[Effects of experimental digitalic poisoning on some liver dehydrogenases].
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
F Tomei
Publications and source records attributed to F Tomei.
[Significance and value of the nitrite test in angiology].
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Arteriosclerosis↗
Hypertension and chronic exposure to noise.
The effects of noise on various cardiovascular parameters are conflicting and uncertain. In the current study, the authors studied 52 workers who were employed in a bedframe factory who were chronically exposed to noise and who had poor hearing. An additional group of 65 workers who had jobs in the light-metal sector and another group of 64 office workers served as two control groups; none of the controls were exposed to noise, and none had hearing defects. Blood pressure was measured for each person in the supine and standing positions, and an electrocardiogram was also performed. Sound-level measurements were taken in the workplaces. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures and diastolic blood pressure distributions were significantly higher in the noise-exposed group than in both control groups. Among the three groups, there were significantly different frequencies of hypertension, drops in blood pressure, and electrocardiogram anomalies. Within the group of bedframe workers, those exposed to a personal daily level of exposure (i.e., equivalent continuous noise level for exposure to noise for each individual workers in an 8-hr shift) that exceeded 90 dBA had a higher mean diastolic blood pressure and a higher frequency of diastolic hypertension than workers exposed to a personal daily level of exposure of < 90 dBA. The findings suggested that (a) work performed by the bedframe group had some effects on the cardiovascular system, (b) noise is a cardiovascular risk factor, and (c) cardiovascular effects are relative to intensity and type of exposure. Vascular damage often accompanies auditory damage, but--depending on individual susceptibility--the cardiovascular system can respond in various ways.
Adult↗
Liver damage in pharmaceutical industry workers.
A group of workers who were employed at a pharmaceutical manufacturing company and who participated in the entire production cycle were studied. Numerous substances, including iodo-chloro-oxyquinoline, erythromycin, disinfectants, small amounts of cortisones, and preserving agents (prevan and parabenzoates), were used in the manufacturing processes. A control group comprised individuals who were not exposed to hepatotoxic substances. This investigation was designed to determine the risk of hepatotoxicity in the pharmaceutical industry, and a protocol was used that allowed for ease of screening. In the presence of a physician, all subjects completed a clinical history questionnaire. They all underwent a general clinical examination, and specific blood chemistry tests were performed. Certain liver indices that were correlated with cytotoxicity were significantly higher in the pharmaceutical workers than among the controls. The findings confirmed that there was a problem of hepatic involvement among workers in this sector, indicating that the clinical-biohumoral screening protocol used in this study was valid for identifying subjects at risk of hepatotoxicity.
Adult↗
Adenine nucleotides and some related enzyme activities (adenylate kinase and phosphoglycerate kinase) in normal and abnormal human semen.
Adenine nucleotides (ATP and ADP) and enzyme activities of Adenylate Kinase (AK) and Phosphoglycerate Kinase (PGK) were assayed on semen samples from normal and infertile men. In accordance with the values obtained, samples could be classified into two groups: one group with levels of either adenine nucleotides and enzymes assumed as normal; a second group with high levels of all the parameters. The latter group comprised the samples with low sperm density (less than 40 million/ml). When the samples were subdivided according to sperm motility, the above distinction into two groups appeared less evident. Moreover, comparing biochemical parameters with morphological findings some contrasts were seen. Nevertheless, we suggest comparing both biochemical and morphological data for a more detailed classification of human semen abnormalities.
Adenine Nucleotides↗
Metal binding to Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin: a kinetic investigation.
The interaction between azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Ag(I), Cu(II), Hg(II), was investigated as a function of protein state, i.e. apo-, reduced and oxidised azurin. Two different metal binding sites, characterized by two different spectroscopic absorbancies, were detected: one is accessible to Ag(I) and Cu(II) but not to Hg(II); the other one binds Ag(I) and Hg(II) but not copper. When added in stoichiometric amount, Ag(I) shows high affinity for the redox center of apo-azurin, to which it probably binds by the -SH group of Cys112; it can displace Cu(I) from reducedazurin, while it does not bind to the redox center of oxidizedazurin. Kinetic experiments show that Ag(I) binding to the reduced form is four times faster than binding to the apo-form. This result suggests that metal binding requires a conformational rearrangement of the active site of the azurin. Interaction of Ag(I) or Hg(II) ions to the second metal binding site, induces typical changes of UV spectrum and quenching of fluorescence emission.
Azurin↗
[Agricultural work: noise exposure and cardiovascular effects].
Aim of the study was to assess cardiovascular effects in the farmers exposed to noise. We assessed two samples of 143 farmers using tactor (mean age 51.0 +/- 10.5 years, length of service 33.0 +/- 10.5 years) and 193 farmers not exposed to noise (controls) (mean age 48.3 +/- 13.7 years, length of service 30.6 +/- 14.7 years). After the phonometric measurements all farmers were undergone to a medical examination, measurements of blood pressure, a audiometric test and a electrocardiogram. The collected data show an increased prevalence of hypertension and electrocardiographic anomalies in farmers exposed to noise (systolic hypertension n. 53, 37.1%; diastolic hypertension n. 60, 42.0%; electrocardiographic anomalies n. 44; 30.8%) compared to the control group (systolic hypertension n. 23, 16.1%; diastolic hypertension n. 26, 18.2%; electrocardiographic anomalies n. 5; 3.5%) (systolic hypertension p = 0.002; diastolic hypertension p = 0.003; electrocardiographic anomalies p = 0.030). Our results could be taken to mean that there are effects of chronic exposure to noise on cardiovascular apparatus; this would stimulate the screening programmes for farmers.
