scholarly journals Relationships among Inorganic Arsenic, Nutritional Status CpG Methylation and microRNAs: A Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 251686572198971
Author(s):  
Abhishek Venkatratnam ◽  
Carmen A Marable ◽  
Arjun M Keshava ◽  
Rebecca C Fry

Inorganic arsenic is a naturally occurring toxicant that poses a significant and persistent challenge to public health. The World Health Organization has identified many geographical regions where inorganic arsenic levels exceed safe limits in drinking water. Numerous epidemiological studies have associated exposure to inorganic arsenic with increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Randomized clinical trials have shown that nutritional supplementation can mitigate or reduce exacerbation of exposure-related effects. Although a growing body of evidence suggests that epigenetic status influences toxicity, the relationships among environmental exposure to arsenic, nutrition, and the epigenome are not well detailed. This review provides a comprehensive summary of findings from human, rodent, and in vitro studies highlighting these interactive relationships.

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 708-720 ◽  

<div> <p>Epidemiological studies show that long-term exposure to PM is associated with an increased risk of cancer or cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The main objective of the present study was the assessment of health outcomes related to PM<sub>10</sub> (particulate matter (PM) of aerodynamic diameter &le; 10 &micro;m) exposure in Tabriz, Iran. Related health impacts (relative risk and baselineincidence) due to exposure to PM<sub>10 </sub>in the city of Tabriz were assessed by using the well-established AirQ2.2.3 model by the World Health Organization European Center for Environment Health. We estimated that out of 15,651 total deaths in the city, 7679 and 1020 people died due to cardiovascular and respiratory related deaths respectively. Among the 19,467 people admitted to hospital due to respiratory disease, 1114 diseases could be attributed to PM<sub>10</sub>. According to this model, cases of natural mortality, cardiovascular deaths and respiratory mortality caused by PM<sub>10 </sub>were about 832, 439, and 85, respectively.</p> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-36
Author(s):  
Md Shahed Rafi Pavel ◽  
Md Anower Hussain Mian ◽  
AKM Habibullah ◽  
Md Zahid Hossain

Periodontitis has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events.Two internet databases were selected in search of appropriate papers for the study purpose: i)the National Library of Medicine,Washington DC,USA (MEDLINE-PubMed) and ii) HINARI Access to Research in Health Program,World Health Organization,Geneva,Switzerland.Both databases were searched from 1985 to 2009.In the past decades, there has been renewed interest in the old hypothesis that infections increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.Atherosclerosis has a major inflammatory component and the main underlying pathological pathway for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Periodontal pathogens may be involved in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and subsequent coronary heart disease.Periodontal pathogenPorphyromonasgingivalis caused atherosclerosis in experimental animals and have been found in human atherosclerotic lesions.The nature of association is unclear because both periodontitis and CVD share a host of risk factors.Epidemiological studies, mainly observational studies (case-control,cross-sectional and prospective cohort studies) are usually the first to generate association data between exposure and adverse health outcomes. Clinical trials with statistically significant positive outcomes are easy to interpret and indicate that the tested intervention is effective in favorably altering the adverse health outcomes.Available evidences suggest that having periodontitis contributes to the total infection and inflammation burden and may contribute to cardiovascular events in susceptible subjects.The impact of periodontal therapy must be further investigated. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cdcj.v10i1.13829 City Dent. Coll. J Volume-10, Number-1, January-2013


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 2616-2620 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. N. Laghari ◽  
Z. A. Siyal ◽  
D. K. Bangwar ◽  
M. A. Soomro ◽  
G. D. Walasai ◽  
...  

