Food addiction behavior in patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The concept of food addiction describes the difficulties of some individuals with regard to food consumption. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of food addiction and its association with body mass index (BMI), calorie consumption and therapeutic control in patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1,080 patients with T2DM were included. The degree of metabolic control was determined with the levels of glycated hemoglobin, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and blood pressure. Daily caloric consumption was estimated with a semi-quantitative questionnaire of food consumption frequency. RESULTS: Nearly all patients showed overweight (40.5 %) and obesity (49.1 %). The frequency of food addiction was 54.2 % (56.9 % in women and 48.9 % in men). Food addiction was associated with BMI (OR = 1.89, p ≤ 0.05), high caloric intake (OR = 1.14, p ≤ 0.05) and glycated hemoglobin > 7 % (OR = 1.43, p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Food addiction is common in patients with overweight/obesity and newly-diagnosed T2DM, and is associated with higher-than-recommended caloric consumption, obesity degree and poor metabolic control.

ANTECEDENTES: El concepto de adicción a la comida describe las dificultades de algunos individuos respecto al consumo de comida. OBJETIVO: Determinar la frecuencia de la adicción a la comida y su asociación con el índice de masa corporal (IMC), consumo de calorías y control terapéutico en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DMT2) de diagnóstico reciente. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se incluyeron 1080 pacientes con DMT2. Se determinó el grado de control terapéutico con niveles de hemoglobina glicada, colesterol de baja densidad y presión arterial. El consumo diario de calorías fue estimado con un cuestionario semicuantitativo de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. RESULTADOS: Casi todos los pacientes mostraron sobrepeso (40.5 %) y obesidad (49.1 %). La frecuencia de adicción a la comida fue de 54.2 % (56.9 % en mujeres y 48.9 % en hombres). La adicción a la comida se asoció a IMC (RM = 1.89, p ≤ 0.05), alto consumo calórico (RM = 1.14, p ≤ 0.05) y hemoglobina glicada > 7 % (RM = 1.43, p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONES: La adicción a la comida es frecuente en pacientes con sobrepeso/obesidad y DMT2 recientemente diagnosticada y se asocia al consumo calórico superior a lo recomendado, grado de obesidad y pobre control terapéutico.

Bioaccumulation of cd and hg in Muscle of Juvenile Pacific Sharpnose Shark Rhizoprionodon longurio from the SE Gulf of California.

In this study, the concentrations of Cd and Hg were measured in muscle of juvenile individuals at an importan fishing ground in southeastern Gulf of California to assess the health risk to human consumers considering elemental levels and rate of shark consumption in NW Mexico. Twenty-eight individuals were sampled in September 2019. Quantification of Hg was made by cold vapor-atomic absorption spectrophotometry, analyses of Cd were made by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In general, average Hg (1.27 µg g-1 dry weight) concentrations were higher than Cd (0.059). In comparison to results of Cd and Hg in muscle of several species of genus Rhizoprionodon sp., our reported concentrations were comparable. Maximum permissible limits (Cd 0.5 and Hg 0.5 µg g-1 wet weight) in fish products for human consumption were not exceeded. Health risk assessment to shark consumers indicated that Hg is of more concern than Cd but no hazards exist.

Protective role of +294 T/C (rs2016520) polymorphism of PPARD in Mexican patients with colorectal cancer.

