IRANIAN JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY
Year:2018 | Volume:12 | Issue:5|Papers Count:8

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Aspirin may have anticancer properties, and can be effective as a novel strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to assess the cytotoxic effects of Aspirin drug in CRC cell lines compared with Oxaliplatin drug in vitro. Methods: Cell viability was assessed after treatment of SW742 and SW480 cells with Aspirin and Oxaliplatin by MTT assay, and the amount of IC50 was determined. Statistical analysis was performed through one-way ANOVA and Tukey multiple range analysis (SPSS 19. 0 software (P <0. 05). Results: Aspirin and Oxaliplatin considerably inhibited the growth of SW742 and SW480 cell lines. SW742 cell line was more sensitive to Aspirin than SW480 cell line. The cytotoxic effect of Oxaliplatin was higher than Aspirin in both cell lines. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that both Aspirin and Oxaliplatin have cytotoxic effects on SW742 and SW480 cell lines in vitro. Thus, Aspirin may be considered as a therapeutic agent in CRC, however, further in vivo investigations are required to fully establish this effect.

Background: Much attention has been paid to poultry feed processing and the contamination In Iran in order to improve the production and reduce the waste. No information is available on the fungal contamination and the strains found in processed (pellet) and non-processed (mash) poultry feeds. This study was designed to determine the hygienic condition and the risk of fungal contamination affecting the quality of poultry feeds (mashed vs. pellet). Methods: A total of 90 samples of poultry feeds were collected from warehouses in Tehran and Alborz provinces. Samples were cultured on SDA, the CFUs were calculated, and the taxonomic identification of various fungal genera was made, both macroscopically and microscopically. Results: Total mould counts for mashed feeds (15×103) was signi􀏐 icantly (P<0. 05) higher than pelleted feeds (11×102). The most frequent fungal genus recovered were Fusarium spp (90%) and Aspergillus spp (70%) in mashed and pellet feeds, respectively. Conclusion: Heat processing reduced fungal contamination in poultry feeds. However, some fungal species are able to survive heat exposure and continue to form spores. We concluded that the assessment of fungal contamination in poultry feeds deserves a high attention to improve the quality, hygiene and safety of the foods originated from poultry.

Background: There has been a rise in accidental poisoning cases resulting from the indiscriminate use and exposure to Dichlorvos (DDVP), especially in developing countries, and no antidote with satisfactory efficacy is currently available. Thus, we investigated the AChE reactivation potential of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) following DDVP induced AChE inhibition patterns in the brain and the associated cognitive implications. Methods: Fourty Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of 10 each.; The controls were administered PBS (1 ml/kg); DDVP (8. 8 mg/kg) was given to the experimental group I; while DDVP+NSO (8. 8 mg/kg + 1 ml/kg) and NSO (1 ml/kg) was administered orally to the experimental groups II and III respectively. All treatments lasted for 14 consecutive days. Morris Water Maze (MWM) paradigm was used to assess the working memory, then rats were euthanized, the brain excised, three brains were fixed for histological examination (Nissl staining), and the other seven brains were homogenized for AChE activity and Ca2+ concentrations. Data were analyzed statistically, using ANOVA method and P values of ≤ 0. 05 was considered as signi􀏐 icant. Results: In this study, DDVP differentially inhibited AChE activities in various brain regions: cerebellum (86. 1%), hippocampus (40. 6%), frontal cortex (33. 2%), medulla (21. 5%), spinal cord (14. 8%), and occipital cortex (8. 9%). It reduced Ca2+ concentration, but had no effect on the delayed escape latency in the MWM, nor impaired the neuroarchitectures. NSO caused increased AChE activities, Ca2+ concentration and reduced escape latency, and improved histologic architectures. Conclusion: We concluded that NSO reactivated DDVP-induced AChE inhibition and improved memory indices, thus, it may serve as a potential treatment in the management of DDVP poisoning cases.

Background: Present study was conducted to measure the level of total mercury (tHg) in sediments, benthos and benthivorous fish (i. e., common carp) for determining Biota (Benthos)-Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF), as well as Biomagnification Factor (BMF) of tHg between two trophic levels of benthos and benthivorous fish caught from Sanandaj Gheshlagh Reservoir (SGR) in the west of Iran. Methods: Samples of sediments and benthos biomasses were collected from three sampling stations. Common carps were captured around the selected stations during July to December 2010. Results: Means accumulated tHg (± SE) in sediments, benthos masses and muscle tissue of common carp were 117. 66± 9. 72, 94. 3± 5. 02 and 233. 21± 20. 67 ng g-1 dry weight, respectively. Means accumulated tHg in benthos masses and muscle tissue of the common carp during the studying months showed no signi􀏐 icant differences (P>0. 05), while it was signi􀏐 icantly differed in sediment samples (P<0. 05). Results showed that there were statistically signi􀏐 icant differences between accumulated tHg between sediment and benthos mass samples collected from the study sites (P<0. 05). Conclusion: During the study, all calculated BSAF measurements were less than one, indicating transmission of mercury from sediment to benthos was not considerable. However, mercury BMFs was higher than one, denoting mercury biomagnification occurred from the benthos trophic level to the higher trophic level (i. e., common carp) in study site. Hence, the health considerations have to be taken in to the account for consumption of fishery products of SGR.

