MCS America ©: May 2009

This study examined whether deficits in cardiac output and blood volume in a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) cohort were present and linked to illness severity and sedentary lifestyle. Follow-up analyses assessed whether differences between CFS and control groups in cardiac output levels were corrected by controlling for cardiac contractility and total blood volume (TBV). The 146 participants were subdivided into two CFS groups based on symptom severity data, severe (n=30) vs. non-severe (n=26), and two healthy non-CFS control groups based on physical activity, sedentary (n=58) vs. non-sedentary (n=32). Controls were matched to CFS participants using age, sex, ethnicity and body mass. Echocardiographic measures indicated that the severe CFS participants displayed 10.2% lower cardiac volume (i.e., stroke index and end diastolic volume) and 25.1% lower contractility (velocity of circumferential shortening corrected by heart rate) than the control groups. Dual tag blood volume assessments indicated that CFS groups had lower TBV, plasma volume (PV) and red blood cell volume (RBCV) than control groups. Of the CFS subjects with a TBV deficit (i.e., >/=8% below ideal levels), the mean +/-SD percent deficit in TBV, PV and RBCV were 15.4+/-4.0, 13.2+/-5.0, and 19.1+/-6.3, respectively. Lower CFS cardiac volume levels were substantially corrected by controlling for prevailing TBV deficits, but were not affected by controlling for cardiac contractility. Analyses indicated that the TBV deficit explained 91-94% of the group differences in cardiac volume indices. Group differences in cardiac structure were offsetting and hence no differences emerged for LV mass index. Therefore, the findings indicate that lower cardiac volume levels, displayed primarily by persons with severe-CFS, were not linked to diminished cardiac contractility levels, but were likely a consequence of a comorbid hypovolemic condition. Further study is needed to address the extent to which the CFS cardiac and blood volume alterations have physiological and clinical significance.

PMID: 19469714 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Relationships among prenatal aeroallergen exposure and maternal and cord blood IgE: project ACCESS.

J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009 May;123(5):1041-6. Epub 2009 Apr 10.

Relationships among prenatal aeroallergen exposure and maternal and cord blood IgE: project ACCESS.

Peters JL, Suglia SF, Platts-Mills TA, Hosen J, Gold DR, Wright RJ.

Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass 02215, USA.

BACKGROUND: Whereas some evidence suggests that antigen sensitization may begin prenatally, the influence of maternal allergen exposure during pregnancy has not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVES: We examined the relationship between prenatal maternal aeroallergen exposure and cord blood total IgE and the potential mediating/indirect effect of maternal immune response. METHODS: This study was performed in 301 mother-infant pairs enrolled in the Asthma Coalition on Community, Environment, and Social Stress (ACCESS) project, a study examining the effects of prenatal and early life social and physical environmental exposures on urban asthma risk. Dust samples collected prenatally from mothers' bedrooms were analyzed for cockroach and dust mite allergens. Cord blood was analyzed for total IgE, and maternal serum collected during pregnancy for total and specific IgE. We assessed the relationship between prenatal exposure and cord blood total IgE and the potential mediation effect adjusting for maternal age, race, education, smoking status, and dust collection season; and child's sex and season of birth. RESULTS: In multivariate models, elevated prenatal dust mite levels (>0.2 microg/g) increased cord blood IgE concentrations by 29% (P = .08), and continuous dust mite concentration was associated with a significant nonlinear increase in cord blood IgE (P = .02). Elevated prenatal exposure to cockroach allergen (>2 U/g) was not associated with cord blood IgE, but showed a significant indirect relationship through maternal total IgE (beta = 0.23; 95% CI, 0.08-0.41). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that maternal prenatal exposure to household allergens may affect cord blood IgE, albeit the underlying mechanism may be allergen-specific.

PMID: 19361844 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Patients treated by tegaserod for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation showed significant improvement in fibromyalgia symptoms. A pilot study.

Clin Rheumatol. 2009 May 26. [Epub ahead of print]

Patients treated by tegaserod for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation showed significant improvement in fibromyalgia symptoms. A pilot study.

Reitblat T, Zamir D, Polishchuck I, Novochatko G, Malnick S, Kalichman L.

Rheumatology Unit, Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel.