PPARD encodes for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta, which plays a significant role in controlling lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis, inflammation, cancer growth, progression, and apoptosis. Accumulated evidence suggests that the polymorphism rs2016520 in PPARD is associated with lipid metabolism, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to determine whether the single nucleotide polymorphism +294T/C (rs2016520) in PPARD is associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) in the Mexican population. Genomic DNA from 178 CRC patients and 97 healthy blood donors was analyzed. The polymorphism was identified by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results demonstrated that patients with the T/C genotype for the +294T/C (rs2016520) polymorphism present a protective role against CRC [odds ratio (OR) = 0.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.22-0.69; P = 0.0008]. This association was also evident for the T/C genotype in the stratified analysis by tumor-node-metastasis stages I+II (OR = 0.26, P = 0.0332) and III+IV (OR = 0.44, P = 0.0067). However, in the stratified analysis by tumor location, we observed an increased risk of rectal cancer (OR = 7.57, P = 0.0403) vs colon cancer (OR = 4.87, P = 0.234) in patients carrying the C/C genotype and under the dominant and recessive models of inheritance. In conclusion, for the first time, the association between the +294T/C (rs2016520) polymorphism and colorectal cancer has been studied in Mexican patients. Our results reveal that variations in PPARD may play a significant role in genetic susceptibility to colorectal cancer.

TCF7L2 and CCND1 polymorphisms and its association with colorectal cancer in Mexican patients.

Accumulative evidence suggests that alterations due to mutations or genetic polymorphisms in the TCF7L2 and CCND1 genes, which are components of the Wnt signaling pathway, contributes to carcinogenesis. The present study was designated to clarify whether common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the transcription factor 7- like 2 (TCF7L2) and cyclin D1 (CCND1) genes are associated with colorectal cancer risk in Mexican patients. A case-control study including 197 colorectal cancer patients and 100 healthy subjects was conducted in a Mexican population. Identification of polymorphisms was made by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology. The association was calculated by the odds ratio (OR) test. The results demonstrate that patients with the T/T genotype for the rs12255372 polymorphism of the TCF7L2 gene present an increased colorectal cancer risk (OR=2.64, P=0.0236). Also, the risk analysis for Tumor-Nodule-Metastasis (TNM) stage and tumor location showed association with this polymorphism under the over-dominant model of inheritance (OR=1.75, P=0.0440). A similar relation was observed for the genotype T/T of the rs7903146 polymorphism and the rectal location of cancer (OR=7.57, P=0.0403). For the rs603965 polymorphism of the CCND1 gene, we observed a protection effect for the colon cancer location under the dominant model (OR=0.49, P=0.0477). These results reveal a significant role of the analyzed polymorphisms in the TCF7L2 and CCND1 genes on the susceptibility or protection for developing colorectal cancer in the Mexican population.

Induction chemotherapy followed by supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL) with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (CHEP) in T3NO arytenoid fixation-related glottic cancer.

Induction chemotherapy followed by supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL) with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (CHEF) in T3NO arytenoid fixation-related glottic cancer. OBJECTIVE: Arytenoid fixation in the larynx has been considered a contraindication for performing organ preservation surgery (OPS). We present a retrospective series of cases of arytenoid fixation-related T3N0 glottic cancer treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by OPS. MATERIAL: Retrospective review of 19 patients (from 2008 to 2012) with T3NO glottic cancer who received two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with a combination of paclitaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluoruracil (PPF), with a 21-day interval between each cycle, followed by supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL) with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (CHEP). RESULTS: Sixteen patients with a mean age of 56.4 years received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with a clinical response (7 partial response/9 complete response) and radiologic response by computed tomography (CT) (7 partial response/7 complete response/2 cases without CT) were treated with SCPL-CHEP and removal of the arytenoid cartilage in the tumour site (10 left/6 right), bilateral neck dissection of levels II to V and searching of the Delphian node. There was one patient who died after a recurrence in the larynx and who also had an additional concomitant second primary tumour, and a second patient with a second primary tumour in the lung, who is still alive after treatment. Disease-free survival (DFS) was 82.5% at 5 years and overall survival (OS) was 80% at 5 years. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy proved beneficial in patients waiting for surgery, helped maximize the oncologic benefit of the surgery provided (good local control using SCPL with CHEP), improved regional and distant control, minimized side effects by avoiding treatment with radiotherapy whenever possible, and proved feasible even in the presence of ipsilateral arytenoid fixation. Our results are encouraging, although a multi-centre randomized clinical trial should be performed in order to identify the true impact of this approach.

