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Biomedical subjects

J Corbella

Publications and source records attributed to J Corbella.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

[Exposure to lead among the population of Barcelona: chronologic trends from 1984 to 1995].

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to determine current lead exposure in the Barcelona population and to evaluate the changes occurred during the last 10 years. Blood lead concentration was investigated in a random sample of 694 healthy subjects (age range: 0-65 years). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adults were random selected from a group of blood donors. Samples of children analysed were selected from subjects with a preoperatory analyses without any disease that could modify blood lead levels. Lead levels were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. RESULTS: Blood lead concentration was 4.06 +/- 1.4 micrograms/dl in umbilical cord, 8.9 +/- 2.9 micrograms/dl in the paediatric population and 7.8 +/- 4.2 micrograms/dl in the total of adults analyzed. There was statistical differences between the younger subjects and the older population. In 1984 the results found were 18.6 +/- 6.6 micrograms/dl. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained show that in the last 10 years a reduction on the blood lead levels was occurred. This reduction is parallel with a diminish in the lead petrol concentration in the ambient air.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Comparative effects of the chelators sodium 4,5-dihydroxybenzene-1,3-disulfonate (Tiron) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) on acute uranium nephrotoxicity in rats.

Sodium 4,5-dihydroxybenzene-1,3-disulfonate (Tiron) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) are two chelating agents that have been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of experimental poisoning by a number of heavy metals. In this study, the effects of Tiron and DTPA on uranium-induced nephrotoxicity were evaluated in a rat model. A series of four Tiron or DTPA injections was administered intraperitoneally to adult male Sprague-Dawley rats immediately after a single subcutaneous injection of uranyl acetate dihydrate (5 mg/kg) and at 24, 48 and 72 h thereafter. Positive and negative control groups received 0.9% saline with or without uranyl acetate, respectively. Tiron effectiveness was assessed at 400, 800 and 1600 mg/kg, whereas DTPA was administered at 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg. Although the urinary excretion of uranium was significantly enhanced by Tiron administration, significant amounts of uranium still remained in the kidney at the end of the treatment. However, the partial reduction of the renal uranium concentrations was in accordance with the amelioration noted in some urinary and serum indicators of uranium nephrotoxicity. Moreover, Tiron administration also reduced the severity of the uranium-induced histological alterations in the kidney. According to these results, Tiron offers only a modest encouragement with regard to its possible therapeutic potential to treat acute uranium-induced nephrotoxic effects. In turn, DTPA was less effective than Tiron in protecting against the nephrotoxicity of uranium in rats.

1,2-Dihydroxybenzene-3,5-Disulfonic Acid Disodium ↗
PubMed1997

The effect of age on aluminum retention in rats.

The present study was designed to assess potential changes in aluminum (Al) retention during advanced age. Young (21 day old), adult (8 months), and old (16 months) rats were exposed to 0, 50, and 100 mg Al/kg/day administered as aluminum nitrate in drinking water for a period of 6.5 months. Urinary Al levels were measured after 3 and 6.5 months of Al exposure. Organ weights and tissue Al concentrations were examined at 6.5 months of Al administration. Differences in the tissue accumulation of Al with age included higher liver, kidneys, spleen, bone and testes levels in old rats than in tissues of both young or adult animals. In contrast, brain concentrations were higher in young rats. Urinary Al levels of young, adult or old Al-exposed rats showed different trends at 6.5 months of Al exposure: compared with young values adult values declined, while those of old rats tended to increase further. The current results show that tissue Al retention patterns may be significantly altered depending on the age at Al exposure. This finding may be of concern for future investigations on the potential role of Al in certain neurological disorders.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1997

Population study of the STRs HUMCD4 and HUMF13A1 in Catalonia (Northeast Spain).

Allele and genotype frequencies were determined in a population sample from Catalonia (northeast Spain) for two short tandem repeat loci (HUMCD4 and HUMF13A1), using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After denaturing PAG electrophoresis, 6 alleles were identified for HUMCD4 in a sample of 157 unrelated individuals, and 11 alleles for HUMF13A1 in a sample of 141 individuals. No deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was found. The HUMCD4 and HUMF13A1 loci demonstrated a heterozygosity of 0.6815 and 0.7305 respectively.

