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Objectives Little is known on how the dose and timing of exposure co-influence the cumulative concentration of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in meconium. The objective of the study was to assess the cumulative concentration of FAEEs in meconium as a biomarker of light, moderate, or heavy prenatal alcohol exposure occurring at either first, second, or third trimesters of pregnancy. Methods History of prenatal alcohol exposure was obtained in the 34th week of gestation from 294 pregnant women. Meconium was collected from their babies within the first 6 to 12h after birth and examined for the presence of nine FAEEs. Results No significant differences were identified between the cumulative levels of FAEEs in the meconium from the babies born to abstainers and those born to mothers with history of light-to-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure during their pregnancy. Conclusions Light-to-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure cannot be reliably predicted by the cumulative FAEE concentrations in meconium of exposed babies. A cumulative FAEE level of >10nmol/g would be required to consider that prenatal alcohol exposure during the second to third trimesters occurred at risky levels in the absence of reliable maternal history of ethanol exposure. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Slaughtered cattle (n = 582) from Mexico State were bled for a serological screening of clenbuterol residues, using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Clenbuterol residues were found in a total of 153/582 (26.2%) sera analysed. These results reinforced the assumption of the illegal use of clenbuterol in cattle production in Mexico; therefore, routine screening examinations in slaughtered cattle were strongly advised considering the toxic potential for humans.

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is formed endogenously by the direct action of ethanol, and has a half-life long enough to make it a reliable biomarker of alcohol exposure in early pregnancy. In this study, we aimed to characterize PEth blood concentrations to differentiate different levels of alcohol exposure in pregnant women.The study consisted of 305 consecutive pregnant women who had been referred to our hospital for antenatal care. Of them, 117 self-reported alcohol ingestion in the first trimester of pregnancy and 188 were abstainers. Total PEth concentration in whole blood was quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Alcohol ingestion was classified according to the United States National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism into light drinkers: ≤ 3 drinks/week, moderate drinkers: 3-7 drinks/week, and heavier drinkers:7 drinks/week (a standard drink = 14 g of ethanol).Participants had quantifiable PEth blood levels 3-4 weeks after the last drink. There were 4.8% abstainers who had positive PEth concentrations; all of them reported a positive history of alcohol consumption before conception. PEth blood concentrations were significantly correlated to drinks per occasion (r = 0.44; P0.001) and days drinking per week (r = 0.34; P0.001). However, almost 74% of participants with ≤ 3 drinks/week of alcohol, and 46% with 3-7 drinks/week, had PEth blood concentrations below the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ). The area under the curve (AUC) generated by a receiver operation characteristic curve (ROC) analysis increased as the cutoff value of PEth blood concentration increased. However, the cutoff values were below or close to the LLOQ.Our study presents a formal characterization of PEth blood concentrations for screening alcohol ingestion in first-trimester pregnant women. However, caution is recommended for overrepresenting either negative or positive results.

Aims: The objective of the current study was to determine whether FAEE incorporation is affected by hair pigmentation. Methods: Black hooded LE rats were injected intraperitoneally daily with ethanol. Prior to dosing, black and white patches of fur were shaved and analyzed for baseline levels of FAEE using an adapted extraction procedure and GCMS method. Once the shaved ‘patches’ had grown back they were re-sampled along with hair outside the ‘patches’, referred to as ‘no patch’ hair, and tested for post-treatment FAEE levels in the same manner. Blood was also sampled for pharmacokinetic analysis of ethanol. Results: Total FAEE levels were significantly higher in post-treatment hair (black and white) compared to baseline (pre-treatment) levels. Total FAEE levels were also significantly higher in post-treatment ‘patch’ hair (black and white) compared to ‘no patch’ hair. No significant differences were found between post-treatment black and white hair. The FAEE profiles were similar between black and white hair, with FAEE levels being highest for ethyl myristate, followed by ethyl stearate, palmitate, and then oleate. Conclusion: FAEE incorporation into hair does not appear to be affected by hair pigment, which is in congruence with what is known about the chemistry of drug–melanin interactions. This is important in avoiding potential bias and discrimination in the interpretation of alcohol abuse based on hair color.

