Dioxin levels in European eels, a Belgian study

in Organohalogen Compounds (2010, September)

Dioxin-like compounds in porpoises and seals from the southern North Sea: relationship with biological and ecological factors

in Organohalogen Compounds (2008), 70

The North Sea represents a major ecosystem for the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) occurs more occasionally in the southern ... [more ▼]

The North Sea represents a major ecosystem for the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) occurs more occasionally in the southern part of the North Sea. Their population over this last decade has experienced major fluctuations likely linked to prey availability and seal epizootics. Despite being banned more than 30 years ago, levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in marine mammals are still of concern due to historical contamination of the North Sea. [less ▲]

La dioxine, info ou intox? A propos de l'acné de Seveso et de Yushchenko.

in Revue Médicale de Liège (2005), 60(1), 18-22

The generic term "dioxin" covers more than 400 chemicals of which less than 30 prove to be toxic. Such compounds are involved in environmental pollutions and in food contaminations. Some selected dioxins ... [more ▼]

The generic term "dioxin" covers more than 400 chemicals of which less than 30 prove to be toxic. Such compounds are involved in environmental pollutions and in food contaminations. Some selected dioxins have also been used as a non-lethal chemical weapon. The assessment of the impact on health needs a precise toxicological identification. Without that basic assessment, a discrepancy may appear between the real risk linked to the exposure and the concerns and fear generated in the population, particularly because in animals the toxic concentrations of dioxins can interfere with some hormonal systems, alter immunity, induce chloracne, and participate in the development of sarcomas, lymphomas and some carcinomas. They may be responsible for some birth defects. [less ▲]

Dioxines: Un risque pour la santé ou une arme économique?

Article for general public (2000)

Dioxins in Human Milk from Different Regions of France: Pilot of the French Longitudinal Study of Children (ELFE)

in Organohalogen Compounds (2011), 73

Dioxins, furans and co-planar PCBs in juvenile harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the Belgian coasts

Poster (2003)

Dioxins, furans and PCBs are lipophilic anthropogenic contaminants that have found their way into marine food webs and accumulate in top predators such as marine mammals, adding a stress factor to an ... [more ▼]

Dioxins, furans and PCBs are lipophilic anthropogenic contaminants that have found their way into marine food webs and accumulate in top predators such as marine mammals, adding a stress factor to an already vulnerable population. In this study 7 congeners of dioxins (PCDDs), 10 congeners of furans (PCDFs) and 4 congeners of coplanar PCBs (cPCBs) were determined using high resolution gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in the blubber of 19 juvenile harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded along the Belgian North Sea coastline between 1995 and 2001. These results were contrasted with nutritional status (emaciated or not), sex and trophic level (through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis). Mean blubber concentrations of SPCDD/Fs were 12.8 pg/g lw (lipid weight) and mean related toxicity 1.84 pg TEQs/g lw (TEQs = TCDD toxic equivalents). Mean cPCB concentrations were 223,5 pg/g lw and mean related toxicity 4,47 pg TEQs/g lw. The levels detected in these individuals were of the same order as those found in a previous study in the Wadden Sea (Bruhn, 1999). Both sexes show rather similar levels. No significant relationship was observed between stable carbon or nitrogen isotope values and pollutant levels. Concentrations and toxicity show a tendency to be higher in emaciated ndividuals than in nonemaciated ones. This could indicate a possible relationship between the nutritional status of the animals and dioxinlike pollutants (which could participate in weakening the animal). This situation should be further studied on adult individuals in order to obtain a more global view of the possible effects on the population. [less ▲]

A dip into the world of veterinary nuclear medicine: equine lung scintigraphy

in Clinical Techniques in Equine Practice (2003), 2(3), 222-230

The clinical and experimental uses of equine lung scintigraphy have largely expanded in recent years. Lung imaging using large animals is of great interest for the understanding of general lung physiology ... [more ▼]

The clinical and experimental uses of equine lung scintigraphy have largely expanded in recent years. Lung imaging using large animals is of great interest for the understanding of general lung physiology, for the knowledge of animal peculiarities, for the study and diagnosis of equine respiratory disorders as well as for the development of their treatment. This article surveys some methodological constraints due to the scanning of a noncooperative large-sized animal, reviews the contribution of equine nuclear imaging in lung physiology and pathology, and discusses future clinical and fundamental applications of lung scintigraphy. [less ▲]

