Assessment of Awareness Regarding Health Hazards of Plastic Chemicals and their Warning Label among a Sample Population of Varanasi City: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Plastic containers are widely used to store and serve edibles. In the production of some types of plastic, chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) are used. These chemicals leach from the plastic containers into the edibles, get access into the biological systems, and cause a toxic impact on health. AIM: This cross-sectional survey was planned to assess the usage of food contact plastic and awareness regarding the health hazards of plastic chemicals and warning labels on plastic items among a sample population of Varanasi city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected by interviewing the 556 adult participants, using a prevalidated structured questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to test the association and P < 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: Most of the participants were found to be following routine practices during cooking and storage of edibles which may expose them to BPA and BPS through the gut. Although many participants were aware that plastic may contain some type of chemicals which may enter the human body and harm human health in some way, they lacked precise knowledge regarding warning label like "BPA free plastic" "plastic containing BPA" and "food grade plastic." Furthermore, none of the participants could recognize the "resin identification codes" correctly. CONCLUSION: Most of the participants had only elementary awareness of health risk of plastic usage. A significant number of participants lacked crucial information that can help them to make healthy choices as a consumer and use safe alternatives of plastic.

Instillation of bradykinin into femoral artery elicits cardiorespiratory reflexes involving perivascular afferents in anesthetized rats.

The physiology of baroreceptors and chemoreceptors present in large blood vessels of the heart is well known in the regulation of cardiorespiratory functions. Since large blood vessels and peripheral blood vessels are of the same mesodermal origin, therefore, involvement of the latter in the regulation of cardiorespiratory system is expected. The role of perivascular nerves in mediating cardiorespiratory alterations produced after intra-arterial injection of a nociceptive agent (bradykinin) was examined in urethane-anesthetized male rats. Respiratory frequency, blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded for 30 min after the retrograde injection of bradykinin/saline into the femoral artery. In addition, paw edema was determined and water content was expressed as percentage of wet weight. Injection of bradykinin produced immediate tachypneic, hypotensive and bradycardiac responses of shorter latency (5-8 s) favoring the neural mechanisms involved in it. Injection of equi-volume of saline did not produce any responses and served as time-matched control. Paw edema was observed in the ipsilateral hind limb. Pretreatment with diclofenac sodium significantly attenuated the bradykinin-induced responses and also blocked the paw edema. Ipsilateral femoral and sciatic nerve sectioning attenuated bradykinin-induced responses significantly, indicating the origin of responses from the local vascular bed. Administration of bradykinin in the segment of an artery produced reflex cardiorespiratory changes by stimulating the perivascular nociceptors involving prostaglandins. This is a novel study exhibiting the role of peripheral blood vessels in the regulation of the cardiorespiratory system.

A study of the functional aberration of the pouch in anorectal malformation associated with congenital pouch colon.

OBJECTIVE: There are no in vitro studies of congenital pouch colon (CPC) associated with anorectal malformation (ARM) to understand its mechanism of contractility. There is no consensus regarding the utilization of the CPC in repair of anorectal malformation. In view of the above, it was decided to carry out detailed in vitro physiological study of the excised CPC. METHOD: The excised specimens of CPC were taken and 15- to 20-mm long both longitudinal and transverse strips of muscle were obtained both from the proximal and distal part. Contraction was recorded using software chart-5 for windows. Drugs used were acetylcholine, histamine, adrenaline, atropine and pheniramine maleate. The amplitude of contractions was converted to tension gram and then the tension so developed was expressed as tension per unit mass (per gram of wet tissue). RESULTS: There were total of 21 specimens of high ARM with CPC. Five specimens were of the complete pouch, which did not show a response to any drug and the remaining 16 had an incomplete pouch. The mean longitudinal and circular muscle contractions of these 16 samples were statistically higher for the proximal segment than the distal segment both for acetylcholine and histamine. The effect of atropine was not significant but that of adrenaline and pheniramine maleate were significant on the distal segment muscle. CONCLUSION: Congenital pouch colon being deficient or having poorly developed receptors in their wall can not function properly as a reservoir for faeces and, hence, it should be excised to allow adequate function.

