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Intoxications in the pediatric population account for a significant portion of the causes of care in emergency services, but they are also fatal in many cases in our country. Exposure to a toxic or poison and its adverse effects can become medical emergencies of great magnitude, which is why many authors consider them "multiple traumas of chemical origin." This is why the management of an intoxicated pediatric patient has a unique approach due to the diagnostic challenge that it represents. Timely and systematized care of a pediatric patient in the context of poisoning can represent the success of timely care, correct assessment, and an adequate care process. The objective of this work is to present a general approach for the intoxicated pediatric patient regarding the initial management, the approach, and the clinical data that can guide us in the emergency department when faced with an intoxicated pediatric patient.

Pesticides have become an essential input for agriculture in the last decades. However, the growing concern about the potential impact produced by such dependency on human health and the environmental level has led to strong questionings about the use of pesticides worldwide. This paper aims to analyze the use of pesticides in Uruguay's agriculture and their potential risks with an emphasis on ecotoxicological risks. For such purposes, data on imports and use of pesticides in Uruguay and some other agricultural regions corresponding to the last two decades (2000-2020) were collected. In addition, information on the risks associated with the use of different pesticides compiled in the Pesticide Properties Database of the University of Hertfordshire was reviewed, as well as information generated by related national and international research. The information collected indicates high intensity usage of pesticides in Uruguayan agriculture and uncertainties in relation to environmental risks that may arise from the current forms of use.

Context: Diabetes mellitus is considered one of the scourges of the third millennium in the world for several years. Aims: To evaluate, identify and preserve the experiences gained over the centuries. It is about therapeutic use of medicinal plants exploited for the treatment of diabetes, and to clarify its toxicities, in order to sensitize the population of the High Atlas Central (HAC) of Morocco not only on the risk but also the benefit of the use of phytotherapy. Methods: The surveys ethnopharmacological were conducted 834 the interviewees, using semi-structured survey, by application of quantitative indices such as Consensus index (CI %), Use value (UVi), family UV (FUV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), plant part value (PPV), and informant consensus factor (ICF) to assess the exact value of medicinal plants (MP). Results: We found that 144 medicinal plants in 121 genera and 52 plant families were traditionally used to treat diabetes, of which seven species were endemic to the study area, and 32 were being cited first ever to treating diabetes. In addition, we collected toxicological information on 99 antidiabetic plants, of which 41 species showed no toxic activity and 43 were toxic and sometimes lethal in high doses. The Ranunculaceae family showed the highest use value (FUV =0.139). Leaves were the most used plant parts (PPV =0.282) and infusion was the dominant method of preparation. The frequently used species were Olea europaea L. (UVi =0.172), Salvia officinalis L. (UVi =0.156) and Euphorbia resinifera Berg (UVi =0.150). Conclusions: These results are a rich source of information. They contribute to the knowledge of the antidiabetic medicinal flora of our study area, and to the preservation of the local popular know-how of the word that tends to disappear. They may also represent a database that consists of purifying and identifying the characterization of active compounds of herbal extracts with antidiabetic activity.

The ingestion of considerable amounts of water or food contaminated with nickel can be very toxic. The present work was conducted aiming to evaluate the effects of nickel exposures on ascending colon of adult Wistar male rats at hystometric level. We used 12 animals that were divided in a control (ingested uncontaminated water) and a nickel-contaminated (i.e., 25 mg de nickel/L of water) groups. Nickel chloride was offered in declorinated water and the experiment had a 56 days exposure period. A portion of the ascending colon was removed of the animals and subjected to hystological labelling processes using blue toluidin (for general hystometric description), Alcian Blue (AB, for acid mucins) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) technique (for neutral mucins). The potential differences between groups were desgined by applying the Whitney test and t test (p < 0.05). The crypts were smaller for the nickel-contaminated group, even though these organism exhibited broader and higher crypts. Nickel-contaminated animals exhibited a smaller amount of calyceform cells with AB and PAS positive reactions as well as a less mucus quantities when compared with nickel-uncontaminated animals. Such reductions on the amount of calyceform cells with AB and PAS positive reactions may be related wiht the shallower crypts, which possibly reduced the synthesis and secretion of mucins, compromissing the functional aspects (e.g., lubrification and intestinal mucosa protection) of the nickel-contaminated large intestines. Interestingly, the wider and higher crypts and higher epithelium collumn on the nickel-contaminated animals may represent a relevant trade-off for the intestinal mucosa protection.