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are commonly seen in fibromyalgia (FM) patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 5-hydroxytryptamin-4 receptor partial agonist (tegaserod) on the symptoms of FM among the patients who receive the medicine because of IBS. Forty-one female patients with IBS and constipation, which were subjects to tegaserod treatment, were examined by rheumatologist and 14 were found to suffer from FM. The fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) and clinical examination were done before tegaserod treatment and 1 month after. The IBS status, the total FIQ score, the number of tender points and pain in tender points were lowered significantly after the treatment (p < 0.001 for all variables). The results of this pilot study provide the preliminary evidence that FM patients can benefit from treatment by 5-hydroxytryptamin-4 receptor partial agonist. Additional studies are needed to support this conclusion.

PMID: 19468788 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Fibromyalgia prevalence in Tunisia]

Tunis Med. 2008 Sep;86(9):806-11.

[Fibromyalgia prevalence in Tunisia]

[Article in French]

Guermazi M, Ghroubi S, Sellami M, Elleuch M, Feki H, André E, Schmitt C, Taieb C, Damak J, Baklouti S, Elleuch MH.

Service de médecine physique et de réadaptation fonctionnelle CHU Habib Bourguiba, 3029 Sfax Tunisie.

OBJECTIVE: to estimate fibromyalgia (FM) prevalence in Tunisia. METHODS: Data on a cross-section of 1000 individuals aged 15 years or older living in Sfax were collected by interviewers using the London Fibromyalgia Epidemiology Study Screening Questionnaire (LFES- SQ). The sampling was realized by empirical poll and respecting quota according to delegation, rural or urban environment, sex and age according to the demographic national data. The positive screened subjects were invited to be examined to confirm or exclude the FM by applying the 1999 ACR criteria. The questionnaire was administered to a second group of 252 volunteers, all were afterward examined. This allowed to study specificity and sensibility of the questionnaire and allowed to calculate the FM prevalence. RESULTS: 159 subjects were screened positive, only 141 were examined. The specialized exam allowed confirming the diagnosis of FM in 67 subjects. FM prevalence is different according to sex, age, study level and socio-economic level. Two hundred and fifty two volunteers answered the questionnaire then all examined. The questionnaire specificity was 90.8% and the sensibility 79.4%. FM prevalence in Tunisia, calculated by Bayes theorem, is estimated between 8.27% and 12.3%. CONCLUSION: FM prevalence in Tunisia is estimated at least at 8.27%.

PMID: 19472780 [PubMed - in process]

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Point-of-Sale Printers May Trigger Asthma

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/05/27/hscout627449.html

Chemical on receipts, coupons, tickets the likely culprit, report suggests

Testing for Treatable Chemical Injury

http://www.chemicalinjury.net/html/testing_for_treatable_chemical.html

Monday, May 25, 2009

A National Study of Residential Pesticides Measured from Floor Wipes

American Healthy Homes Survey: A National Study of Residential Pesticides Measured from Floor Wipes
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es8030243

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in collaboration with the United States Environmental Protection Agency conducted a survey measuring lead, allergens, and insecticides in a randomly selected nationally representative sample of residential homes. Multistage sampling with clustering was used to select the 1131 homes of which a subset of 500 randomly selected homes included the collection of hard surface floor wipes. Samples were collected by trained field technicians between June 2005 and March 2006 using isopropanol wetted wipes.

Samples were analyzed for a suite of 24 compounds which included insecticides in the organochlorine, organophosphate, pyrethroid and phenylpyrazole classes, and the insecticide synergist piperonyl butoxide.

The most commonly detected were permethrin (89%), chlorpyrifos (78%), chlordane (64%), piperonyl butoxide (52%), cypermethrin (46%), and fipronil (40%). Mean and geometric mean (GM) concentrations varied widely among compounds, but were highest for trans-permethrin (mean 2.22 ng/cm2 and GM 0.14 ng/cm2) and cypermethrin (mean 2.9 ng/cm2 and GM 0.03 ng/cm2).

Results show that most floors in occupied homes in the U.S. have measurable levels of insecticides that may serve as sources of exposure to occupants.

Daniel M. Stout II*†, Karen D. Bradham†, Peter P. Egeghy†, Paul A. Jones†, Carry W. Croghan†, Peter A. Ashley‡, Eugene Pinzer‡, Warren Friedman‡, Marielle C. Brinkman§, Marcia G. Nishioka§ and David C. Cox
National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 seventh Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20410, Battelle Memorial Institute, 505 King Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43201, Quantech, 2020 N 14th St, Suite 41,0 Arlington, Virginia 22201
Environ. Sci. Technol., Article ASAP
Publication Date (Web): May 6, 2009
Copyright © 2009 American Chemical Society
* Corresponding author phone: (919) 541-5767; fax: (919) 541-0905; e-mail: stout.dan@epa.gov.

