Consumption of certain fish linked to poor cognitive performance in kids

Consumption of certain fish linked to poor cognitive performance in kids

Those with higher levels of exposure to mercury show a generalised delay in cognitive, memory and verbal areas. Mercury is a contaminant found especially in oily fish and canned fish and to a lesser extent in white fish.

For the study, scientists analyzed the exposure to environmental contaminants through water, air and diet, in a sample of 220 children in the geographic health care area of San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada.

This study has described for the first time the extent of childhood exposure to environmental pollutant of special concern mercury.

The researchers found that total mercury concentrations in the hair of 4 year-old-children from Granada were between 0.04 and 6.67 g / g.

Concentrations were higher than those found in other paediatric populations with a lower consumption of fish, but lower than levels found in high consuming areas.

The results showed that fish consumption is the main source of exposure to mercury in the sample population studied.
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Consumption of certain fish linked to poor cognitive performance in kids

Consumption of certain fish linked to poor cognitive performance in kids

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Granada has revealed that kids who eat fish more than 3 times per week show worse performance in the general cognitive, executive and perceptual-manipulative areas.

Those with higher levels of exposure to mercury show a generalised delay in cognitive, memory and verbal areas. Mercury is a contaminant found especially in oily fish and canned fish and to a lesser extent in white fish.

For the study, scientists analyzed the exposure to environmental contaminants through water, air and diet, in a sample of 220 children in the geographic health care area of San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada.

This study has described for the first time the extent of childhood exposure to environmental pollutant of special concern – mercury.

The researchers found that total mercury concentrations in the hair of 4 year-old-children from Granada were between 0.04 and 6.67 g / g.

Concentrations were higher than those found in other paediatric populations with a lower consumption of fish, but lower than levels found in high consuming areas.

The results showed that fish consumption is the main source of exposure to mercury in the sample population studied.
Descargar


MEXICO: DNA Tool to Trace Missing Kids

MEXICO: DNA Tool to Trace Missing Kids

Andrea C. was eight years old when two unidentified women took her from her home in a neighbourhood on the north side of the Mexican capital, in September 2005. Four years later, she is still missing.

An international genetic identification project, in which Mexico is participating, could help find her. But first, a legal framework to enable data collection, tracing of victims and criminal prosecution of people trafficking is needed in this country.

The Programme for Kids Identification with DNA Systems (DNA-PROKIDS), organised in 2004 by the Forensic Medicine Department at the University of Granada, Spain, aims to fight human trafficking by means of genetic identification of victims and their families, especially children.

”We want to contribute highly valuable information about the origins, routes and methods of trafficking to police forces and intelligence agencies,” José Lorente, head of the genetic identification laboratory, associate professor in the Forensic Medicine Department and one of those in charge of the project, told IPS.

DNA carries genetic information that is unique to every human being and is inherited from parents. DNA comparison can identify related genetic patterns in parents and their children.

The DNA-PROKIDS project aims at ”promoting automatic and systematic international cooperation, by creating a global database of genetic information” in order to reunite missing children with their families, using DNA comparison, and fight illegal adoptions and human trafficking, especially of women and children.

Another of its goals is to analyse and suggest common legislative frameworks to help solve the problem.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with the University of North Texas Centre for Human Identification, among other supporters and sponsors.

The genetic identification laboratory at the University of Granada has drawn international recognition for helping identify the remains of victims of the 1936-1939 Spanish civil war, including those of renowned poet Federico García Lorca (1898-1936).

DNA-PROKIDS has so far helped to identify 212 children, many of whom have been returned to their families. Specific figures by country are not available, as many of the cases are still under investigation.

Between 100,000 and 500,000 children have disappeared in Mexico over the past five years, according to estimates by non-governmental organisations. The absence of a national database with information on kidnapped or missing children makes it difficult to gauge the magnitude of the phenomenon.

”This year the situation has got worse, and more children have been stolen,” Elena Solís, head of the non-governmental Mexican Association for Stolen and Disappeared Children, which works to publicise cases and recover missing children, told IPS.

The Mexico City government, in the hands of the leftwing Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) uses identity documents to keep a register of babies born in its jurisdiction. To date, the city authorities have issued close to one million such documents bearing fingerprints and a photograph.

But in this country of over 107 million people, approximately one million children under 18 do not even have a birth certificate, which means that legally, they do not exist. That makes them especially vulnerable to crimes like trafficking of persons or illegal adoption.