High fat diet induces obesity in British Angora rabbit: a model for experimental obesity.

A reliable and cost-effective animal model for human obesity with its manifested disorders is yet to be established in the context of increased morbidity and mortality due to obesity and its related problems. Therefore, an attempt was made to produce obesity in locally available British Angora Rabbits (BAR) and examine the effect on metabolic and cardiovascular parameters. Adult male BARs weighing nearly 2 kg were randomly divided into two groups, one of the groups was fed with high fat diet (HFD) ad libitum for 10 weeks and the control group received standard normal rabbit chow for same period. Body weight, skinfold thickness, serum cholesterol, serum glucose and resting heart rate were measured before and after the dietary regimens. After 10 weeks, HFD group of rabbits demonstrated significant (P < 0.05) increase in body weight (+24%) and skinfold thickness (+37%). The gain in body weight was positively correlated to skinfold thickness (r = 0.61). Serum cholesterol, serum glucose and resting heart rate were also increased by 46%, 52% and 15%, respectively. Whereas no such increases in any of these parameters were observed in control group of rabbits. Our results suggest that obesity can be produced in BARs by feeding HFD. The obesity manifests with cardiovascular and metabolic changes. It is proposed that this may serve as a valid and reliable model of experimental obesity.

Obesity attenuates formalin-induced tonic pain in British Angora rabbits.

Obesity is known to alter various physiological parameters including the pain sensitivity. There are conflicting reports on the pain sensitivity in obesity. In this context, the present study was aimed to investigate the tonic pain response in obese rabbit model. To achieve this aim, two groups of adult male British Angora rabbits were used. One of the groups was fed with standard rabbit chow and served as control. The other group was fed high fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks to produce obesity. The standard formalin test was performed at the start and after 10 weeks of dietary regimen in both the groups. Timed behavioral responses (limping, elevation of paw, licking, biting, grooming etc.) were categorized and quantified with the help of standard pain rating scale. The total average pain rating score decreased significantly from 2.01 +/- 0.02 to 1.47 +/- 0.08 (P < 0.05) in HFD group after 10 weeks of dietary regimen, whereas there was no change in the control group. A significant negative correlation was observed between body weight and pain rating score in HFD group of rabbits (P < 0.05, r = -0.62). Results suggest that obesity attenuates the tonic pain responses induced by formalin in British Angora rabbits.

Role of serotonergic mechanism in gastric contractions induced by Indian Red Scorpion (Mesobuthus tamulus) venom.

AIM: Gastric dysfunctions are commonly seen after scorpion envenomation, and the underlying mechanisms are not clear. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of Indian red scorpion (Mesobuthus tamulus, MBT) venom on gastric fundus muscle contraction and the underlying mechanisms involved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro isometric contraction was recorded from gastric fundus muscle strips on a chart recorder. The tissue was exposed to different concentrations of serotonin or crude MBT venom. The contractile responses to venom were expressed as the percentage of maximum contraction produced by serotonin at the beginning of each experiment. The contractile responses to 1.0 mug/ml of crude MBT venom were ascertained in the absence or presence of serotonin antagonist, methysergide. RESULTS: Serotonin produced concentration-dependent fundus contractions (0.004-4.0 muM), and maximum contractile response was observed at 4.0 muM of serotonin. Hence, the contractile response obtained at 4.0 muM of serotonin was taken for normalization. The crude MBT venom (0.1-1.0 mug/ml) produced a concentration-dependent increase in fundus contractions (as % of maximum fundus contraction produced by serotonin at 4.0 muM). The maximum response was observed at 1.0 mug/ml of crude venom and a further increase in the concentration, up to 3.0 mug/ml, did not increase the response. In a separate series of experiments, pre-treatment with methysergide (1.0 muM) significantly attenuated the contractile response elicited by the venom (1.0 mug/ml) (P<0.05) and blocked the serotonin (4.0 muM) response. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the crude MBT venom produces gastric fundus contractions by partially involving serotonin.

Decline in respiratory performance of Varanasi population in 22 years: a cross-sectional study.