Alleles↗
PubMed1997

Influence of maternal stress on the effects of prenatal exposure to methylmercury and arsenic on postnatal development and behavior in mice: a preliminary evaluation.

The present study combined maternal restraint stress with exposure to 2 environmental toxic elements, mercury and arsenic, given to mice concurrently with the restraint period (1000-1200 h, gestational days 15-18). Two groups of animals were given, by gavage, methylmercury chloride (MMC) (2 mg/kg/day), and 2 additional groups received sodium arsenite (10 mg/kg/day) on days 15-18 of gestation. Immediately after MMC or arsenite exposure, 1 group of MMC-treated mice and 1 group of arsenite-treated animals were restrained for 2 h/day. Control groups included restrained and unrestrained pregnant mice nonexposed to MMC or arsenite. All animals were allowed to deliver and wean their offspring. Pups were evaluated for physical development, as well as for behavioral effects. Except for a significant decrease in pivoting on postnatal day 9 in the group exposed to arsenite plus restraint, no other MMC- or arsenite-induced behavioral changes were noted in unrestrained or restrained groups. Although a significant delay in pinna detachment and in eye opening was observed in pups of the group exposed to arsenite and restraint, the development landmarks were not affected by restraint in the MMC-treated animals. Although maternal stress reduced body weight gain in the dams exposed to MMC plus restraint, a significant interaction between maternal stress and MMC could not be established for developmental toxicity. These preliminary results, combined with those of previous investigations, show that stress can significantly exacerbate the adverse effects of environmental toxic elements.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and T1 (GSTT1) polymorphisms and lung cancer risk among Northwestern Mediterraneans.

Several polymorphic genes including those encoding for glutathione S-transferases (GST) have been reported to be involved in modifying lung cancer risk in smokers. The gene GSTM1 is frequently deleted in humans and a possible association between the null genotype and lung cancer risk is controversial. Another polymorphic gene of the same supergene family, GSTT1, is also involved in the detoxification of some environmental carcinogens. Both genes were genotyped in (a) a group of lung cancer patients (n = 160); (b) a group of healthy smokers (n = 120); (c) a group of blood donors from the general population (n = 192). All patients and controls were Northwestern Mediterranean Caucasians. The results show that the GSTM1 null genotype (GSTM1*0/GSTM1*0) was slightly over represented in the lung cancer patients (frequency of 58%; OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 0.74-2.61, referred to healthy smokers). The histological type most clearly modified was small cell carcinoma (frequency of 62.2%, OR: 1.91, CI: 0.78-4.69). The subdivision of the patients with one or two copies of the GSTM1 gene according to a GSTM1*A, GSTM1*B or GSTM1*A/B genotype (frequencies of 28.2%, 11.2%, 2.5% respectively) revealed no significant differences between the cases and both control groups. The frequency of the deleted GSTT1 genotype among the lung cancer patients (24%) was not significantly increased (OR: 1.08, CI: 0.57-2.05, referred to healthy smokers). The results showed that 14.4% of the patients presented homozygous deletion of both GSTT1 and GSTM1 (12.5% among healthy smokers) suggesting no potentiation between null genotypes for lung cancer risk.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

Effects of aluminium on the mineral metabolism of rats in relation to age.

