Heavy Metal Concentrations around a Hospital Incinerator and a Municipal Dumpsite in Ibadan City, South-West Nigeria

Studies to determine the concentrations of heavy metals in the surrounding soils and bottom ash of a hospital incinerator and a municipal dumpsite were carried out in Ibadan City, South-West Nigeria from November 2010 to January 2011. Samples were analyzed for Pb, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA, Students T-test and Pearson correlation. Mean concentrations of heavy metals in the sampled soils at the incinerator were 185.22\ub172.88, 16.22\ub113.13, 69.11\ub154.26, 2.33\ub12.53, 22.48\ub121.00 and 0.58\ub10.30 for Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb and Ni respectively, mean concentrations in the incinerator bottom ash were 5357.52\ub14671.89mg/Kg, 938.2\ub1428.42mg/kg, 10670\ub13852.44mg/kg, 72.96\ub115.14mg/kg, 427.2\ub1197.69mg/kg and 34.78\ub111.69mg/kg for Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb and Ni respectively and mean concentrations in sampled soils of municipal dumpsite were 290.67\ub178.66mg/Kg, 7.86\ub11.68mg/kg, 132.87\ub139.40mg/kg, 2.58\ub11.48mg/kg, 14.52\ub16.76mg/kg and 0.79\ub10.26mg/kg for Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb and Ni respectively. ANOVA showed that Fe (F = 11.254), Cu (F = 5.678), Zn (F = 20.399) and Pb (F = 3.679) had significant variations with sampling site, with bottom ash having the highest concentrations. The concentrations of heavy metals from both locations were higher than in the control site, indicating pollution. The heavy metal contents of the soils analyzed were all below the USEPA standard limits. However, the bottom ash contained high levels of Zn and Pb, that exceeded the standard limits. There is a need to appropriately dispose off the bottom ash from incinerators

APOE E4 is associated with impaired self-declared cognition but not disease risk or age of onset in Nigerians with Parkinson's disease

The relationship between APOE polymorphisms and Parkinson's disease (PD) in black Africans has not been previously investigated. We evaluated the association between APOE polymorphic variability and self-declared cognition in 1100 Nigerians with PD and 1097 age-matched healthy controls. Cognition in PD was assessed using the single item cognition question (item 1.1) of the MDS-UPDRS. APOE genotype and allele frequencies did not differ between PD and controls (p > 0.05). No allelic or genotypic association was observed between APOE and age at onset of PD. In PD, APOE ε4/ε4 conferred a two-fold risk of cognitive impairment compared to one or no ε4 (HR: 2.09 (95% CI: 1.13-3.89; p = 0.02)), while APOE ε2 was associated with modest protection against cognitive impairment (HR: 0.41 (95% CI 0.19-0.99, p = 0.02)). Of 773 PD with motor phenotype and APOE characterized, tremor-dominant (TD) phenotype predominated significantly in ε2 carriers (87/135, 64.4%) compared to 22.2% in persons with postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD) (30/135) and 13.3% in indeterminate (ID) (18/135, 13.3%) (p = 0.037). Although the frequency of the TD phenotype was highest in homozygous ε2 carriers (85.7%), the distribution of motor phenotypes across the six genotypes did not differ significantly (p = 0.18). Altogether, our findings support previous studies in other ethnicities, implying a role for APOE ε4 and ε2 as risk and protective factors, respectively, for cognitive impairment in PD

AMPA receptor GluA2 subunit defects are a cause of neurodevelopmental disorders.

AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are tetrameric ligand-gated channels made up of combinations of GluA1-4 subunits encoded by GRIA1-4 genes. GluA2 has an especially important role because, following post-transcriptional editing at the Q607 site, it renders heteromultimeric AMPARs Ca2+-impermeable, with a linear relationship between current and trans-membrane voltage. Here, we report heterozygous de novo GRIA2 mutations in 28 unrelated patients with intellectual disability (ID) and neurodevelopmental abnormalities including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Rett syndrome-like features, and seizures or developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). In functional expression studies, mutations lead to a decrease in agonist-evoked current mediated by mutant subunits compared to wild-type channels. When GluA2 subunits are co-expressed with GluA1, most GRIA2 mutations cause a decreased current amplitude and some also affect voltage rectification. Our results show that de-novo variants in GRIA2 can cause neurodevelopmental disorders, complementing evidence that other genetic causes of ID, ASD and DEE also disrupt glutamatergic synaptic transmission

Heavy Metal Concentrations around a Hospital Incinerator and a Municipal Dumpsite in Ibadan City, South-West Nigeria

Studies to determine the concentrations of heavy metals in the surrounding soils and bottom ash of a hospital incinerator and a municipal dumpsite were carried out in Ibadan City, South-West Nigeria from November 2010 to January 2011. Samples were analyzed for Pb, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA, Students T-test and Pearson correlation. Mean concentrations of heavy metals in the sampled soils at the incinerator were 185.22±72.88, 16.22±13.13, 69.11±54.26, 2.33±2.53, 22.48±21.00 and 0.58±0.30 for Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb and Ni respectively, mean concentrations in the incinerator bottom ash were 5357.52±4671.89mg/Kg, 938.2±428.42mg/kg, 10670±3852.44mg/kg, 72.96±15.14mg/kg, 427.2±197.69mg/kg and 34.78±11.69mg/kg for Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb and Ni respectively and mean concentrations in sampled soils of municipal dumpsite were 290.67±78.66mg/Kg, 7.86±1.68mg/kg, 132.87±39.40mg/kg, 2.58±1.48mg/kg, 14.52±6.76mg/kg and 0.79±0.26mg/kg for Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb and Ni respectively. ANOVA showed that Fe (F = 11.254), Cu (F = 5.678), Zn (F = 20.399) and Pb (F = 3.679) had significant variations with sampling site, with bottom ash having the highest concentrations. The concentrations of heavy metals from both locations were higher than in the control site, indicating pollution. The heavy metal contents of the soils analyzed were all below the USEPA standard limits. However, the bottom ash contained high levels of Zn and Pb, that exceeded the standard limits. There is a need to appropriately dispose off the bottom ash from incinerators