[Risk factors for fetal macrosomia in patients without gestational diabetes mellitus]. / Factores de riesgo de macrosomía fetal en pacientes sin diabetes mellitus gestacional.

BACKGROUND: Fetal macrosomia is birth weight of 4,000 grams or more, regardless of gestational age, in Mexico representing about 5.4%. Associated with multiple demographic, physiological, metabolic and genetic factors of each population. OBJECTIVE: Determine the risk factors associated with the development of fetal macrosomia in patients without gestational diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Retrospective, descriptive and comparative study of patients who came to delivery from January 2012 to June 2014, 88 patients, 23 patients with diagnosis of macrosomia, and 65 patients without macrosomia without gestational diabetes mellitus were included. RESULTS: An incidence of fetal macrosomia of 18.6%. Risk factors such as parity, history of fetal macrosomia, maternal age, maternal height more to 1.70 meters showed no difference, the percentage of overweight 105% showed 69% vs 52% on the control group and gestational diabetes screening altered that present 30.4 vs 20%. CONCLUSIONS: Increased incidence of macrosomia was demonstrated in patients with metabolic factors such as the percentage of overweight and screening altered gestational diabetes mellitus, as they showed higher prevalence in the study group, all modifiable with preconception nutritional management and during pregnancy, to reduce initial weight and weight gain, improved fasting and postprandial blood glucose in patients with positive screening and negative tolerance curve carbohydrates to maintain fetal growth curve with in the percentiles.

First Litopenaeus vannamei WSSV 100% oral vaccination protection using CotC::Vp26 fusion protein displayed on Bacillus subtilis spores surface.

AIMS: Litopenaeus vannamei do not have an adaptive immune response system. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is the most severe pathogen in shrimps. Bacillus subtilis spores carrying heterologous antigens on its surface have been evaluated as a vaccine inducing specific systemic responses on vertebrates. Orally administrated Vp28 vaccines have been investigated in crustaceans. Vp26 is also an important constituent of WSSV structure but little is known about its oral vaccination capacity in L. vannamei. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, for first time, L. vannamei WSSV protection was carried out using B. subtilis recombinant spores (RS), displaying CotC::Vp26 fusion protein (FP) on its surface. RS-expressing FP were coated on shrimp food pellets and used to feed L. vannamei. Results have shown that orally administered B. subtilis RS protected 100% L. vannamei against WSSV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Bacillus subtilis spores orally administrated expressing CotC::Vp26 fusion protein on its surface demonstrated the great capacity of Vp26 to induce immune protection, equally or even greater than Vp28 in L. vannamei. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The biotechnological process developed represents an easy to produce, practical to handle, environmentally stable, human-safe and economically feasible opportunity to apply a new Vp26 vaccine in a massively way in shrimp farms.

Yeast communities associated with artisanal mezcal fermentations from Agave salmiana.

The aims of this work were to characterize the fermentation process of mezcal from San Luis Potosi, México and identify the yeasts present in the fermentation using molecular culture-dependent methods (RFLP of the 5.8S-ITS and sequencing of the D1/D2 domain) and also by using a culture-independent method (DGGE). The alcoholic fermentations of two separate musts obtained from Agave salmiana were analyzed. Sugar, ethanol and major volatile compounds concentrations were higher in the first fermentation, which shows the importance of having a quality standard for raw materials, particularly in the concentration of fructans, in order to produce fermented Agave salmiana must with similar characteristics. One hundred ninety-two (192) different yeast colonies were identified, from those present on WL agar plates, by RFLP analysis of the ITS1-5.8S- ITS2 from the rRNA gene, with restriction endonucleases, HhaI, HaeIII and HinfI. The identified yeasts were: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia kluyveri, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Clavispora lusitaniae, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Candida ethanolica and Saccharomyces exiguus. These identifications were confirmed by sequencing the D1-D2 region of the 26S rRNA gene. With the PCR-DGGE method, bands corresponding to S. cerevisiae, K. marxianus and T. delbrueckii were clearly detected, confirming the results obtained with classic techniques.