The present study was conducted to assess in rats the effects of chronic aluminium (Al) exposure on calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) accumulation and urinary excretion in relation to the age of the animals. Male young (21 day old), adult (8 months), and old (16 months) rats were orally exposed to 0, 50, or 100 mg Al/kg/day for a period of 6.5 months. Urinary levels of essential elements were determined after 3 and 6.5 months of exposure, whereas tissue Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn and Fe concentrations were examined after 6.5 months of Al administration. A number of age-related changes in tissue accumulation and urinary excretion of essential elements following chronic exposure to Al were found. Concentrations of essential elements in most tissues of young Al-exposed rats were generally lower than those of adult and old rats. The highest levels of essential elements were found in old animals. Liver, testes and spleen were the tissues that showed the most remarkable increases in relation to the levels found in those tissues of young rats. Adult rats showed a pattern comparable to that of old animals for mineral metabolism in brain, whereas in bone and testes the pattern of accumulation was closer to that of young rats. While the urinary levels of Ca were generally reduced in the Al-exposed groups, no Al-associated changes were noted for Mg, Mn, Cu and Zn. In turn, after 6.5 months of Al administration Fe excretion was increased in Al-treated adult and old rats. The results of this study suggest that early stages of life cycle should be of special concern for Al-induced changes in the metabolism of essential elements.

Aging↗
PubMed1996

Mercury in hair for a child population from Tarragona Province, Spain.

Mercury concentrations were determined in scalp hair of 233 school children aged 6-16 years. The study was carried out in three communities (Flix, Tarragona and Tortosa) from Tarragona Province (Southern Catalonia, Spain). The influence of the variables place of residence, age, sex, fish and seafood consumption, number of dental amalgam fillings, hair color, parents' occupation, and smoking habits of the household members was also examined. The geometric mean mercury concentration in hair was 0.77 microgram/g. The place of residence, sex, and the frequency in consuming fish and seafood were the variables that significantly affected hair mercury concentrations. Girls had more mercury in their hair than boys, whereas hair mercury levels were significantly correlated with the frequency in the fish and seafood consumption, with the levels being more elevated when the fish and seafood consumption was also higher. Hair mercury concentrations were also affected by the place of residence, with school children of Flix showing lower mercury concentrations than those found in children from Tarragona and Tortosa. The remaining variables had no influence on hair mercury levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Impact of reduction of lead in gasoline on the blood and hair lead levels in the population of Tarragona Province, Spain, 1990-1995.

The limitation in the use of lead in Spanish gasoline has induced a resulting decrease in atmospheric lead concentrations, a remarkable reduction in the lead levels of edible vegetables, as well as a marked decrease in the dietary lead intake of the population of Tarragona Province (Catalonia, N.E. Spain). The present study evaluates the impact of such decreases on blood lead values and hair lead concentrations in an adult and children population of that region. A total of 250 adult participants between 16-65 years of age and 252 children were included in the study. Blood and hair samples were subjected to lead analyses by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry, respectively. A substantial decline in both, blood lead levels in adults (47.5%) and lead concentrations in children's hair (53%) was observed. During the period 1990-1995, blood levels were reduced from 12.0 micrograms dl-1 to 6.3 micrograms dl-1, while the hair lead concentrations decreased from 8.8 micrograms g-1 to 4.1 micrograms g-1. These decreases were noted for all the subgroups (sex, age and place of residence) examined, and were mainly attributable to the reduced leaded gasoline consumption.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Population study of the STRs HUMTH01 (including a new variant) and HUMVWA31A in Catalonia (northeast Spain).

Allele and genotype frequencies for 2 short tandem repeat loci were determined in a population sample from Catalonia (Spain) using the polymerase chain reaction. After denaturing PAG electrophoresis, seven common and one variant (13.3) alleles were identified for HUMTH01 in a sample of 234 unrelated individuals, and seven alleles were found for HUMVWA31A in 162 individuals. No deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was found. The observed heterozygosities are 76.92 and 79.62 respectively. The discrimination power determined for the individual loci is 0.928 and 0.937 respectively.

Alleles↗
PubMed1996

Age-related effects of aluminum ingestion on brain aluminum accumulation and behavior in rats.