”It\’s a good thing that progress is being made in this kind of techniques (DNA typing), to identify and protect children from harm, but a legal framework is needed for such identification,” Saúl Arellano, head of research at the non-governmental Centre for Studies and Research on Social Development and Assistance (CEIDAS), which focuses on human trafficking and other issues, told IPS.

Although there are no reliable figures, an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 people a year apparently fall prey to trafficking rings in Mexico, and worldwide the number of victims has been estimated at four million.

Human trafficking is the practice of subjecting people to exploitative labour, sexual exploitation or other forms of slavery, through trickery or coercion, within their own country or abroad. In Mexico, this criminal industry recruits people for domestic service, prostitution, seasonal agricultural work or extraction of organs.

Mexico\’s criminal code does not specifically define stealing children as a crime, which makes fighting it difficult. However, kidnapping is a legally defined crime.

The University of Granada and the Mexican Attorney General\’s Office signed an agreement in 2006 to develop the DNA-PROKIDS programme.

”Mexico is a particularly important partner, because it is such a large country, with so many people in transit to the United States, and because it committed itself to the programme from the start,” Lorente said.

In cooperation with DNA-PROKIDS, the Mexican authorities plan to set up two identity registers. The first, which is controversial because of confidentiality issues, is a DNA database for children and women found away from their homes and families, in conditions of economic, labour or sexual exploitation, adopted illegally or living on the streets.

The second is a DNA database with the genetic profiles of parents or relatives of missing children thought to have fallen prey to trafficking or related crimes.

”The aim is to compare the information in the two DNA databases and find positive matches, so that children can be reunited with their families. If no matches are found, at least the children will be accurately identified in the database, and they won\’t become trafficking victims just because no one knows who they are,” Lorente said.

Non-governmental organisations have proposed setting up an early warning system that can be activated as soon as a missing child is reported.

The idea is inspired by the AMBER Alert (for America\’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) system in the United States, which is a voluntary association of police, media and means of transport that broadcasts urgent bulletins calling on the public for help to find children immediately after they are reported missing.

The name also commemorates Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl who was kidnapped and brutally murdered in the city of Arlington, Texas.

Because of her case, the U.S. Congress extended the alert system nationwide, to prevent and combat the kidnapping of children.

Under Mexican law, the authorities only begin a search after a person has been missing for 72 hours. ”By then, the child could be in Thailand,” an example of a country notorious for child prostitution, Arellano complained.

”For years we have been asking for a law against child theft. Let\’s hope the new Congress will listen to us,” said Solís.

DNA-PROKIDS held an international scientific meeting Oct. 26-27 in Granada, where experts in genetic identification from 13 countries and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) agreed on common protocols for collecting and storing biological samples, and on the design and production of software for database management, tailored to this project.

According to Lorente, the current protocol will be used as the basis for an international protocol to apply DNA testing to the fight against traffic in human beings.

”The problem with a DNA system is who handles the data. If the police and the Attorney General\’s Office are infiltrated by organised crime, it represents a huge risk for them to be in charge, because there is no certainty that they will operate with transparency and respect for privacy,” said Arellano, referring to the notorious corruption in Mexico, made more intractable by the influence of drug mafias.

The operational phase of the project in Mexico will begin with systematic analyses of suspicious cases. In April 2010, a second international meeting will be held by DNA-PROKIDS to assess the progress made.
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MEXICO: DNA Tool to Trace Missing Kids

MEXICO: DNA Tool to Trace Missing Kids

Andrea C. was eight years old when two unidentified women took her from her home in a neighbourhood on the north side of the Mexican capital, in September 2005. Four years later, she is still missing.

An international genetic identification project, in which Mexico is participating, could help find her. But first, a legal framework to enable data collection, tracing of victims and criminal prosecution of people trafficking is needed in this country.

The Programme for Kids Identification with DNA Systems (DNA-PROKIDS), organised in 2004 by the Forensic Medicine Department at the University of Granada, Spain, aims to fight human trafficking by means of genetic identification of victims and their families, especially children.

«We want to contribute highly valuable information about the origins, routes and methods of trafficking to police forces and intelligence agencies,» José Lorente, head of the genetic identification laboratory, associate professor in the Forensic Medicine Department and one of those in charge of the project, told IPS.

