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Objective:To investigate the arsenic metabolism pattern and possible influencing factors in the population in drinking-water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning (drinking-water-borne arsenic poisoning for short) areas.Methods:In December 2004, a cluster sampling method was used to select arsenic poisoning population (arsenic poisoning group) and healthy population (control group) in drinking-water-borne arsenic poisoning area of Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as the survey subjects. A questionnaire survey was conducted. Arsenic content in drinking water at home of survey subjects, the levels of urinary arsenic and its metabolites, including [trivalent arsenic (As Ⅲ), inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsenic acid (pentavalent, MMA V), dimethylarsenic acid (pentavalent, DMA V), total arsenic (tAs), percentage of inorganic arsenic (iAs%), percentage of monomethylarsenic acid (MMA%), percentage of dimethylarsenic acid (DMA%), primary methylation index (PMI), secondary methylation index (SMI)] were tested using high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; nail arsenic and nail selenium levels were tested using atomic fluorescence spectrometer. The influencing factors of arsenic metabolism pattern were analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results:A total of 536 survey subjects were included, including 155 individuals in the arsenic poisoning group and 381 in the control group. The water arsenic level ranged from 0.0 to 825.7 μg/L. Compared with the control group, there was no significant difference in the distribution of gender, education level and dental fluorosis in the arsenic poisoning group ( P > 0.05), but there were significant differences in the distribution of age, marital status, smoking, drinking and water arsenic ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of urinary As Ⅲ, iAs, MMA V, DMA V, tAs, MMA%, MMA/DMA and nail arsenic in the arsenic poisoning group were higher ( P < 0.05), while the levels of urinary DMA%, SMI and nail selenium were lower ( P < 0.05); but there was no statistically significant difference in the levels of urinary iAs% and PMI ( P > 0.05). Gender, education level, depth of wells, water arsenic, total number of wells and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary As Ⅲ (β = - 19.82, - 23.83, 0.61, 0.21, 7.26, 2.98, P < 0.05). Age, depth of wells, water arsenic and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary tAs (β = 3.18, 3.25, 1.31, 15.59, P < 0.05). Gender, education level, depth of wells, water arsenic, total number of wells and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary iAs (β = - 20.47, - 25.90, 0.64, 0.25, 7.87, 3.11, P < 0.05). Age, gender, education level, water arsenic and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary MMA V (β = 0.52, - 17.07, - 21.84, 0.22, 2.77, P < 0.05). Age, depth of wells, water arsenic and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary DMA V (β = 2.35, 2.47, 0.85, 9.22, P < 0.05). Conclusions:Compared with healthy individuals, there are differences in arsenic metabolism pattern among individuals with drinking-water-borne arsenic poisoning. Age, gender, education level, depth of wells, water arsenic, total number of wells and nail arsenic may be influencing factors of different arsenic metabolism patterns.
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The accumulation effect of arsenic and low arsenic exposure can cause sustained health damage to people in arsenic poisoning areas. Early diagnosis and prevention of arsenic poisoning have become the focus of current prevention and control, and biomarkers have important application value in early diagnosis and prevention of diseases. Therefore, the screening and application of sensitive and specific biomarkers of arsenic poisoning are of great significance for the continuous elimination of arsenic poisoning. In this paper, the research progress of biomarkers of endemic arsenic poisoning is reviewed, in order to provide reference for the continuous prevention and control, early monitoring and early warning of endemic arsenic poisoning.