Objective: To present questions about poisoning to 4 artificial intelligence (AI) systems and 4 clinical toxicologists and determine whether readers can identify the source of the answers. To evaluate and compare text quality and level of knowledge found in the AI and toxicologists' responses., Methods: Ten questions about toxicology were presented to the following AI systems: Copilot, Bard, Luzia, and ChatGPT. Four clinical toxicologists were asked to answer the same questions. Twenty-four recruited experts in toxicology were sent a pair of answers (1 from an AI system and one from a toxicologist) for each of the 10 questions. For each answer, the experts had to identify the source, evaluate text quality, and assess level of knowledge reflected. Quantitative variables were described as mean (SD) and qualitative ones as absolute frequency and proportion. A value of P .05 was considered significant in all comparisons., Results: Of the 240 evaluated AI answers, the expert evaluators thought that 21 (8.8%) and 38 (15.8%), respectively, were certainly or probably written by a toxicologist. The experts were unable to guess the source of 13 (5.4%) AI answers. Luzia and ChatGPT were better able to mislead the experts than Bard (P = .036 and P = .041, respectively). Text quality was judged excellent in 38.8% of the AI answers. ChatGPT text quality was rated highest (61.3% excellent) vs Bard (34.4%), Luzia (31.7%), and Copilot (26.3%) (P .001, all comparisons). The average score for the level of knowledge perceived in the AI answers was 7.23 (1.57) out of 10. The highest average score was achieved by ChatGPT at 8.03 (1.26) vs Luzia (7.02 [1,63]), Bard (6.91 [1.64]), and Copilot (6.91 [1.46]) (P .001, all comparisons)., Conclusions: Luzia and ChatGPT answers to the toxicology questions were often thought to resemble those of clinical toxicologists. ChatGPT answers were judged to be very well-written and reflect a very high level of knowledge.

Objective: To analyze gender-related differences in patient and care characteristics and in toxicology findings in suspected cases of drug facilitated crime (DFC)., Methods: Observational cross-sectional study of all patients in suspected DFC cases attended in the emergency department of Hospital Clínico San Carlos and of their blood or urine samples analyzed by the National institute of Toxicology and Forensics in Madrid between March 1, 2015, and March 1, 2023. We analyzed variables from patient records and the toxicology reports according to gender., Results: A total of 514 suspected DFC episodes were studied; 101 (19.6%) were proactive crimes, 61 (11.9%) opportunistic, and 352 (68.5%) mixed. The median (interquartile range) age was 25 years (21-34 years), and 370 (72%) were women. Eighty-three percent of the patients had amnesia, and 48% of the cases involved sexual assault or robbery. Toxicology identified substances in 78% of the patients (alcohol, 53%; street drugs, 37%; and/or psychopharmaceuticals or opioids, 23%). Independent variables associated with female gender in the multivariate analysis, according to adjusted odds ratio (aORs) were age less than 25 years (aOR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.75 4.24; P < .001); physician-referred emergency (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.12-2.80; P = .03); robbery (aOR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.15-0.41; P < .001); alcohol-positive test result (aOR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.21-3.00; P = .01); and a drug-positive result (aOR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.28-0.64; P < .001). Police and a forensic physician intervened in 13% of the cases, and in such cases the victim was more likely to be female (aOR, 3.97; 95% CI, 1.41-11.13; P < .001). Toxicology identified the presence of an unknown substance in 39%, and a woman was less likely to be involved in such cases (aOR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.28-0.67; P < .001)., Conclusions: The majority of victims of DFCs were female, and the crimes were mixed, involving involve alcohol, psychopharmaceuticals or street drugs. Female victims were more likely to be under the age of 25 years, be referred to the emergency service by a physician, be attended by a forensic physician for sexual assault, and have an alcoholpositive toxicology report. Women were also less likely to report a robbery or have a toxicology report identifying drugs or an unknown substance.

Introduction and purpose: Designer drugs also known as legal highs, research chemicals or herbal highs become more and more popular not only in Poland but also in other countries around the world. That might have many reasons but the most crucial is their easy availability and rather cheap price in comparison to other psychoactive substances. Material and methods: We analyzed the data of patients hospitalized in years 2013-2018 in the Toxicology Department in Lublin and evaluated patients hospitalized due to psychoactive substance poisoningT40 according to ICD10). Moreover the review of available scientific articles was done. Results: After analysis the data of patients hospitalized in years 2013-2018 we can observe increasing tendency of poisonings. The growing number of designer drug poisonings may be the result of many factors - the phenomenon of these substances is based not only on a wide range of products, but also on various advertising strategies and patterns of use. Conclusions: There can occur big diagnostic difficulties due to unpredictability of the course of poisoning and unpredictability of composition. Therefore it is very important to react quickly and choose the right treatment. Many of these poisonings are really severe and often cause death. It is worth saying that side effects occur more often in combined preparations. It is also very important to educate young people and warn against using NPS, which are particularly dangerous and risky for human organism.

Digoxin is one of the oldest drugs used in cardiology. It belongs to subgroup of cardiac glycosides. Currently, due to limited indications for use, cases of poisoning with this group of drugs are becoming less common. Ease of poisoning results from the low therapeutic index and symptoms of intoxication may include many different systems. The most serious symptoms of overdose are cardiac arrhythmias. We present a case of a patient with suicide poisoning due to ingestion of 30 tablets of 0.1mg digoxin.

Galba cubensis is the main intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica in Cuba. The aim of this paper was to demonstrate the molluscicide effect of Sapindus saponaria L. on Galba cubensis in laboratory conditions, in order to recommend this plant for ecological control of this snail. Different concentrations of the hydroalcoholic extract of six-month old S. saponaria pericarp were tested on G. cubensis individuals, based on the methodology of the World Health Organization. The concentration gradient was used to determine LC50 and LC90, which then were tested to estimate the heartbeat frequency of these mollusks. The molluscicide effect of the plant extract was considerable (P≤0.01; R2=60.6), with concentration-dependent mortality and a drop of heartbeat frequency. Significant differences were observed between LC50=39.8 mg/L and LC90=67.9mg/L, in the test to lower heartbeat frequency (P≤0.01), and between LC90 and the control group (P≤0.01), but not between the control group and LC50 and (P=0.24). Molluscicide activity in the plant material was still present after six months of application, which was an important fact to recommend this plant as a candidate to control intermediate hosts of Fasciolosis in our region.