DNA carries genetic information that is unique to every human being and is inherited from parents. DNA comparison can identify related genetic patterns in parents and their children.

The DNA-PROKIDS project aims at «promoting automatic and systematic international cooperation, by creating a global database of genetic information» in order to reunite missing children with their families, using DNA comparison, and fight illegal adoptions and human trafficking, especially of women and children.

Another of its goals is to analyse and suggest common legislative frameworks to help solve the problem.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with the University of North Texas Centre for Human Identification, among other supporters and sponsors.

The genetic identification laboratory at the University of Granada has drawn international recognition for helping identify the remains of victims of the 1936-1939 Spanish civil war, including those of renowned poet Federico García Lorca (1898-1936).

DNA-PROKIDS has so far helped to identify 212 children, many of whom have been returned to their families. Specific figures by country are not available, as many of the cases are still under investigation.

Between 100,000 and 500,000 children have disappeared in Mexico over the past five years, according to estimates by non-governmental organisations. The absence of a national database with information on kidnapped or missing children makes it difficult to gauge the magnitude of the phenomenon.

«This year the situation has got worse, and more children have been stolen,» Elena Solís, head of the non-governmental Mexican Association for Stolen and Disappeared Children, which works to publicise cases and recover missing children, told IPS.

The Mexico City government, in the hands of the leftwing Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) uses identity documents to keep a register of babies born in its jurisdiction. To date, the city authorities have issued close to one million such documents bearing fingerprints and a photograph.

But in this country of over 107 million people, approximately one million children under 18 do not even have a birth certificate, which means that legally, they do not exist. That makes them especially vulnerable to crimes like trafficking of persons or illegal adoption.

«It\’s a good thing that progress is being made in this kind of techniques (DNA typing), to identify and protect children from harm, but a legal framework is needed for such identification,» Saúl Arellano, head of research at the non-governmental Centre for Studies and Research on Social Development and Assistance (CEIDAS), which focuses on human trafficking and other issues, told IPS.

Although there are no reliable figures, an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 people a year apparently fall prey to trafficking rings in Mexico, and worldwide the number of victims has been estimated at four million.

Human trafficking is the practice of subjecting people to exploitative labour, sexual exploitation or other forms of slavery, through trickery or coercion, within their own country or abroad. In Mexico, this criminal industry recruits people for domestic service, prostitution, seasonal agricultural work or extraction of organs.

Mexico\’s criminal code does not specifically define stealing children as a crime, which makes fighting it difficult. However, kidnapping is a legally defined crime.

The University of Granada and the Mexican Attorney General\’s Office signed an agreement in 2006 to develop the DNA-PROKIDS programme.

«Mexico is a particularly important partner, because it is such a large country, with so many people in transit to the United States, and because it committed itself to the programme from the start,» Lorente said.

In cooperation with DNA-PROKIDS, the Mexican authorities plan to set up two identity registers. The first, which is controversial because of confidentiality issues, is a DNA database for children and women found away from their homes and families, in conditions of economic, labour or sexual exploitation, adopted illegally or living on the streets.

The second is a DNA database with the genetic profiles of parents or relatives of missing children thought to have fallen prey to trafficking or related crimes.

«The aim is to compare the information in the two DNA databases and find positive matches, so that children can be reunited with their families. If no matches are found, at least the children will be accurately identified in the database, and they won\’t become trafficking victims just because no one knows who they are,» Lorente said.

Non-governmental organisations have proposed setting up an early warning system that can be activated as soon as a missing child is reported.

The idea is inspired by the AMBER Alert (for America\’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) system in the United States, which is a voluntary association of police, media and means of transport that broadcasts urgent bulletins calling on the public for help to find children immediately after they are reported missing.

The name also commemorates Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl who was kidnapped and brutally murdered in the city of Arlington, Texas.

Because of her case, the U.S. Congress extended the alert system nationwide, to prevent and combat the kidnapping of children.

Under Mexican law, the authorities only begin a search after a person has been missing for 72 hours. «By then, the child could be in Thailand,» an example of a country notorious for child prostitution, Arellano complained.

«For years we have been asking for a law against child theft. Let\’s hope the new Congress will listen to us,» said Solís.

DNA-PROKIDS held an international scientific meeting Oct. 26-27 in Granada, where experts in genetic identification from 13 countries and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) agreed on common protocols for collecting and storing biological samples, and on the design and production of software for database management, tailored to this project.