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Objective To investigate the protective effect and molecular mechanism of bloodletting acupuncture at Jing-well points on acute high-altitude hypoxia brain injury through regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway-mediated mitochondrial autophagy,and to provide an effective target and theoretical basis for the clinical use of bloodletting acupuncture at Jing-well points to prevent and treat acute high-altitude hypoxia brain injury.Methods Male SD rats were randomly divided into Control group(n=15)and experimental group,and the experimental group was divided into Model group(n=15),Bloodletting Acupuncture at Jing-well Points of hand group(BAJP group,n=15),Bloodletting Acupuncture at Non-Acupoint group(BANA group,n=15).The low pressure oxygen chamber was depressurized to 6000 m altitude,and the rats in each experimental group were treated with low-pressure hypoxia for 72 h to replicate the acute high-altitude hypoxia brain injury rat model.The rats in the BAJP group were bled according to the order of"Shaoshang"(LU11),"Shangyang"(LI1),"Zhongchong"(PC9),"Guanchong"(SJ1),"Shaochong"(HT9),"Shaoze"(SI1),once a day for 7 days.The rats in the BANA group were bled by cutting the tail tip daily,and the amount of blood bled was 15-20 μL in both groups.The expression levels of PI3K,AKT and mTOR in hippocampal tissues of rats were detected by Western blot;AKT and mTOR mRNA expression levels in hippocampal tissues of rats were detected by PCR.Results Compared with the Control group,the number of degenerative necrotic vertebral cells in CA1 area of hippocampal tissue,swelling of mitochondria,appearance of autophagosomes,and increase of apoptosis in hippocampal tissue of Acute High-altitude Hypoxia(AHH)rats were significantly increased;After bloodletting acupuncture at Jing-well points of hand treatment,various brain injury manifestations in AHH rats were alleviated;Bloodletting acupuncture at non-acupoint had no significant ameliorating effect on AHH rats′ brain injury.Western blot detected a significant decrease in the phosphorylation levels of PI3K,AKT,and mTOR in the hippocampal tissues of AHH rats compared to Control group rats(P<0.01),and the phosphorylation levels of the three molecules were further decreased after bloodletting acupuncture at Jing-well points of hand treatment(P<0.01),and bloodletting acupuncture at non-acupoint treatment did not have significantly affect on the phosphorylation levels of these molecules(P>0.05),and AKT,mTOR mRNA expression levels further demonstrated the above trend.Conclusion Bloodletting acupuncture at Jing-well points of hand can play a protective role against acute high-altitude hypoxia brain injury with points specificity,and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to promote the elevated level of mitochondrial autophagy,improve mitochondrial physiology,and enhance the body′s ability to resist apoptosis and hypoxia.
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Objective:To study the effect of water improvement on urinary arsenic methylation metabolism in population exposed to arsenic through drinking water.Methods:A cluster sampling method was used to select drinking water type arsenism areas in Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Permanent residents lived in the arsenism areas for more than 10 years were selected as the survey subjects. Urine samples ( n = 874, 111, 145) were collected in 2004 (before water improvement), 2014 (4 years after water improvement) and 2017 (7 years after water improvement), respectively, and some subjects were followed up in 2014 and 2017. High performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) was used to detect different forms of arsenic metabolites in urine [inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsenic acid (DMA)], and total arsenic (tAs), the iAs percentage (iAs%), MMA percentage (MMA%), DMA percentage (DMA%), monomethylation rate (PMI), dimethylation rate (SMI), and the ratio of MMA to DMA (MMA/DMA) were calculated. The content and distribution of urinary arsenic metabolites in people exposed to arsenic before and after water improvement were compared and analyzed. Results:Compared with 2004, the levels of iAs, MMA, DMA, tAs and iAs% in urine of arsenic exposed population in 2014 were lower ( Z =-14.12,-12.79,-14.27,-14.21,-6.90, P < 0.001), the levels of MMA%, DMA% and PMI were higher ( Z =-3.22,-2.91,-6.90, P < 0.05); in the same drinking water arsenic exposed population, compared with 2004, the levels of iAs, MMA, DMA, tAs and iAs% in urine ( n = 48) were lower ( Z =-5.57,-5.53,-5.54,-5.55,-2.86, P < 0.05) in 2014, and PMI level was higher ( Z =-2.86, P = 0.004). Compared with 2014, the levels of iAs% and MMA/DMA in urine of arsenic exposed population in 2017 were lower ( Z =-4.97,-2.25, P < 0.05), the levels of MMA, DMA, tAs, DMA%, PMI and SMI were higher ( Z =-4.01,-5.39,-4.77,-4.61,-4.97,-2.25, P < 0.05); in the same drinking water arsenic exposed population, compared with 2014, the level of iAs% in urine ( n = 28) was lower ( Z =-2.87, P = 0.004) in 2017, the levels of DMA% and PMI were higher ( Z =-2.32,-2.87, P < 0.05). Conclusion:Water improvement could significantly reduce the levels of urinary arsenic metabolites iAs, MMA, DMA and tAs and increase the level of DMA% in arsenic exposed population.