Introduction: Hydrogen peroxide is well soluble, odourless and colourless liquid with syrup consistency. It has different application depending on concentration. In 3% of concentration is present in almost every home as a disinfectant product, in higher concentration (35%) is used in pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic industry. The aim of the study: The purpose of this systemic review was to collect and analyse causes and possibilities of treatment a patient after ingestion a caustic substance. Material and method: Standard criteria were used to review the literature data. The search of articles in the PubMed and Google Scholar database was carried out using the following keywords: hydrogen peroxide, exposure, toxicology. Description of the state of knowledge: Exposure for hydrogen peroxide is not very common and most of the times is unintentional, except suicide attempts. Because it is a caustic substance and the main route of exposure is ingestion, most of symptoms are due to damage of gastrointestinal tract. However, the consequences of exposure range from short-time illness to brain damage or even death. Summary: Patient after exposure to >30% hydrogen peroxide should receive a complex treatment. Physicians need to be alert to the symptoms of not only gastrointestinal tract but also CNS. The patient may require specialized care by many specialists.

Backgrounds: Ethylene glycol poisoning is one of the heaviest poisonings in the toxicological practice of. Ethylene glycol is quickly absorbed from the digestive tract. Its toxicity is the result of combining few different mechanisms. Metabolites of decomposition, especially glycolic acid, are responsible for appearance of metabolic acidosis. Precipitated crystals of calcium oxalate additionally impair the function of organs such as kidneys, central nervous system (CNS) and circulatory system. Worldwide, from 2013 to 2018 about 30% of ethylene glycol poisoning cases end in death. Case report: We present the case of 56 years old woman, who was admitted to Toxicology Department because of ethylene glycol poisoning. We could observe presence of metabolic acidosis, respiratory insufficiency and organ damage. The patient has been treated pharmacologically and has been given specific antidote. Due to the ethylene glycol intoxication, metabolic acidosis and increasing parameters of kidney failure the patient also underwent hemodialysis. Conclusions: In pathogenesis of ethylene glycol poisoning toxic metabolits are crucial. The diagnosis of ethylene glycol is often a very hard task. In the clinical aspect it is based on the interview, a set of syndromes and biochemical tests and targeted toxicological tests. This kind of poisoning occur the most often among patients addicted to alcohol. It may lead to multi- organ damage or even death. It is very important to react quickly and implement pharmacotherapy and hemodialysis. The other essential aspect is to improve the level of knowledge of students and doctors about symptoms, diagnostics and proper proceeding with a patient poisoned with ethylene glycol. According to statistics and knowing how often the alcohol poisoning happens it is necessary to have knowledge in this field, be fluent in management and choosing methods of treatment in such cases.

Pyrethroids are powerful insecticides, which are worldwide use in pest control, in agriculture, forestry, even in households. The amount of used pyrethroids is growing every year. They were created as the result of a modification of natural pyrethrin, which is botanical insecticide extracted from chrysanthemum flowers. The pyrethroids are the substances with powerful effects on insects nervous system due to binding to voltage-gated sodium channels of nerve cells. Despite of relatively low risk of toxicological effect on humans and other mammals, there are many reports of acute or chronic exposure on pyrethroids. Based on available literature implicates that pyrethroids induce adverse health effects on non-target organisms. The associations between exposure to pyrethroids and the effect on nervous, endocrinological and immunological systems were reported. The purpose of this study was to analyze an association between exposure to pyrethroids and its potential poisoning effect on humans.

Introduction: In Poland, mushrooms poisonings, are still quite often, especially in autumn. Each year, in our country 500-1000 cases of mushrooms poisoning are registered, from which 70% are adults, and 30% children. Amanita Phalloides, also known as a ‘death cap’ is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in our climatic zone, and is responsible for ca. 90-95 % of all deadly mushroom poisonings. Aim of the study: is to present an epidemiology of Amanita poisonings in a Lublin voivodeship in a last 5 years, as well as the up to date methods of managing this kind of poisonings. Materials and methods: Data comes from the database of the Department of the Toxicology of Medical University of Lublin. To present the methods of treatment, the analysis of the available publications was made. Results: In years 2013-2018 in a Clinical Department of Toxicology of the Medical University in Lublin, 78 patients were hospitalized because of the mushroom intoxication. 37 (47.5%) of them were male and 41 (52,5%) - women. In 27 patients (34%), the poisoning with Amanita Phalloides was confirmed. The most mushrooms poisonings occurred in 2017 (21). Mushroom poisoning is the most common in summer and autumn - the most cases occured in August, September and October. Discussion: First steps in case of suspecting amatoxins intoxication is to take the clinical history of the patient and start stabilizing measures. To confirm Amanita poisoning, a test that allows to detect α-amanitine in urine can be made. Several drug treatments have been applied in intoxications by amatoxins, from which the biggest role plays sylibin and N-acetylcystein.

