Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a common global cause of death and are therefore a major health concern. Inhaled or ingested environmental heavy metals contribute to the development of CVD. The aim ...of this study was to address the limited information available on the effect of relevant dosages of metals in mixtures. Three metals with reported effects on the cardiovascular system (CVS) were identified, and these metals were copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and mercury (Hg). In Sprague-Dawley rats, the adverse effects of copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and mercury (Hg), alone and as part of mixtures, on the blood parameters, the aorta and heart were investigated. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 6): control, Cu, Mn, Hg, Cu + Mn, Cu + Hg, Mn + Hg and Cu, Mn + Hg. The seven experimental groups received the metal mixtures at 100 times the World Health Organisation (WHO) safety limit for drinking water (2 mg/L for Cu, 0.4 mg/L for Mn and 0.06 mg/L for Hg) via oral gavage for 28 days. After 28 days, compared with the control, red blood cell levels were increased for Cu + Hg. All other measured blood parameters were unchanged. Morphological changes in the tunica media were connective tissue deposition and an abundance of collagen type I in the metal exposed aortic tissues. In the cardiac tissue of metal-exposed rats, changes in the cardiomyocyte and myofibrillar arrangement, with an increase in collagen type I and III was observed. Ultrastructurally, the aortic collagen and elastin band arrangement and the cardiac mitochondrial and myofibrillar arrangement and structures were altered in the experimental groups. These changes indicated that exposure to these metals in rats caused minor changes in the blood parameters, however, the changes in tissue and cellular structure indicated an increased risk for the development of CVD.
Water contamination with metals due to anthropogenic activity is increasing and subsequent exposure increases the risk of associated toxicity. Exposure is not limited to a single metal but usually ...involves mixtures of different metals at different concentrations. Little is known about the contribution of this type of exposure, in humans, to the development of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, and an increased risk to thrombosis. The World Health Organization has established limits for metal levels in drinking water and this includes levels for copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and mercury (Hg). In this study, at 100X these limits, the ability of the metals’ oxidative effects as catalysts of the Fenton reaction and/or ability to bind glutathione (GSH) were determined. The haemostatic effects of these metals, alone and in combination, at the World Health Organization limit were then evaluated. The ultrastructural and viscoelastic alterations of exposed ex vivo whole blood were also evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and thromboelastography® (TEG), respectively. Cu, alone and in combination with Mn and/or Hg, induced hydroxyl radical formation and reduced GSH levels. Ex vivo exposure caused deformation of erythrocytes and accelerated platelet activation especially for Cu, alone and in combination, with Mn. Reduction in the lysis potential of the clot was also observed for all combinations, especially Cu in combination with Hg as well as Mn alone. Although the TEG findings were not statistically significant, the trends indicate that the exposure to these metals, alone and in combination, adversely affects thrombus formation in ex vivo blood, thereby potentially increasing the risk in exposed individuals for thrombosis.
The rise in respiratory disease has been attributed to an increase in environmental pollution. Heavy metals contribute to environmental contamination via air, water, soil and food. The effects of ...atmospheric exposure to heavy metals on pulmonary structure and function have been researched, but the effects through drinking water have been neglected. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential in vivo alterations in the pulmonary tissue of male Sprague-Dawley rats after a 28-day oral exposure to copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and mercury (Hg), alone and in mixtures, at 100 times the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety limit for each heavy metal in drinking water. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 6): control, Cu, Mn, Hg, Cu + Mn, Cu + Hg, Mn + Hg and Cu, Mn + Hg. The morphology of lung tissue and the bronchioles were evaluated using light- and transmission electron microscopy. For all exposed groups, morphological changes included thickened inter- and intra-alveolar spaces, stratified epithelium, disrupted smooth muscle and early fibrosis and desquamation of the epithelia of the bronchioles to varying degrees. In all exposed groups, ultrastructurally, an increase in disarranged collagen and elastin fibers, nuclear membrane detachment, chromatin condensation, indistinct nucleoli and an increase in collagen fiber disarrangement was observed. This study has identified that oral exposure to Cu, Mn and Hg and as part of mixtures caused pathogenesis due to inflammation, cellular damage and fibrosis with Mn + Hg being the most potent heavy metal group.
We measured field emission energy distributions of electrons emitted from individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes mounted on tungsten tips. The shape of the energy distribution is strongly sample ...dependent. Some nanotube emitters exhibit an almost metallic behaviour, while others show sharply peaked energy distributions. The smallest half-width we measured was only 0.11 eV, without correction for the broadening of the energy analyzer. A common feature of both types of carbon nanotube energy spectra is that the position of the peaks in the spectrum depends linearly on the extraction voltage, unlike metallic emitters, where the position stays in the vicinity of the Fermi level. With a small modification to the field emission theory for metals we extract the distance between the highest filled energy level of the nanotube and the vacuum potential, the field on the emitter surface, the emitter radius and the emitting area, from the energy distribution and the Fowler–Nordheim plot. The last two parameters are in good agreement with transmission electron micrographs of such samples. The sharply-peaked energy distributions from other samples indicate that resonant states can exist at the top of the nanotube.
Investigates young peoples' knowledge and the culture influence using a cross-sectional approach. Involves n=586 pupils from 11 different countries and analyzes resultant drawings using a seven point ...scale where the criterion was anatomical accuracy. (Contains 24 references.) (Author/YDS)
The electron optical brightness and the virtual source size of an ultrasharp field electron emitter were determined by an analysis of Fresnel fringes occurring in point projection microscopy images. ...Simulating the Fresnel diffraction pattem by taking into account the influence of the source size, the source diameter was determined as 5.2±1 nm. From additional current density measurements, using the same model, the reduced brightness was calculated. The brightness values obtained ranged from 1 × 10
7 to 3 × 10
9 A/m
2 · sr · V for currents between 1 pA and 5 nA. A comparison of our results with the work of other authors is given.
A 27-year-old man with myasthenia gravis developed a severe myasthenic crisis with respiratory insufficiency. In spite of high iv doses of pyridostigminebromide and corticosteroids, mechanical ...ventilation remained necessary. Treatment with plasma exchange grossly decreased the serum level of antibodies against acetylcholine receptor protein and caused an immediate clinical improvement. The respiratory assistance could be terminated and muscle strength increased substantially. Plasmapheresis seemed to be of definite benefit in the treatment of this acute crisis of myasthenia gravis.
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