Search

The molecular mechanisms of opium action with regard to coronary artery disease (CAD) have not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of opium on the expression of scavenger receptors including CD36, CD68, and CD9 tetraspanin in monocytes and the plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide metabolites (NO x ) in CAD patients with and without opium addiction. This case-control study was conducted on three groups: (1) opium-addicted CAD patients (CAD + OA, n = 30); (2) CAD patients with no opium addiction (CAD, n = 30); and (3) individuals without CAD and opium addiction as the control group (Ctrl, n = 17). The protein and mRNA levels of CD9, CD36, and CD68 were evaluated by the flow cytometry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) methods, respectively. The consumption of atorvastatin, aspirin, and glyceryl trinitrate was found be higher in the CAD groups compared with the control group. The plasma level of TNF-α was significantly higher in the CAD + OA group than in the CAD and Ctrl groups (p = 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). MDA levels significantly increased in CAD and CAD + OA patients in comparison with the Ctrl group (p = 0.010 and p = 0.002, respectively). No significant differences were found in CD9, CD36, CD68, IFN-γ, and NO x between the three groups. The findings demonstrated that opium did not have a significant effect on the expression of CD36, CD68, and CD9 at gene and protein levels, but it might be involved in the development of CAD by inducing inflammation through other mechanisms.

Exposure to pesticides has been linked to an elevated risk of leukemia. The present research aimed to evaluate the relationship between organochlorine (OC) pesticides and biomarkers of oxidative stress in leukemia patients. This work was conducted on 109 patients with leukemia and 109 healthy controls. The serum concentrations of seven derivatives of OCs including alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH, 2,4-DDT, 4,4-DDT, 2,4-DDE, and 4,4-DDE along with acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), paraoxonase-1 (PON1), and catalase (CAT) activities as well as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitric oxide (NO), protein carbonyl (PC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in all the subjects. Levels of OCs were remarkably higher in leukemia patients compared to the controls (p < 0.05). In addition, levels of SOD, AChE, GPx, PON-1, and TAC were remarkably lower in leukemia patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). In contrast, MDA, NO, and PC concentrations were higher in leukemia patients than in the controls (p < 0.05). Moreover, the serum level of 4,4-DDE was negatively associated with GPx activity (p = 0.038). Our findings suggest that OCs may play a role in the development of leukemia by disrupting the oxidant/antioxidant balance.

The molecular mechanisms of opium with regard to coronary artery disease (CAD) have not yet been determined. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of opium on the expression of scavenger receptors including CD36, CD68, and CD9 tetraspanin in monocytes and the plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide metabolites (NO x ) in patients with CAD with and without opium addiction. This case-control study was conducted in three groups: (1) opium-addicted patients with CAD (CAD+OA, n=30); (2) patients with CAD with no opium addiction (CAD, n=30); and (3) individuals without CAD and opium addiction as the control group (Ctrl, n=17). Protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of CD9, CD36, and CD68 were evaluated by flow cytometry and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR methods, respectively. Consumption of atorvastatin, aspirin, and glyceryl trinitrate was found to be higher in the CAD groups compared with the control group. The plasma level of TNF-α was significantly higher in the CAD+OA group than in the CAD and Ctrl groups (p=0.001 and p=0.005, respectively). MDA levels significantly increased in the CAD and CAD+OA groups in comparison with the Ctrl group (p=0.010 and p=0.002, respectively). No significant differences were found in CD9, CD36, CD68, IFN-γ, and NO x between the three groups. The findings demonstrated that opium did not have a significant effect on the expression of CD36, CD68, and CD9 at the gene and protein levels, but it might be involved in the development of CAD by inducing inflammation through other mechanisms., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© American Federation for Medical Research 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Exposure to pesticides has been linked to an elevated risk of leukemia. The present research aimed to evaluate the relationship between organochlorine (OC) pesticides and biomarkers of oxidative stress in patients with leukemia. This work was conducted on 109 patients with leukemia and 109 healthy controls. The serum concentrations of seven derivatives of OCs including alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), beta-HCH, gamma-HCH, 2,4-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), 4,4-DDT, 2,4-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and 4,4-DDE along with acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), paraoxonase-1 (PON1), and catalase (CAT) activities as well as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitric oxide (NO), protein carbonyl (PC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in all the subjects. Levels of OCs were remarkably higher in patients with leukemia compared with the controls (p<0.05). In addition, levels of SOD, AChE, GPx, PON1, and TAC were remarkably lower in patients with leukemia compared with controls (p<0.05). In contrast, MDA, NO, and PC concentrations were higher in patients with leukemia than in the controls (p<0.05). Moreover, the serum level of 4,4-DDE was negatively associated with GPx activity (p=0.038). Our findings suggest that OCs may play a role in the development of leukemia by disrupting the oxidant/antioxidant balance., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© American Federation for Medical Research 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