Humans have had to deal with toxic substances since times immemorial, and this remains the case in the present day. In case of forensic toxicology, of interest are those substances whose possession, use or effects of either imply an offense, a crime or a threat to life. Biological materials used in toxicological analyses are usually blood, urine and the vitreous body of the eye. In addition to the above-mentioned classic materials used for tests aimed at determining the presence of a given xenobiotic, alternative materials, such as hair, are increasingly being used. The primary goal of forensic and clinical toxicology is to look for a causal relationship between the presence of a toxic agent in the system and the specific biological effect caused by it. Carrying out the above objective requires the toxicology analyst to choose the appropriate diagnostic material and the appropriate analytical methods. Toxicological analysis can be performed for any type of material, including hair, which is an excellent sample for determination of individual substances. One of the most important tasks in the field of forensic toxicology is the analysis of addictive substances, whose presence or absence in the human body is one of the elements of a medico-legal report.

Pesticides is a collective term for a group of chemicals used predominantly in agriculture and against vectors in vectorborne diseases such as malaria, filariasis, etc. Organophosphates (OP) have become nowadays the most widely used pesticides among the world. However, they are very highly toxic to humans. Poisoning with OP is a life - threatening condition. It is responsible for the symptoms due to a cholinergic effects. The Acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) enzyme inhibition leads to an acetylcholine accumulation, which causes symptoms such as diarrhea, sweating, vomiting, small pupils, muscle tremors, increased saliva and tears production and confusion. Other type of pesticides are also common used in agriculture. Glyphosate is a broad‐spectrum systemic herbicide used to kill weeds. It is promoted by the manufacturer as having no risks to human health. We present two patients with a fatal pesticide poisoning. First patient drank OP agent, which was decanted in a non-original bottle. Despite the intensive treatment, including high doses of atropine, and toxogonine, patient died after 6 days due to acute respiratory failure. The second one, tried to commit suicide by drinking 2 glasses of a pesticide called ‘Roundap’ (glyphosate). Short time after admission to a hospital, a myocardial infarction occurred. The patient died the same day, due to a cardiac arrest.

Tannery is a highly polluting activity due to the waste generated by bovine skin processing. Although there are several studies highlighting the health issues faced by workers exposed to tannery effluent, there are no records of experiments testing the neurobehavioral effects resulting from direct contact with this pollutant. Thus, the aim of the current study is to assess the possible neurobehavioral effects of dermal exposure to tannery effluent on male Swiss mice. Animals were divided in three groups, which were subjected to the same experimental time period and conditions: effluent group - animals in direct contact with tannery effluent (for 20 days); control group - animals in contact with pure water; and dry-control group - animals not exposed to water or to tannery effluent. Neurobehavioral tests started on the 17th experimental day. Results of the elevated plus-maze test (anxiety prediction) showed no anxiogenic or anxiolytic effects, memory deficit or depressive symptoms on animals exposed to tannery effluent. Thus, the current results do not support the hypothesis that male Swiss mice dermal exposure to tannery effluents for the same time period and experimental conditions leads to neurobehavioral changes. Therefore, the herein adopted exposure protocol was not good to study the effects of dermal exposure to tannery effluent on the chosen experimental model.

Context: Pithecellobium dulce (PD) is an annual herbaceous plant commonly used in African traditional medicine as a purgative, antipyretic, anti-ulcer and wound dressing agent. Aims: To evaluate the acute and sub-acute toxicity of P. dulce stem bark hydroethanolic extract in Wistar rats. Methods: In the acute test, a single dose of 5 g/kg body weight was administered to Wistar rats afterwards they were observed individually 4 hours post-dosing, and at least once daily for 14 consecutive days. The sub-acute toxicity was evaluated by daily oral administration of 0.5 and 1 g/kg extract, for 28 days. Biochemical and hematological parameters assessment as well as body and organ weights of the rats were carried out. Results: The limit dose of 5 g/kg did not cause any mortality or signs of acute toxicity on the rats during the experimentation period. In the sub-acute test, uterus-ovary-trompe (UOT) weight decreased dose-dependently: Control group (0.82 ± 0.03 g); Extract 0.5 g/kg (0.57 ± 0.06 g); Extract 1g/kg (0.48 ± 0.01 g) (p ˂ 0.01). Extract lowered urea values in female group treated with 1 g/kg (p < 0.01). Lymphocytes percentage was dose dependently increased in treated male groups: Control group (53.00 ± 0.58%); extract 0.5 g/kg (58.67 ± 0.67%) and extract 1 g/kg (60.67 ± 2.41%). Conclusions: These findings suggest that PD is relatively safe when administered orally in rats but is slightly atrophic for female reproductive organs.

