[Research of the cadmium intoxication effect on the model of vitamin-mineral deficiency in rats].

The article presents the results of the study aimed at confirmation of the effectiveness of the rats' adaptive potential reduction under conditions of cadmium salt toxic effects. The 65-days experiment was conducted in male and female Wistar rats. Animals were divided into 6 groups of 3 control and 3 experimental, 30 males and females in each. In total 360 rats were used in the experiment (180 females and 180 males). Rats of the 1st control group received a diet with optimal (75% of the standard semisyntethic diet content) dosage of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and mineral substances, Fe3+ and Mg2+, the rats of the 2nd and the 3rd control group - diets with marginal (30% for males and 28% for females) and submarginal (19% for males and 18% for females) doses of essential micronutrients. Animals of the 1-3th experimental groups received Cd2+ on the background of optimal, marginal and submarginal providing of essential micronutrients. The hematological, biochemical and morphological parameters and the antioxidant status of rats have been studied. The obtained results allowed to identify patterns of cadmium toxic effect strengthen on the background of essential nutrients reducing (in the row from optimal to submarginal). These changes showed erythrocyte and platelet blood profiles, and a set of indicators of the antioxidant defense system and lipid peroxidation of blood and liver. Thus, the activity of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes - glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase in rats of the 1st experimental group were on average by 23% higher than in animals of the 1st control group, the rats of the 2nd and the 3rd experimental groups by 62 and 67% higher, respectively. The content of lipid peroxidation products in blood and liver of male and female rats showed a similar trend: an increase by 5% in the 1st experimental group by 9 and 25% in the 2nd and 3rd experimental groups respectively. Thus, the modification of the diets' vitamin-mineral composition may be used as a model of adaptive potential reduction in rats in the toxicological research of objects with unknown toxicity, in particular novel food products.

Evolution of the determinants of chronic liver disease in Quebec.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic liver diseases (CLDs) are a worldwide problem. Morbidity and mortality due to CLDs could be avoided or reduced by targeting the main risk factors, including obesity and alcohol use. METHODS: To describe the evolution of the key determinants of CLDs in Quebec, we studied the trends in obesity, alcohol use, viral hepatitis B and C, CLD mortality and hospitalization rates, and the liver cancer incidence rate between January 1, 1981, and December 31, 2009. RESULTS: We observed an increase in the obesity indicators among young men and in alcohol use among adolescent girls and middle-aged women. The overall hepatitis B and C incidence and CLD mortality rates are falling. However, liver cancer and mortality rates, especially among men and the elderly, are on the rise. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the importance of targeted public health interventions and of maintaining or improving access to care for CLDs.

TITLE: Évolution des déterminants des maladies chroniques du foie au Québec. INTRODUCTION: Les maladies chroniques du foie (MCF) constituent un problème mondial. La morbidité et la mortalité des MCF pourraient être évitées ou atténuées en agissant sur leurs principaux facteurs de risque, notamment l'obésité et la consommation d'alcool. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Afin de décrire l'évolution des principaux déterminants des MCF au Québec, nous avons étudié les tendances de l'obésité, de la consommation d'alcool, des hépatites virales B et C, de la mortalité et du taux d'hospitalisation des MCF ainsi que du taux d'incidence du cancer du foie entre le 1er janvier 1981 et le 31 décembre 2009. RÉSULTATS: Nous avons observé une augmentation des indicateurs de l'obésité chez les jeunes hommes et de la consommation d'alcool chez les adolescentes et chez les femmes d'âge moyen. Les taux d'incidence globale des hépatites B et C et de la mortalité par MCF sont en diminution. Cependant, les taux d'incidence du cancer du foie et de sa mortalité, surtout chez les hommes et les personnes âgées, sont à la hausse. CONCLUSION: Ces résultats soulignent l'importance des interventions de santé publique ciblées ainsi que le maintien ou l'amélioration de l'accès aux soins pour les MCF.

Diagnosis of acute acquired toxoplasmosis with the enzyme-labelled antigen reversed immunoassay for immunoglobulin M antibodies.

The reversed enzyme-labelled antigen immunoassay (R-EIA), based on the capture of serum immunoglobulin M antibodies (IgM) and subsequent addition of Toxoplasma gondii soluble antigen tagged with peroxidase and substrate, was evaluated comparatively with the IgM-indirect immunofluorescence test (IgM-IIF) for the detection of anti-toxoplasma IgM antibodies in sera from individuals with diagnosed acute acquired toxoplasmosis. Additional serum groups from normal healthy individuals and sera presenting possible nonspecific reactivities were also evaluated. Complete specificity of R-EIA was shown. There was no correlation between the magnitude of R-EIA results and IgM-IIF titers, but a positive (although not linear) correlation was found between R-EIA and the IgM-IIF titers obtained after adsorption of sera with Staphylococcus aureus protein A. Direct labelling of the antigen by a simple coupling technique facilitated the assay standardization and improved its signal-to-noise ratio.