Efficacy of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of leaves of Chromolaena odorata as molluscicide against different developmental stages of Biomphalaria pfeifferi

The molluscicidal activities of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of leaves of Chromolaena odorata were investigated on adult, one week old juveniles and 3 to 4 days old egg-masses of Biomphalaria pfeifferi. Ten adults each were exposed to a serial dilution of 40, 80, 160, 240, 320, 400, and 480 ppm distilled water extracts and 20, 40, 80, 160, 240 and 320 ppm ethanolic extracts of leaves of C. odorata. Twenty juveniles of uniform size each were exposed to 8, 20, 28, 40, 80, 120, and 160 ppm of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the same plant. The adults and juveniles were exposed to the extracts for 24 h. Thirty eggs each were exposed to 8, 20, 28, 40, 60, 80, and 100 ppm of aqueous and ethanolic extracts for a period of 48 h. The experiments were repeated twice. LC50 obtained with aqueous extract against eggs, juveniles and adults were 65.75, 75.59 and 217.57 ppm, respectively while these values were 44.03, 44.68 and 88.04 ppm, respectively for ethanolic extract. The LC90 obtained with aqueous extract against eggs, juveniles and adults were 139.54, 249.54 and 288.96 ppm, respectively. These values were 119.03, 123.50 and 245.61 ppm, respectively for ethanolic extract. The plant extracts caused significant (P<0.05) mortality rates in the different stages of B. pfeifferi. C. odorata seem to be a promising plant molluscicide candidate and deserve further studies in order to identify and characterize its molluscicidal components.Keywords: Schistosomiasis, Chromolaena odorata, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, molluscicidal activities, LC50, LC90Vol. 12(4), pp. 438-44

Renal related disorders in concomitant Schistosoma haematobium–Plasmodium falciparum infection among children in a rural community of Nigeria

Summary: Schistosomiasis and malaria are two common parasitic diseases that are co-endemic in resource-poor communities of sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to assess the effects of single and concomitant Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma haematobium infections on two indicators of renal injury in school children in a rural community of Nigeria. A cross-sectional epidemiological survey was carried out on a total of 173 schoolchildren between ages 6 and 18 years (mean age 11.4 ± 2.6 years). Urine and blood samples were collected by standard methods for concurrent microscopic diagnosis of S. haematobium and P. falciparum infections. Urinary blood (hematuria) and protein were determined using a urinalysis dipstick. The prevalence of single infections was 75.1% and 78.2% for S. haematobium and P. falciparum, respectively. A total of 57.1% individuals were infected with the two parasites. The prevalence of hematuria was significantly higher in the co-infection status (63.8%) than in single S. haematobium (52.2%) and P. falciparum (43.7%) infection statuses (p = 0.04), while no significant variation was recorded in proteinuria in the three infection statuses (p = 0.53). The proportion of children with renal injury associated with the co-infection of these parasites is very high, particularly in young children, who seem to have a higher prevalence of hematuria. Keywords: Schistosoma haematobium, Plasmodium falciparum, Concomitant infection, Abnormal urinary blood, Proteinuri

Inhibitory activities of ethanolic extracts of two macrofungi against eggs and miracidia of Fasciola spp.

Fascioliasis is a disease of livestock which is now recognized as an emerging disease in humans. Cantharellus cibarius and Ganoderma applanatum are known for their medicinal properties. The use of ethanolic extracts of these macrofungi against the eggs and miracidia of Fasciola spp. is a promising method to break the parasite transmission cycle. The aim of the study is to evaluate the inhibitory effects of ethanolic extracts of the mushrooms on eggs and miracidia of Fasciola spp. Concentrated eggs and miracidia of Fasciola spp. were exposed to different concentrations (1-8 mg/ml) of extracts of Ganoderma applanatum (GEE) and Cantharellus cibarius (CEE) at different time intervals. GEE showed superior antiparasitic activities when compared to CEE at all concentrations tested. Significant positive correlations were observed between the concentration of GEE and mortality in miracidia (r=0.980, P <0.05) and CEE and mortality in miracidia (r= 0.968, P <0.05). The study showed that ethanolic extracts of G. applanatum and C. cibarius have ovicidal and miracicidal activities. While G. applanatum showed excellent activities, activities in C. cibarius were moderate. Therefore, these mushroom extracts can be regarded as promising sources of bioactive compounds that could be developed into ovicides and miracicides

Egg laying capacity (± SD) of snails exposed to CurNisNp.

<p>Egg laying capacity (± SD) of snails exposed to CurNisNp.</p

Photomicrographs showing dead/deformed and normal <i>B</i>. <i>pfeifferi</i> embryos.

<p>Photomicrographs showing dead/deformed and normal <i>B</i>. <i>pfeifferi</i> embryos.</p

Percentage hatchability (± SD) of <i>B</i>. <i>pfeifferi</i> eggs exposed to CurNisNp at the pre-hatched stage.

<p>Percentage hatchability (± SD) of <i>B</i>. <i>pfeifferi</i> eggs exposed to CurNisNp at the pre-hatched stage.</p