Two hundred sows were randomly assigned to intramuscularly receive 0.9% NaCl (group 1) or oxytocin 0.083, 0.11 or 0.17 IU/kg (groups 2, 3 and 4, respectively) immediately after the expulsion of the first piglet. The overall duration of labor was decreased in a dose-dependent relationship. Time interval between piglets was decreased approximately 5 min in groups 3 and 4 while sows in these groups exhibited approximately 10-20 contractions x 10 births more than controls (P

To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of ethanol in the early second trimester of pregnancy, ethanol concentrations simultaneously measured in the maternal blood (EtOH-MB) and in the amniotic fluid (EtOH-AF) of six pregnant women were obtained from a previous study in which a single ethanol dose of 300mgkg(-1) body weight was administered orally. For maternal blood ethanol concentration, the kinetic equation was: [Formula: see text] where k(12) and k(21) are, respectively, the rate constant of ethanol transfer from either the central compartment to the peripheral compartment or vice versa; V(max)(EtOH)is the maximal velocity for ethanol oxidation; and K(m)(EtOH) is the concentration at which half of the maximal rate of ethanol elimination is reached. The maximum concentration of EtOH in AF was 60% lower than in MB (P=0.36). However, the AUC(0-3.5h) in AF was only 16% lower than the value for MB (P=0.059). The k(12) (0.20 =/- 0.26 h(-1)) was almost twice faster than k(21) (0, h(-1)). The V(max)(EtOH) was 237.6 +/- 71.5 microgml(-1)h(-1) and K(m)(EtOH) was 3.7 +/- 4.7 microgml(-1). Our results imply that in the early second trimester, ethanol metabolism is fast. However, ethanol clearance from the AF is slower than ethanol clearance in MB. This process is widely variable, and our findings may partially explain the wide variability of ethanol's toxic effects on the fetus.

It is accepted that blood phosphatidylethanol (PEth) concentrations are reliable biomarkers of ethanol (alcohol) exposure. We therefore conducted a preliminary study to test the hypothesis that elevated blood PEth concentrations can help to identifying women with prenatal alcohol exposure who are at higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The study included 35 first-trimester pregnant women who self-reported alcohol ingestion and had PEth blood concentration ⩾4 nM at recruitment. As a control group, 233 first-trimester pregnant women who self-reported as being either abstainers or light alcohol drinkers and had blood PEth concentrations

BACKGROUND Since the urinary concentration of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) is a reliable biomarker of exposure to tobacco smoke, we developed a relatively simple high-throughput chromatographic method to quantify total urinary NNAL concentrations in the general population. METHODS The high-throughput analytical method was developed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) to identify and quantify total urinary NNAL concentrations in 10 non-smokers and 15 otherwise healthy smokers. RESULTS Loss of nitric oxide at m/z 30 was found to be the predominant mass transitioned, and therefore was used as the SIM transition to quantify both NNAL and NNAL-methyl-d3 in urine. The analytical method did not require sample derivatization. Standard curves for total NNAL concentrations were linear between 20 and 1500 pg/mL, with coefficients of determination >0.95. Precision and accuracy ranged from 2.2% to 8.6% (CV) and from -5.6% to 10.9% (percent error), respectively. The lowest limit of quantification was 6.7 pg/mL, and 2.0 pg/mL the lowest limit of detection (LLOD). Total urinary NNAL concentrations in non-smoker subjects were

Little is known on how the dose and timing of exposure co-influence the cumulative concentration of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in meconium. The objective of the study was to assess the cumulative concentration of FAEEs in meconium as a biomarker of light, moderate, or heavy prenatal alcohol exposure occurring at either first, second, or third trimesters of pregnancy.History of prenatal alcohol exposure was obtained in the 34th week of gestation from 294 pregnant women. Meconium was collected from their babies within the first 6 to 12 h after birth and examined for the presence of nine FAEEs.No significant differences were identified between the cumulative levels of FAEEs in the meconium from the babies born to abstainers and those born to mothers with history of light-to-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure during their pregnancy.Light-to-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure cannot be reliably predicted by the cumulative FAEE concentrations in meconium of exposed babies. A cumulative FAEE level of10 nmol/g would be required to consider that prenatal alcohol exposure during the second to third trimesters occurred at risky levels in the absence of reliable maternal history of ethanol exposure.