Drinking water quantity and quality is of the utmost importance. If the drinking water gets contaminated, it can result in severe health problems. For example, the continuous consumption of drinking water containing more than permissible amounts of fluoride can lead to bone deterioration and increased risk of bone fracture [1]. The present study was carried out to check the quality of underground water of Sukkur city. The analyzed parameters were fluoride, sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, arsenic, TDS, pH, conductivity, odor, color and taste. World Health Organization (WHO) standards were followed in present study. Underground water samples were collected from 20 different populated locations of Sukkur city. Only arsenic, pH, iron and potassium were found to be within health safe limits while the rest of the parameters exceeded the permissible standards set out by WHO. The TDS, sodium, fluoride and magnesium were over the limits at some locations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1278-1285
Author(s):  
Mohamed Yafout ◽  
Amine Ousaid ◽  
Ibrahim Sbai El Otmani ◽  
Youssef Khayati ◽  
Amal Ait Haj Said

The new SARS-CoV-2 belonging to the coronaviruses family has caused a pandemic affecting millions of people around the world. This pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization as an international public health emergency. Although several clinical trials involving a large number of drugs are currently underway, no treatment protocol for COVID-19 has been officially approved so far. Here we demonstrate through a search in the scientific literature that the traditional Moroccan pharmacopoeia, which includes more than 500 medicinal plants, is a fascinating and promising source for the research of natural molecules active against SARS-CoV-2. Multiple in-silico and in-vitro studies showed that some of the medicinal plants used by Moroccans for centuries possess inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2. These inhibitory activities are achieved through the different molecular mechanisms of virus penetration and replication, or indirectly through stimulation of immunity. Thus, the potential of plants, plant extracts and molecules derived from plants that are traditionally used in Morocco and have activity against SARS-CoV-2, could be explored in the search for a preventive or curative treatment against COVID-19. Furthermore, safe plants or plant extracts that are proven to stimulate immunity could be officially recommended by governments as nutritional supplements.


Author(s):  
Lara Bittmann

On December 31, 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, China. A novel coronavirus was identified as the cause by Chinese authorities on January 7, 2020 and was provisionally named "2019-nCoV". This new Coronavirus causes a clinical picture which has received now the name COVID-19. The virus has spread subsequently worldwide and was explained on the 11th of March, 2020 by the World Health Organization to the pandemic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (18) ◽  
pp. 2140-2165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena B. Popovic-Djordjevic ◽  
Ivana I. Jevtic ◽  
Tatjana P. Stanojkovic

Background: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2) is an endocrine disease of global proportions which is currently affecting 1 in 12 adults in the world, with still increasing prevalence. World Health Organization (WHO) declared this worldwide health problem, as an epidemic disease, to be the only non-infectious disease with such categorization. People with DMT2 are at increased risk of various complications and have shorter life expectancy. The main classes of oral antidiabetic drugs accessible today for DMT2 vary in their chemical composition, modes of action, safety profiles and tolerability. Methods: A systematic search of peer-reviewed scientific literature and public databases has been conducted. We included the most recent relevant research papers and data in respect to the focus of the present review. The quality of retrieved papers was assessed using standard tools. Results: The review highlights the chemical structural diversity of the molecules that have the common target-DMT2. So-called traditional antidiabetics as well as the newest and the least explored drugs include polypeptides and amino acid derivatives (insulin, glucagon-like peptide 1, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors, amylin), sulfonylurea derivatives, benzylthiazolidine- 2,4-diones (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ agonists/glitazones), condensed guanido core (metformin) and sugar-like molecules (α-glucosidase and sodium/ glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors). Conclusion: As diabetes becomes a more common disease, interest in new pharmacological targets is on the rise.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1138-1147
Author(s):  
Bruno Rivas-Santiago ◽  
Flor Torres-Juarez

Tuberculosis is an ancient disease that has become a serious public health issue in recent years, although increasing incidence has been controlled, deaths caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been accentuated due to the emerging of multi-drug resistant strains and the comorbidity with diabetes mellitus and HIV. This situation is threatening the goals of World Health Organization (WHO) to eradicate tuberculosis in 2035. WHO has called for the creation of new drugs as an alternative for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, among the plausible molecules that can be used are the Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs). These peptides have demonstrated remarkable efficacy to kill mycobacteria in vitro and in vivo in experimental models, nevertheless, these peptides not only have antimicrobial activity but also have a wide variety of functions such as angiogenesis, wound healing, immunomodulation and other well-described roles into the human physiology. Therapeutic strategies for tuberculosis using AMPs must be well thought prior to their clinical use; evaluating comorbidities, family history and risk factors to other diseases, since the wide function of AMPs, they could lead to collateral undesirable effects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew P. Ameh ◽  
Mamman Mohammed ◽  
Yusuf P. Ofemile ◽  
Magaji G. Mohammed ◽  
Ada Gabriel ◽  
...  