Abstract: Despite being widely used in industry, the literature on tin and its effects in humans is scarce, especially regarding reference values in biological indicators such as blood and urine. Similarly, environmental limits are also rare. This study sought to assess the spatial distribution of hotspots in the environmental exposure to tin in the vicinity of an alloy industry in the south region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The study population consisted of 74 adults. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry determined tin in all samples. Households and points around the industry were georeferenced with the use of GPS to identify the most intense tin sites. Results of the first and second campaigns ranged from 0.022 to 0.153 and 0.003 to 0.445µg m-3 for the atmospheric air, whereas such ranges were 0.64 to 1.61 and 1.97 to 8.54µg m-2 for household dust, respectively. The mean tin concentration found in the blood of the population was 3.85 ± 1.57µg L-1. In urine the value was 3.56 ± 1.88µg L-1. The kernel map showed the highest spatial concentrations of tin in household dust in the eastern region of the industry. In the first sampling, atmospheric air samples presented the most elevated concentrations in the southwest and southeast. Although the direction of the wind was northwest, potentially high risks were concentrated in the central area in the second collection. The largest hotspots were in the north, south and southeast regions; however, urine samples showed medium to high levels in the west and east regions. Regarding blood samples, the greatest difference was the absence of hotspot areas in the west. Environmental monitoring becomes necessary to better assess the exposure to tin.

Animals have been used since a very long time as experimental subjects to support scientific progress and medical advances. Currently, various testing procedures implying animals are still being conducted within a broad range of scientific fields and applications, as for example the assessment of medical devices safety. The aim of this assessment is to investigate whether a medical device is safe for human use or poses a risk for patients’ health. Animal testing for that purpose is especially encouraged by regulatory requirements, which prerequisite however that the use of such testing is deemed necessary and justified in the context of a risk management process. Thus, animal models are no longer systematically used as in the past, but they remain a cornerstone within the delicate decision-making process related to the marketing of medical devices. Though, animal testing has some critical limitations, such as ethical concerns and relevance of animal data, which challenge its further use to that objective. A particular attention is therefore currently given to the development of animal-free alternatives to better support the application of the 3Rs Principle (replacement, reduction, refining) within this field. Unfortunately, the highly-advanced methods and technologies being developed face barriers (e.g. validation and standardization) which hinder and slow down their implementation as regulatory-accepted alternatives. To overcome these difficulties, the process of regulatory acceptance of these alternatives may be optimized. This may be achieved for example by improving the cooperation, coordination and communication between the different stakeholders, i.e. researchers, regulatory approval bodies and industries. Mostly, a special focus may be set on commitment and shared effort to enhance the efficiency of that process and to establish a regulatory testing framework that no longer relies on animal models.

ABSTRACT Considering the innovative nature of the approach to human exposome, we present the state of the art of studies on exposome, and discuss current challenges and perspectives in this area. Several reading and discussion activities were conducted by the Expossoma e Saúde do Trabalhador (eXsat – Group Exposome and Worker's Health), with systematization of the literature in the area published between January 2005 and January 2017, available in the databases PubMed and Web of Science. This comment brings a thematic analysis to encourage the dissemination of the exposome approach for studies in the Public Health area.

Mushrooms containing amatoxins generate the highest number of fatal mycete poisonings on the planet. These toxins are produced not only by Amanita species, such as the well-known Amanita phalloides, but also by other genera, including Lepiota. In this work we report the treatment of a 51-year-old male patient weighing 79 kg who was referred to the hospital after 36 h of ingesting mushrooms. The mushrooms were identified as Lepiota brunneoincarnata, found for the first time in Argentina. The patient presented general malaise, nausea and repeated vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Thanks to a quick anamnesis and early and accurate identification of the fungus, he was administered a nasogastric tube and serial activated charcoal. Additionally, N-acetylcysteine, phytomenadione and penicillin G EV were administered. The patient was discharged 11 days after admission. This case highlights the importance of obtaining a correct and sufficient anamnesis on fungi, enabling rapid analysis of them, and initiation of timely treatment for intoxication. Once again, the importance of having Toxicological Information and Advice Centers (CIAT) with experience and knowledge of micetisms is demonstrated.

ABSTRACT Little is known about the toxicity of concomitantly occurring mycotoxins in pig diets. This study was conducted to evaluate, through meta-analysis, the individual and the combined effects of mycotoxins on pig performance. The meta-analysis followed three sequential analyses (graphical, correlation, and variance-covariance) based on a database composed of 85 published papers, 1,012 treatments and 13,196 animals. Contamination of diets with individual mycotoxins reduced (p < 0.05) feed intake by 14 % and weight gain by 17 %, while combined mycotoxins reduced the same responses by 42 % and 45 %, respectively, in comparison with the non-challenged group. The correlation (p < 0.05) between reduction in weight gain (ΔG) and reduction in feed intake (ΔFI) was 0.67 in individual challenges and 0.93 in combined challenges. The estimated ΔG was –6 % in individual challenges and –7 % in combined challenges when ΔFI was zero, suggesting an increase in the maintenance requirements of challenged animals. Most of ΔG (58 % in individual challenges and 84 % in combined challenges) was attributed to the changes in feed efficiency. The association of mycotoxins enhances individual toxic effects and the ΔFI is important in explaining the deleterious effects on the growth of challenged pigs.

