Toxicological European research. Recherche europeenne en toxicologie最新文献

Authors recall an original observation about a twenty years old young girl who ingested one and half litre of gas-oil for suicide. A severe toxic lung disease appeared in the following days. Several weeks will be necessary for complete resorption, but no heavy breathing assistance will be needed. This observation confirmates the very rare cases described in publication.

Toxicity of copper, cadmium and zinc complexed by the EDTA and HPO4(2)- ligands has recently been studied by the use of the short-term daphnia test. In order to detect the toxicity due to very small quantities of metals present in water in free ionic state or in complexed species formed with humic matters, a medium term test on Daphnia magna has been developed for a better appreciation of lethal and sublethal effects. Collected data are statistically analysed with the use, for instance, of "Lowest Rejected Concentration Tested" previously proposed by Skalski. The test defined in our laboratory allows to point out cadmium concentrations as small as 5 micrograms.l-1.

Lead, cadmium and mercury were measured in the air of 398 inhabitants of the Grenoble area and 341 inhabitants of the Nantes area. The hair was washed with hor solution of EDTA, dissolved in nitric acid and analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The average concentrations are 6,23 micrograms/g for lead, 0,40 microgram/g for cadmium and 1,06 microgram/g for mercury. There is no difference between found data of the two areas for lead and cadmium. Mercury levels are higher in the Nantes area. Lead content is higher in male hair than in female hair, but the difference is not significant. In the Grenoble area, mercury levels are higher in males than in females; the process is reversed in the Nantes area. We have found no relation between metal levels and age of persons, but lead content is high in the hair of people under ten. Artisans and mechanics have lead content higher than the general people, though exposed people to occupational risks is excluded. We have found to relation between metal in the hair and the size of the town. It seems that the use of tobacco is without influence. Mercury content is related to the eating of fish. It is not increased in the population because of dental amalgams.

Early lesions of the exocrine pancreas of the Syrian Golden Hamster induced by lifetime weekly oral or subcutaneous administration of N-nitroso-bis (2 hydroxy propyl) amine (250 mg/kg) were studied by light and electron microscopy and autoradiography. There were no pathological differences according to the way of administration. The histogenesis of induced pancreatic neoplasms may be summed up as follows: hyperplasia of ductular cells with new islet cell formation that lead to the development of peri or intra insular cystic ductules which become cystedenomas and carcinomas.

The authors have studied the action of fluorine, administered by inhalation, on the liver metabolism of a chemical carcinogen: dimethylnitrosamine (DMN). The results demonstrate a decrease in the level of cytochrome P450 and in the activity of benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase in animals treated with DMN or DMN + HF. The greater inhibition in the presence of HF is paralleled by a decrease in the weight of the liver and in the synthesis of liver microsomal proteins. This reduction of activity (with the exception of dimethylnitrosamine demethylase which is unaffected) is supported by the result of the histological examinations showing two different types of lesion-necrotic toxic hepatitis and post-hepatitic cirrhosis - the frequency of which is much higher in the presence of fluorine.

The author describes briefly a systematic analytical approach in emergency toxicology during the past 4 years. In all cases, a systematic toxicological investigation was performed and the results are listed. In 30% of the cases, the nature of the poison suspected by the clinician could not be confirmed by toxicological analysis and in an other 30% of the cases, the toxicologist had no clinical information at all.

The effect of EDTA on acute cobalt toxicity in rats was the subject of our investigation. There was complete effectiveness for two methods of treatment of the Co and EDTA, except when the CoCl2 was given orally and EDTA intraperitoneally. When the CoCl2-EDTA complex was given orally or intraperitoneally there were no deaths, not even at LD100 values of the CoCl2. No noteworthy changes were brought about in the hematological parameters and serum parameters of the animals receiving the CoCl2-EDTA complexes after a week's treatment. Significant differences appeared in the variation of some blood parameters measured 12 hours after the administration of the Co/CH3-COO)2-EDTA complex compared with the same parameters measured on giving only Co(CH3-COO)2.

A case of Diazomethane intoxication has been reported. Diazomethane is gaz commonly used by pharmacological and industrial chemist. This case of intoxication is rare, since only 15 other cases have been published up to now. A review of the literature leads leads describe the clinical feature of such an intoxication by gaz inhalation. When Diazomethane is inhaled it induces respiratory and general disorders. In some cases, it be fatal, and, in some other cases, when a second exposure happens, bronchial asthma may appear. Post mortem studies show pulmonary oedema lesions with important inflammatory reaction localized in the peribronchia. It must be emphasized that direct aggression is probably responsive of toxical discorders, but increase of the symptoms consecutive to a second exposure are related to allergical mechanisms.

Most of the accidentally intoxicated children who are admitted into hospital have swallowed volatile hydrocarbons. The ingested products are either aliphatic hydrocarbons, whether white spirit or petrol, or aromatic hydrocarbons. We have collected informations upon 57 children admitted into the pediatric department of The American Memorial Hospital in Reims, from 1973 to 1982. The children's average age is 24 months and they have usually swallowed very small amounts of the products. Early clinical manifestations involve mainly respiratory and digestive systems, while the most frequent manifestation is high fever. The early roentgenologic manifestations have a predominantly alveolar pattern which is to be found in the lower lobes. The appearance of pneumatoceles is the typical roentgenologic disturbance. The recovery is usually complete. Hydrocarbons directly reach the lungs down the respiratory tract-even without the children's swallowing down the wrong tract-owing to the physical characteristics of those products. That accounts for any gastric lavage being both unnecessary and dangerous.

Cobalt urinary excretion should be a good way to know the level of exposition of subjects submitted to hard metals. The study is done on 28 workers of 3 different workrooms. Sunday 24 hours diuresis is retained. For 5 workers, the urinary cobalt measurements are done from samples made at the beginning and the end of work during 5 days. Atmospheric dust measurements are realized in different points of the 3 workrooms (individual and general samples). For measures atomic absorption spectrometry is used. The results show a good correlation between cobalt exposure and urinary concentrations. Friday evening urinary cobalt is a good expression of week exposure. The results obtained well correlate with those of others authors. Cobalt urinary measures are proposed for supervision of workers exposed to hard metals.