GeneHunt for rapid domain-specific annotation of glycoside hydrolases.

The identification of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) for efficient polysaccharide deconstruction is essential for the development of biofuels. Here, we investigate the potential of sequential HMM-profile identification for the rapid and precise identification of the multi-domain architecture of GHs from various datasets. First, as a validation, we successfully reannotated >98% of the biochemically characterized enzymes listed on the CAZy database. Next, we analyzed the 43 million non-redundant sequences from the M5nr data and identified 322,068 unique GHs. Finally, we searched 129 assembled metagenomes retrieved from MG-RAST for environmental GHs and identified 160,790 additional enzymes. Although most identified sequences corresponded to single domain enzymes, many contained several domains, including known accessory domains and some domains never identified in association with GH. Several sequences displayed multiple catalytic domains and few of these potential multi-activity proteins combined potentially synergistic domains. Finally, we produced and confirmed the biochemical activities of a GH5-GH10 cellulase-xylanase and a GH11-CE4 xylanase-esterase. Globally, this "gene to enzyme pipeline" provides a rationale for mining large datasets in order to identify new catalysts combining unique properties for the efficient deconstruction of polysaccharides.

Inhalation of divalent and trivalent manganese mixture induces a Parkinson's disease model: immunocytochemical and behavioral evidences.

The present study investigates the effects of divalent and trivalent manganese (Mn(2+)/Mn(3+)) mixture inhalation on mice to obtain a novel animal model of Parkinson disease (PD) inducing bilateral and progressive cell death in the substantia nigra compacta (SNc) and correlating these alterations with motor disturbances. CD-1 male mice inhaled a mixture of 0.04 M manganese chloride (MnCl(2)) and manganese acetate (Mn(OAc)(3)), 1 h twice a week for 5 months. Before Mn exposure, animals were trained to perform motor function tests and were evaluated each week after the exposure. By doing this, overall behavior was assessed by ratings and by videotaped analyses; by the end of Mn exposure period, animals were killed. The mesencephalon was processed for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocytochemistry. After 5 months of Mn mixture inhalation, mice developed evident deficits in their motor performance manifested as akinesia, postural instability and action tremor. SNc of the Mn-exposed animals showed an important decrease (67.58%) in the number of TH-immunopositive neurons. Our data provide evidence that MnCl(2) and Mn(OAc)(3) mixture inhalation produces similar morphological and behavioral alterations to those observed in PD providing a useful experimental model for the study of this neurodegenerative disease.

Comportamiento de adicción a la comida en pacientes recientemente diagnosticados con diabetes tipo 2 / Food addiction behavior in patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes

Resumen Antecedentes: El concepto de adicción a la comida describe las dificultades de algunos individuos respecto al consumo de comida. Objetivo: Determinar la frecuencia de la adicción a la comida y su asociación con el índice de masa corporal (IMC), consumo de calorías y control terapéutico en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DMT2) de diagnóstico reciente. Material y: métodos: Se incluyeron 1080 pacientes con DMT2. Se determinó el grado de control terapéutico con niveles de hemoglobina glicada, colesterol de baja densidad y presión arterial. El consumo diario de calorías fue estimado con un cuestionario semicuantitativo de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. Resultados: Casi todos los pacientes mostraron sobrepeso (40.5 %) y obesidad (49.1 %). La frecuencia de adicción a la comida fue de 54.2 % (56.9 % en mujeres y 48.9 % en hombres). La adicción a la comida se asoció a IMC (RM = 1.89, p ≤ 0.05), alto consumo calórico (RM = 1.14, p ≤ 0.05) y hemoglobina glicada > 7 % (RM = 1.43, p ≤ 0.05). Conclusiones: La adicción a la comida es frecuente en pacientes con sobrepeso/obesidad y DMT2 recientemente diagnosticada y se asocia al consumo calórico superior a lo recomendado, grado de obesidad y pobre control terapéutico.