Blue shark Prionace glauca is a species that represents a great economic and ecological importance. However, the information related to its biology and others aspects of its population is limited. Nevertheless these kinds of studies are very important for a suitable management of fishery activities. The aim of this research was to develop a historical review for all biological, ecological and toxicological studies made in the coastal and marine ecosystems of the Ecuadorian Pacific. A review of the specializedliteraturewas carried out for many documents such as thesis, technical reports, scientific papers,and others. According to results obtained, in Ecuador there have been four scientific research studies from 2012: These were two of Biology (one of reproductive aspects in Santa Rosa de Salinas and another about age and growth in Manta) and the others two of Ecology and Toxicology (one on mercury bioaccumulation and bio-magnification of mercury, and another on the concentration of mercury and cadmium; both conducted in Santa Rosa de Salinas).The works were developed by state and private universities through thesis, while a draft was in preparation for scientific publication as part of a research project in a private institution of higher education

This article aimed to examine the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of gasoline on exfoliated buccal mucosa cells among gas station attendants. The study was conducted through data survey, application of health questionnaires, and cytogenetic analysis, by applying the micronucleus test in oral mucosa cells. The population under study consisted of the Test Group, made up by 20 attendants, exposed to gasoline, in the city of Picos, Piauí, Brazil, and a Control Group, made up by 20 previously selected individuals. The results of this study showed that the frequency of micronuclei and cell death among individuals exposed to gasoline has been statistically significant (p < 0.001) when compared to the non-exposed group. This substance also induced cytotoxicity in the oral epithelium of exposed individuals (p < 0.001), by increasing the frequency of binucleated cells. These results are similar to those reported in the literature, regarding the mutagenic and cytotoxic effects of this additive. Furthermore, it was observed that none of the subjects in the Test Group has used personal protective equipment (PPE) and they do not know the toxic action of these compounds. Thus, there is a need for providing information to the exposed workers on the mutagenic and cytotoxic action of gasoline, emphasizing the importance of using PPE, in view of the risk posed to health that such exposure can bring.

A cetamina é um fármaco anestésico desenvolvido na década de 60 pelo laboratório estadunidense Parke & Davis, seu principal é anestesia em humanos e animais. É descrito na literatura como “anestésico dissociativo”, devido ao seu uso proporcionar uma intensa sensação de dissociação do meio, perda sensorial marcante e analgesia, assim como amnésia e paralisia do movimento, sem perda real da consciência.Possui propriedades que a tornam útil para procedimentos. Seu mecanismo de ação se baseia no antagonismo dos receptores glutamatérgicos ionotrópicos do tipo N-metil-D-aspartato. Seguindo a hipótese glutamatérgica da esquizofrenia, a cetamina é empregada como um possível modelo da esquizofrenia, é utilizada em pesquisas com o intuito de recriar comportamentos semelhantes aos sintomas positivos e negativos da esquizofrenia em cobaias. Atualmente seu uso ilícito tornou-se popular entre jovens, que a utilizam devido a suas propriedades alucinógenas e dissociativas, tal fato torna evidente a necessidade de maior conhecimento sobre suas propriedades toxicológicas.

In the field of human health, the development, validation, anduse of biomarkers as information tools to assess risk factorsassociated with exposure to environmental agents increasesdaily. This is a result of the need to understand the adverseeffects of the various work environments and lifestyles. Abiomarker is an event that takes place in a biological system andis understood as an indicator of health status, life expectancy,or disease risk. Biomarkers usually fall within the followingcategories: exposure, effect, and susceptibility biomarkers. Thisreview will discuss their importance in understanding differentaspects of diseases such as diagnosis, treatment, prevention,disease progression, response to therapy, and their applicationin toxicological experimental evaluation for the developmentof drugs or pesticides. Furthermore, their contribution to thedevelopment of different fields of study such as toxicology,occupational health, and carcinogenesis shall also be discussed.

In the recent years, analytical toxicologists have been facing difficulties in detecting designer drugs due to the chemical modifications on the existing structures and the speed in which they are released into the market, requiring the development and improvement of specific and appropriate analytical methods. This work is a review of the literature which summarizes the characteristics of the drugs and the analytical validated methods using conventional and unconventional matrices currently used for correct identification and quantification of the following classes of emerging drugs of abuse: derivatives of opiates, amphetamines, tryptamines, piperazines and cannabinoids.

A espécie Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae), popularmente conhecida como pião-roxo, entre tantos outros nomes, é um bom exemplo do tênue limiar que separa o efeito terapêutico do tóxico. Apesar de ser classicamente conhecida como planta tóxica possui usos na medicina popular. Alguns desses efeitos têm sido comprovados em estudos experimentais, como os de antimicrobiano, antineoplásico, cicatrizante e hipotensor, sendo possivelmente explicados pela presença de substâncias como alcalóides, terpenóides, flavonóides, lignanas e taninos. Esta revisão aborda aspectos importantes, com ênfase na toxicidade crônica dessa espécie, de modo a servir de fonte de informação aos interessados em avaliar a relação risco/benefício do uso terapêutico de Jatropha gossypiifolia L.The species Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae), popularly known as bellyache bush, among several other names, is an important example of the tenuous threshold that separates the therapeutic from the toxic effect. Although traditionally known as a toxic plant, it has been used in folk medicine. Some of its effects have been proved by experimental studies as antimicrobial, antineoplastic, healing and hypotensive, likely explained by the presence of substances such as alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, lignans and tannins. This review deals with important aspects, focusing on the chronic toxicity of this species, in order to serve as an information source for those interested in evaluating the risk-benefit ratio of the therapeutic use of Jatropha gossypiifolia L.

