Residuos organoclorados en tejido adiposo mamario y su relación con el cancer de mama

Taking into consideration the sanitary repercussion that organochlorate residues may have, levels of organochlorate pesticides and polychlorate biphenyls were determinated in samples of adipose tissue from donors with mammary cancer (group with malignant pathology) and beneficial alteration (group control). Furthermore, a study was made about these women epidemiologic data and, posteriorlly, the relation organochlorate residues/epidemiologic data was studed. The levels of Aldrin, PCB congener n° 28 and PCB n° 52 were statistically different in the control and malignant pathology groups. The mean concentrations of these compounds were lower in the control group than in the malignant pathology group, and this suggests the possibility of a positive relation between these residues and the malignancy of the tumours.Teniendo en cuenta la repercusión sanitaria que residuos organoclorados puedan tener, se determinaron niveles de pesticidas organoclorados y bifenilos policlorados (PCBs) en muestras de tejido adiposo mamario de donantes que padecían cáncer de mama (grupo con patología maligna) y de donantes que presentaban alteraciones benignas en las mamas (grupo control). Además, se estudiaron datos epidemiológicos de estas mujeres y, posteriormente, se estudió la relación residuos organoclarados/datos epidemiológicos. Los análisis indicaron que las concentraciones de Aldrín, PCB n° 28 y PCB n° 52 fueron estadísdicamente diferentes entre los dos grupos de donantes. Los niveles de estos compuestos fueron mayores en el grupo con patología maligna que en el grupo control. Ello sugiere la posibilidad de una relación positiva entre la presencia de estos residuos en las muestras analizadas y la malignidad de los tumores en las mamas de las donantes.Teniendo en cuenta la repercusión sanitaria que residuos organoclorados puedan tener, se determinaron niveles de pesticidas organoclorados y bifenilos policlorados (PCBs) en muestras de tejido adiposo mamario de donantes que padecían cáncer de mama (grupo con patología maligna) y de donantes que presentaban alteraciones benignas en las mamas (grupo control). Además, se estudiaron datos epidemiológicos de estas mujeres y, posteriormente, se estudió la relación residuos organoclarados/datos epidemiológicos. Los análisis indicaron que las concentraciones de Aldrín, PCB n° 28 y PCB n° 52 fueron estadísdicamente diferentes entre los dos grupos de donantes. Los niveles de estos compuestos fueron mayores en el grupo con patología maligna que en el grupo control. Ello sugiere la posibilidad de una relación positiva entre la presencia de estos residuos en las muestras analizadas y la malignidad de los tumores en las mamas de las donantes

Uso da tecnologia de ultrassom na remoção de resíduos de agrotóxicos em alimentos: uma revisão integrativa

Ultrasound is an advantageous technology with various applications in the food industry. Given the potential of ultrasound, its efficiency in removing pesticide residues has been evaluated to make it a strategy for obtaining safe food for human consumption. Therefore, this integrative review sought to identify and analyze research that tested the efficiency of ultrasound in removing pesticide residues in food. The PubMed and Science Direct electronic databases were searched. Complete original studies published in English between 2012 and 2021 that tested the efficiency of ultrasound in removing pesticide residues in foods of plant and animal origin were considered eligible; nine articles comprised this review. Various percentages of ultrasound efficiency in pesticide removal were observed. Cavitation, frequency, intensity, power, ultrasound temperature and time, and physical and chemical properties of pesticides were shown to influence ultrasound efficiency in pesticide removal. Further research is necessary to improve the conditions that promote pesticide removal by ultrasound and thus guarantee significantly satisfactory results for obtaining safe and quality food for human consumption.O ultrassom é uma tecnologia vantajosa e com diversas aplicabilidades na indústria de alimentos. Diante do potencial do ultrassom, tem sido avaliada a sua eficiência na remoção de resíduos de agrotóxicos, a fim de torná-lo uma estratégia para a obtenção de alimentos seguros para o consumo humano. Assim, o objetivo desta revisão integrativa foi identificar e analisar estudos que testaram a eficiência do ultrassom na remoção de resíduos de agrotóxicos em alimentos. Foram consultadas as bases de dados eletrônicos PubMed e Science Direct. Estudos originais completos publicados em inglês, entre 2012 e 2021, e que testaram a eficiência do ultrassom na remoção de resíduos de agrotóxicos em alimentos de origem vegetal e animal foram considerados elegíveis. Nove artigos compuseram esta revisão. Foram observados variados percentuais de eficiência do ultrassom na remoção de agrotóxicos. A cavitação, a frequência, a intensidade, a potência, a temperatura e o tempo de ultrassom e as propriedades físicas e químicas dos agrotóxicos se demonstraram fatores que influenciam na eficiência do ultrassom na remoção dos agrotóxicos. Mais estudos fazem-se necessários para que haja o aprimoramento das condições que promovam a remoção de agrotóxicos pelo ultrassom e assim haja a garantia de resultados significativamente satisfatórios para a obtenção de alimentos seguros e com qualidade para o consumo humano

Occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in honey samples from different geographic regions

Trabajo presentado a la XV Reunión científica de la Sociedad Española de Cromatografía y Técnicas Afines - SECyTA 2015. Castellón de la Plana, 27-30 de octubre de 2015.Honey is a natural product produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar or secretions of plants, and has been consumed by many people around the world as a natural food, in medical therapies, and as food supplements [1]. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of toxic and persistent organic pollutants that are present in food an environmental samples at different concentrations levels. For the general population, dietary intake is the main route of PCB exposure, contributing with more than 90% to daily exposure [2]. Some PCB congeners are toxic to humans, and the European Commission has recently established maximum permissible levels of dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) in foods [3]. Twenty PCB congeners (# 28, 52, 77, 81, 101, 105, 114, 118, 123, 126, 138, 153, 156, 157, 167, 169, 170, 180, 189, and 194), including non-ortho, mono-ortho, and the most abundant PCBs were determined in 35 commercially available honeys collected between 2010 and 2012 in Brazil (n=16), Spain (n=10), Portugal (n=4), Slovenia (n=4), and Morocco (n=3). The analytical procedure followed was previously validated by the working group and briefly consists on liquid-liquid extraction followed by a clean-up step carried out using a multilayer column filled with neutral, acid, and basic modified silica. The final instrumental determination was carried out by GC-QqQ(MS/MS), using the isotope dilution technique as quantification method [4]. The results reveal the presence of low amounts of all PCB congeners (between <LOD to 878 pg/g fresh weight, f.w.) in all samples analyzed. The highest total PCB concentrations were found in Brazilian honeys (median of 1423, range of 513-3267 pg/g f.w.), followed by Portuguese (median of 1214, range of 1073-2210 pg/g f.w.), Spanish (median of 1200, range of 458-2439 pg/g f.w.), Moroccan (median of 1022, range of 955-1496 pg/g f.w.), and Slovenian (median of 558, range of 505-626 pg/g f.w.) honey samples. The WHO-TEQ concentrations are far below the maximum permissible levels for low-fatty foods in the UE legislation [3]. The principal component analysis (PCA) shows differences and similarities between PCB honey profiles from the five countries and those with Aroclors 1242, 1248, 1254, and 1260. [1] Blasco et al., J. Chromatogr. A 1049 (2011) 155-160. [2] S.M. Hays, L.L. Aylward, Regul. Toxicol. Pharm. 37 (2003) 202-217. [3] Comission Regulation (EU) No 1067/2013, OJL 289, 31.10.2013. p 56-57. [4] A. Garcia-Bermejo et al., Anal. Chim. Acta (in press) Acknowledgments: Financial support was obtained from the Spanish MINECO (project AGL2012-37201), CM (Spain) and European funding from FEDER programme (project S2013/ABI-3028, AVANSECAL).Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadComunidad de MadridEuropean CommissionPeer reviewe

Brachial Plexus Cords: a Morphological Study

SummaryBackground and objectivesThe brachial plexus represents an important network of nerves, commonly approached in nerve blocks prior to surgical procedures. Therefore, the knowledge of its anatomy is indispensable so those procedures can be carried out accordingly. The objective of the present study was to analyze the morphology of brachial plexus cords with special emphasis to its topographic relationships.MethodsThis study was undertaken by dissecting the cervical, axillary, and brachial regions of a human cadaver fixed in 10% phormol, from the Human Anatomy Laboratory of the Morphology Department of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Access to the cords was obtained by pushing back the pectoralis minor and pectoralis major muscles, clavicular section, and extraction of part of the subclavius muscle.ResultsCords originated from the anterior and posterior divisions of the trunks (upper, middle, and lower) of the brachial plexus. The lateral fascicle originated from the anterior divisions of the upper and middle trunks; the posterior, from the posterior divisions of the trunks; and the middle fascicle consisted from the continuation of the anterior division of the lower trunk. The cords showed relationships with the axillary artery, and they were located posteriorly to the pectoralis minor muscle, close to its insertion on the coracoid process.ConclusionsThe results were in concordance with the anatomical descriptions of classical authors. This study allowed the analysis of the morphology of the brachial plexus cords, demonstrating its main topographic relationships

