Evaluation of the lethal potency of scorpion and snake venoms and comparison between intraperitoneal and intravenous injection routes.

International audienceScorpion stings and snake bites are major health hazards that lead to suffering of victims and high mortality. Thousands of injuries associated with such stings and bites of venomous animals occur every year worldwide. In North Africa, more than 100,000 scorpion stings and snake bites are reported annually. An appropriate determination of the 50% lethal doses (LD50) of scorpion and snake venoms appears to be an important step to assess (and compare) venom toxic activity. Such LD50 values are also commonly used to evaluate the neutralizing capacity of specific anti-venom batches. In the present work, we determined experimentally the LD50 values of reference scorpion and snake venoms in Swiss mice, and evaluated the influence of two main venom injection routes (i.e., intraperitoneal (IP) versus intravenous (IV)). The analysis of experimental LD50 values obtained with three collected scorpion venoms indicates that Androctonus mauretanicus (Am) is intrinsically more toxic than Androctonus australis hector (Aah) species, whereas the latter is more toxic than Buthus occitanus (Bo). Similar analysis of three representative snake venoms of the Viperidae family shows that Cerastes cerastes (Cc) is more toxic than either Bitis arietans (Ba) or Macrovipera lebetina (Ml) species. Interestingly, the venom of Elapidae cobra snake Naja haje (Nh) is far more toxic than viper venoms Cc, Ml and Ba, in agreement with the known severity of cobra-related envenomation. Also, our data showed that viper venoms are about three-times less toxic when injected IP as compared to IV, distinct from cobra venom Nh which exhibited a similar toxicity when injected IP or IV. Overall, this study clearly highlights the usefulness of procedure standardization, especially regarding the administration route, for evaluating the relative toxicity of individual animal venoms. It also evidenced a marked difference in lethal activity between venoms of cobra and vipers, which, apart from the nature of toxins, might be attributed to the rich composition of high molecular weight enzymes in the case of viper venoms

La profession d’herboriste au Maroc : Quel statut juridique ?

La profession d’herboriste, avant qu’un texte juridique ne soit promulgué pour saréglementation, était régie par la coutume et la morale collective. Le législateur marocain, en promulguant le Dahir de 1960, avait pour objectif principal d’en moderniser la pratique et de palier à l’anarchie qui caractérisait le secteur. Cependant, la législation en la matière est restée inchangée jusqu’à ce jour ; ce qui la rend anachronique quant à l’évolution du secteur et inadaptée à la situation socio-économique actuelle du pays. Par conséquent, il est primordial que les pouvoirs publics mettent en place une nouvelleréglementation effective et adaptée à la conjoncture sanitaire, ou du moins un amendement qui contribue à la valorisation du savoir en la matière, à la préservation des ressources naturelles et à une organisation structurelle de cette profession

Le cadre général de fixation du prix du médicament au Maroc : Pour une approche plus efficiente de détermination du juste prix

L’accès au médicament est un facteur vital au développement sanitaire despopulations, qui doit être garanti par l’Etat. Cette accessibilité reste avant tout tributaire du prix de vente final dont la détermination relève de la responsabilité du ministère de la santé.Au Maroc, malgré que la réglementation en vigueur a contribué à une baisse significative des prix de certains segments thérapeutiques, l’accessibilité au médicament reste très en deçà des attentes des consommateurs. De leur part, les professionnels du secteur, qui s’estiment être lésés, restent en attente d’une révision à la hausse des prix. Devant cette situation, les pouvoirs publics doivent réfléchir à un éventuel amendement de la réglementation relative aux conditions et aux modalités de fixation du prix des médicaments permettant de réaliserl’équilibre souhaité entre, d’une part, les intérêts légitimes des professionnels de l’industrie pharmaceutique, des sociétés de distribution et des pharmaciens d’officine, et d’autre part, l’intérêt primordial de la société à assurer aux citoyens l’accès aux médicaments, à des conditions qui conjuguent au mieux le juste prix, la disponibilité et l’efficience

Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Traditional Treatment of Depression and Anxiety in Fez-Meknes Region

Depression and anxiety represent a major mental health problem in the world. The majority of Moroccan people use traditional medicine for their health needs, including various forms of depression and anxiety. The aim of this work is to make an inventory of plant species used in folk medicine for the management of depression and anxiety in Fez-Meknes regions. Established questionnaires were administered to 243 interviews in 4 communities within Fez-Meknes region. With traditional health practitioners, herbalists and consumer. Plant species belonging to 31 families were reported. The most frequently cited families are Lamiaceae followed by Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Verbenaceae. Leaves were the major plant parts used forming 58% solely and 73 mixed with other parts. This was followed by seeds 17%, flowers 6%, roots 2% and fruits, bark (1% each). The current survey represents a useful documentation, which can use to preserving knowledge on the use of medicinal plants in this region and to explore the phytochemical and pharmacological potential of medicinal plants.Peer reviewe

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance.

