Sweet little Gabonese palm wine: a neglected alcohol.

BACKGROUND: During the last ten years, consumption of palm wine, a popular traditional alcoholic beverage, seriously increases in Gabon. This sweet beverage seems to be the main alcohol and the most drunken in low socioeconomic population. OBJECTIVE: To have an idea of its composition and toxicity, 21 samples of palm wine were collected in the country and analysed. METHODS: Twenty-one palm wine samples were randomly selected from all over Gabon. Methanol and ethanol concentrations in the samples were measured by gas chromatography. Aromatic hydrocarbons were measured by selected ion monitoring mode in mass spectrometry. Delection of heavy metals was by standard techniques. RESULTS: Gabonese palm wine contained ethanol at a mean concentration of about 60 g*L-1, i.e. 7.5 degrees (volume %), volatile components such as alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids and esters and trace metals. Trace metals were present at low concentrations below internationally recognized maximal limits for alcoholic beverages with less than 2 microg*L-1 for cadmium, less than 10 microg*L-1 for arsenic and for lead 15 samples with concentrations under 10 microg*L-1 and the last six samples with concentrations between 11 and 61 microg*L-1. None of the searched aromatic or chlorinated solvents, indicative of refined fuel or industrial contamination, was detected. CONCLUSION: For the parameters analyzed here, there seems to be no significant difference in constitution between Gabonese wine palm and others kind of palm wine produced in West Africa. This alcohol needs to be more considered by public health authorities and medical teams because of its health and economic consequences.

Comparison of embryonic development and metal contamination in several populations of the sea urchin Sphaerechinus granularis (Lamarck) exposed to anthropogenic pollution.

Over the past years the functional deficiencies observed in the sea urchin Sphaerechinus granularis from the Bay of Brest (France) have led us to select several populations within this species to assess water quality in the Bay of Brest. The present study reports on the comparison of the quality of embryonic development and of the level of metal contamination in sea urchin gonads and gut wall in four populations. Three of them lived in the Bay of Brest, and the last one was considered a reference, being settled in the Glénan Archipelago in southern Brittany (France). The sea urchin population living at the mouth of the River Aulne, at the Armorique Point, seemed to be the most affected, for it displayed the highest rate of blockage and the longest delay in embryonic development along with the highest concentrations in heavy metals, i.e., Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, and Hg, in the gut wall and in the gonads. A comparison with previous data highlighted a degradation of health conditions in the population living at Marloux in the vicinity of Brest harbor. The comparison of the metal levels detected in individuals from these two populations with the data reported in the literature allowed us to conclude for a local contamination of the bay waters by Fe and Hg. In addition, this study also revealed that Zn and Cd concentrations were sometimes higher than the maximum values reported in the literature and evidenced an increase of contamination by Cu and Pb over the period of study; it should be noted, however, that these values were not excess levels. Our investigations also suggest that Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu levels should be monitored in the future.

[Diffusion if lidocaine after intracameral injection]. / Diffusion de la lidocaïne après injection intracamérulaire.

PURPOSE: To determine the lidocaine diffusion space, we compared lidocaine aquous humor concentration in topical anesthesia with 1% lidocaine intracameral injection and in peribulbar anesthesia with 2% lidocaine prior phacoemulsification. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A gas chromatography technique of analyzing 100 microliters aqueous humor was used to detect the presence of lidocaine prior to phakoemulsification cataract surgery in two groups of patients: group A: after peribulbar anesthesia with 10 ml 2% lidocaine, group B: after 1% tetracaine topical anesthesia and 0.5 ml intracameral injection of 1% preservative-free lidocaine. The intracameral volume was estimated mathematically in group B. Endothelial cells loss was analyzed in two groups with non contact specular microscopy. RESULTS: Lidocaine was detected in aqueous humor with a good reliability. The mean concentration after intracameral injection was 6,300 micrograms/ml and was higher than after peribulbar injection. This concentration was near than theorical intracameral rate, suggesting that there was no diffusion in the posterior segment. There was no significant difference in the 2 groups in endothelial cells loss. CONCLUSION: Intracameral injection of lidocaine is an effective technique to anesthetize intracameral structures without diffusion in posterior segment prior to phakoemulsification.

Study protocol: stability of morphine injected without preservative, delivered with a disposable infusion device.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Morphine hydrochloride, a major analgesic drug, is being increasingly administered using portable disposable infusion devices. The objective of this study was to investigate the stability of morphine in such a system at two concentrations (2.50 and 5.00 mg/ ml) over a 30-day period. METHOD: High-performance liquid chromatography of stored morphine solutions. RESULTS: The best stability was observed with disposable infusion devices filled with a morphine solution containing sodium metabisulphite as a preservative. No breakdown products were detected after 1 month of storage at room temperature, in light or darkness. On the other hand, 2.50 and 5.00 mg/ml morphine solutions without sodium metabisulphite, stored in the infusion device led to the formation of 0.205% and 0.235% of pseudomorphine, respectively, after 6 days of storage in the light, and 1.50% and 0.94% after 30 days storage. CONCLUSION: Morphine hydrochloride solutions stored in disposable infusion devices degraded very slowly, particularly when preserved with sodium metabisulphite. The solutions are stable over 5 days, the maximum period of storage normally required when using disposable infusers.

[Ecstasy: psychostimulant, hallucinogen and toxic substance]. / L'ecstasy: psychostimulant, hallucinogène et toxique.

MDMA or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, more commonly called "ecstasy", is a drug classified as a stupefiant and increasingly used by young people for its stimulant and hallucinogen effects. This popular designer drug is often used in techno or rave parties and perceived by users as relatively harmless. It has however been associated with disorders of thermoregulation and has been the cause of several deaths. In addition, the drug has been shown to destroy serotonin receptors in the brain in the monkey and leads to serious physchiatric disorders and liver damage in man.

Immunomodulation in offspring mice after neonatal immunostimulation of mothers or newborn mice.

Mothers of offspring Balb/c mice were stimulated after birth by two substances, a bacterial lysate (LAB) and a chemical, diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC). Anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antibodies were studied after immunization of stimulated mothers or offspring. An increase of anti-SRBC was observed in LAB-stimulated mothers, but these antibodies were decreased in their offspring before weaning. Sometimes, these antibodies were increased in LAB-stimulated newborn mice. DETC stimulation of mothers induced an elevation of antibody response in mothers and newborns. The same results were obtained in previous investigations where the pregnant mother was stimulated with the same agents.

[Study of the transfer of immunostimulation from the mother to the young mouse using 2 immunostimulants and the PFC test]. / Etude du transfert de l'immunostimulation de la mère au Souriceau à l'aide de deux immunostimulants et du test "PFC".

Pregnant Mice were stimulated with two substances, an antibronchitic lysate (LAB) and diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC). PFC response was studied in mothers and their offspring for 6 weeks after birth. An increase in PFC response was noted in the immunostimulated adult Mice. In the newborn Mice, the number of PFC increased between the 1st and 6th week. In comparison with controls, PFC response appeared later in the newborns to LAB-stimulated mothers and earlier in those to DTC-stimulated mothers.