Insulin resistance and depressed cardiac G6PD activity induced by glucocorticoid exposure during pregnancy are attenuated by maternal estrogen-progestin therapy.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal combined oral contraceptive (COC) on dams that were exposed to late gestational glucocorticoids (GC). Twenty-four pregnant female rats were randomly allotted into 4 groups of 6 dams each. Dams received COC (combination of 1.0 µg ethinylestradiol and 5.0 µg levonorgestrel p.o.) between 3rd and 11th week after delivery with or without prior exposure to GC (dexamethasone; 0.2 mg/kg p.o.) that was administered between gestational days 14-19. Data showed that late-gestational GC exposure led to insulin resistance (IR), increased cardiac adenosine deaminase (ADA), xanthine oxidase (XO), lactate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and disrupted cardiac glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-dependent antioxidant defenses. On the other hand, maternal COC treatment in dams not exposed to gestational GC led to IR, increased cardiac XO, LDH and defective cardiac G6PD-dependent antioxidant defenses. However, maternal COC with prior gestational GC exposure led to attenuated IR, cardiac ADA, UA, LDH, and improved cardiac G6PD-dependent antioxidant defenses but worsened cardiac triglyceride (TG) accumulation when compared with dam with gestational GC exposure without maternal COC. Taken together, the findings of this study provide evidence that maternal COC treatment improves late gestational GC-programmed effects. This is however accompanied with enhanced cardiac TG accumulation.

Attitude of medical students towards occupational safety and health: a multi-national study.

BACKGROUND: Work-related diseases contribute immensely to the global burden of diseases. Better understanding of attitudes of health care workers towards occupational safety and health (OSH) is important for planning. OBJECTIVE: To assess the attitude of medical students towards OSH around the globe. METHODS: A questionnaire assessing the attitude towards OSH was administered to medical and paramedical students of 21 Medical Universities across the globe. In the current study 1895 students, aged 18-36 years, from 17 countries were included. After having performed a principal components analysis, the associations of interest between the identified components and other socio demographic characteristics were assessed by multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: Principal component analysis revealed 3 components. Students from lower and lower-middle-income countries had a more positive attitude towards OSH, but the importance of OSH was still rated higher by students from upper-income countries. Although students from Asian and African continents showed high interest for OSH, European and South-Central American students comparatively rated importance of OSH to be higher. Paramedical students had more positive attitude towards OSH than medical students. CONCLUSION: The attitude of students from lower-income and lower-middle-income towards importance of OSH is negative. This attitude could be changed by recommending modifications to OSH courses that reflect the importance of OSH. Since paramedical students showed more interest in OSH than medical students, modifications in existing health care system with major role of paramedics in OSH service delivery is recommended.

Investigation into the nephrotoxicity of Nigerian bonny light crude oil in albino rats.

The effect of bonny-light crude oil was assessed in adult albino rats. The rats were administered with 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg body weight of the crude oil orally for 7 days. Fluid intake was measured daily, initial and final animal body was recorded. The toxic effects on the kidneys were assessed and histological studies carried out. The results revealed that the kidney cells were damaged; crude oil caused a destruction of the renal reserve capacity. There was a significant increase (p ? 0.05) in creatinine in the high dose group (800mg/kg), and a significant decrease (p ? 0.05) in urea concentration. Histological examination indicates that crude oil induced severe pathologic changes in the forms of necrosis and oedema.