MCS Awareness Month

MCS Awareness Month
http://www..holistichelp.net/blog/mcs-awareness-month/

May is MCS, aka multiple chemical sensitivity, awareness month. Many of you may not be aware that this is a deeply personal issue for me, because I live with severe and disabling MCS. So this is a topic that I have a great deal of not only professional experience, but personal as well.

Despite the fact that more than 48 million Americans have some degree of chemical sensitivity, of which about 3 million are full blown MCS, it continues to be a condition that many people are unaware of and don't understand.

MCS is short for multiple chemical sensitivity and is sometimes called environmental illness syndrome or more recently chemical injury. The term chemical injury was coined in an attempt to find a better term that more accurately describes the condition. As anyone living with MCS knows, the term "sensitivity" really doesn't capture the essence of what this condition means. To some degree it really minimizes it and covers up the fact, which is that chemicals have injured the person inflicted, so therefore chemical injury is a much more accurate term. However, since most people continue to use the term MCS and it is the term that most people are aware of, we will continue to use it in this post.

<snip> See link for full article.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Respiratory morbidity and medical visits associated with dampness and air-conditioning in offices and homes.

Indoor Air. 2009 Feb;19(1):58-67. Epub 2008 Dec 2.

LinkOut

Respiratory morbidity and medical visits associated with dampness and air-conditioning in offices and homes.

Sahakian N, Park JH, Cox-Ganser J.

Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA. nsahakian@cdc.gov

We used data from 4345 adult US residents who were part of a 2004 national random mail survey to investigate associations between dampness and air-conditioning (AC) in homes and offices, and health outcomes, sick leave due to respiratory symptoms and medical visits during the past 12 months. We identified from this group 1396 office workers employed in professional, executive, administrative, managerial or administrative support occupations. Office workers reporting home dampness had an elevated prevalence of nasal symptoms [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.4, P = 0.01] and constitutional symptoms (PR = 1.3, P = 0.01) in the previous year. Office workers reporting workplace dampness had an elevated prevalence of sick leave attributed to respiratory symptoms (PR = 1.3, P = 0.04) in the previous year. Office workers with home AC were more likely to have visited a medical specialist in the previous year (PR = 1.3, P = 0.02). We did not find any statistically significant associations between workplace AC and any of the health outcomes. We estimated an annual cost of US$1.4 billion for excess respiratory-related sick leave among office workers with workplace dampness. Our study strengthens the evidence of a relationship between dampness and health effects, and highlights the resulting economic impact. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study adds to the literature on respiratory morbidity associated with home and office exposures to mold and dampness. Public health response to lessen these exposures will improve the health and well-being of residents and workers as well as diminish the economic burden of lost work time and medical costs.

PMID: 19076249 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Evaluation of urinary cortisol levels in women with Fibromyalgia.]

Med Clin (Barc). 2009 May 18.

[Evaluation of urinary cortisol levels in women with Fibromyalgia.]

[Article in Spanish]

Izquierdo Álvarez S, Bancalero Flores JL, María Del Carmen GP, Serrano Ostariz E, Alegre de Miquel C, Bocos Terraz JP.

Servicio de Bioquímica Clínica, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España.

OBJECTIVE: We propose a comparative study of urinary cortisol in a controlled simple group of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM) during a minimum time frame (3 years) vs. a normal group with the same characteristics of age and gender. Our objective is to demonstrate if urinary cortisol at lower levels than those found in the normal population, as long as FM is regarded, could help to evaluate the fatigue. METHODS: We determined the urinary cortisol in a group of 47 women with a clinical diagnosis of FM using the criteria from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990, with ages between 29 and 64 years, in whom an accurate sample was collected and cortisol was determined using an FPIA method. The results were compared with the urinary cortisol obtained in a group of 88 healthy women within the same age range as those with FM. RESULTS: Urinary cortisol in FM was 65.0mug/l (median), which was significantly lower than that of the healthy group (80.0mug/l), p<0.001. CONCLUSION: 33.4% of patients with FM displayed urinary cortisol concentrations significantly lower than the group of women without FM.