According to Lorente, the current protocol will be used as the basis for an international protocol to apply DNA testing to the fight against traffic in human beings.

«The problem with a DNA system is who handles the data. If the police and the Attorney General\’s Office are infiltrated by organised crime, it represents a huge risk for them to be in charge, because there is no certainty that they will operate with transparency and respect for privacy,» said Arellano, referring to the notorious corruption in Mexico, made more intractable by the influence of drug mafias.

The operational phase of the project in Mexico will begin with systematic analyses of suspicious cases. In April 2010, a second international meeting will be held by DNA-PROKIDS to assess the progress made.
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Consumption Of Certain Fish During Pregnancy Associated With Poorer Cognitive Performance

Consumption Of Certain Fish During Pregnancy Associated With Poorer Cognitive Performance

Children who eat fish more than 3 times per week show a worse performance in the general cognitive, executive and perceptual-manipulative areas. Those with higher levels of exposure to mercury show a generalized delay in cognitive, memory and verbal areas. Mercury is a contaminant found especially in oily fish and canned fish and to a lesser extent in white fish.

This conclusion emerges from research conducted at the University of Granada, which warns of the need to assess children\’s health risk according to fish consumption, distinguishing between varieties or species they consume, especially in those areas where fish is part of the staple diet of the population.

The work entitled «Children\’s exposure to environmental contaminants in Granada and potential effects on health» was carried out by Carmen Freire Warden, from the Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine of the UGR, and led by professors Nicolás Olea and Marieta Fernández Serrano Cabrera.

For this study, scientists analyzed the exposure to environmental contaminants through water, air and diet, in a sample of 220 children in the geographic health care area of San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada. This study has described for the first time the extent of childhood exposure to environmental pollutants of special concern, such as trihalomethanes, NO2, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mercury. Following the hypotheses posed, this research assessed the combination of exposure to air pollution, on the one hand, and mercury, on the other, with child neurodevelopment at 4 years of age.

Mercury concentrations

Thus, total mercury concentrations found in the hair of 4 year-old-children from Granada were between 0.04 and 6.67 g / g. Concentrations were higher than those found in other paediatric populations with a lower consumption of fish, but lower than levels found in high consuming areas.

Important factors in this exposure were the place of residence, maternal age, passive exposure to tobacco smoke and consumption of oily fish. The results suggest that fish consumption is the main source of exposure to mercury in the sample population studied.

The work carried out at the University of Granada also suggests that in Granada, children\’s health risk from exposure to trihalomethanes via drinking water can be considered to be significantly lower than in other areas of the country, and that air pollutant NO2 concentrations (measured in the external environment of the study area) were also lower than those described in other Spanish cities. Traffic of motor vehicles is the main source of emission of these pollutants in the study area.

Moreover, the research also revealed that there is a direct relationship between children\’s passive exposure to tobacco smoke and the use of gas stoves inside houses, and the presence of 1-hydroxypyrene, an indicator of exposure to damaging health air pollutants.

Researchers warn that although environmental exposure levels found in children are low enough not to cause any obvious concern, they could have an impact on child development in the long-term, only appearing as symptoms many years after first exposure. Consequently, they explain, «whatever the extent of involvement of environmental exposures in the etiology of the disease, the simple fact of acting very early in life opens the door to a transcendental field in public health: the possibility of applying early prevention measures to minimize problems.»
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The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine may also be detrimental for health

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine may also be detrimental for health

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine is not always beneficial for human health, it may even be harmful according to a work done by the University of Granada and University of Len. Scientists have demonstrated that transplantation of human mononuclear cells isolated from umbilical cord blood exerted a deleterious effect in rats with liver cirrhosis.

Researchers aimed to investigate whether the mononuclear cell fraction of human cord blood (HUCBM cells), which contains stem cells, might be useful in hepatic regenerative medicine. Both histological and biochemical findings obtained in this research suggest that cell transplantation did not improve the health of sick animals but it induced a hepatorenal syndrome instead.

The authors of this work are Ana I lvarez-Mercado, Mara V Garca-Mediavilla, Sonia Snchez-Campos, Francisco Abada, Mara J Sez-Lara, Mara Cabello-Donayre, ngel Gil, Javier Gonzlez-Gallego and Luis Fontana, researchers from the University of Granada and University of Len.