Both aluminum and aging have been associated with neurobehavioral changes in mammals. This study assessed in young (21 day old), adult (8 months), and old rats (16 months) the effects of prolonged aluminum ingestion on open-field activity and passive-avoidance conditioning. Aluminum was administered in drinking water as aluminum nitrate at doses of 0, 50, and 100 mg Al/kg/day over a 6.5 month period. There were no aluminum effects on the horizontal and vertical activity in an open-field, or in passive-avoidance learning in any group. On the other hand, measurement of aluminum concentrations in a number of brain regions indicated that the olfactory bulb and the rhachidical bulb were the regions with the highest aluminum levels, while the cortex and the thalamus were the cerebral regions showing the lowest aluminum content. For most brain regions analyzed the highest aluminum concentrations were found in young rats, which would indicate that early stages of the life cycle must be considered for enhanced brain aluminum accumulation.

Aging↗
PubMed1996

Comparative analysis of tacrolimus (FK506) in whole blood liver transplant recipients by PRO-TRAC enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and microparticle enzyme immunoassay IMX methods.

The macrolide tacrolimus (FK506) is a powerful immunosuppressive drug that acts early in the T-cell activation process and inhibits cytokine gene transcription. Data from several trials in liver transplantation have shown the efficacy of tacrolimus in the prevention of allograft rejection and its potent hepatotrophic effect, which could explain its great success in liver transplantation. However, tacrolimus is not devoid of adverse effects (mainly nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity) requiring careful blood level monitoring, which is an essential aid in the adjustment of drug dosing. Several methods of analysis are available to measure tacrolimus in whole blood. A new assay based on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technology has been developed. The INCSTAR PRO-TRAC FK506 is a sensitive immunoassay (range, 0.5 to 60 ng/ml), which uses a mouse monoclonal antibody to FK506. Samples are extracted into methanol and dried under nitrogen. The reconstituted extracts are analyzed by ELISA by using 2-h incubation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ELISA method in routine monitoring of liver transplant patients and to compare the whole blood results with those obtained by Abbott microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) IMx. Precision studies with 20 samples from 4.37 and 17.1 ng/ml gave within-run total coefficients of variance of 14.4 and 17.4%, respectively. A total of 63 blood samples was analyzed. The mean +/- SD were 9.68 +/- 5.92 and 10.52 +/- 7.54 ng/ml by ELISA and MEIA assays, respectively. There was an acceptable correlation between the methods: ELISA = 1.419 + 0.785 MEIA; Sy x x = 2.639; r = 0.804. Serial tacrolimus measurements (n = 13) in two patients with bilirubin levels > 20 mg/dl yielded mean +/- SD (range) of 11.64 +/- 7.59 ng/ml (2.60-25.40 ng/ml) and 15.55 +/- 10.78 ng/ml (3.60-34.4 ng/mL) by ELISA and MEIA assays, respectively. These discrepancies in concentrations can result from variation in matrix or different cross-reactivities or both in the two tests. We concluded that the INCSTAR PRO-TRAC FK506 is suitable for routine whole blood tacrolimus monitoring.

Drug Monitoring↗
PubMed1996

Effect of day of exposure on the developmental toxicity of manganese in mice.

Manganese is embryotoxic and fetotoxic in mammals. The aim of this study was to determine whether the day of exposure would modify the developmental toxicity of manganese (II). Pregnant Swiss mice were given single sc doses of 50 mg manganese chloride tetrahydrate/kg on day 9, 10, 11 or 12 of gestation. No maternal deaths, abortions or early deliveries were observed. Dams were killed on gestational day 18 and the uterine contents examined. Embryotoxicity, evidenced by significant increases in number of late resorptions and in percentage of postimplantation loss, was especially relevant in groups dosed on gestational days 9 or 10. Fetotoxicity (reduced fetal body weight and increased incidence of skeletal defects) was also especially remarkable from doses on days 9 or 10 of gestation. However, no teratogenic effects were noted in any group. Although mouse conceptus are adversely affected by sc exposure to manganese on any of the gestational days 9-12, days 9 and 10 of gestation are the most sensitive for manganese-induced embryo/fetal toxicity in mice.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1996

Glutathione-S-Transferase M1 and codon 72 p53 polymorphisms in a northwestern Mediterranean population and their relation to lung cancer susceptibility.

