y estratos socioeconómicos bajos. Los principales pilares para el manejo de esta patología siguen siendo las estrategias de salud pública, como la vacunación y realización de las pruebas de tamizaje.

Abstract Introduction: Cervical cancer (CC) is a public health problem in both developed and undeveloped countries; besides it has socio-economic repercussions in women of reproductive age. Objective: To describe the characteristics of cervical cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment methods. Method: An exhaustive bibliographic search was carried out within a period of 6 years (2016-2021) in the database of the Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina, using search engines such as Dialnet, Science Direct, Medline, Lilacs, and Scopus to review the concepts general information about cervical cancer. Results: The main etiology of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is a preventable virus through adequate education and information and follow-up of its precancerous lesions. It is the second most frequent cancer in Colombia. Conclusion: CC is a pathology that mainly affects women of reproductive age belonging to low socioeconomic strata. This type of cancer has high mortality rates, especially in developing countries and in high-risk HPV infections. Regarding the management of this pathology, public health strategies, such as vaccination and conducting screening tests continue being the fundamental pillars.

Transient exposure to sublethal concentrations of a pesticide mixture (chlorpyrifos-difenoconazole) caused different responses in fish species from different trophic levels of the same community.

The assessment of early effects caused in biota by sublethal exposure to pesticide mixtures should enhance the realism in the ecological risk assessment for agricultural landscapes. This study aimed to evaluate sub-individual responses in fish, which can be linked with outcomes at higher levels of biological organization and affect their trophic relationships. A multilevel biomarker approach was applied to assess the effects of a 48 h exposure of two freshwater mesoamerican fish species (Parachromis dovii and Poecilia gillii) to a mixture of sublethal concentrations of chlorpyrifos (5 µg/L) and difenoconazole (325 µg/L). Transcriptomic induction of cyp1A and the activities of 7-ethoxy-resorufin-O-distillase (EROD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were measured as biotransformation-related biomarkers; cholinesterase activity (ChE) was assessed as a neurotoxicity biomarker; resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured as a physiological biomarker; and the movement of fish in a dark-light environment as a behavior biomarker. The exposure to the mixture had evident effects on P. gillii, with significant induction of cyp1A transcription, increased EROD activity, ChE inhibition in muscle, and increased permanence in the light side of the dark-light environment. Meanwhile, P. dovii only showed significant induction of cyp1A, without evidence of neurotoxicity or changes in behavior. This study demonstrates that the severity of the effects caused by the exposure to a mixture of pesticides can differ among species from the same trophic chain. The potential impairment of predator-prey relationships is a relevant effect that pesticide pollution can cause and it should be considered for the risk assessment of such contaminants.

Early Toxic Effects in a Central American Native Fish (Parachromis dovii) Exposed to Chlorpyrifos and Difenoconazole.

In Costa Rica, agriculture is one of the most important economic activities. Chlorpyrifos and difenoconazole have been identified as agrochemicals widely used in banana and pineapple crops in the Caribbean area of the country and are constantly recorded in aquatic ecosystems. The toxicity of these pesticides in Parachromis dovii was studied. Median lethal concentrations (LC50s) for each substance were obtained from 96-h acute tests. Then, fish were exposed to sublethal concentrations of both substances (10% of LC50), individually and in mixture, to evaluate biomarker responses. Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), catalase, and glutathione S-transferase activities as well as lipid peroxidation were measured in liver and gill tissues as markers of biotransformation and oxidative stress processes. Cholinesterase activity in brain and muscle tissue was also quantified as a biomarker of toxicity. The LC50s were 55.34 µg/L (95% confidence interval [CI] 51.06-59.98) for chlorpyrifos and 3250 µg/L (95% CI 2770-3810) for difenoconazole. Regarding the biomarkers, a significant inhibition of brain and muscle cholinesterase activity was recorded in fish exposed to 5.50 µg/L of chlorpyrifos. This activity was not affected when fish were exposed to the mixture of chlorpyrifos with difenoconazole. Significant changes in lactate dehydrogenase activity were observed in fish exposed to 325 µg/L of difenoconazole, whereas fish exposed to the mixture showed a significant increase in EROD activity in the liver. These results suggest harmful effects of chlorpyrifos insecticide at environmentally relevant concentrations. There is also evidence for an interaction of the 2 substances that affects the biotransformation metabolism at sublethal levels of exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1940-1949. © 2021 SETAC.

Liver Fat Content and Body Fat Distribution in Youths with Excess Adiposity.