Research in rats

In order to evaluate the regenerative potential of HUCBM cells, researchers carried out a human-to-rat xenograft. First, liver cirrhosis was induced to rats by administration of 0.3 g/L thioacetamide (TAA) in drinking water throughout 4 months. Later on, ten million HUCBM cells were injected through the portal vein. A similar transplantation experiment was done in control rats, i. e., rats that drank water, not TAA.

TAA induced nodular cirrhosis to animals. Cell therapy did not have any effect on hepatic histology, but analysis of biochemical parameters revealed that cirrhotic rats subjected to transplantation exhibited alterations in liver fuction (lower albumin concentration and higher bilirubin concentration in plasma compared to cirrhotic rats that did not receive HUCBM cells). Also, the group with cirrhosis that received HUCBM cells showed renal damage.

Nowadays, approximately 17% of the world population is affected by liver diseases. There is to date no specific treatment for the liver fibrosis that develops in chronic hepatic diseases, and patients receive treatment for its associated complications. In addition, the current therapy for end-stage hepatic disease, whole liver transplantation, is limited by the shortage of organ donors. Accordingly, novel therapies, such as the use of cord blood stem cells, are required to alleviate the suffering of many patients. This work, however, highlights the need of further research in the area of hepatic regenerative medicine.

The work has been funded by Fondo de Investigacin Sanitaria (Instituto de Salud Carlos III), FEDER, Consejera de Innovacin, Ciencia y Empresa (Junta de Andaluca), Consejera de Sanidad (Junta de Castilla y Len), and Federacin de Cajas de Ahorro de Castilla y Len. It will appear in the November issue of the journal Cell Transplantation.
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Consumption of certain fish during pregnancy associated with poorer cognitive performance

Consumption of certain fish during pregnancy associated with poorer cognitive performance

Children who eat fish more than 3 times per week show a worse performance in the general cognitive, executive and perceptual-manipulative areas. Those with higher levels of exposure to mercury show a generalised delay in cognitive, memory and verbal areas. Mercury is a contaminant found especially in oily fish and canned fish and to a lesser extent in white fish. This conclusion emerges from research conducted at the University of Granada, which warns of the need to assess children\’s health risk according to fish consumption, distinguishing between varieties or species they consume, especially in those areas where fish is part of the staple diet of the population.

The work entitled «Children\’s exposure to environmental contaminants in Granada and potential effects on health» was carried out by Carmen Freire Warden, from the Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine of the UGR, and led by professors Nicolás Olea and Marieta Fernández Serrano Cabrera.

For this study, scientists analyzed the exposure to environmental contaminants through water, air and diet, in a sample of 220 children in the geographic health care area of San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada. This study has described for the first time the extent of childhood exposure to environmental pollutants of special concern, such as trihalomethanes, NO2, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mercury. Following the hypotheses posed, this research assessed the combination of exposure to air pollution, on the one hand, and mercury, on the other, with child neurodevelopment at 4 years of age.

Mercury concentrations

Thus, total mercury concentrations found in the hair of 4 year-old-children from Granada were between 0.04 and 6.67 g / g. Concentrations were higher than those found in other paediatric populations with a lower consumption of fish, but lower than levels found in high consuming areas.

Important factors in this exposure were the place of residence, maternal age, passive exposure to tobacco smoke and consumption of oily fish. The results suggest that fish consumption is the main source of exposure to mercury in the sample population studied.

The work carried out at the University of Granada also suggests that in Granada, children\’s health risk from exposure to trihalomethanes via drinking water can be considered to be significantly lower than in other areas of the country, and that air pollutant NO2 concentrations (measured in the external environment of the study area) were also lower than those described in other Spanish cities. Traffic of motor vehicles is the main source of emission of these pollutants in the study area.

Moreover, the research also revealed that there is a direct relationship between children\’s passive exposure to tobacco smoke and the use of gas stoves inside houses, and the presence of 1-hydroxypyrene, an indicator of exposure to damaging health air pollutants.

Researchers warn that although environmental exposure levels found in children are low enough not to cause any obvious concern, they could have an impact on child development in the long-term, only appearing as symptoms many years after first exposure. Consequently, they explain, «whatever the extent of involvement of environmental exposures in the etiology of the disease, the simple fact of acting very early in life opens the door to a transcendental field in public health: the possibility of applying early prevention measures to minimize problems.»
Descargar


Consumption of certain fish during pregnancy associated with poorer cognitive performance

Consumption of certain fish during pregnancy associated with poorer cognitive performance

Children who eat fish more than 3 times per week show a worse performance in the general cognitive, executive and perceptual-manipulative areas. Those with higher levels of exposure to mercury show a generalised delay in cognitive, memory and verbal areas. Mercury is a contaminant found especially in oily fish and canned fish and to a lesser extent in white fish.