PMID: 19457504 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Chronic fatigue syndrome combines increased exercise-induced oxidative stress and reduced cytokine and Hsp responses.

J Intern Med. 2009 May 19. [Epub ahead of print]

Chronic fatigue syndrome combines increased exercise-induced oxidative stress and reduced cytokine and Hsp responses.

Jammes Y, Steinberg JG, Delliaux S, Brégeon F.

From the UMR MD2 (P2COE); and IFR Jean Roche, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée and Pulmonary Function Laboratory, North Hospital, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille, France.

Abstract. Jammes Y, Steinberg JG, Delliaux S, Brégeon F (Université de la Méditerranée and Pulmonary Function Laboratory, North Hospital, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille, France). Chronic fatigue syndrome combines increased exercise-induced oxidative stress and reduced cytokine and Hsp responses. J Intern Med 2009; doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2009.02079.xObjectives. As heat shock proteins (Hsp) protect the cells against the deleterious effects of oxidative stress, we hypothesized that Hsp expression might be reduced in patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) who present an accentuated exercise-induced oxidative stress. Design. This case-control study compared nine CFS patients to a gender-, age- and weight-matched control group of nine healthy sedentary subjects. Interventions. All subjects performed an incremental cycling exercise continued until exhaustion. We measured ventilation and respiratory gas exchange and evoked compound muscle potential (M-wave) recorded from vastus lateralis. Repetitive venous blood sampling allowed measurements of two markers of oxidative stress [thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced ascorbic acid (RAA)], two cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-alpha) and two Hsp (Hsp27 and Hsp70) at rest, during maximal exercise and the 60-min recovery period. Results. Compared with controls, resting CFS patients had low baseline levels of RAA and Hsp70. Their response to maximal exercise associated (i) M-wave alterations indicating reduced muscle membrane excitability, (ii) early and accentuated TBARS increase accompanying reduced changes in RAA level, (iii) absence of significant increase in IL-6 and TNF-alpha, and (iv) delayed and marked reduction of Hsp27 and Hsp70 variations. The post-exercise increase in TBARS was accentuated in individuals having the lowest variations of Hsp27 and Hsp70. Conclusions. The response of CFS patients to incremental exercise associates a lengthened and accentuated oxidative stress, which might result from delayed and insufficient Hsp production.

PMID: 19457057 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of fragrance allergens in baby bathwater.

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2009 May 21. [Epub ahead of print]

Solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of fragrance allergens in baby bathwater.

Lamas JP, Sanchez-Prado L, Garcia-Jares C, Llompart M.

Departamento de Quimica Analitica, Nutricion y Bromatologia, Facultad de Quimica, Instituto de Investigacion y Analisis Alimentario, Campus Sur, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

A method based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been optimized for the determination of fragrance allergens in water samples. This is the first study devoted to this family of cosmetic ingredients performed by SPME. The influence of parameters such as fibre coating, extraction and desorption temperatures, salting-out effect and sampling mode on the extraction efficiency has been studied by means of a mixed-level factorial design, which allowed the study of the main effects as well as two-factor interactions. Excluding desorption temperature, the other parameters were, in general, very important for the achievement of high response. The final procedure was based on headspace sampling at 100 degrees C, using polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene fibres. The method showed good linearity and precision for all compounds, with detection limits ranging from 0.001 to 0.3 ng mL(-1). Reliability was demonstrated through the evaluation of the recoveries in different real water samples, including baby bathwater and swimming pool water. The absence of matrix effects allowed the use of external standard calibration to quantify the target compounds in the samples. The proposed procedure was applied to the determination of allergens in several real samples. All the target compounds were found in the samples, and, in some cases, at quite high concentrations. The presence and the levels of these chemicals in baby bathwater should be a matter of concern.

PMID: 19458938 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Pituitary response to metyrapone in Gulf War veterans: Relationship to deployment, PTSD and unexplained health symptoms.

Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 May 13. [Epub ahead of print]

LinkOut

Pituitary response to metyrapone in Gulf War veterans: Relationship to deployment, PTSD and unexplained health symptoms.

Golier JA, Schmeidler J, Yehuda R.

Departments of Psychiatry, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States; Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.