Lung function tests were performed on apparently healthy, non-smoking male volunteers aged 16-50 years normally staying in Varanasi city area. The volunteers were divided into five groups according to their age (16-19 yr, 20-25 yr, 26-30 yr, 31-35 yr, 40-50 yr). Anthropometric determinants (height and weight) and respiratory performance (vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate) were recorded in the year 1982 and 2004. No significant (P>0.05) difference in height, weight and body mass index was detected between the age matched groups in the year 1982 and 2004. The Vital capacity (VC) was measured in 483 and 387 volunteers in the year 1982 and 2004 respectively; peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was measured in 200 and 388 subjects in the year 1982 and 2004 respectively. Both VC and PEFR were found to be reduced in the year 2004 as compared to those measured in 1982 from the similar population matched for age groups. They were significantly (P<0.001) lower (20-23% less for VC and 4-14% less for PEFR) in the 20-30 years age group. There was also significant (P<0.05) decrease in PEFR for the population of 16-19 years age group studied in 2004 compared to that of 1982. Significant (P<0.001) deterioration in VC per meter of height was observed in the population above 20 years of age. The mean values of VC (ml/m height) ranging from 2119.27 +/- 316.64 (20-25 years age group) to 1923.29 +/- 225.43 (40-50 years age group) in 1982 have dropped to 1896.54 +/- 289.50 and 1593.64 +/- 419.36 for the respective age groups in 2004. Similarly, mean value of PEFR (L/ min) was found to be reduced from 523.67 +/- 64.69 in 1982 to 471.44 +/- 85.25 in 2004 for the same age groups of 20-25 years. Similar reduction was also recorded for 16-19 yr group and 26-30 yr group of population. Air-pollution and sedentary lifestyles in the population of this city may be probable reasons for the decline in respiratory performance.

Centrally infused anions alter body temperature in conscious rats.

Central anionic influences on the regulation of body temperature were studied in 42 conscious male rats. The animals were divided into seven equal groups and were given intraventricular infusions of either chloride or bicarbonate solution of sodium, calcium, or potassium. Infusions were made in the unanesthetized and unrestrained animals through stainless steel cannulae, chronically implanted into the anteroventral part of third ventricle. Control rats received intraventricular infusions of artificial cerebrospinal fluid. All of the chloride solutions, irrespective of the associated cations, elicited hyperthermia, whereas bicarbonates had hypothermic effect. Responses of chloride and bicarbonate solutions varied significantly (p < 0.001). There was, however, cationic modification of the anionic responses. Thus, sodium ions manifested hyperthermic modifications, accentuating hyperthermia of chloride and attenuating hypothermic effect of bicarbonate. Calcium and potassium ions exerted hypothermic modulation. The results suggest that anionic concentration of intraventricular CSF is crucial for central regulation of body temperature in unanesthetized conscious rats. The cations probably have only modulatory influences.

Effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on growth and proteolytic activity of different muscles in rats.

Fibre and non-fibre components and proteolytic activity of fore- and hindlimb muscles with different fibre composition and functions were examined in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. From hindlimb, extensor digitorum longus (EDL), medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus (SOL) were selected to represent muscles rich in fast oxidative-glycolytic, fast glycolytic and slow oxidative fibres, respectively. The biceps brachii (BB) and extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL), represented forelimb muscles having similar fibre composition but performing flexor and extensor functions respectively. Among the five muscles studied, all but SOL showed decrease in muscle weight and protein in diabetic rats indicating the atrophy of these muscles. Atrophy was greater in EDL and MG as compared to ECRL and BB. This differential atrophy could be negatively correlated to the percentage of slow oxidative fibres. Despite the loss of fibre mass in diabetic group, elevated fibre protein concentration was observed in BB (flexor) but not in ECRL (extensor). There was a significant reduction in non-fibre protein concentration with markedly enhanced alkaline proteolytic activity in EDL of diabetic rats. Non-protein solid concentration was also increased in EDL and MG. These observations showed that fast muscles are more susceptible to diabetes induced atrophic changes and diabetes affected various muscle components differently in muscles with different fibre composition and functions. Therefore, fibre composition and function of a muscle may be the factors in determining muscle growth in diabetes.

Dipsogenic and feeding influences of intraventricularly infused anionic choline solutions.