This conclusion emerges from research conducted at the University of Granada, which warns of the need to assess children\’s health risk according to fish consumption, distinguishing between varieties or species they consume, especially in those areas where fish is part of the staple diet of the population.

The work entitled «Children\’s exposure to environmental contaminants in Granada and potential effects on health» was carried out by Carmen Freire Warden, from the Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine of the UGR, and led by professors Nicolás Olea and Marieta Fernández Serrano Cabrera.

For this study, scientists analyzed the exposure to environmental contaminants through water, air and diet, in a sample of 220 children in the geographic health care area of San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada. This study has described for the first time the extent of childhood exposure to environmental pollutants of special concern, such as trihalomethanes, NO2, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mercury. Following the hypotheses posed, this research assessed the combination of exposure to air pollution, on the one hand, and mercury, on the other, with child neurodevelopment at 4 years of age.

Mercury concentrations

Thus, total mercury concentrations found in the hair of 4 year-old-children from Granada were between 0.04 and 6.67 g / g. Concentrations were higher than those found in other paediatric populations with a lower consumption of fish, but lower than levels found in high consuming areas.

Important factors in this exposure were the place of residence, maternal age, passive exposure to tobacco smoke and consumption of oily fish. The results suggest that fish consumption is the main source of exposure to mercury in the sample population studied.

The work carried out at the University of Granada also suggests that in Granada, children\’s health risk from exposure to trihalomethanes via drinking water can be considered to be significantly lower than in other areas of the country, and that air pollutant NO2 concentrations (measured in the external environment of the study area) were also lower than those described in other Spanish cities. Traffic of motor vehicles is the main source of emission of these pollutants in the study area.

Moreover, the research also revealed that there is a direct relationship between children\’s passive exposure to tobacco smoke and the use of gas stoves inside houses, and the presence of 1-hydroxypyrene, an indicator of exposure to damaging health air pollutants.

Researchers warn that although environmental exposure levels found in children are low enough not to cause any obvious concern, they could have an impact on child development in the long-term, only appearing as symptoms many years after first exposure. Consequently, they explain, «whatever the extent of involvement of environmental exposures in the etiology of the disease, the simple fact of acting very early in life opens the door to a transcendental field in public health: the possibility of applying early prevention measures to minimize problems.»

These research results were recently published in scientific journals such as Environmental Research, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Science of the Total Environment and Gaceta Sanitaria.
Descargar


The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine may also be detrimental for health

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine may also be detrimental for health

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine is not always beneficial for human health, it may even be harmful according to a work done by the University of Granada and University of León. Scientists have demonstrated that transplantation of human mononuclear cells isolated from umbilical cord blood exerted a deleterious effect in rats with liver cirrhosis.

Researchers aimed to investigate whether the mononuclear cell fraction of human cord blood (HUCBM cells), which contains stem cells, might be useful in hepatic regenerative medicine. Both histological and biochemical findings obtained in this research suggest that cell transplantation did not improve the health of sick animals but it induced a hepatorenal syndrome instead.

The authors of this work are Ana I Álvarez-Mercado, María V García-Mediavilla, Sonia Sánchez-Campos, Francisco Abadía, María J Sáez-Lara, María Cabello-Donayre, Ángel Gil, Javier González-Gallego and Luis Fontana, researchers from the University of Granada and University of León.

Research in rats

In order to evaluate the regenerative potential of HUCBM cells, researchers carried out a human-to-rat xenograft. First, liver cirrhosis was induced to rats by administration of 0.3 g/L thioacetamide (TAA) in drinking water throughout 4 months. Later on, ten million HUCBM cells were injected through the portal vein. A similar transplantation experiment was done in control rats, i. e., rats that drank water, not TAA.

TAA induced nodular cirrhosis to animals. Cell therapy did not have any effect on hepatic histology, but analysis of biochemical parameters revealed that cirrhotic rats subjected to transplantation exhibited alterations in liver fuction (lower albumin concentration and higher bilirubin concentration in plasma compared to cirrhotic rats that did not receive HUCBM cells). Also, the group with cirrhosis that received HUCBM cells showed renal damage.