Abstract Background: The concept of food addiction describes the difficulties of some individuals with regard to food consumption. Objective: To determine the frequency of food addiction and its association with body mass index (BMI), calorie consumption and therapeutic control in patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Material and methods: A total of 1,080 patients with T2DM were included. The degree of metabolic control was determined with the levels of glycated hemoglobin, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and blood pressure. Daily caloric consumption was estimated with a semi-quantitative questionnaire of food consumption frequency. Results: Nearly all patients showed overweight (40.5 %) and obesity (49.1 %). The frequency of food addiction was 54.2 % (56.9 % in women and 48.9 % in men). Food addiction was associated with BMI (OR = 1.89, p ≤ 0.05), high caloric intake (OR = 1.14, p ≤ 0.05) and glycated hemoglobin > 7 % (OR = 1.43, p ≤ 0.05) Conclusions: Food addiction is common in patients with overweight/obesity and newly-diagnosed T2DM, and is associated with higher-than-recommended caloric consumption, obesity degree and poor metabolic control.

Intracellular redirection of plasma membrane trafficking after loss of epithelial cell polarity.

In polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells, components of the plasma membrane fusion machinery, the t-SNAREs syntaxin 2, 3, and 4 and SNAP-23, are differentially localized at the apical and/or basolateral plasma membrane domains. Here we identify syntaxin 11 as a novel apical and basolateral plasma membrane t-SNARE. Surprisingly, all of these t-SNAREs redistribute to intracellular locations when Madin-Darby canine kidney cells lose their cellular polarity. Apical SNAREs relocalize to the previously characterized vacuolar apical compartment, whereas basolateral SNAREs redistribute to a novel organelle that appears to be the basolateral equivalent of the vacuolar apical compartment. Both intracellular plasma membrane compartments have an associated prominent actin cytoskeleton and receive membrane traffic from cognate apical or basolateral pathways, respectively. These findings demonstrate a fundamental shift in plasma membrane traffic toward intracellular compartments while protein sorting is preserved when epithelial cells lose their cell polarity.

In-hospital outcomes of premature infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize in-hospital outcomes of premature infants diagnosed with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study including premature infants with severe BPD discharged from 348 Pediatrix Medical Group neonatal intensive care units from 1997 to 2015. RESULTS: There were 10 752 infants with severe BPD, and 549/10 752 (5%) died before discharge. Infants who died were more likely to be male, small for gestational age, have received more medical interventions and more frequently diagnosed with surgical necrotizing enterocolitis, culture-proven sepsis and pulmonary hypertension following 36 weeks of postmenstrual age compared with survivors. Approximately 70% of infants with severe BPD were discharged by 44 weeks of postmenstrual age, and 86% were discharged by 48 weeks of postmenstrual age. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of infants diagnosed with severe BPD were discharged home by 44 weeks of postmenstrual age. These results may inform discussions with families regarding the expected hospital course of infants diagnosed with severe BPD.

Entamoeba histolytica: molecules involved in the target cell-parasite relationship.

To detect molecules of Entamoeba histolytica involved in the trophozoite-target cell interaction, three different antisera were generated: (a) two rabbit antisera, one against total amebic proteins and another directed specifically to the 112-kDa adhesin; and (b) a mouse antiserum against amebic molecules adhering to the red blood cell (RBC) surface after incubation of RBCs with total soluble protein from trophozoites (anti-adhesion serum). All three antisera recognized the 112-kDa adhesion. Adhesion of this molecule to the RBC surface was temperature-dependent. More of the 112-kDa adhesion was found on the surface of RBCs incubated with trophozoites at 37 degrees C than on RBCs incubated at room temperature or at 0 degree C. Experiments using both anti-adhesin and anti-total ambebic protein sera revealed the presence of 210, 160, 112, 90, 70, 50, and 24-kDa proteins on RBC incubated with trophozoites. Surface proteins obtained from iodinated MDCK cells recognized amebic proteins of 112, 90, and 48-50 kDa. Virulence-deficient mutants presented a similar amount of the 112-kDa adhesin to the wild-type strain. However, in mutants, the adhesion was not functional, since they did not adhere to RBCs. 90- and 24-kDa proteins were also found to be altered in mutants.

