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Flashover training (FOT) for firefighters is a simulation of the flashover phenomenon under controlled conditions. This study assessed arterial blood pressure (BP) and its response to thermal and physical strain during FOT in 48 professional and 18 volunteer firefighters. A high prevalence of obesity (27%), basal hypertensive (53%) and prehypertensive (33%) BP values was found. FOT induced mild hyperthermia and physical strain (average increase of 1.1 °C in tympanic temperature and 61% of the maximal heart beat predicted for age). Compared to professional firefighters, FOT in the volunteers induced a higher increase in pulse (P = 0.050) and tympanic temperature (P = 0.025). Systolic BP did not vary significantly, and diastolic BP slightly decreased in both groups. Results confirm that FOT induced only physiological cardiovascular responses to thermal and physical strain in firefighters. High prevalence of obesity and elevated BP values indicate the need for better physical fitness and BP control among firefighters.

Background and Study Design It is well documented that copper (Cu) blood levels are elevated in combination oral contraceptive (COC) users. The aim of this study was to establish the range of Cu increase in OC users compared to nonusers through a systematic literature overview and quantitative data analysis. Results Twenty-six articles were included in the meta-analysis. The increase in Cu level exponentially decreased in COC users over time, with a rapid decline through the 1960s and 1970s. After controlling for the publication year, use of COC increases the mean serum/plasma Cu level by 0.57 mg/L (95% confidence interval 0.49–0.66 mg/L). Conclusion COCs commonly raise serum Cu to levels between 1.5 and 2 mg/L, which are above reference levels. Although these levels are not considered toxic, there are suggestions that such Cu increase could be implicated in oxidative pathophysiological processes in the body. Further research on safety of COCs use, including oxidative-stress-related effects, is warranted.

The association of age, smoking, alcohol, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), blood lead (BPb) and cadmium (BCd) levels, and serum levels of copper (SCu), zinc (SZn) and selenium (SSe) with atopic status and ventilatory function was examined in the groups of 166 women and 50 men with no occupational exposure to metals or other xenobiotics. Markers of atopy included serum total IgE, skin prick test (SPT) to common inhalatory allergens, non-specific nasal reactivity (NNR) and non-specific bronchial reactivity (NBR). Parameters of ventilatory function included forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1 ). Significantly (P

The hypothesis that two known chelators 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (L1) and desferrioxamine (DFO) might be more efficient as combined treatment than as monotherapies in removing aluminium from the body was tested in a new acute rat model. Five-week old female rats received chelators: L1 (p.o.), DFO (i.p.) or L1+DFO as 100 or 200 mg/kg dose half an hour after a single i.p. administration of 6 mg Al/kg body weight in the form of chloride. Serum aluminium concentration and urinary aluminium and iron excretions were determined by electrothermal or flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Both chelators were effective only at the higher dose level. While DFO was more effective than L1 in enhancing urinary aluminium excretion, L1 was more effective than DFO in enhancing urinary iron excretion. In the combined treatment group L1 did not increase the DFO effect on aluminium and DFO did not increase the effect of L1 on iron elimination. However, in this group a simultaneous increase in both aluminium and iron elimination was observed. Our results support the usefulness of this animal model for preliminary in vivo testing of aluminium chelators. Urinary values were more useful because of the high variability of serum results. Result of combined chelators treatment should be confirmed in a different experimental model before extrapolation to other systems. This testing procedure of course does not provide all the relevant answers for evaluating the efficiency of chelating agents in aluminium toxicity.

The influence of chelating agents: meso-2, 3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) ; calcium trisodium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA) and their combination on tissue retention and distribution of cadmium (Cd) was compared in female albino rats. Special attention was given to time of chelators application after cadmium administration. After oral cadmium intubation chelators were applied either orally (DMSA) or intraperitoneally (DTPA) in various short time intervals after cadmium. The dose of cadmium chloride was 0, 25 mmol/kg body weight and chelators dose was 1 mmol/kg, each. Three experiments were carried out with four treatment groups in each of them: 1) Cd (control) ; 2) Cd + DMSA ; 3) Cd + DTPA ; 4) Cd + DMSA + DTPA. Time intervals for chelator application after cadmium administration were: immediately in the first, half an hour in the second and one hour in the third experiment. Cadmium, iron, copper and zinc were measured in 24-hour urine collected after chelators application and in organs (liver, kidney and brain) at the end of each experiment. Results showed that the efficiency of cadmium removal from the body is lower when the time of chelator application is longer after cadmium administration. The two chelators differ in efficiency in mobilizing cadmium, with DMSA being more efficient than DTPA. The combined therapies of two chelators give slightly better results of cadmium chelation. It seems that DMSA that is given orally after oral cadmium removes this element very efficiently from the gastrointestinal tract. However, DTPA which is given parenterally removes absorbed cadmium very modestly. Whenever DTPA was given to animals zinc concentration is significantly higher in kidneys and much higher in urine than in other groups. Iron and copper do not change dramatically after chelation treatment.