This paper reports the development and validation of an improved assay for quantitation of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in human meconium using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). FAAEs (ethyl laurate, ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl palmitoleate, ethyl stearate, ethyl oleate, ethyl linoleate, ethyl linolenate, and ethyl arachidonate) and the internal standard (I.S.), ethyl heptadecanoate, were separated by reverse phase HPLC and quantified by MS/MS using electrospray ionization (ESI) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in the positive ionization mode. The absolute recovery of FAEEs varied from 55 ± 10% for 0.33 nmol/g (100 ng/g) of ethyl linoleate up to 86 ± 8% for 1.55 nmol/g (500 ng/g) of ethyl miristate. The LODs and LOQs varied from 0.01 to 0.08 nmol/g and from 0.02 to 0.27 nmol/g, respectively. The assay has been successfully applied to examine the FAEE levels in 81 meconium samples from babies born to mothers reporting alcohol consumption, to varying degrees, during pregnancy.

Velarde-Jurado E, Estrada-Reyes E, Erana-Guerra L, Raya-Rivera A, Velazquez-Armenta EY, Nava-Ocampo AA. Sexually transmitted infections associated with vulvovaginal symptoms in adolescents denying sexual activity. Salud Publica Mex 2003;45 suppl 5:S641-S646. The English version of this paper is available too at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html Abstract Objective. To identify clinical, laboratory and ultrasono- graphic evidence of a probable sexually transmitted infec- tion associated with vulvovaginal symptoms in adolescents denying sexual activity. Material and Methods. The medi- cal records of female adolescents, aged 10-18 years were reviewed. These women received first-time medical care for vulvovaginitis, between 1995 and 1999 at Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez, (Children's Hospital). Compa- risons between groups were performed, as appropriate, by the unpaired Student's t-test, the Z test or the chi-square test; statistically significant differences were set at a two- tailed p

Specific immunotherapy involves administration of allergenic extract in order to reach clinical tolerance of the causal allergens in patients with allergic conditions. When administered, it can provoke side effects.To identify systemic reactions after specific immunotherapy administration.A retrospective trial from January 1996 to December 2000. We reviewed patients' files with an allergic disease diagnosis that received immunotherapy. We looked for adverse reactions at 20 minutes and immunotherapy sheets report. The results were analyzed by central and dispersion trends.Annual average was of 1,168 applications, 51 (23%) had an adverse reaction. Average age was of 9.5 +/- 2.2 years. 76.5% were male. 125 (5.7%) patients abandoned the treatment and 2,025 (94.3%) continued it. The frequency of intermittent mild asthma/allergic rhinitis was of 51%, persistent moderate asthma/allergic rhinitis, 9.8, and allergic rhinitis, 9.8%. The most common allergen was Dermatophagoides (80.4%). The most frequent reactions were a wheal (64.7%) and exacerbation of clinic baseline (25.5%).Percentage of patients with an immunotherapy immediate reaction was of 2.3% according to literature reports (2.1%).

Rhinitis is the most frequent allergic disease in children. Symptoms may affect importantly life quality. Measures to avoid allergens when possible and the use of drugs are an important part of the treatment; however, specific immunotherapy is the only treatment altering the natural course of the disease.To assess if specific immunotherapy improves life quality in children with allergic rhinitis.Patients who attended to the allergy department during August and September 2002, and who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, were included. Two groups of treatment were formed: group A received specific immunotherapy with standardized allergenic extracts, from IPI ASAC Mexico. They started with a concentration of 0.07 bioequivalent units (BEU), with twice-a-week-application with increases of 10 (0.7, 7 and 80 BEU) each seven weeks up to maintenance dose of 700 BEU at six months. Group B only was given pharmacological treatment. Paediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaires, specific to children with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, validated for its use in Spanish in Mexican children by the department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Mc Master University, were applied to all patients.Twenty-seven patients were included in each group, 14 males, adjusted for age with a correlation coefficient (r2) = 0.9799. In both groups, mean age was of 11 years 6 months (group A: 7 to 16 years, group B: 7 to 17 years). Eighteen (44.4%) and fifteen patients (33.3%), of groups A and B respectively, had persistent mild rhinitis, and 9 (55.6%) and 12 cases (66.7%) of groups A and B, respectively, had moderate persistent rhinitis. All of them were sensitized to domiciliary allergens. As to life quality a high odds ratio (OR) was found when assessing patients six months after treatment, especially in nasal symptoms such as pruritus (OR = 6.8) and obstruction (OR = 5.9). Also for practical symptoms the OR was high: carving eyes and nose (OR = 7), blowing the nose (OR = 4.8) and carrying disposable tissues (OR = 4.7). OR for other symptoms was as follows: thirst and throatitch, OR = 4; irritability, OR = 6.2, and ocular pruritus, OR = 3.1. Patients without immunotherapy were likely to use more drugs (OR = 6.4) than those receiving immunotherapy.We did not find controlled studies on life quality with the use of immunotherapy in children. In this study, specific immunotherapy was found to improve life quality in children with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, especially in nasal symptoms, such as pruritus and obstruction, as well as in practical symptoms. These results are similar to those by Fell, who found that 92% patients referred an improvement of nasal symptoms, a better labor performance and a lesser use of drugs after four months of using immunotherapy.