Nowadays, approximately 17% of the world population is affected by liver diseases. There is to date no specific treatment for the liver fibrosis that develops in chronic hepatic diseases, and patients receive treatment for its associated complications. In addition, the current therapy for end-stage hepatic disease, whole liver transplantation, is limited by the shortage of organ donors. Accordingly, novel therapies, such as the use of cord blood stem cells, are required to alleviate the suffering of many patients. This work, however, highlights the need of further research in the area of hepatic regenerative medicine.

The work will appear in the November issue of the journal Cell Transplantation.
Descargar


Consumption of certain fish during pregnancy associated with poorer cognitive performance

Consumption of certain fish during pregnancy associated with poorer cognitive performance

Children who eat fish more than 3 times per week show a worse performance in the general cognitive, executive and perceptual-manipulative areas. Those with higher levels of exposure to mercury show a generalised delay in cognitive, memory and verbal areas. Mercury is a contaminant found especially in oily fish and canned fish and to a lesser extent in white fish.

This conclusion emerges from research conducted at the University of Granada, which warns of the need to assess children\’s health risk according to fish consumption, distinguishing between varieties or species they consume, especially in those areas where fish is part of the staple diet of the population.

The work entitled «Children\’s exposure to environmental contaminants in Granada and potential effects on health» was carried out by Carmen Freire Warden, from the Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine of the UGR, and led by professors Nicolás Olea and Marieta Fernández Serrano Cabrera.

For this study, scientists analyzed the exposure to environmental contaminants through water, air and diet, in a sample of 220 children in the geographic health care area of San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada. This study has described for the first time the extent of childhood exposure to environmental pollutants of special concern, such as trihalomethanes, NO2, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mercury. Following the hypotheses posed, this research assessed the combination of exposure to air pollution, on the one hand, and mercury, on the other, with child neurodevelopment at 4 years of age.

Mercury concentrations

Thus, total mercury concentrations found in the hair of 4 year-old-children from Granada were between 0.04 and 6.67 g / g. Concentrations were higher than those found in other paediatric populations with a lower consumption of fish, but lower than levels found in high consuming areas.

Important factors in this exposure were the place of residence, maternal age, passive exposure to tobacco smoke and consumption of oily fish. The results suggest that fish consumption is the main source of exposure to mercury in the sample population studied.

The work carried out at the University of Granada also suggests that in Granada, children\’s health risk from exposure to trihalomethanes via drinking water can be considered to be significantly lower than in other areas of the country, and that air pollutant NO2 concentrations (measured in the external environment of the study area) were also lower than those described in other Spanish cities. Traffic of motor vehicles is the main source of emission of these pollutants in the study area.

Moreover, the research also revealed that there is a direct relationship between children\’s passive exposure to tobacco smoke and the use of gas stoves inside houses, and the presence of 1-hydroxypyrene, an indicator of exposure to damaging health air pollutants.

Researchers warn that although environmental exposure levels found in children are low enough not to cause any obvious concern, they could have an impact on child development in the long-term, only appearing as symptoms many years after first exposure. Consequently, they explain, «whatever the extent of involvement of environmental exposures in the etiology of the disease, the simple fact of acting very early in life opens the door to a transcendental field in public health: the possibility of applying early prevention measures to minimize problems.»
Descargar


The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine may also be detrimental for health

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine may also be detrimental for health

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine is not always beneficial for human health, it may even be harmful according to a work done by the University of Granada and University of León. Scientists have demonstrated that transplantation of human mononuclear cells isolated from umbilical cord blood exerted a deleterious effect in rats with liver cirrhosis.

Researchers aimed to investigate whether the mononuclear cell fraction of human cord blood (HUCBM cells), which contains stem cells, might be useful in hepatic regenerative medicine. Both histological and biochemical findings obtained in this research suggest that cell transplantation did not improve the health of sick animals but it induced a hepatorenal syndrome instead.

The authors of this work are Ana I Álvarez-Mercado, María V García-Mediavilla, Sonia Sánchez-Campos, Francisco Abadía, María J Sáez-Lara, María Cabello-Donayre, Ángel Gil, Javier González-Gallego and Luis Fontana, researchers from the University of Granada and University of León.