Human papilloma virus 16-18 infection and cervical cancer in Mexico: a case-control study.

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the principal public health problems in Mexico. The national mortality rate due to CC was estimated at 21.8 per 100,000 among women over 15 years old during 1994. Despite this high incidence little is known in Mexico about the risk factors for CC. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the association between CC and HPV types 16 and 18 in women living in Mexico City. From August, 1990 to December, 1992, a case-control study was carried out in the metropolitan area of Mexico City. HPV 16-18 types were determined in a sample of 148 CC cases and 204 controls randomly selected from a sample frame representative of the metropolitan area of Mexico City. Sixty cases corresponded to in situ CC and 88 cases to the invasive phase. Determination of HPV 16 and 18 types was done by polymerase chain reaction using primers specific to E6/E7. Results showed that 48.3% of in situ CC cases and 48.8% of invasive CC cases were positive for HPV 16 while only 13.2% were positive among the 204 controls. Association between HPV 16 infection in the in situ cancer cases had an estimated odds ratio (OR) of 5.17 (95% CI 2.60-10.51). In the invasive cervical cancer cases, association between HPV 16 infection and invasive CC in this sample had an OR of 3.84 (95% CI 2.04-7.22). For the total sample, the estimated OR was 5.48 (95% CI 3.07-9.62). In the total sample, those women with a strong positive reaction to PCR were associated with a large increase in the risk, OR of 38.0 (95% CI 8.66-167.1). The prevalence the HPV 18 was 6.7%, only observed in the invasive cervical cancer cases. At present there is general consensus that HPV is the principal causal agent in C C etiology. This study intends to contribute to the knowledge concerning the etiology of cervical cancer. However, it is necessary to consider that the single most effective tool in the reduction of mortality due to cervical cancer has been the Pap test. Secondary prevention has proven to be highly effective in other populations, and this should be viewed as a priority activity for all at-risk populations. Although a vaccine for HPV may be available in the near future its efficacy in primary prevention has yet to be demonstrated.

Incorporation of drugs for the treatment of substance abuse into pigmented and nonpigmented hair.

Hair analysis for drugs may be useful for the long-term monitoring of recidivism and treatment compliance. L-alpha-Acetylmethadol, buprenorphine, and methadone are drugs that are used for the treatment of substance abuse. The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between dose, plasma concentration, hair concentration, and hair pigmentation for these compounds and their major metabolites in an animal model. Male Long-Evans rats received either L-alpha-acetylmethadol (1 and 3 mg/kg; n = 6), buprenorphine (1 and 3 mg/kg; n = 5), or methadone (4 and 8 mg/kg; n = 5) by intraperitoneal injection daily for 5 days. Fourteen days after beginning drug administration, newly grown hair was collected and analyzed for either L-alpha-acetylmethadol and two metabolites (L-alpha-acetyl-N-normethadol and L-alpha-acetyl-N,N-dinormethadol), methadone and two metabolites (D,L-2-ethyl-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolinium and D,L-2-ethyl-5-methyl-3,3-diphenyl-1-pyrroline), or buprenorphine and one metabolite (norbuprenorphine). The plasma time course (AUC) for each compound was also determined after a single administration of each drug at the specified doses. There was an approximate dose-dependent increase in measured hair concentration of each parent drug in pigmented hair. The concentrations of L-alpha-acetylmethadol, methadone, and buprenorphine in nonpigmented hair were significantly less than that measured in pigmented hair at either the high or low dose. The metabolites L-alpha-acetyl-N-normethadol and D,L-2-ethyl-1,5dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolinium were detected at lower concentrations than their respective parent compounds (L-alpha-acetylmethadol or methadone) in pigmented hair. However, the L-alpha-acetyl-N,N-dinormethadol metabolite concentrations in pigmented hair were significantly greater than those of the parent drug after either the low or the high L-alpha-acetylmethadol dose. These data demonstrate that L-alpha-acetylmethadol, methadone, buprenorphine, and metabolites are distributed into hair in a dose-related manner with a preference for pigmented hair.