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity in plasma of dogs : physiological determinants and effect of heart failure

in 21th ECVIM Meeting - Séville, Espagne - du 6 au 10 septembre 2011 (2011, September)

Dipeptidylpeptitase-4 inhibitors (gliptins): focus on drug-drug interactions.

in Clinical Pharmacokinetics (2010), 49(9), 573-88

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are generally treated with many pharmacological compounds and are exposed to a high risk of drug-drug interactions. Indeed, blood glucose control usually ... [more ▼]

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are generally treated with many pharmacological compounds and are exposed to a high risk of drug-drug interactions. Indeed, blood glucose control usually requires a combination of various glucose-lowering agents, and the recommended global approach to reduce overall cardiovascular risk generally implies administration of several protective compounds, including HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), antihypertensive compounds and antiplatelet agents. New compounds have been developed to improve glucose-induced beta-cell secretion and glucose control, without inducing hypoglycaemia or weight gain, in patients with T2DM. Dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are novel oral glucose-lowering agents, which may be used as monotherapy or in combination with other antidiabetic compounds, metformin, thiazolidinediones or even sulfonylureas. Sitagliptin, vildagliptin and saxagliptin are already on the market, either as single agents or in fixed-dose combined formulations with metformin. Other compounds, such as alogliptin and linagliptin, are in a late phase of development. This review summarizes the available data on drug-drug interactions reported in the literature for these five DDP-4 inhibitors: sitagliptin, vildagliptin, saxagliptin, alogliptin and linagliptin. Possible pharmacokinetic interferences have been investigated between each of these compounds and various pharmacological agents, which were selected because there are other glucose-lowering agents (metformin, glibenclamide [glyburide], pioglitazone/rosiglitazone) that may be prescribed in combination with DPP-4 inhibitors, other drugs that are currently used in patients with T2DM (statins, antihypertensive agents), compounds that are known to interfere with the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system (ketoconazole, diltiazem, rifampicin [rifampin]) or with P-glycoprotein transport (ciclosporin), or agents with a narrow therapeutic safety window (warfarin, digoxin). Generally speaking, almost no drug-drug interactions or only minor drug-drug interactions have been reported between DPP-4 inhibitors and any of these drugs. The gliptins do not significantly modify the pharmacokinetic profile and exposure of the other tested drugs, and the other drugs do not significantly alter the pharmacokinetic profile of the gliptins or exposure to these. The only exception concerns saxagliptin, which is metabolized to an active metabolite by CYP3A4/5. Therefore, exposure to saxagliptin and its primary metabolite may be significantly modified when saxagliptin is coadministered with specific strong inhibitors (ketoconazole, diltiazem) or inducers (rifampicin) of CYP3A4/5 isoforms. The absence of significant drug-drug interactions could be explained by the favourable pharmacokinetic characteristics of DPP-4 inhibitors, which are not inducers or inhibitors of CYP isoforms and are not bound to plasma proteins to a great extent. Therefore, according to these pharmacokinetic findings, which were generally obtained in healthy young male subjects, no dosage adjustment is recommended when gliptins are combined with other pharmacological agents in patients with T2DM, with the exception of a reduction in the daily dosage of saxagliptin when this drug is used in association with a strong inhibitor of CYP3A4/A5. It is worth noting, however, that a reduction in the dose of sulfonylureas is usually recommended when a DPP-4 inhibitor is added, because of a pharmacodynamic interaction (rather than a pharmacokinetic interaction) between the sulfonylurea and the DPP-4 inhibitor, which may result in a higher risk of hypoglycaemia. Otherwise, any gliptin may be combined with metformin or a thiazolidinedione (pioglitazone, rosiglitazone), leading to a significant improvement in glycaemic control without an increased risk of hypoglycaemia or any other adverse event in patients with T2DM. Finally, the absence of drug-drug interactions in clinical trials in healthy subjects requires further evidence from large-scale studies, including typical subjects with T2DM - in particular, multimorbid and geriatric patients receiving polypharmacy. [less ▲]

Diplocoria: el viaje de una semilla

Scientific conference (2008, June 04)