Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal(oid)s in the Residents of Abandoned Mining District in Northern Cyprus.

Several heavy metal(oid)s are known mutagens and/or carcinogens. Exposure to these elements can lead to the development of malignancies. Gemikonagi, which is in the western part of Cyprus, was the hometown of mining operations. It is believed that the mining site is a significant heavy metal(oid) source for the environment and residents. In this biomonitoring study, a total of 60 blood samples from Gemikonagi region (n = 30) and from a control region located 40 km northeast from the mining site, Tepebasi (n = 30), and 5 soil samples from each region were collected to conduct heavy metal analysis using ICP-MS. To conduct genotoxicity analysis, alkaline comet assay and in vivo micronucleus assays were used. t test for independent samples and Mann-Whitney U tests were applied. Copper and iron were found to be enriched in Gemikonagi, while arsenic was found to be enriched in Tepebasi. Genotoxicity analyses demonstrated a statistically significant increase in parameters of micronuclei frequency (p value = 0.0001) and Comet Assay statistics upon exposure to some elements, such as arsenic (p value = 0.04) and copper (p value = 0.012). The results indicate that a general enrichment in heavy elements is not endemic to Gemikonagi, but a problem that might be generalized to the entirety of Cyprus. Graphical abstract.

A Rapid, Precise, and Sensitive LC-MS/MS Method for the Quantitative Determination of Urinary Dopamine Levels via a Simple Liquid-liquid Extraction Technique.

OBJECTIVES: Dopamine (DA) is a prominent biochemically complex neurotransmitter and immunomodulator. The quantification of DA could contribute to a better understanding of how endocrine system, cardiovascular and renal functions are regulated. The study aims to develop a rapid, precise, and extremely sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for routine clinical quantification of DA in urine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urine samples were extracted via one simple and rapid liquid-liquid extraction technique; then analyzed using a sensitive LC-MS/MS method developed by multiple reaction monitoring mode. RESULTS: DA and internal standard (IS) retention durations were found to be 2.28 min and 2.24 min, respectively. The mean extraction recovery of DA and DA-IS in urine was above 95.62%. DA calibration curve in urine was linear (r2≥0.998) ranging from 20 ng/mL to 1000 ng/mL. The maximum intra-day and inter-day precisions were 5.87 and 2.81, respectively and coefficients of variation were 10.55% and 7.57%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A rapid, precise, sensitive and quantitative LC-MS/MS detection of DA without the use of derivatization, evaporation, reconstitution and ion-pairing reagents has been developed with a simple and non-invasive sample technique for clinical laboratory applications, basic neuroscience research and drug development studies.

Drug-associated cardiovascular risks: A retrospective evaluation of withdrawn drugs.

A considerable number of drugs were withdrawn from the world market in the last decades due to safety reasons. A retrospective review of withdrawals is important in determining the adequacy of regulations regarding the safety and efficacy of drugs. The scope of the present study was to focus on cardiovascular adverse reactions of 61 withdrawn medicinal products, as well as 40 additional drugs withdrawn due to non-cardiovascular toxicity, while being cardiovascular agents themselves. A detailed web-based data search was held to draw a list of withdrawn pharmaceutical products from the pharmaceutical market by regulatory authorities between 1950 and 2017 due to safety reasons. A total of 464 medicinal products were withdrawn from the pharmaceutical markets between 1950 and 2017 due to safety reasons. Hepatotoxicity was the most commonly reported adverse drug reaction (ADR) that led to withdrawal, followed by immune-related reactions, neurotoxicity, and cardiovascular toxicity. The underlying mechanisms leading to cardiovascular toxicity should be investigated in depth to avoid the use of risky drugs for long periods, especially in consideration of the fact that some cardiovascular drugs persisted in the market for many decades. Furthermore, improved reporting of suspected adverse reactions and stricter regulations will lead to quicker detection of ADRs, thus emphasizing the importance of this public health problem and highlighting the need for improved "early warning systems" to manage the risks of high-risk drugs.

Monitoring and assessment of heavy metal/metalloid concentration by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) method in Gonyeli Lake, Cyprus.

The presence of heavy metals/metalloids in the ecosystem has been an increasing ecological and global public health concern due to their potential to cause adverse health effects. For this reason, the accumulation of some heavy metals such as Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, Pb was assessed by way of ICP-MS in water, sediment and fish (Cyprinus carpio) sampled from Gonyeli Lake, North Cyprus. The results showed that these metals/metalloids are found widespread throughout the study area. In water, most concentrated element was manganese with 92.1 ppb and least concentrated was lead with 0.914 ppb. In sediment, copper had the highest concentration with 613 ppm, and cadmium the lowest with 1.57 ppm. In fish tissues (muscle and gills), the most concentrated element was manganese with 12.5 ppm and the least concentrated cadmium with 0.017 ppm. These results indicate that future remediation efforts are indispensable for the rehabilitation of the lake.