Investment in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing in Africa over the past year has led to a major increase in the number of sequences that have been generated and used to track the pandemic on the continent, a number that now exceeds 100,000 genomes. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries that are able to sequence domestically and highlight that local sequencing enables faster turnaround times and more-regular routine surveillance. Despite limitations of low testing proportions, findings from this genomic surveillance study underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic and illuminate the distinct dispersal dynamics of variants of concern-particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron-on the continent. Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve while the continent faces many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

The computational analyses, molecular dynamics of fatty-acid transport mechanism to the CD36 receptor

AbstractThe transmembrane glycoprotein CD36, which is responsible of the metabolic disorders, and the elevated intake of fat induces lipid buildup, is a multifunctional scavenger receptor signaling those functions in high-affinity tissue uptake of long-chain fatty acids. In this study, we used series of molecular dynamics simulations of the wild type and mutants types K164A CD36 protein interacting with one palmitic acid (PLM) besides simulations of the wild type interacting with the three PLM to find out the mechanism of the functioning of the complex CD36/Fatty acids and the unraveling of the role of the mutation. Additionally we determined whether Lys164, mostly exposed to protein surface, played important roles in fatty acid uptake. These simulations revealed, the conformational changes induced by Lys164 residue and the altered interactions induced by the mutagenesis of surface lysine that was badly influencing the folding, utility, solubility, and stability form of the variant. Furthermore, Lys164 residue provided the structural basis of forming an opening at the region of principal portal for the dissociation of palmitic acid. The results of our simulations revealed hole two fatty acids found in CD36 cavity structure and it was the most preferred to CD36 structure stabilization.</jats:p

La disponibilité des antidotes dans les hôpitaux marocains : un constat révélant une urgence !

Le but de notre étude est d'évaluer la disponibilité des antidotes dans les principaux hôpitaux marocains. Matériels et méthode : Un questionnaire constitué de 15 items et permettant d'apprécier la disponibilité de 43 antidotes sélectionnés dans la littérature, a été adressé à 9 hôpitaux dont 3 militaires. Résultats : Cinq pour cent des antidotes étaient disponibles dans tous les hôpitaux ayant répondu à notre questionnaire. Quarante deux pour cent des antidotes manquaient à toutes les structures, le reste (47 %) avait une disponibilité variable en fonction des structures. La liste des antidotes manquants est longue et contient des produits vitaux classés dans le groupe A des recommandations de l'IPCS (International Programme on Chemical Safety) comme les anticorps spécifiques de la digoxine et le bleu de méthylène. Conclusion : Les résultats trouvés sont inquiétants et dévoilent un grand problème de gestion de ces produits souvent vitaux et constituant parfois l'unique traitement

Silent Cocaine Poisoning

Background: Cocaine poisoning is known for causing severe clinical effects such as tachycardia, hypertension, agitation and confusion. Absence of clinical manifestations in cocaine poisoning is unusual. Case report: A 26-year old man, known to be a cocaine addict, declared that he was forced by cocaine dealers to swallow many tablets of cocaine, six hours prior to admission to emergency department. Clinical examination, cardiac, hematological and biochemical checkups were unremarkable. The patient was clinically stable and left the hospital seven hours after admission by self-discharge. Blood and urine toxicological screening tests for benzodiazepines, barbiturates, tricyclic antidepressants and ethanol were negative. Patient’s blood sample was not sufficient for analysis of cocaine and its metabolites. Using high-performance liquid chromatography, urine and gastric lavage samples were positive for cocaine. Quantification of cocaine and its metabolites including benzoylecgonine (BZE) and ecgonine methyl ester (EME) in urine was done using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results revealed high levels of cocaine and its metabolites (cocaine: 360 mg/L, BZE: 1350 mg/L, EME: 780 mg/L). Discussion: Cocaine poisoning is generally accompanied by various clinical effects. In our case, despite the confirmed poisoning, no clinical sign was noticed. Fatal poisonings were reported with cocaine urinary concentrations of lower than that found in our patient. Conclusion: Asymptomatic cocaine poisoning with high cocaine levels in urine is of note.