In this study, oxidative stress was investigated as the possible mechanism of action of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in primary brain tumors (PBT). The levels of seven OCP residues and enzymatic antioxidant biomarkers including erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), and paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) along with non-enzymatic oxidative biomarkers including malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and nitric oxide (NO) were measured in blood samples of 73 patients with PBT and 104 healthy controls. A significant association was found between farming activities and PBT (55% of patients were engaged in farming activities while 45% had no farming experience). The mean levels of β-HCH, γ-HCH, 2,4 DDE, 4,4 DDE, 4,4 DDT, MDA, PC, NO, SOD, CAT, and GPx were significantly higher in PBT patients, whereas the levels of TAC, PON-1, and AChE were significantly lower in these patients. Regression analysis showed that PBT was correlated with β-HCH, γ-HCH, 2,4 DDE, 4,4 DDE, and 4,4 DDT. Based on these results, it can be concluded that OCPs and OPPs may play a role in PBT development through the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and promoting oxidative stress.

The prolactin hormone (PRL) is often secreted by lactotrophic cells of the anterior pituitary and has been shown to play a role in various biological processes, including breast feeding and reproduction. The predominant form of this hormone is the 23 kDa form and acts through its receptor (PRLR) on the cell membrane. This receptor is a member of the superfamily of hematopoietic/cytokine receptors. PRL also has a 16 kDa subunit with anti-angiogenic, proapoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects which is produced by the proteolytic breakdown of this hormone under oxidative stress. Although the common side effects of hyperprolactinemia are exerted on the reproductive system, new studies have shown that hyperprolactinemia has a wide variety of effects, including playing a role in the development of autoimmune diseases and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and diabetes among others. The range of PRL functions is increasing with the discovery of multiple sites of PRL secretion as well as PRLR expression in various tissues. This review summarizes current knowledge of the biology of PRL and its receptor, as well as the role of PRL in human pathophysiology., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© American Federation for Medical Research 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Organophosphate (OPPs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are the two predominant forms of pesticides extensively used all around the world and are being reconsidered as environmental pollutants. The current study sought to assess the role of socioeconomic factors on the level of pesticides residues and the oxidative effects of exposure to OPPs and OCPs among the farmworkers of southeast Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 192 farmworkers and 74 non-farmworkers (controls) were involved. Gas chromatography (GC) was performed to measure the serum levels of organochlorine chemicals (2,4-DDT, 4,4-DDT, 2,4-DDE, 4,4-DDE, α-HCH, β-HCH, and γ-HCH). Furthermore, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, arylesterase activity of paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), and several oxidative stress (OS) markers were assessed. In addition, the impact of several parameters such as home to farm distance, education level, ventilation status, and personal protective equipment (PPE) on pesticide levels was analyzed. The levels of OCPs in the farmworkers were significantly higher than the control subjects. In addition, AChE activity, arylesterase activity of PON-1, and total antioxidant capacity in farmworkers were significantly less, and MDA levels were higher than the controls. Education level was associated with farmworkers' protective behavior. The current findings suggested that some phased out OCPs can still be measured in human samples in the southeast of Iran. Furthermore, the current study demonstrated that exposure to OCPs and OPPs was accompanied by adverse consequences regarding OS parameters and subsequent health problems. In addition, the findings of the present study suggest that improving farmworkers' education might be associated with reduced exposure to pesticides and less adverse health effects.