Factors associated with condom use in the male population of Mexico City.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are an important public health problem, due to their medical, social and economic repercussions. Therefore, more knowledge is needed about the sexual behaviour that promotes their spread, in order to improve control and prevention strategies. Our aim was to determine the frequency of male condom use associated with sexual behaviour factors, a history of and knowledge about STDs in a sample of the male population in Mexico City. During 1994 a cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out, using multi-stage sampling with conglomerates, in 1377 men from 15 to 49 years old. The mean age was 34.5 years (SD 7.5 years). Mean age at first sexual relations was 17.7 years (SD 2.8 years). The global proportion of condom use during the last sexual relation was 24.6%; use according to type of female sex partner in the last year was 18.8% with regular partners and 62.5% with occasional partners. The principal predictors of male condom use, identified through statistical modelling, were: younger age (<25 years), middle and high education level (>9 years), middle and high socioeconomic level and type of sexual partners (occasional and regular). This population has risk factors for acquiring and transmitting some STDs, such as occasional sexual partners and a history of STDs. Characteristics which are important in relation to male condom use were identified, such as age (younger than 35), education (complete junior high school or more) and type of sexual partners (occasional and regular).

PIP: A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in 1994 to determine the frequency of condom use in Mexico City among sexually active men aged 15-49 years old, and the association with sexual behavior and a history of or knowledge about STDs. The 1377 men interviewed were of mean age 34.5 years, and experienced their first sexual intercourse at mean age 17.7 years. 47% of the men reported using a condom at least once in their lives and 81.6% were married. 79.4% reported having a formal partner, 14.6% had relations with occasional partners, and 6.1% with both regular and informal partners. 26.4% used a condom during their most recent sexual intercourse, 18.8% with formal partners and 62.5% with casual partners. Condom use with formal partners was largely to prevent pregnancy, while condom use with casual partners was to prevent the transmission of STDs. Young and single men were almost twice as likely to use condoms as older married men. The main predictors of male condom use were therefore being under 25 years old, having more than 9 years of formal education, being of middle to high socioeconomic status, and type of sex partners.

Quantitative analysis of l-alpha-acetylmethadol, l-alpha-acetyl-N-normethadol, and l-alpha-acetyl-N,N-dinormethadol in human hair by positive ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and specific method was developed for the quantitative analysis of l-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM), l-alpha-acetyl-N-normethadol (norLAAM), and l-alpha-acetyl-N,N-dinormethadol (dinorLAAM) in hair. In the development of this method, it was determined that sample pretreatment methods performed by the laboratory greatly affect the measured concentrations of drug and metabolite in hair. Deuterated internal standards were added to 20-mg hair samples and the samples digested overnight in a buffered solution of Protease Type VIII enzyme. Digests were extracted by modification of a liquid-liquid extraction procedure developed previously in our laboratory for the analysis of plasma and tissues. Derivatized extracts were analyzed on a Finnigan MAT 4500 mass spectrometer in positive ion chemical ionization mode using methane and ammonia reagent gases, helium carrier gas, and a DB-5MS (30 m, 0.25-micron film thickness) capillary column. The assay was linear to 50 ng/mg hair (r = 0.99) for all three compounds with a limit of quantitation experimentally determined to be 0.5 ng/mg for LAAM and 0.3 ng/mg for norLAAM and dinorLAAM. Intra-assay precision ranged from 1.0 to 10.5% for the three analytes at concentrations of 0.5, 5.0, and 25.0 ng/mg of hair. Interassay precision ranged from 4.7 to 12.9%. The performance of the method was also evaluated for its utility in detecting and quantitating LAAM, norLAAM, and dinorLAAM in hair from rats (n = 6) that had been administered 3 mg/kg LAAM intraperitoneally once daily for five days. LAAM, norLAAM and dinorLAAM were detectable in pigmented hair at concentrations of 1.27 ng/mg (+/-0.04), 1.28 ng/mg (+/-0.014), and 2.89 ng/mg (+/-0.014), respectively. Five laboratory wash solvents were then evaluated for their effect on the measured concentration of LAAM and metabolites in the rat hair. Phosphate buffer and 1% SDS washes substantially reduced the measured LAAM, norLAAM, and dinorLAAM concentrations by at least 30%, which suggests that drug incorporated into hair is removed (extracted) during the laboratory wash procedures. Wash procedures using methanol, methylene chloride, or water reduced the measured concentrations by no more than 20%. Because measured concentrations of LAAM, norLAAM, and dinorLAAM in hair appear to depend on the specific wash procedures used by a laboratory, quantitative data must be interpreted cautiously based on the sample pretreatment conditions.

