Researches of the nitrates and nitrites in some well waters from rural area in correlation with methoglobinemia morbidity.

UNLABELLED: Ground water is a major source of public supply for the rural population and in some areas, it is only source of available water. It is well known the toxic action of nitrate upon organisms, by formatting methemoglobin and N-nitroso compounds. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study it was investigated the presence of nitrates and nitrites in same well waters, mountain and hill areas in Neamt district. The chemical parameters were carried out by following standard methods. The statistical analysis includes descriptive statistics of the water quality parameters. RESULTS: It is noticed high values of the nitrate concentrations, over Maximum Admissible Concentration (MAC), explained by excessive use of agricultural synthetic fertilizer and telluric nitrogen. It was registered a number of 38 cases of methemoglobinemia in small children with artificial nutrition, all cases from hill area. The maximum methemoglobin level was 60% and the minimum value of nitrate concentration in the water samples was 396 mg NO3-/L. CONCLUSIONS: We established a direct correlation between the level of methemoglobin and the nitrate concentrations in water samples. It is recommended the use well waters with maximum 48 mg/L nitrates content.

Researches of the nitrite/nitrate presence and other chemical compounds in some water sources from rural area of Neamt county.

UNLABELLED: Water is one of the main dietary components and his quality may be influenced the health status of the population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We investigated the water quality (by ten chemical parameters) delivered to the rural population (Neamt district), from the public water supply systems (n=10) with ground water sources and 60 well waters in same area. For determinations of the investigated chemical compounds, spectrophotometric, complexonometric and volumetric methods were performed. Statistical analysis was applied to analyze of data. RESULTS: The regression analysis between nitrate-organic matters, nitrite-chlorides, nitrate-total hardness shows strong negative and positive relationships as r = 0.7631, r = 0.7252, r = -0.777, and very low correlations between other chemical parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that chemical parameters ranged between the admissible limits for drinking water.

Biomathematical approach of (188)Re radiopharmaceutical therapy characterization.

PURPOSE: In order to optimize radioimmunotherapy (RIT) as a cancer treatment modality, it is necessary to select the appropriate radionuclide and the biomolecule carrier. We have developed the radiolabeling with (188)Re (beta emitter) of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) monoclonal antibody (Mab) for targeting CEA-producing tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Labeling was realized by the addition of Na(188)ReO(4) eluted from (188)W- (188)Re generator to a preformulated biomolecule in SH prereduction form in the presence of supplemental stannous ions. Wistar London rats were used for the biological studies. For the mathematical processing of the obtained results we used interpolation functions, as well as the different organs under investigation. Used were those interpolation functions for which the standard error is zero, correlation coefficient is the unit and the analytic expression emphasize generally exponential forms (the differential equations specific to the radioactive biodistribution have exponential integral curves as solutions). RESULTS: The achieved radiochemical purity was 92-96%. The resulting solutions had a pH value 5-7 and were used for intravenous (i.v.) administration. The optimum field of interpolation functions was determined, comprising Hoerl, Modified Hoerl, Heart Capacity, Gaussian, Logistic, and Exponential type models. The optimum model existing in that field was also determined in the condition in which the ratio between absolute error of the biodistribution surface/the mean surface of the optimum biodistribution was minimal. CONCLUSION: The obtained optimum model has a predictive character, allowing the identification of the moment to which the maximum percent value for every other time point in the considered time interval t(o)-t(f). This mathematical model can be used for every other pharmacokinetic paradigm.

Comparison of the effects of ketoprofen on platelet function in the presence and absence of aspirin.

PURPOSE: Although aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) exert inhibitory effects on platelets in vitro and in vivo, there are insufficient data to substantiate the use of NSAIDs alone as antiplatelet drugs in patients already taking aspirin. We therefore sought to determine whether aspirin, added to NSAID therapy, further suppresses platelet function. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 25 healthy adult volunteers who were administered ketoprofen (extended-release capsules, 200 mg daily) for 1 week, followed by ketoprofen (200 mg daily) and aspirin (325 mg daily) or ketoprofen (200 mg daily) alone during the second week. Platelet aggregation, stimulated by epinephrine and arachidonic acid, and cyclooxygenase activity, measured by thromboxane B(2), were measured at baseline, on day 8, and on day 15. RESULTS: On day 8, all subjects demonstrated abnormal platelet aggregation (>50% inhibition), which persisted at day 15 in both the aspirin and no aspirin groups. One week of ketoprofen treatment reduced thromboxane B(2) levels by 84% in the aspirin group and by 85% in the no aspirin group (P = 0.8), without any further inhibition measured on day 15. CONCLUSION: Extended-release ketoprofen significantly inhibited platelet aggregation and thromboxane B(2) production in healthy volunteers. Addition of aspirin had no additional effect. Trials are warranted to determine whether these in vitro effects result in clinical antiplatelet activity in patients who require chronic treatment with NSAIDs, thereby avoiding the toxicity of NSAID/aspirin combination therapy.

Fourier analysis of potential oscillations of a liquid membrane for the discrimination of taste substances.

Electrical potential oscillations were obtained across a liquid membrane composed of nitrobenzene/picric acid placed between two aqueous phases in the presence of various taste (i.e. salty, sweet and bitter) substances. The influence of these compounds on electrical oscillations was studied using Fourier analysis to establish a "fingerprint" of the substance that can be correlated with its taste index. Various concentrations of each substance were tested to obtain a Fourier spectrum with discrete peaks which can be further processed. The electrical oscillations consisted of a number of weak damped oscillators, and the Fourier spectra of these signals were found to have a number of discrete peaks of decreasing amplitude at low frequencies (0-0.5 Hz). A correlation of the frequency of the first peak of the Fourier spectrum with the taste index was found for bitter substances, whereas for salty substances the amplitude of the first two peaks of the spectrum was correlated with the taste index.

[The presence of nitrates and nitrites in the environment in different geographical areas of Moldova correlated with morbidity from methemoglobinemia]. / Cercetarea prezentei nitratilor si nitritilor din mediul ambiant din zone geografice diferite din Moldova în corelatie cu morbiditatea prin methemoglobinemie.

It was studies the content of nitrates and nitrites in water sources and vegetables from different geographical regions, resulting high values of nitrates in colinae and plain regions, and low values in mountain and submountain region. The high value of nitrates are related with methaemoglobinaemia. The nitrites from edible water studied and from vegetables presented very low values in the order of ppm.