This study had two main objectives: To examine the association between body fat distribution and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fat content, and to determine whether the relationship between NAFLD and regional body fat distribution, with respect to liver fat content in youths with excess adiposity, is independent of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and a healthy diet. Liver fat content (controlled attenuation parameter (CAP)), body fat distribution (body mass index (BMI) z-score, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, fat mass/height, body fat percentage, total fat mass, android-to-gynoid fat mass ratio, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and lean mass index, determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)), CRF (20-m shuttle-run test), and healthy diet (adherence to the Mediterranean diet by KIDMED questionnaire) were measured in 126 adolescents (66% girls) aged between 11 and 17 years. Participants were assigned to two groups according to the presence or absence of hepatic steatosis (CAP values ≥225 dB/m or <225 dB/m of liver fat, respectively). Considering the similar total fat values for the two groups (>30% by DXA), youths with NAFLD had higher fat distribution parameters than those without NAFLD, regardless of sex, age, puberty stage, lean mass index, CRF, and healthy diet (p < 0.01). In the non-NAFLD group, the association between hepatic fat and fat distribution parameters presented a similar pattern, although the association was statistically insignificant after adjusting for a potential confounding variable (ps > 0.05), except for the case of VAT. Body fat distribution parameters were higher in youths with NAFLD compared to those without NAFLD. Additionally, body fat distribution showed a significant association with liver fat content as assessed by CAP in youths with NAFLD independent of CRF and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, supporting the notion that upper body fat distribution might play a pivotal role in the development of NAFLD in adolescents. These results may have implications for the clinical management of youths with excess adiposity given the high prevalence of NAFLD in children and young adults.

Frecuencia de DNA-HPV-H en células escamosas atípicas. Serie de casos: ASC-US y LSIL / DNA-HPV-H detection in atypical squamous cells. A case series: ASC-US and LSIL

Determinar mediante reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) la infección por el virus del papiloma humano de alto riesgo (DNA-HPV-H) y la presencia de cambio morfológico con atipia en la citología de mujeres que laboran en un hospital y un ente educativo. Métodos: serie de casos de muestras cérvico uterinas con citologías convencional y en base líquida, y PCR para DNA-HPV-H; se incluyeron las pacientes que tuvieron uno o más resultados positivos en citología (ASC-US y LSIL). Resultados: la tipificación de DNA-HPV-H fue positiva en 12 de 41 casos. Se observó un mayor número de citologías con atipia celular en el rango de mujeres jóvenes (22-49 años), comparado con las mayores (50-72 años). Los casos positivos para DNA-HPV-H tanto en citología convencional como en base líquida fue similar. Hubo 11 con infección simple y uno múltiple positivo para alto riesgo (HPV-H y HPV-16). Conclusiones: la PCR identificó 12 pacientes infectadas con HPV de alto riesgo, 11 con infección simple y una múltiple; el grupo que predominó fue el HPV-H (9 casos), seguido del subtipo HPV-18 (5) y por HPV-16 (1).Abreviaturas: ASC-US atipia indeterminada de células escamosas; ASC-H, atipia que no descarta alto grado; HPV, virus del papiloma humano; LSIL, lesión escamosa intraepitelial de bajo grado; HSIL, lesión escamosa intraepitelial de alto grado...

To determine high-risk human papillomavirus (DNA-HPV-H) infection and atypical changes by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method based on cytology among women who work at a hospital and a school. Methods: case series based on conventional or liquid-based cytology of cervical samples and PCR testing for DNAHPV-H; patients with one or more positive results in their cytology (ASC-US and LSIL) were included. Results: DNA-HPV-H typing was positive in 12 to 41 cases. Atypical cells were mostly present in younger women (22-49 years), compared with older women (50-72). The number of DNA-HPV-H positive samples was similar for liquidbased and conventional cytology. Eleven cases had a simple infection and one a multiple positive result for highrisk (HPV-H and HPV-16). Conclusions: high-risk HPV infection was identified by PCR in 12 patients, 11 had a simple infection and one a multiple infection; HPV-H positive (9 cases) samples predominated, followed by subtype HPV-18 (5) and by HPV-16 (1) type...

Intervención educativa para la prevención de enfermedades diarreicas en el barrio Mano de Dios, Sincelejo, Colombia: una experiencia exitosa / Educational intervention for the prevention of diarrheal diseases in the Mano de Dios neighborhood, Sincelejo, Colombia: a success experience

Objetivo: Medir la efectividad de un programa educativo que favorezca la adopción de conductas saludables encuidadores, para prevenir las enfermedades diarreicas agudas (EDA) en menores de 5 años.Diseño: Intervención educativa cuasi experimental de tipo antes y después, siguiendo el diseño de serie temporalinterrumpida con un grupo (Burns y Grove 2008) y la Teoría de las Creencias de la Salud de Hochbaum.Materiales y métodos: Se midió en forma repetida, el efecto de un programa educativo para promover la adopción deconductas saludables hacia la prevención de la EDA en 17 cuidadores de menores de 5 años, en un barrio con marginalidadde la ciudad de Sincelejo, Colombia. Se aplicó una encuesta estandarizada y una entrevista semi-estructurada en los dosmomentos (antes y después), para indagar las creencias, acerca de la percepción de gravedad e identificación de factores de riesgos y prevención de la enfermedad y una guía de observaciónpara monitorear el cambio en las creencias.Resultados: Se encontró una baja presencia de creenciassaludables en todas las dimensiones antes de la intervencióny una alta proporción de variación de cambio después de laintervención, excepto en la percepción de beneficios que fueigual, tanto en el antes como en el después de la intervención.La mayor predicción de cambio fue la percepción de lagravedad de la enfermedad, con un coeficiente de variacióndel 100%.Conclusiones: La efectividad de un programa educativopara la adherencia a una conducta esperada se logra con lasinergia de utilizar la educación y la comunicación en saludcon las teorías del comportamiento que trascienda lo cognitivohacia lo afectivo y lo volitivo.