Pesticides: classifications, exposure and risks to human health

Pesticides are used in the control and prevention of pests, improving the productivity and the quality of agricultural production. The adoption of the Brazilian agricultural model, which uses pesticides on a large scale and indiscriminately, has been worrying public authorities about their impacts on human health and environmental sustainability. Thus, studies that contribute to a better understanding of agrochemicals and their effects on ecosystems and human health are timely. The aim was to investigate the history of the production and use of pesticides, their classifications, sources of exposure and their risks to human health. The research was carried out through literature review in databases to verify scientific information about the history of pesticides, structural and toxicological classifications, sources of exposure and their risks to human health. The use of pesticides dates back many years. During the nineteenth century until the mid-twentieth century, some chemicals nowadays used was pesticides were used for public health or for war purposes. About the classification of pesticides, due to the different biological targets, the agrochemicals market is segmented into different action targets (herbicides, fungicides and insecticides). Pesticides can be classified as contact, ingestion or systemic according to the mode of action. As for the chemical structure, the main classes of pesticides are organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids and carbamates. The toxicity of pesticides ranges from low toxic to extremely toxic. Exposure to pesticides can occur directly through occupational exposure, or indirectly, through environmental exposure and food. The impacts on human health are divided into acute and chronic form. The prolonged human exposure to pesticides may result in neurological, reproductive, teratogenic and immunological disorders. The results presented in this literature review contribute to a better understanding of agrochemicals and their effects on human health

INGESTA DIÁRIA DOS ORGANOCLORADOS LINDANO, HEXACLOROBENZENO E p,p-DICLORODIFENIL DICLOROETILENO A PARTIR DE LEITE ESTERILIZADO

Foram investigadas as concentrações dos agrotóxicos organoclorados lindano, HCB e p,p- DDE em leite esterilizado e calculada a ingesta diária desses compostos por crianças matriculadas na primeira série do Ensino Fundamental, no município de Santa Maria, RS (BRASIL). As concentrações de lindano (17,9 ng/g de gordura ± 26,5), HCB (3,4 ng/g de gordura ± 1,5) e p,p-DDE (6,5 ng/g de gordura ± 4,4) nas amostras de leite enquadraram- se abaixo do limite máximo de resíduos estabelecido pelo Codex Alimentarius (FAO, 1993). O consumo médio de leite esterilizado pelas crianças foi de 390,9 mL/dia. A ingesta diária estimada de compostos organoclorados (0,210 µg/dia de lindano; 0,039 µg/dia de HCB e 0,076 µg/dia de p,p-DDE) a partir de leite esterilizado ficou abaixo da ingesta diária admissível estabelecida pelo Codex Alimentarius. Conclui-se que o leite comercializado no município de Santa Maria não representa risco toxicológico sob o aspecto avaliado

Influencia de habitos alimentarios sobre las concentraciones de pesticidas organoclorados en tejido adiposo Influence of alimentary habits on organochlorine concentrations in adipose tissue

Fueron evaluados los niveles de residuos de pesticidas organoclorados (p,p'-DDE, HCB, gamma-HCH, aldrín) presentes en 123 muestras de tejido adiposo mamario obtenidas de mujeres residentes en Córdoba (España). Además, se investigó la influencia de hábitos alimentarios y edad de las donantes sobre los niveles de organoclorados encontrados en el tejido. El p,p'-DDE fue el compuesto encontrado en concentraciones más altas (1,848myg/g), seguido de HCB (0,235mg/g), aldrín (0,005myg/g) y gamma-HCH (0,003myg/g). Las donantes mayores presentaron niveles de p,p'-DDE, aldrín y HCB superiores que las más jóvenes. Sin embargo, la edad no influyó en los niveles de gamma-HCH. La mayoría de las donantes (40,65%) indicaron las frutas como el alimento más consumido, seguido de la alimentación variada (34,15%), los legumbres (6,50%), los guisos y potajes (6,50%), las verduras (4,88%), la leche (3,25%), el pescado (2,44%) y la carne (1,63%). Una correlación no significativa fue observada entre los niveles de organoclorados en el tejido adiposo y los hábitos alimentarios de las donantes.<br>The levels of organochlorine pesticide residues (p,p'-DDE, HCB, gamma-HCH, aldrin) present in adipose tissue samples from mammary glands of 123 women living in Cordoba (Spain) were evaluated. The influence of alimentary habits and age of donors on organochlorine tissue levels was also investigated. The compound found at the highest concentration was p,p'-DDE (1.848mug/g), followed by HCB (0.235mug/g), aldrin (0.005mug/g) and gamma-HCH (0.003mg/g). The older donors presented tissue levels of p,p'-DDE, aldrin and HCB higher than those found in younger donors. Conversely, age had no influence on tissue levels of gamma-HCH. The majority of donors (40.65%) indicated fruits as the most consumed food, followed by mixed food (34.15%), non-green vegetables (6.50%), stewed meat and vegetables (6.50%), green vegetables (4.88%), milk (3.25%), fish (2.44%) and meat (1.63%). No significant correlation was observed between organochlorine tissue levels and the alimentary habits of donors