Research in rats

In order to evaluate the regenerative potential of HUCBM cells, researchers carried out a human-to-rat xenograft. First, liver cirrhosis was induced to rats by administration of 0.3 g/L thioacetamide (TAA) in drinking water throughout 4 months. Later on, ten million HUCBM cells were injected through the portal vein. A similar transplantation experiment was done in control rats, i. e., rats that drank water, not TAA.

TAA induced nodular cirrhosis to animals. Cell therapy did not have any effect on hepatic histology, but analysis of biochemical parameters revealed that cirrhotic rats subjected to transplantation exhibited alterations in liver fuction (lower albumin concentration and higher bilirubin concentration in plasma compared to cirrhotic rats that did not receive HUCBM cells). Also, the group with cirrhosis that received HUCBM cells showed renal damage.

Nowadays, approximately 17% of the world population is affected by liver diseases. There is to date no specific treatment for the liver fibrosis that develops in chronic hepatic diseases, and patients receive treatment for its associated complications. In addition, the current therapy for end-stage hepatic disease, whole liver transplantation, is limited by the shortage of organ donors. Accordingly, novel therapies, such as the use of cord blood stem cells, are required to alleviate the suffering of many patients. This work, however, highlights the need of further research in the area of hepatic regenerative medicine.

The work has been funded by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (Instituto de Salud Carlos III), FEDER, Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa (Junta de Andalucía), Consejería de Sanidad (Junta de Castilla y León), and Federación de Cajas de Ahorro de Castilla y León. It will appear in the November issue of the journal Cell Transplantation.
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Childhood exposure to environmental pollutants could impact development in the long-term

Childhood exposure to environmental pollutants could impact development in the long-term

Children who eat fish more than 3 times per week show a worse performance in the general cognitive, executive and perceptual-manipulative areas. Those with higher levels of exposure to mercury show a generalised delay in cognitive, memory and verbal areas. Mercury is a contaminant found especially in oily fish and canned fish and to a lesser extent in white fish.

This conclusion emerges from research conducted at the University of Granada, which warns of the need to assess children\’s health risk according to fish consumption, distinguishing between varieties or species they consume, especially in those areas where fish is part of the staple diet of the population.

The work entitled «Children\’s exposure to environmental contaminants in Granada and potential effects on health» was carried out by Carmen Freire Warden, from the Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine of the UGR, and led by professors Nicolás Olea and Marieta Fernández Serrano Cabrera.

For this study, scientists analyzed the exposure to environmental contaminants through water, air and diet, in a sample of 220 children in the geographic health care area of San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada. This study has described for the first time the extent of childhood exposure to environmental pollutants of special concern, such as trihalomethanes, NO2, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mercury. Following the hypotheses posed, this research assessed the combination of exposure to air pollution, on the one hand, and mercury, on the other, with child neurodevelopment at 4 years of age.

Mercury concentrations
Thus, total mercury concentrations found in the hair of 4 year-old-children from Granada were between 0.04 and 6.67 g / g. Concentrations were higher than those found in other paediatric populations with a lower consumption of fish, but lower than levels found in high consuming areas.

Important factors in this exposure were the place of residence, maternal age, passive exposure to tobacco smoke and consumption of oily fish. The results suggest that fish consumption is the main source of exposure to mercury in the sample population studied.

The work carried out at the University of Granada also suggests that in Granada, children\’s health risk from exposure to trihalomethanes via drinking water can be considered to be significantly lower than in other areas of the country, and that air pollutant NO2 concentrations (measured in the external environment of the study area) were also lower than those described in other Spanish cities. Traffic of motor vehicles is the main source of emission of these pollutants in the study area.

Moreover, the research also revealed that there is a direct relationship between children\’s passive exposure to tobacco smoke and the use of gas stoves inside houses, and the presence of 1-hydroxypyrene, an indicator of exposure to damaging health air pollutants.

Researchers warn that although environmental exposure levels found in children are low enough not to cause any obvious concern, they could have an impact on child development in the long-term, only appearing as symptoms many years after first exposure. Consequently, they explain, «whatever the extent of involvement of environmental exposures in the etiology of the disease, the simple fact of acting very early in life opens the door to a transcendental field in public health: the possibility of applying early prevention measures to minimize problems.»

These research results were recently published in scientific journals such as Environmental Research, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Science of the Total Environment and Gaceta Sanitaria
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