Acute renal failure due to copper sulfate poisoning; a case report

Copper sulfate is a blue and odorless salt with various industrial, chemical, agricultural and medicinal applications. Copper sulfate poisoning is rare in children. A 23-month old boy accidentally ingested a solution of copper sulfate, used as a disinfectant agent in animal husbandry. He was referred to Children's Hospital of Tabriz because of frequent vomiting and lethargy. The major systemic complications were intravascular hemolysis, anemia and acute renal failure. The patient was successfully treated with multiple packed cell transfusions, dimercaprol, penicillamine and peritoneal dialysis. Plasma copper level 15 days after ingestion was 216 micro g/dl. Copper sulfate is a highly toxic agent that, when ingested, can cause local and systemic damage including coma, shock, severe intravascular hemolysis, hepatotoxicity and acute renal failure with high mortality

Efficacy of temperature, and two commonly used molluscicides and fertilizers on fasciola gigantica eggs

This study .evaluated the effect of temperature, molluscicides [Copper sulphate and Niclosamide], fertilizers [Superphosphate and Ammonium sulphate] on the hatchability of Fasciola gigantica eggs. The results showed that hatchability decreased to 4% when eggs were incubated in bile secretion at 37°C for 5 days and to 1.4% for 10 days, but few eggs incubated in water at 37°C hatched. Bile secretion at 37°C was a poor medium for in-vitro egg preservation. But, hatching occurred only when eggs were transferred to water at 26°C. Temperature fluctuation from 26-4°C or from 32- 4°C had an inhibitory effect on embryos development [35.2% and 32.3%, respectively] as compared to controls [60% and 63.9%, respectively]. The incubation period [19 and 17 days] was higher than controls [14 and 12 days, respectively]. The LC50 and LC9o of Copper sulphate and Niclosamide against Biomphalaria alexandrina and Lymnaea natalenesis had no toxic effect on Fasciola eggs. The higher concentrations of Copper sulphate [30ppm] and Niclosamide [Ippm] slightly lower eggs hatchability rate than controls. The rate decreased by increasing the exposure time from 3 to 6 hours with both molluscicides. Ammonium sulphate had a lethal effect on eggs, but Superphosphate had some inhibitory effect on egg development, which increased by increasing Superphosphate concentration or with the prolongation of the exposure time

Histopathological changes in liver and gill epithelium of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, exposed to waterborne copper

Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, of both sexes were reared in freshwater and exposed to 0.5, 1.0 and 2.5mg L-1 of waterborne copper for a period of 21 days. Liver and gill samples were collected after 21 days of exposure to copper and lesions were analyzed by light microscopy. The main histopathological changes observed in gills exposed to the highest concentration were edema, lifting of lamellar epithelia and an intense vasodilatation of the lamellar vascular axis. Although less frequent, lamellar fusion caused by the filamentar epithelium proliferation and some lamellar aneurisms were also found. The liver of control group exhibited a quite normal architecture, while the fish exposed to copper showed vacuolation and necrosis. These hepatic alterations were more evident in fish exposed to 1.0 and 2.5mg L-1 copper concentrations. The number of hepatocytes nucleus per mm² of hepatic tissue decreased with the increase of copper concentration. In contrast, the hepatic somatic index was high in fish exposed at 2.5mg L-1 of copper. In short, this work advance new knowledge as influence of copper in the gill and liver histology of O. niloticus and demonstrated that their effects could be observed at different concentrations.

Tilápia do Nilo, Oreochromis niloticus, de ambos os sexos foram mantidas em água doce e expostas a concentrações de 0.5, 1.0 e 2.5mg L-1 de sulfato de cobre durante um período de 21 dias. Amostras de fígado e de brânquia foram coletadas após o tempo de exposição e as lesões foram analisadas por microscopia óptica. As principais alterações histopatológicas observadas nas brânquias foram edema, "lifting" do epitélio lamelar e uma intensa vasodilatação do eixo lamelar. Embora menos freqüentes, a fusão lamelar causada pela proliferação do epitélio filamentar e alguns aneurismas lamelares também foram observadas. O fígado do grupo controle exibiu uma arquitetura normal, enquanto os dos peixes expostos ao cobre apresentaram vacuolização e necrose. Estas lesões hepáticas foram mais evidentes nos peixes expostos a concentrações de cobre de 1.0 e 2.5mg L-1. O número dos núcleos dos hepatócitos / mm² de tecido hepático decresceu com o aumento da concentração de cobre. Em contraste, o índice hepatossomático foi mais elevado nos peixes expostos a 2.5mg L-1 de cobre. Em resumo, este trabalho acrescenta nova informação sobre a influência do cobre ao nível da histologia da brânquia e do fígado de O. niloticus e demonstra que os seus efeitos podem ser observados em diferentes concentrações.

Intoxicación aguda por plaguicidas / Acute poisoning from pesticides

Objetivo. Describir la epidemiología de la intoxicación aguda por plaguicidas (IAP) en el Hospital General O'Horán de Mérida, Yucatán, México. Material y métodos. Se revisaron los expedientes de 33 pacientes =13 años, tratados en una unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI), entre 1994 y 1998. Se recopilaron variables demográficas y clínicas relevantes, y se aplicó estadística descriptiva. Resultados. En la población estudiada predominó el sexo masculino (82 por ciento) del medio rural (70 por ciento), y la edad media fue de 34 ñ 15.8 años. El intento de suicidio fue causa frecuente de IAP (79 por ciento), y en 33 por ciento de los casos la intoxicación se produjo por la utilización de organofosforados. La mortalidad fue de 12 por ciento. Conclusiones. La IAP fue baja entre los sujetos del medio rural, por lo que los resultados de este estudio parecen no reflejar la realidad del problema. Es importante añadir que los plaguicidas son utilizados con relativa frecuencia para el intento de suicidio.

Estudio morfológico y morfométrico del epitelio lingual de fetos de ratas intoxicadas con cobre durante la preñez / Morphologic and morphometric study of the tongue epithelium of rat fetuses after copper intoxication during pregnancy

En ratas grávidas se estudiaron los efectos de la administración intravenosa de sulfato de cobre (4 mg/kg de peso) sobre la estructura del epitelio de la mucosa lingual de sus fetos. Los exámenes histopatológicos y morfométrico revelaron, en los animales del grupo intoxicado, un epitelio más delgado debido, principalmente, a la ausencia de los estratos granuloso y córneo en las regiones dorsal posterior y ventral de la mucosa lingual