Prenatal BPA and its analogs BPB, BPF, and BPS exposure and reproductive axis function in the male offspring of Sprague Dawley rats.

Research in the past has indicated associated long-term and low levels of exposure of bisphenol A (BPA) in early life and neuroendocrine disorders, such as obesity, precocious puberty, diabetes, and hypertension. BPA and its analogs bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS) have been reported to have similar or even more toxic effect as compared to BPA. Exposure of rats to BPA and its analogs BPB, BPF, and BPS resulted in decreased sperm production, testosterone secretion, and histological changes in the reproductive tissues of male rats. In the present study, BPA, BPB, BPF, and BPS were administered in drinking water at concentrations of (5, 25, and 50 µg/L) from pregnancy day (PD) 1 to PD 21. Body weight (BW), hormonal concentrations, antioxidant enzymes, and histological changes were determined in the reproductive tissues. BPA and its analogs prenatal exposure to female rats induced significant statistical difference in the antioxidant enzymes, plasma testosterone, and estrogen concentrations in the male offspring when compared with the control. Histological parameters of both testis and epididymis revealed prominent changes in the reproductive tissues. The present study suggests that BPA and its analogs BPB, BPF, and BPS different concentrations led to marked alterations in the development of the male reproductive system.

Effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure on the pharyngeal swallow in neonates.

OBJECTIVE: Feeding neonates orally while on nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) is a common practice. We hypothesize that pressurized airflow provided by nCPAP will alter the swallowing mechanism in neonates, increasing the risk of aspiration during oral feeding. STUDY DESIGN: Infants receiving nCPAP with a RAM cannula and tolerating at least 50% of their feeding orally were included in the study (one term; six preterm infants). Each participant underwent a videofluoroscopic swallow study while on nCPAP and off nCPAP. A non-parametric signed-rank test was used for paired data. RESULT: The incidence of deep penetration (P=0.03) and aspiration (P=0.01) decreased significantly off-nCPAP compared with on-nCPAP. However, the incidence of mild penetration (P=0.65) and nasopharyngeal reflux (P=0.87) remained the same under both conditions. CONCLUSION: Oral feeding while on-nCPAP significantly increases the risk of laryngeal penetration and tracheal aspiration events. We recommend caution when initiating oral feedings on nCPAP.

Influence of Processing on Bacteriological Quality of Frozen Shrimp.

Line and finished product samples (668) from two shrimp processing plants located at the Karachi fish harbor were collected and examined bacteriologically. Frozen shrimp samples (100) collected from Plant A had the following bacterial profile: average (geometric) total aerobic plate count 9.4 × 106 CFU/g; MPN coliforms 94/g; and MPN fecal coliforms 41/g. The bacterial profile of 114 frozen shrimp samples from Plant B were 8.3 × 106 CFU/g, 180/g and 133/g for total plate count, MPN coliform and MPN fecal coliforms, respectively. Samples (126) of raw and laboratory-processed (simulating commercial processing) shrimp were also examined. Processing conditions of Plant A were better and resulted in a better quality end-product as compared to that of Plant B. Three of 338 samples from Plant B yielded Salmonella . The composition of microbial flora was nearly the same for both species of shrimps from both plants. Pseudomonads were the predominant microflora followed by Micrococcus sp. When shrimp were handled expeditiously under good sanitary conditions in the laboratory, the bacterial counts were significantly lower than on shrimp from the plants. Laboratory-processed shrimp had an average (geometric) total aerobic plate count of 8.1 × 105 CFU/g and average (geometric) coliform and fecal coliform MPNs were <3/g.