Sulfite Impairs Bioenergetics and Redox Status in Neonatal Rat Brain: Insights into the Early Neuropathophysiology of Isolated Sulfite Oxidase and Molybdenum Cofactor Deficiencies.

Isolated sulfite oxidase (ISOD) and molybdenum cofactor (MoCD) deficiencies are genetic diseases biochemically characterized by the toxic accumulation of sulfite in the tissues of patients, including the brain. Neurological dysfunction and brain abnormalities are commonly observed soon after birth, and some patients also have neuropathological alterations in the prenatal period (in utero). Thus, we investigated the effects of sulfite on redox and mitochondrial homeostasis, as well as signaling proteins in the cerebral cortex of rat pups. One-day-old Wistar rats received an intracerebroventricular administration of sulfite (0.5 µmol/g) or vehicle and were euthanized 30 min after injection. Sulfite administration decreased glutathione levels and glutathione S-transferase activity, and increased heme oxygenase-1 content in vivo in the cerebral cortex. Sulfite also reduced the activities of succinate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, and respiratory chain complexes II and II-III. Furthermore, sulfite increased the cortical content of ERK1/2 and p38. These findings suggest that redox imbalance and bioenergetic impairment induced by sulfite in the brain are pathomechanisms that may contribute to the neuropathology of newborns with ISOD and MoCD. Sulfite disturbs antioxidant defenses, bioenergetics, and signaling pathways in the cerebral cortex of neonatal rats. CII: complex II; CII-III: complex II-III; CK: creatine kinase; GST: glutathione S-transferase; HO-1: heme oxygenase-1; SDH: succinate dehydrogenase; SO32-: sulfite.

Toxic inhalation of sodium metabisulphite by-products from a shipping container.

Logistics workers who handle cargo containers are at risk of toxic inhalation injuries, although prevalence and severities of these injuries are not well characterized. We report on a previously healthy 37-year-old supervisor who was acutely exposed to sodium metabisulphite and its thermal degradation by-products during a routine inspection of a shipping container. The employee developed chemical pneumonitis with acute non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema and subsequent severe reactive airway dysfunction syndrome.

Patch testing with sodium disulfite: North American Contact Dermatitis Group experience, 2017 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: Sodium disulfite (SD), also known as sodium metabisulfite, is an increasingly recognized cause of allergic contact dermatitis. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this work was to characterize individuals with positive patch test reactions to SD as well as analyse reaction strength, clinical relevance, and sources. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of patients patch tested with SD (1% petrolatum) by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group (NACDG), 2017 to 2018. RESULTS: Of 4885 patients patch tested with SD, 132 (2.7%) had a positive reaction. Common primary anatomic sites of dermatitis were face (28.8%), hands (20.5%), and a scattered/generalized distribution (13.6%). Compared with SD-negative patients, SD-positive patients were more likely male (odds ratio 2.81, 95% confidence interval 1.98-4.00) and/or over 40 years (odds ratio 1.95, 95% confidence interval 1.30-2.94). Reactions were most commonly + (50.4%) or ++ (34.1%); 65.2% were considered currently relevant. About 15.2% were definitively confirmed in sources, commonly personal care products (18.9%, especially hair dye), and drugs/medications/alcoholic beverages (9.1%). Only 2.3% of positive reactions were linked to occupation. CONCLUSIONS: Positive reactions to SD occurred in 2.7% of tested patients. Reactions were often clinically relevant and linked to personal care products and drugs/medications/alcoholic beverages.

Resveratrol: A Fair Race Towards Replacing Sulfites in Wines.

In recent years, significant efforts to produce healthier wines has led to the replacement or reduction of the addition of sulfites, using alternative substances or techniques. Resveratrol and related biophenols seem to be of great interest, since beyond their protective nature and contrary to sulfites they can positively affect consumer health. These bioactive phytochemicals are naturally produced in grapes as evolutionary acquired mechanisms against pathogens and UV irradiation. However, despite the efforts made so far attempting to develop economic and industrially adopted isolation techniques, available quantities of these biophenols for commercial use are still quite limited. Therefore, such molecules are still not able to meet the needs of industrial use due to their prohibitive marketable cost. In this review we summarize the efforts that have been made to biosynthesize these molecules through alternative, innovative ways. Increasing interest in modern biotechnological approaches has shed light on the exploitation of metabolically engineered microbial factories, instead of plants, to produce molecules of industrial interest. Such approaches, also reviewed here, are expected to lower the cost and appear promising to produce enough surplus to attract further oenological experimentation upon yielding functional wines. This development is expected to attract further industrial attention, continuing the race to partially or totally replace the external addition of sulfites. We also review important physicochemical properties of resveratrol in relation to enriching wines.