Background: The World Health Organization included snakebite envenomation among Neglected Tropical Diseases in 2017. The importance of natural products from plants is enormous, given that most prescribed drugs originate from plants. Among this is Mucuna pruriens and Mimosa pudica, with many registered patents asserting their health benefits. Objective: This study investigated the in vitro neutralizing effects of Mucuna pruriens seed and Mimosa pudica root extracts on venoms of Naja nigricollis and Bitis arietans. Methods: In mice, the LD50 and phytochemical analysis of M. pruriens and M. pudica plant extracts were carried out prior to the evaluation of their haemolytic and fibrinolytic effect. Their effects on the activities of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) were also assessed. Results: At a concentration of 50 mg/ml, both plant extracts were found to neutralize the fibrinolytic activity of N. nigricollis, but 400 mg/ml was required to neutralize the fibrinolytic activity of B. arietans. In haemolytic studies, 50 mg/ml concentration of M. pruriens extract suppressed haemolysis caused by N. nigricollis venom by 70% but at the same concentration, M. pudica extract reduced haemolysis by 49.4%. M. pruriens, at 50 mg/ml concentration, only inhibited phospholipase A2 activity by 7.7% but higher concentrations up to 400mg/ml had no effect against the venom of N. nigricollis; at 200 mg/ml. M. pudica extract inhibited PLA2 activity by 23%. Conclusion: The results suggest that M. pruriens and M. pudica may be considered as promising antivenom agents for people living in a snake-bite prone environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malika D. Shah ◽  
Ola Didrik Saugstad

Abstract After more than 1 year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a great deal of knowledge on how this virus affects pregnant women, the fetus and the newborn has accumulated. The gap between different guidelines how to handle newborn infants during this pandemic has been minimized, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)’s recommendations are now more in accordance with those of the World Health Organization (WHO). In this article we summarize present knowledge regarding transmission from mother to the fetus/newborn. Although both vertical and horizontal transmission are rare, SARS-CoV-2 positivity is associated with an increased risk of premature delivery and higher neonatal mortality and morbidity. Mode of delivery and cord clamping routines should not be affected by the mother’s SARS-CoV-2 status. Skin to skin contact, rooming in and breastfeeding are recommended with necessary hygiene precautions. Antibodies of infected or vaccinated women seem to cross both the placenta and into breast milk and likely provide protection for the newborn.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 210
Author(s):  
Maria-Angeles Bonmati-Carrion ◽  
Antonia Tomas-Loba

Melatonin is one of the most phylogenetically conserved signals in biology. Although its original function was probably related to its antioxidant capacity, this indoleamine has been “adopted” by multicellular organisms as the “darkness signal” when secreted in a circadian manner and is acutely suppressed by light at night by the pineal gland. However, melatonin is also produced by other tissues, which constitute its extrapineal sources. Apart from its undisputed chronobiotic function, melatonin exerts antioxidant, immunomodulatory, pro-apoptotic, antiproliferative, and anti-angiogenic effects, with all these properties making it a powerful antitumor agent. Indeed, this activity has been demonstrated to be mediated by interfering with various cancer hallmarks, and different epidemiological studies have also linked light at night (melatonin suppression) with a higher incidence of different types of cancer. In 2007, the World Health Organization classified night shift work as a probable carcinogen due to circadian disruption, where melatonin plays a central role. Our aim is to review, from a global perspective, the role of melatonin both from pineal and extrapineal origin, as well as their possible interplay, as an intrinsic factor in the incidence, development, and progression of cancer. Particular emphasis will be placed not only on those mechanisms related to melatonin’s antioxidant nature but also on the recently described novel roles of melatonin in microbiota and epigenetic regulation.


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