Several polymorphic genes have been reported to be possibly involved in modifying lung cancer risk in smokers. The gene GSTM1 is frequently deleted in human populations, and the null genotype has been reported to be a risk factor for developing lung carcinoma. A germline polymorphism of p53 with a single-base change at codon 72 that causes an amino acid replacement of arginine (Arg; CGC) by proline (PRO; CCC) has also been reported to be associated with cancer susceptibility in a Japanese population. Both polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR in a northwestern Mediterranean healthy population (n = 147) and in a group of lung cancer patients (n = 139). The results showed that the frequency of the GSTM1 null genotype was higher in the lung cancer patients compared to the controls [odds ratio (OR), 1.57; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.99-2.51]. The histological subtypes most clearly modified were small cell carcinoma (OR, 1.89; CI, 0.97-3.65) and adenocarcinoma (OR, 1.93; CI, 0.90-4.14). The null GSTM1 genotype was more frequent among those cancer patients who were medium/ light smokers (< or = 50 pack-years) and in those who showed an onset of the disease at a more advanced age. The study of the p53 polymorphism in the healthy population showed allele frequencies of 0.79 (Arg) and 0.21 (Pro). The frequencies found in the lung cancer patients were statistically similar. Both polymorphisms were studied together, and the relative risk of the combination null GSTM1 and Pro/Pro or Arg/Pro genotypes was calculated taking the combination of GTSM1 + together with Arq/Arg as a baseline. The OR found (1.97; CI, 1.03-3.73) suggests that the Pro allele of the p53 germline polymorphism may slightly increase the risk fo the GSTM1 null genotype among smokers.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1995

Cadmium and zinc relationships in the liver and kidney of humans exposed to environmental cadmium.

Concentrations of cadmium and zinc were determined in the liver and in the kidney (cortex and medulla) of subjects from the general population of Barcelona (Spain) by atomic absorption spectrometry. Tissues were collected from necropsies of 50 selected subjects without any occupational exposure to heavy metals. Cadmium levels calculated on a fresh tissue basis were 14.6 +/- 5.9 micrograms/g (2.4-31) in the kidney cortex, 8.6 +/- 4.3 micrograms/g (1.5-16.7) in the kidney medulla and 0.98 +/- 0.50 micrograms/g (0.32-2.32) in the liver. Zinc concentrations ranged between 18-53 micrograms/g, (mean +/- S.D.: 38.0 +/- 10 micrograms/g) in the kidney cortex, 25.0 +/- 7.7 micrograms/g (12-42 micrograms/g) in the kidney medulla and 41.7 +/- 18.3 micrograms/g (20-84 micrograms/g) in the liver. The aim of the present work was to study the association of cadmium and zinc in the kidney and in the liver of a human population with cadmium accumulation from an environmental origin. The results obtained showed a significant correlation between cadmium and zinc concentration in the liver (r = 0.86, P < 0.001), but not in the kidney.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Reproductive toxicology of aluminum in male mice.

The reproductive toxicology of aluminum was studied in mice. Adult male mice were treated intraperitoneally with aluminum nitrate at doses of 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks before mating with untreated females. Decreased body weight was seen in all aluminum-treated groups. Decreased pregnancy rate was observed in the females mated with males previously treated with 100 or 200 mg/kg/day of aluminum nitrate. High-dose male mice showed significantly decreased testicular and epididymal weights, as well as significant decreases in testicular and spermatid counts and epididymal sperm counts. Spermatid counts were also reduced at 100 mg/kg/day. However, the sperm motility was unaffected, and the percentages of morphological normal spermatozoa in all mice exposed to aluminum were comparable to the values in control mice. Histological changes, including necrosis of spermatocytes/spermatids, were observed in the testes of male mice treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg/day of aluminum nitrate, whereas the tubular diameters were unaffected by aluminum administration. The current study demonstrates adverse effects of parenteral aluminum exposure on the mouse male reproductive system. The "no observable adverse effect level" (NOAEL) was 50 mg/kg/day.

Aluminum↗