Sulfites in meat: Occurrence, activity, toxicity, regulation, and detection. A comprehensive review.

Sulfites are a class of chemical compounds, SO2 releasers, widely used as additives in food industry, due to their antimicrobial, color stabilizing, antibrowning, and antioxidant properties. As the results of these pleiotropic functions they can be added to a broad range of products including dried fruits and vegetables, seafood, juices, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage, and in few meat products. Sulfites ingestion has been correlated with several adverse and toxic reactions, such as hypersensitivity, allergic diseases, vitamin deficiency, and may lead to dysbiotic events of gut and oral microbiota. In many countries, these additives are closely regulated and in meat products the legislation restricts their usage. Several studies have been conducted to investigate the sulfites contents in meat and meat products, and many of them have revealed that some meat preparations represent one of the main sources of SO2 exposure, especially in adults and young people. This review discusses properties, technological functions, regulation, and health implications of sulfites in meat-based foods, and lays a special emphasis on the chemical mechanisms involved in their interactions with organic and inorganic meat components.

More than a drink: A rare anaphylactic reaction to sparkling water.

Anaphylaxis is a potentially life threatening, type I hypersensitivity reaction which can occur within seconds to minutes after exposure to an allergen. Sulfites have been implicated in causing such reactions with symptoms ranging from mild to potentially life threatening. Here we present a patient who had an anaphylactic reaction secondary to exposure to sulfites found in sparkling water.

Efficacy and safety of low-concentration, bisulphite-containing, intracameral epinephrine and topical atropine treatments for the prevention of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical atropine and topical atropine combined with intracameral low-concentration, bisulphite-containing epinephrine treatment for the prophylaxis of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two eyes of 55 male patients who were treated with alpha-adrenergic antagonist medications for benign prostatic hyperplasia were included in this study. Standard premedication with topical cyclopentolate, phenylephrine, tropicamide and ketorolac was applied to all of the patients. In 22 cases no further prophylactic method was used (Group-NP), while in 29 cases topical atropine drops was instilled 12 h and 30 min before surgery (Group-A) and in 21 cases 1:16 000 epinephrine was injected to the anterior chamber at the beginning of surgery (Group-EA) in addition to topical atropine prophylaxis. RESULTS: In Group-NP, 62.8% of the cases developed IFIS, while development of IFIS was significantly lower in Group-A (17.2%, p = 0.0004) and Group-EA (9.5%, p < 0.0001). Posterior capsule rupture was observed in two cases (9.1%) in Group-NP, in one case (3.4%) in Group-A and was not observed in Group-EA. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for the development of surgical complications. We did not observe any adverse events or significant endothelial cell loss (p = 0.462). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that preoperative use of topical atropine reduces the incidence of IFIS. Use of low-concentration, bisulphite-containing epinephrine is more effective in the prevention of IFIS and does not cause preservative related endothelial damage. This prophylaxis may be preferred when preservative free epinephrine is not available.

[Safe local anesthesia in patients with bronchial asthma]. / Osobennosti bezopasnogo mestnogo obezbolivaniia u patsientov s bronkhial'noi astmoi.

The paper presents the analysis of studies of local anesthesia in patients with bronchial asthma. It was found that the diagnosis of hypersensitivity to sodium metabisulfite in patients with bronchial asthma must be optimized for development of local anesthesia selection algorithm in outpatient dentistry.

Contact dermatitis in patients undergoing serial intravitreal injections.

BACKGROUND: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) medication, injected intravitreally, is currently the standard of care in patients with different retinal pathologies. Since its introduction in 2006, an increasing number of patients have undergone this procedure in Ghent University Hospital. Strikingly, more patients were diagnosed with contact dermatitis caused by ophthalmic products used during intravitreal injection procedure. OBJECTIVES: To identify which of the substances used during intravitreal injection is most likely to cause contact dermatitis. PATIENTS/MATERIALS/METHODS: Sixteen patients who developed a burning and stinging sensation and swelling of the eyelids after intravitreal injection were tested. All patients were patch tested with the Belgian baseline series, as well as a cosmetic, a pharmaceutical and an ophthalmic series, including the different eye drops used during the intravitreal injection procedure. RESULTS: Fourteen of 16 patients reacted to at least one of the substances used during the injection procedure. Nine patients reacted to phenylephrine (56%), 5 to iso-Betadine(®) ophthalmic solution (31%), and 3 patients to sodium metabisulfite (16%). CONCLUSIONS: The most common causal allergen was phenylephrine, being positive in 56% of patients. Patients most likely become sensitized because of the high frequency of usage of phenylephrine during repeated intravitreal injections and follow-up consultations.