Published clinical trials on neuromuscular blocking (NMB) agents are being reported with large variations in their protocols and conflictiing results may emerge from these differences. Because they have been compared in several clinical trials, the study was focused on rocuronium and vecuronium in order to evaluate whether these NMB agents were compared under homogeneous conditions. MATERIAL/ METHOD: A search was made in PubMed, Embase Drugs and Pharmacology, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Studies on the neuromuscular response at the adductor pollicis to an i.v. bolus dose of rocuronium or vecuronium in humans were included. Quality of all reports was assessed by means of the 3-item Jadad et al. scale. Twenty-five studies met our inclusion criteria and all were retrieved.Randomization was performed in 21 (80.8%) studies. Blinding procedure for drug administration was mentioned in only one study without clarifying the procedure. Induction was most commonly performed with thiopental, followed by propofol. Two studies were performed in children and two in elderly patients. Withdrawals or dropouts were not mentioned in any paper. Electromyography and mechanomyography were the most common monitoring procedures. The time to maximal response, the maximum effect and the time to reach 25% recovery of neuromuscular function were the most used pharmacodynamic parameters.Clinical trials on neuromuscular blocking agents, e.g. vecuronium versus rocuronium, are being performed with large variability and without following established guidelines.

Using a mathematical approach, we analyzed the behavior of the PD model originally described by Bragg et al. The effect was dose-dependent modified until a maximum value ( E max ) was reached. Further increments in dose prolonged the E max , but the recovery phase did not increase beyond a calculable asymptope. In the absence of plasma concentrations, it was impossible to distinguish the rate of plasma equilibration with the effect compartment ( k e0 ) from the rate of drug elimination ( k e1 ). Variations on the sigmoidicity affected both the onset and offset of drug effect. Sigmoidicity and the slowest rate constant had identical effects on the spontaneous reversion of the effect, as judged by the recovery index. The IR 50 , the index of potency, merely shifted the dose–response relationship to the left or right. Changes in IR 50 were compensated for by making the same proportional changes in dose.

Asthma is a multifactorial disease. Children with atopy history could be sensitized with indoor and food allergens from early stages of the life and this predispose to develop asthma. Controversy exists about the factors that increase or decrease the risk of disease, such as breast feeding, early weaning, smoking exposition, immunizations.To determine if these risk factors and inhaled and food allergen sensitization predispose to asthma development.A case-control study was performed. Cases (1 to 3 year-old 74 children) with asthma and control (74 healthy age-matched children) were included, r2 = 0.90. Skin-prick test (SPT) was performed by using indoor and food allergens. Test was considered positive if skin reaction was equal or higher than 3 mm. The results were compared by means of the x2 test. A logistic regression analysis was performed for obtaining odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval for each factor).Out of the SPT carried out with aero-allergens, 23 (31%) were positive in the two groups. Regarding the food, 27 cases (36.4%) and 15 controls (20.2%) were positive (x2 = 4.7); p0.05, OR = 2.2, IC 95% (1.6-3.1). Atopy was positive in 50 (67.5%) cases and 39 (52.7%) of the controls (x2 = 3.4); p0.05, OR 1.8 (1.3 to 2.5). The weaning before the first three months of life was positive in 44 (59.4%) of the cases against 15 (20.2%) of the controls (x2 = 23.7) p0.05 with a OR 5.7 (4.9 at 6.6).We found a probability 2.2 times higher for developing asthma when children were sensitive to at least one food. We also reported that 100% of our sensitized cases with food had received breast feeding during the first four months of life, which is similar to results of other authors where the breast feeding during an intermediate time (one to six months) does not protect against allergic disease. Early introduction of solid food (before the three months of age) was the main factor increasing probability for developing asthma. In our study, atopy almost duplicated this probability.