A retrospective study of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine in human hair after multiple doses.

The analysis of hair has been proposed as a tool for monitoring drug-treatment compliance. This study was performed to determine if buprenorphine (BPR) and norbuprenorphine (NBPR) could be detected in human hair after controlled administration of drug and to determine if segmental analysis of hair was an accurate record of the dosing history. Subjects with dark hair (six males, six females) received 8 mg sublingual BPR for a maximum of 180 days. Single hair collections were made once after BPR treatment and stored at -20 degrees C until analysis. Hair was aligned scalp-end to tip and then segmented in 3-cm sections. For this study, it was assumed that the mean hair growth rate was 1.0 cm/month. Deuterated internal standard was added to hair segments (2-20 mg of hair) and digested overnight at room temperature with 1 N NaOH. Specimens were extracted with a liquid-liquid procedure and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The limits of quantitation for BPR and NBPR were 3 pg/mg and 5 pg/mg, respectively, for 20 mg of hair. BPR and NBPR concentrations were highest for all subjects in hair segments estimated to correspond to the subject's period of drug treatment. With one exception, NBPR was present in higher concentrations in hair than was the parent compound. BPR concentrations in hair segments ranged from 3.1 pg/mg to 123.8 pg/mg. NBPR concentrations ranged from 4.8 pg/mg to 1517.8 pg/mg. In one subject, BPR and NBPR were not detected in any hair segment. In some subjects, BPR and NBPR were detected in hair segments that did not correspond to the period of drug treatment, suggesting that drug movement may have occurred by diffusion in sweat and other mechanisms. The data from this study also indicate that there is a high degree of intersubject variability in measured concentration of BPR and NBPR in hair segments, even when subjects receive the same dose for an equivalent number of treatment days. Future prospective studies involving controlled drug administration will be necessary to evaluate whether hair can serve as an accurate historical record of variations in the pattern of drug use.

Illegal drug use, alcohol and aggressive crime among Mexican-American and white male arrestees in San Antonio.

This research explores the relationship between use of certain drugs and aggressive crimes among Mexican-American and White male arrestees in San Antonio, Texas, for 1992. This is based on a Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) sample of 534 male arrestees administered a drug urine analysis test and questionnaire by the Department of Justice and the city of San Antonio. Using a four-way asymmetrical analysis, logit-models were tested to examine the relationships between the response variable, the types of crimes charged (nonaggressive versus aggressive) and a set of exploratory variables, ethnicity (White versus Hispanic), drug test results (positive versus negative), and alcohol use (infrequent versus frequent). The logit-analysis allows the specification of a subset of relevant models to be tested for their adequacy of fit. Findings indicate a complex but interpretable pattern between drug use, alcohol use patterns, and aggressive crimes. A surprising finding was that more aggressive crimes were committed by all men testing negative for drugs. Mexican-Americans with frequent alcohol use and testing positive for drugs were twice as likely to commit an aggressive crime (a crime associated with violence) than Whites in the same subgroup. The implication of these findings for prevention strategies aimed at alcohol and other drug users involved in violent behavior is discussed.