Chloride and bicarbonate solutions of choline were infused into the anteroventral part of the third ventricle of two different groups of rats through chronically implanted stainless steel cannulae. Dipsogenic and feeding responses elicited by these solutions were studied by observations taken at half hour intervals up to two h and then, after 24 h of infusions. Results were compared with the control response evoked by similar infusion of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF). Food and water intakes were recorded in different groups (n = 18 each) of rats. Dipsogenic response elicited by choline chloride solution in the observation taken 24 h after infusion, however, was higher only as compared to the control. Dipsogenic effect of bicarbonate solution was not significantly different from the control in the first two observations (30 and 60 min), but in the later observations (90, 120 min and 24 h), it was significantly higher. None of the choline solutions significantly alter feeding response within 2 h of infusions. However, in the observation taken 24 h after infusion, the response evoked by choline chloride was greater than that elicited by aCSF. The results support our earlier observation that chloride concentration of third ventricular CSF significantly influences water and food consumption. Intraventricularly administered choline also appears to have positive influence on these behaviors.

Alterations of ventricular pH alter water intake and food consumption in rats.

The pH of third ventricular CSF was altered by infusing acidic or alkaline solution of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) through chronically implanted stainless steel cannula. In two separate group of rats (n = 18 each) water and food consumptions were recorded 30 min, 1 hr, and 24 hr after intraventricular infusions of the modified aCSF solutions having pH 6.0, 8.0 and 7.4 (control). On raising the CSF pH, water intake increased in all three observations. Feeding was not affected in the observations taken after 30 min and 1 hr, but significantly reduced food consumption was observed 24 hr after the infusions. Lowering of pH had no effect either on dipsogenic or feeding response. The CSF pH correlated positively with drinking in all three observations. Since dipsogenic and feeding responses are centrally regulated by ion sensitive cells, it may be presumed that altered CSF pH influenced the activities of the sensors by altering ionic conductance across their membranes.

Protein energy ratio as a critical factor in determining growth & glycogen content of muscles in rats.

Effect of protein deficiency, which was produced in rats either by feeding low protein diet (8% protein) ad libitum (PD) or by restricting the amount of diet containing 15 per cent protein (protein calorie deficiency; PCD) on the growth in terms of muscle weight, length, cross-sectional area, protein and glycogen content was studied in extensor digitorum longus (EDL), medial gastrocnemius (MG) and plantaris (PL) muscles in rat. Because of decreased total calorie intake, PCD group exhibited higher value for protein/total calorie consumption. Excepting glycogen concentration, the retardation of growth in terms of all parameters studied was less in the PCD group. Glycogen concentration (mg/g muscle weight) in the PCD group was 3.0 +/- 0.3 in EDL and 2.6 +/- 0.3 in PL, whereas the values in PD group were 1.0 +/- 0.1 in EDL and 1.1 +/- 0.2 in PL respectively. This glycogen sparing effect was not evident in MG of PCD group possibly due to the greater number of glycolytic fibres. It is suggested that lesser retardation of growth of muscles and glycogen sparing effect in PCD group, could be due to altered metabolic changes resulting in enhanced gluconeogenesis.

Fatigue and contractile responses of rat hindlimb muscles following excessive dexamethasone administration.

Muscle weight, protein content and contractile performance (tetanic tension, fatigue and recovery) of extensor digitorum longus and soleus were investigated in rat following systemic administration of Dexamethasone (DX), 5 mg/kg/day for ten days. These animals showed marked reduction in food intake during the course of DX treatment. As a control, a group of food restricted (FR) rats receiving equal amount of food consumed by the DX treated rats was also studied along with the saline control group, to differentiate the effect of DX on muscle from that of dietary deficiency. There was a greater degree of atrophy (reduced muscle mass and protein content) of extensor digitorum longus in DX treated rats as compared to that of the FR rats. In-situ isometric tetanic tension per gram of muscle and per unit weight of protein was similar in both the muscles in the DX treated and the FR rats. There was increased fatiguability with reduced post fatigue recovery in both the muscles of DX treated rats as compared to the FR rats. The results indicate that besides atrophy of fast twitch muscles, DX increases the fatiguability and decreases the postfatigue recovery in both fast and slow muscles.