Protective role of curcumin against sulfite-induced structural changes in rats' medial prefrontal cortex.

OBJECTIVES: Sodium metabisulfite as a food preservative can affect the central nervous system. Curcumin, the main ingredient of turmeric has neuroprotective activity. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of sulfite and curcumin on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) using stereological methods. METHODS: Thirty rats were randomly divided into five groups. The rats in groups I-V received distilled water, olive oil, curcumin (100 mg/kg/day), sodium metabisulfite (25 mg/kg/day), and sulfite + curcumin, respectively, for 8 weeks. The brains were subjected to the stereological methods. Cavalieri and optical disector techniques were used to estimate the total volume of mPFC and the number of neurons and glial cells. Intersections counting were applied on the thick vertical uniform random sections to estimate the dendrites length, and classify the spines. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The mean mPFC volume, neurons number, glia number, dendritic length, and total spines per neuron were 3.7 mm(3), 365,000, 180,000, 1820 µm, and 1700 in distilled water group, respectively. A reduction was observed in the volume of mPFC (∼8%), number of neurons (∼15%), and number of glia (∼14%) in mPFC of the sulfite group compared to the control groups (P < 0.005). Beside, dendritic length per neuron (∼10%) and the total spines per neuron (mainly mushroom spines) (∼25%) were reduced in the sulfite group (P < 0.005). DISCUSSION: The sulfite-induced structural changes in mPFC and curcumin had a protective role against the changes in the rats.

Risk analysis of sulfites used as food additives in China.

This study was to analyze the risk of sulfites in food consumed by the Chinese people and assess the health protection capability of maximum-permitted level (MPL) of sulfites in GB 2760-2011. Sulfites as food additives are overused or abused in many food categories. When the MPL in GB 2760-2011 was used as sulfites content in food, the intake of sulfites in most surveyed populations was lower than the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Excess intake of sulfites was found in all the surveyed groups when a high percentile of sulfites in food was in taken. Moreover, children aged 1-6 years are at a high risk to intake excess sulfites. The primary cause for the excess intake of sulfites in Chinese people is the overuse and abuse of sulfites by the food industry. The current MPL of sulfites in GB 2760-2011 protects the health of most populations.

Sulfites: Allergen of the Year 2024.

Sodium disulfite, also known as sodium metabisulfite or sodium pyrosulfite, is an inorganic compound, which may cause allergic contact dermatitis. Sulfites act as antioxidants and preservatives; common sources include food/beverages, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Importantly, sulfites are not included in most screening patch test series and thus may be missed as a relevant contact allergen. The American Contact Dermatitis Society chose sulfites as the Allergen of the Year for 2024 to raise awareness about this significant allergen.

Cancer incidence among Swedish pulp and paper mill workers: a cohort study of sulphate and sulphite mills.

PURPOSE: Associations between various malignancies and work in the pulp and paper industry have been reported but mostly in analyses of mortality rather than incidence. We aimed to study cancer incidence by main mill pulping process, department and gender in a Swedish cohort of pulp and paper mill workers. METHODS: The cohort (18,113 males and 2,292 females, enrolled from 1939 to 1999 with >1 year of employment) was followed up for cancer incidence from 1958 to 2001. Information on the workers' department and employment was obtained from the mills' personnel files, and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated using the Swedish population as reference. RESULTS: Overall cancer incidence, in total 2,488 cases, was not increased by work in any department. However, risks of pleural mesothelioma were increased among males employed in sulphate pulping (SIR, 8.38; 95 % CI, 3.37-17) and maintenance (SIR, 6.35; 95 % CI, 3.47-11), with no corresponding increase of lung cancer. Testicular cancer risks were increased among males employed in sulphate pulping (SIR, 4.14; 95 % CI, 1.99-7.61) and sulphite pulping (SIR, 2.59; 95 % CI, 0.95-5.64). Female paper production workers showed increased risk of skin tumours other than malignant melanoma (SIR, 2.92; 95 % CI, 1.18-6.02). CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of pleural mesothelioma was increased in the cohort, showing that asbestos exposure still has severe health consequences, and highlighting the exigency of strict asbestos regulations and elimination. Testicular cancer was increased among pulping department workers. Shift work and endocrine disruptors could be of interest in this context.