Introducción. El escorpionismo afecta a países tropicales como Colombia. Objetivo. Determinar los indicadores ecológicos y epidemiológicos de las picaduras por Tityus asthenes en cuatro localidades de Mutatá, Colombia, y las características clínicas del envenenamiento y toxinológicas del veneno. Materiales y métodos. Es un estudio prospectivo/retrospectivo descriptivo y experimental; se visitaron aleatoriamente 324 de las 1.448 viviendas del municipio: 188 urbanas (58,0%) y 136 rurales (42,0%), con 1.593 habitantes. En 18 meses se estudiaron prospectivamente los pacientes picados por T. asthenes que ingresaron al hospital local y, retrospectivamente en encuestas domiciliarias, se determinó el subregistro. Se recolectaron escorpiones vivos y se realizaron experimentos con el veneno. Resultados. Hubo 12,9 más probabilidades de hallar ejemplares de T. asthenes en el área rural (OR=6,5; IC95% 3,9-10,8), en el intradomicilio y peridomicilio cercano a bosques y plantaciones agrarias altas (OR=13,0; IC95% 7,5-23,0). Se reportaron 80 picaduras ocurridas en los dos últimos años (prevalencia de 4,1%; IC95% 4,8-3,3); sólo 14 personas (17,5%) consultaron al hospital (subregistro de 82,5%). La prevalencia ponderada de infestación por escorpiones en las viviendas encuestadas fue de 26,9% (112 casas) (IC95% 30,8-22,9). El 50% de los accidentes ocurrió en la localidad de Caucheras: 10,6% de proporción de ataque. El envenenamiento sistémico fue más frecuente en niños (67%). La dosis letal 50 del veneno en ratones de 18 a 20 g, fue 121,6 μg (IC95% 103,7-139,6). Hubo reactividad inmunológica por Western blot de los antivenenos del Instituto Bioclón, México (Alacramyn®) y del Instituto Butantan, Brasil (Soro antiaracnídico®) con los venenos de T. asthenes y Centruroides gracilis/Centruroides margaritatus de Colombia. Conclusiones. Las picaduras por T. asthenes, con elevado subregistro, están asociadas a viviendas cercanas a bosques húmedos tropicales. Su veneno y el de C. gracilis, con diferencias de especificidad, reaccionaron con los antivenenos producidos en México y Brasil.

Objective: To examine risk perception based on principles of intuitive toxicology and characteristics of exposure to mixtures of contaminants in residents of two sites in Baja California, Mexico: the Colorado River estuary at the intersection of Hardy and Colorado rivers and San Quintin Valley. Methodology: A questionnaire was applied to 166 participants and it was analyzed four criteria of exposure to contaminants: types, grades, levels and intensity. Through intuitive toxicology, three elements of perception risk were classified: occupational exposure, environmental exposures and health effects. It was applied a cluster analysis (c a) for exploratory classification and principal component analysis (p c a) to explain the relationships between variables. Results and discussion: vulnerable participants to health effects from exposure to mixtures of pollutants and understanding of risk are related to exposure characteristics, as only they perceive acute complaints and they exclude chronic degenerative, which is explained by the concept of intuitive toxicology. The perception of risk is measured by schooling and wage income, agricultural workers do not detect effects of such chronic health from exposure to mixtures of pollutants

This study aimed to evaluate the co-occurrence of caffeine and the extent of its influence as compared to other traditional water quality parameters (microbiological and physico-chemical) in order to characterize it as an efficient indicator of anthropic pollution of urban aquatic environments. Caffeine is an ingredient in a variety of beverages (coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks) and numerous food products (chocolate, pastries, and dairy desserts). Although the human body metabolizes this stimulant efficiently, between 0.5 and 10.0% is excreted, mostly in the urine. Analysis of water samples from the Leopoldina Basin and Guanabara Bay revealed a significant difference between areas not commonly affected by nutrient enrichment or sewage inputs and areas chronically influenced by sewage discharges and elevated eutrophication. Monitoring caffeine will be fundamental in stressed urban aquatic environments where frequent accidental ruptures of sewer lines and discharges of untreated effluents impede effective water quality evaluation with traditional indicators.Este estudo visou avaliar a co-ocorrência de cafeína e a extensão de sua influência frente a outros parâmetros tradicionais de qualidade de água (microbiológicos e físico-químicos), de modo a caracterizá-la como um eficiente indicador de poluição de origem antrópica em ambientes aquáticos urbanos. Cafeína é um componente de uma variedade de bebidas (café, chá e bebidas cafeinadas) e de numerosos produtos alimentícios (chocolate, massas e sobremesas). Embora o corpo humano seja eficiente na metabolização deste estimulante, entre 0,5-10,0% são excretados, principalmente na urina. A análise de amostras da Bacia Hidrográfica da Leopoldina e Baía de Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, revelou uma significante diferença entre áreas não comumente afetadas por enriquecimento de nutrientes ou esgoto, contra áreas cronicamente influenciadas por descargas de esgoto e eutrofização elevada. O monitoramento de cafeína será fundamental em ambientes aquáticos urbanos estressados, onde freqüentes rupturas acidentais de linhas de esgoto e descargas de efluentes não-tratados impedem a efetividade de avaliação da qualidade hídrica com os indicadores recomendados.