OBJECTIVE: Gulf War deployment has been associated with a distinct neuroendocrine profile characterized by low 24h basal ACTH levels and enhanced cortisol and ACTH suppression to low-dose dexamethasone. The metyrapone stimulation test was performed to further characterize hypothalamic-pituitary activity in Gulf War veterans (GWV) and its relationship to unexplained medical symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: Eleven GWV without PTSD, 18 GWV with PTSD and 15 healthy subjects not exposed to the Gulf War theater (non-exposed) underwent the metyrapone stimulation test, which inhibits cortisol synthesis, impairs cortisol-mediated negative feedback inhibition and in turn increases levels of ACTH and 11-deoxycortisol, a cortisol precursor. These hormones were measured at baseline (7:00 a.m.) and at intervals (from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) following the administration of metyrapone 750mg orally at 7:05 a.m. and at 10:05 a.m. RESULTS: There were group differences in the ACTH response despite similar cortisol and 11-deoxycortisol responses to metyrapone. GWV without PTSD had a significantly attenuated ACTH response compared to non-exposed subjects; GWV with PTSD had a significantly higher ACTH response than GWV without PTSD but did not differ from non-exposed subjects. Among GWV, unexplained medical health symptoms (e.g., neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiac, and pulmonary symptoms) and PTSD symptoms were significantly positively associated with the ACTH response to metyrapone. CONCLUSION: Gulf War deployment is associated with a substantially lower ACTH response to metyrapone. In contrast, unexplained health symptoms and PTSD in Gulf War veterans are associated with relatively greater hypothalamic-pituitary activity which may reflect increased CRF activity and is evident only in consideration of deployment effects. This pattern of differences suggests either that Gulf War deployment and its associated exposures results in enduring changes in pituitary function or that reduced hypothalamic-pituitary activity protects against the development of PTSD and other deployment-related health problems.

PMID: 19446401 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Phenotypes of individuals affected by airborne chemicals in the general population.

Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2009 Mar;82(4):509-17. Epub 2008 Aug 28.

Phenotypes of individuals affected by airborne chemicals in the general population.

Berg ND, Linneberg A, Dirksen A, Elberling J.

The Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ledreborg Allé 40, Gentofte, Denmark. nidrbe01@geh.regionh.dk

OBJECTIVE: To characterise the chemical exposures and symptoms affecting individuals with subsequent adjustments of social life or occupational conditions, and further characterise these severely affected individuals. METHODS: All individuals (n = 1,134) who reported symptoms from airborne chemical exposures in a population-based questionnaire study of 6,000 individuals were included and dichotomised according to severity. Logistic regression models were used to characterise the group of severely affected individuals. RESULTS: Severely affected individuals reported more symptoms and exposures related to symptoms than less severely affected individuals, and the number of symptoms was more predictive for severity than the number of exposures. Most predictive for the severity of reported symptoms were CNS-symptoms other than headache (OR = 3.2, P < 0.001) and exposure to freshly printed papers or magazines (OR = 2.0, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: CNS-symptoms except from headache were a main characteristic of individuals severely affected by common chemical exposures in a general population-based sample.

PMID: 18751996 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

General practitioners' experiences with provision of healthcare to patients with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivity.

Scand J Prim Health Care. 2009 May 18:1-5. [Epub ahead of print]

General practitioners' experiences with provision of healthcare to patients with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivity.

Skovbjerg S, Duus Johansen J, Rasmussen A, Thorsen H, Elberling J.

Department of Dermatology, the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen.

Objective. To describe general practitioners' (GPs') evaluation of and management strategies in relation to patients who seek medical advice because of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). Design. A nationwide cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey. The survey included a sample of 1000 Danish GPs randomly drawn from the membership list of GPs in the Danish Medical Association. Setting. Denmark. Results. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 691 GPs (69%). Within the last 12 months 62.4% (n=431) of the GPs had been consulted by at least one patient with MCS. Of these, 55.2% of the GPs evaluated the patients' complaints as chronic and 46.2% stated that they were rarely able to meet the patients' expectations for healthcare. The majority, 73.5%, had referred patients to other medical specialties. The cause of MCS was perceived as multi-factorial by 64.3% of the GPs, as somatic/biologic by 27.6%, and as psychological by 7.2%. Partial or complete avoidance of chemical exposures was recommended by 86.3%. Clinical guidelines, diagnostic tools, or more insight in the pathophysiology were requested by 84.5% of the GPs. Conclusion. Despite the lack of formal diagnostic labelling the patient with MCS is well known by GPs. The majority of the GPs believed that MCS primarily has a multi-factorial explanation. However, perceptions of the course of the condition and management strategies differed, and many GPs found it difficult to meet the patients' expectations for healthcare. The majority of the GPs requested more knowledge and clinical guidelines for the management of this group of patients.