Background: Acute organophosphate poisoning (AOPP) is related to several clinical complications that may be fatal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of demographic, clinical and laboratory findings on AOPP outcome. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, medical records of all patients with AOPP admitted to Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, were reviewed from January 2016 to December 2017. Demographic data, clinical presentations, erythrocyte cholinesterase (RBC-ChE) and serum cholinesterase (S-ChE) activities were studied and evaluated in relation to clinical outcome of the patients. Results: A total of 64 patients (37 male, 27 female) were evaluated from whom 6 patients (9. 4%) died. Statistically significant relationships were found between the outcome of the patients and RBC-ChE activity (p =0. 008), intratracheal intubation (p=0. 003), and abnormal blood pressure (p =0. 009). Despite the lower mean S-ChE levels in the deceased patients and loss of consciousness in 42. 2% (n=27) of patients, there was no statistically significant correlations between these factors and patients’ outcome (p =0. 147, p =0. 075, respectively). Conclusion: RBC-ChE activity, need for intratracheal intubation, and abnormal blood pressure on admission were important predictive factors in the clinical outcome of AOPP. Although S-ChE activity, level of consciousness, white blood cell count and blood glucose level on admission provide useful information, these data had no prognostic value in patients with AOPP.

Background: Sewage treatment leads to the production of large amount of sludge, containing organic matter and nutrients and considering requirements for recycling could be used as fertilizer. The sludge may also contain various pollutants that pose serious harm to human health and the environment. This study aimed at characterizing the industrial sewage sludge and evaluating its capability as fertilizer with no or a minor pretreatment. Methods: The sludge’ s organic matter and nutrient contents, heavy metals, organic and microbial contaminants were determined and compared to literature data and international guidelines. Results: The organic matter, nutrients, phosphorous, and exchangeable potassium contents of the sludge samples were signi􀏐 icantly high as follows: 33. 6 ± 2. 85 %, 6. 29 ± 0. 16 %, 1. 41± 0. 01 % and 1. 236 g/kg, respectively. The concentration of heavy metals was 94. 3 ± 59. 5 mg/kg. The concentration of heavy metals, organic contaminants, such as PCBs, BTEX, and PAHs, and microbial contents (coliforms & E. coli) were lower than those reported by other studies. Toluene concentration was high. Conclusions: All characteristics of the sludge samples, except for the toluene and microbial contaminations, were acceptable for its use as land fertilizer. Both toluene and microbial contaminants can be removed, using thermal conditioning as a pretreatment.

Background: Lead is one of the sustainable metals with devastating effects on many tissues. This study, examined the adverse effect of lead poisoning on the gene expression of collagen type II and osteocalcin by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) cultured in chondrogenic and osteogenic media, respectively. Methods: We used 18 male Wistar rats, divided in 3 groups. In addition to libitum feed as the control, treatment I and treatment II groups were fed by distilled water, distilled water with a dose of 50 ppm lead acetate II and distilled water with a dose of 100 ppm lead acetate II, respectively, over a 2-month period. The MSCs of rat femur were isolated in DMEM medium. After the second passage, the media were replaced separately with chondrogenic and osteogenic media over another 21 days. Then, Collagen Type II and Osteocalcin genes expression were investigated by real time PCR. Results: Collagen Type II and Osteocalcin genes expression in treatments I and II groups showed meaningful decreases compared with that of the control group. Also, the concentration of collagen type II in treatment II group in chondrogenic medium was significantly reduced compared with Osteocalcin concentration in osteogenic medium. Conclusion: We found that poisoning with lead and its accumulation at doses of 50 and 100 ppm in femoral bone marrow of rats decreased the expression of the collagen type II and osteocalcin genes in MSCs and in the chondrogenic and osteogenic media, respectively.

Background: This study evaluated the effects of 1: 1 mixture of aqueous root bark extracts of Anogeissus leiocarpus (DC) Guill & Perr (Combretaceae) and Terminalia avicennioides Guill & Perr (Combretaceae) in male rats. Methods: Male rats were orally administered a 1: 1 mixture of both extracts (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight) for seven days. Liver and kidney function indices, haematological parameters and the levels of malondialdehyde were evaluated in the animals at 7 days post-administration of the mixture of the extracts. Results: Administration of mixture of the extract signi􀏐 icantly (p<0. 05) increased the activities of liver and kidney alkaline phosphatase and reduced the serum alkaline phosphatase, liver and serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transferase activities. The mixture also decreased the levels of serum chloride ions, liver and kidney malondialdehyde. Furthermore mixture signi􀏐 icantly (p<0. 05) increased the serum total protein concentrations whereas the levels of serum albumin, creatinine, urea, potassium, sodium and bicarbonate ions, red blood cells, white blood cells and their related indices were not significantly (p>0. 05) altered. Conclusions: The present study revealed that the mixture caused functional toxicity of the liver and kidney of male rats without any evidence of haematotoxicity. The consumption of the 1: 1 mixture of the plant extracts at 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight has some toxic implications in male rats.