En el Viejo Mundo algunos investigadores piensan que los efectos adversos en la salud relacionados con la exposición a arsénico influyeron para que se cambiara de usar aleaciones de cobre con arsénico a otras menos tóxicas. En este artículo se evalúa esta hipótesis para las tres grandes tradiciones metalúrgicas precolombinas: Andes centrales, área intermedia y occidente mexicano. Los artefactos metálicos revelan que las concentraciones de arsénico en los Andes centrales fueron similares a las del Viejo Mundo (0,5% a 1%), en el área intermedia los valores eran muy inferiores, mientras en el occidente mexicano fueron muy superiores (7% a 25%). En los Andes centrales se observó inicialmente el uso de bronce arsenical, pero rápidamente se conocieron las aleaciones de cobre-estaño; estas últimas fueron cada vez más preferidas y difundidas por todo el imperio inca. Las evidencias, osteológicas y en objetos artísticos, de amputaciones de los pies entre individuos moches de los Andes centrales apoyan la idea de la presencia de la ?enfermedad del pie negro? entre las poblaciones precolombinas. En conclusión, es posible que los efectos nocivos del arsénico se hayan observado en el Nuevo Mundo, y favorecido el cambio hacia aleaciones menos tóxicas. Se requieren nuevos estudios específicos para verificar esta hipótesis.

La mutagénesis ambiental o genética toxicológica es una disciplina que tiene como objetivo estudiar el daño genético que conduce a mutaciones, producido por agentes físicos, químicos y biológicos, identificar estos agentes, analizar sus interacciones y mecanismos de acción. Existen suficientes evidencias experimentales y epidemiológicas que demuestran que el proceso cancerígeno se inicia y se favorece por la presencia de mutaciones en los oncogenes, los genes supresores de tumores y los que codifican para los sistemas de reparación del ADN. Una herramienta valiosa en salud pública y ocupacional es el monitoreo de grupos de población expuestos a agentes potencialmente dañinos para el ser humano. Tiene como objetivo preservar la salud y la calidad de vida en aquellos grupos que son de alto riesgo por la naturaleza de las sustancias a que están expuestos. Se vislumbra al monitoreo del efecto genotóxico en poblaciones expuestas, en conjunto con el análisis de polimorfismos de susceptibilidad, como herramientas clave en la salud pública y ocupacional del futuro, para prevenir la ocurrencia de tumores de origen ambiental y especialmente laboral. En este trabajo se revisan los principales conceptos sobre este tema y se hace referencia a los trabajos realizados sobre exposición laboral a potenciales cancerígenos y a la que existe en el monitoreo de poblaciones expuestas en Costa Rica.Environmental mutagenesis and use of biomarkers in cancer risk prediction. The field of environmental mutagenesis or toxicology genetics aims to study the genetic damage that leads to mutations produced by physical, chemical and biological agents, to identify these agents and analyze their interactions and ways of action. There are enough experimental and epidemiological evidences implicating mutations in oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and DNA repair genes as determinants in the onset and progression of the neoplastic process. A valuable tool in public and occupational health is the monitoring of populations exposed to potentially hazardous agents. The objective is to protect the health and quality of life of high risk groups on account of the nature of the agents of exposure. Monitoring of genotoxic effects in exposed populations as well as the analysis of susceptibility polymorphism are visualized as key tools in the realm of future public and occupational health in order to prevent the occurrence of environmental and specially occupational origin of tumors. This paper reviews the main concepts concerning this issue and refers to studies on the subject in Costa Rica. Rev. Biol. Trop. 52(3): 585-590. Epub 2004 Dic 15.

Health risk to a population exposed to toxic air emissions from industrial sources was evaluated, in order to suggest mitigation strategies according to the social and economic situation. We estimate the chronic noncancer risk due to SO2 emissions using the EPA-validated Health Risk Assessment methodology. The concentration distribution around the source was simulated with the Gaussian ISCST model using real meteorological data for seven consecutive days. The area with the highest concentration of SO2 was found in the south to southwest direction. For exposure evaluation, two Reference Doses were considered, one strong and the other attenuated. Exposure was evaluated for industrial workers inside the facility containing the emission source, for residents in the neighborhood of the source, and for children under twelve years old. The groups with the higher risk from the Reference Doses were children and industrial workers. The area with the highest risk and impact was towards the south-southwest from the reference source. The estimated Noncancer Hazard Rates indicate risk for the industrial workers exposed to average concentrations for a thirty-year period. In the case of children the period is twelve years, and seventy-five years in residents.

Con el objetivo de complementar adecuadamente y sustentar el desarrollo de trabajos de investigación y de servicios en el área de Toxicología Ambiental, en la evaluación de riesgos por exposición a sustancias y desechos químicos así como en estudios de impacto ambiental de proyectos de desarrollo que involucren la emisión de contaminantes químicos al ambiente, se elaboró en el Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, la documentación para obtener una información suficiente acerca de las características físico-químicas y toxicológicas de siete contaminantes de interés en el país: cadmio, cromo, plomo, mercurio, lindano, clordano y aldicarb. En el trabajo se presentan los criterios de selección de los contaminantes así como los aspectos informativos contemplados en los perfiles y se señalan las fuentes de información principales.