Organophosphate pesticide exposure prenatally influence on pregnancy outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Organophosphorus (OP) pesticides are widely used worldwide. The effect of OP exposure during pregnancy on the offspring is inconsistent in the current literature. Moreover, similar studies in the Middle East are lacking. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of OP exposure in utero on the outcome of pregnancies in an agricultural region in Jordan. METHOD: A prospective study, employing a questionnaire to collect women demographic data. Hospital records were collected for newborns' birth data. In addition, urine samples during the third trimester were collected from pregnant women and then analyzed for six OP metabolites to measure exposure. RESULTS: One of the metabolites, DEDTP, was negatively correlated with gestational age and Apgar scores 1 and 5. There were no other significant associations. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to OP during pregnancy is not highly associated with any negative anthropometric characteristics of the newborns; it is probably offset by other factors.

Naringenin potentiated ß-sitosterol healing effect on the scratch wound assay.

In the present investigation scratch wound assay was used to study the ability of several combinations of each flavonoid (chrysin, naringenin or resveratrol) with ß-sitosterol to heal wounds in vitro. MTT test was performed to determine if the combination of flavonoid with ß-sitosterol was toxic to fibroblasts or not. Also, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) concentrations were measured. The best closure rates were obtained with ß-sitosterol combined with naringenin and ß-sitosterol combined with resveratrol. The combination that produced the best closure rate namely ß-sitosterol with naringenin increased SOD activity significantly. However, this combination was not better than naringenin or ß-sitosterol alone in reducing IL-ß concentration. The results of MTT test indicated that the combination as well as ß-sitosterol alone or naringenin alone has no toxic effect on fibroblasts. In conclusion, the combination of ß-sitosterol and naringenin exerted a synergistic effect on wound closure without decreasing the viability of fibroblasts, increased antioxidant defense mechanism and decreased IL-ß.

The use and safety of medications known to affect driving in Jordan: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the main driving-impairing medications used by drivers in Jordan, the reported frequency of medication side effects, the frequency of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) while using driving-impairing medicines, as well as factors associated with MVCs. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 1,049 individuals (age 18-75 years) who are actively driving vehicles and taking at least one medication known to affect driving (anxiolytics, antidepressants, hypnotics, antiepileptics, opioids, sedating antihistamines, hypoglycemic agents, antihypertensives, central nervous system [CNS] stimulants, and herbals with CNS-related effects) was conducted in Amman, Jordan, over a period of 8 months (September 2013-May 2014) using a structured validated questionnaire. RESULTS: Sixty-three percent of participants noticed a link between a medicine taken and feeling sleepy and 57% stated that they experience at least one adverse effect other than sleepiness from their medication. About 22% of the participants reported having a MVC while on medication. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that among the participants who reported having a crash while taking a driving-impairing medication, the odds ratios were significantly higher for the use of inhalant substance (odds ratio [OR] = 2.787, P = .014), having chronic conditions (OR = 1.869, P = .001), and use of antiepileptic medications (OR = 2.348, P = .008) and significantly lower for the use of antihypertensives (OR = 0.533, P = .008). CONCLUSION: The study results show high prevalence of adverse effects of medications with potential for driving impairment, including involvement in MVCs. Our findings highlight the types of patient-related and medication-related factors associated with MVCs in Jordan, such as inhalant use, presence of chronic conditions, and use of antiepileptics.