Agriculture↗
[PCBs cause necrosis of L6C5 myoblasts].
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are structurally related to dioxins, widely used in the past in various industrial applications and daily used products. Although PCBs production was discontinued more than twenty years ago, their chemical stability and high lipophilicity make them persistent pollutants and dangerous occupational contaminants. Skeletal muscle is an important site of PCB accumulation. Our previous results about the effects of PCBs on L6C5 myoblasts, showed that "low concentrations" (< 10 microg/ml) of these compounds inhibit in vitro myogenic differentiation in a concentration-dependent fashion, while toxic effects only begin to be evident at PCB concentrations > or = 10 microg/ml. In the present paper we wondered if the observed cell mortality is due to necrosis or if it depends on the activation of programmed cell death mechanisms (apoptosis). Using different methods of analysis, we have observed that PCBs cause necrosis of myogenic cells and that such effect is related to the employed concentrations and to the time of exposure (EC50 approximately = 50 microg/ml). Our results may help to explain the creatin kinase elevation, observed in the blood of patients acutely exposed to high concentrations of PCBs, as the consequence of a necrotic damage of the skeletal muscle. It will be therefore interesting to evaluate the presence of muscular damages in the chronic exposures to PCBs.
Animals↗
Protection of third parties in current legislation and preventive practice.
The problem of safety and the management of risks to third parties, which may be caused by a change in the mental or physical health of an employee, is one which affects a number of different areas (infectious diseases, psychiatric illnesses, conditions of drug and alcohol abuse, etc.). Italian legislation deals with the issue of fitness for work through a variety of laws, decrees and regulations which, because many of them were issued in different historical circumstances, are not always mutually harmonized. The growing complexity of the workplace makes the role of the Occupational Physician more complex, and to this person the law assigns the exclusive task of monitoring the health of employees in the cases covered by the current regulations. In our opinion, the Occupational Physician, to the best of his knowledge and conscience, having taken into consideration all the aforementioned factors, must take each case on its merits, in the most responsible manner possible, weighing up the complexity and delicacy of the aspects discussed earlier, and decide to deliver a verdict of fitness and/or to break or not to break the obligation of confidentiality, tending, in our view, to favour the need to safeguard collective health, or that of third parties, should there be a conflict of interest.
Humans↗
[The work environment in steel-cord production].
We present the most interesting results of an environmental survey carried out in a factory producing steel-cord. On the basis of our data it results that the most important risks are due to the exposition to noise, to microclimate (particularly during summer) and to some gaseous pollutants which are present only in some departments. We briefly analyse the main lines of technical prevention.
Dust↗
[Chronic noise exposure and the cardiovascular system in aircraft pilots].
The aim of this study was to assess whether pilots are exposed to any risk of effects on the cardiovascular apparatus, whether chronic exposure to noise can be a risk factor for this occupation, the importance of intensity, length and type of exposure to noise, and if any relationship exists between audiometric deficits and cardiovascular effects. The study comprised 416 pilots subdivided into two groups according to the different levels of chronic exposure to noise, and a group of 150 control subjects not exposed to noise. The results showed: a) a higher prevalence of hypertension, nearly always diastolic, and of ECG abnormalities in the group of pilots of turboprop aircraft compared to jet plane pilots and to controls (p < 0.005 and p < 0.01 respectively); b) a higher prevalence of orthostatic hypotension in the two groups of pilots than in the controls (p < 0.05); c) a higher prevalence of hypertension with audiometric deficit compared to hypertension without audiometric deficit both in the more heavily and in the less heavily exposed to noise (p < 0.05), and a higher prevalence of hypertension with audiometric deficit in subjects exposed to higher levels of noise compared to hypertension with deficit but in subjects with lower levels of exposure (p < 0.05); d) a higher prevalence of abnormalities of basal, maximum effort and recovery ECG in pilots exposed to higher noise intensity (p < 0.05); e) improved hypertensive response to ergometric test in pilots with basal hypertension; f) subjects with a maximal load up to 120 W belonged prevalently to the group exposed to more intense noise (p < 0.001), while those with maximal load up to 210 W (p < 0.001) belonged to the group exposed to less intense noise. Considering that pilots are comparable for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, including age, both within the group and with the controls, the results confirm 1) that pilots could be exposed to the risk of effects on the cardiovascular apparatus, 2) that noise could be one of the risk factors and that cardiovascular effects could be related to intensity, type and length of exposure, age being the same, 3) that vascular damage is often accompanied by hearing loss even if the response of the auditory apparatus is different from the response of the cardiovascular apparatus, 4) that the postural diminution of arterial blood pressure might be a sign of a cardiovascular effect of noise. Lastly, a higher hypertensive response in hypertensive pilots suggests that basal hypertension is not reversible. Also a longer exposure to noise seems to influence the cardiovascular apparatus, causing a decrease in the response to work loads due to a lower sympathetic adaptability. The altered response of sympathetic activity to the postural modifications in the more exposed subjects and the response to lower work loads in pilots exposed to more intense noise, suggests a hypothesis of catecholamine depletion and alteration of baroceptor sensitivity as a consequence of chronic sympathetic activation due to chronic exposure to noise.
Adult↗