PMID: 19452353 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher

Adrenergic dysregulation and pain with and without acute beta-blockade in women with fibromyalgia and temporomandibular disorder.

J Pain. 2009 May;10(5):542-52.

Links

Adrenergic dysregulation and pain with and without acute beta-blockade in women with fibromyalgia and temporomandibular disorder.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19411061

Light KC, Bragdon EE, Grewen KM, Brownley KA, Girdler SS, Maixner W.

Health Sciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Kathleen.C.Light@hsc.utah.edu

In patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and temporomandibular disorder (TMD), stress and pain may chronically enhance sympathetic activity, altering cardiovascular responses and worsening pain. This study examined cardiovascular, epinephrine (EPI), norepinephrine (NE), cortisol and clinical pain responses in 54 female patients with these disorders and 34 controls. In a subsample of 10 FMS, 10 TMD patients and 16 controls, using a counterbalanced, double-blind, crossover design, the same responses were assessed after intravenous administration of low dose propranolol vs placebo. Testing included baseline, postural, speech and ischemic pain stressors. FMS patients showed lesser heart rate (HR) increases to posture challenge but greater blood pressure (BP) increases to postural and speech tasks than controls, as well as higher overall BP and greater total vascular resistance (TVR) than TMDs or controls. TMDs showed higher overall cardiac output and lower TVR than controls. Both FMS and TMD groups showed lower baseline NE than controls, and TMDs showed lower overall EPI and NE levels. Group differences in HR, EPI and NE were abolished after propranolol although BP, CO and TVR differences persisted. In both FMS and TMD, the number of painful body sites and ratings of total clinical pain obtained 4 times during each session were significantly lower after beta-blockade vs placebo. PERSPECTIVE: These findings support the hypothesis that both FMS and TMD may frequently involve dysregulation of beta-adrenergic activity that contributes to altered cardiovascular and catecholamine responses and to severity of clinical pain. Acute treatment with low-dose propranolol led to short-term improvement in all these domains.

PMID: 19411061 [PubMed - in process]

An Investigation into the Cognitive Deficits Associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Open Neurol J. 2009; 3: 13–23.
Published online 2009 February 27. doi: 10.2174/1874205X00903010013.PMCID: PMC2682840

An Investigation into the Cognitive Deficits Associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Full Text: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=2682840&blobtype=pdf

Marie Thomas*1,2 and Andrew Smith1

1Centre for Occupational and Health Psychology, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK
2Centre for Health Information Research Evaluation, School of Medicine, Swansea University, UK
*Address correspondence to this author at the Centre for Health Information Research Evaluation, School of Medicine, Swansea University, UK; E-mail: Marie.A.Thomas@swansea.ac.uk
Received June 14, 2008; Revised September 27, 2008; Accepted November 16, 2008.

This study addresses, among other things, the debate as to whether cognitive deficits do occur with a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Previous studies have indicated a potential mismatch between subjective patient ratings of impairment and clinical assessment. In an attempt to tackle some of the methodological problems faced by previous research in this field, this study recruited a large sample of CFS patients where adequate diagnosis had been made and administered an extensive battery of measures. In doing so this study was able to replicate previous published evidence of clear cognitive impairment in this group and demonstrate also that these deficits occurred independent of psychopathology. The conclusion drawn is that cognitive impairments can be identified if appropriate measures are used. Furthermore, the authors have shown that performance changes in these measures have been used to assess both efficacy of a treatment regime and rates of recovery.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Reduced glutathione regenerating enzymes undergo developmental decline and sexual dimorphism in the rat cerebral cortex.

Brain Res. 2009 May 15. [Epub ahead of print]

Links

Reduced glutathione regenerating enzymes undergo developmental decline and sexual dimorphism in the rat cerebral cortex.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19450567?ordinalpos=9&itool=Email.EmailReport.Pubmed_ReportSelector.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Dukhande VV, Isaac AO, Chatterji T, Lai JC.

Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Biomedical Research Institute, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209-8334; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509.

Oxidative stress during development may predispose humans to neurodegenerative disorders in old age. Moreover, numerous ailments of brain disproportionately affect one of the genders. We therefore hypothesized that, activities of enzymes regenerating and utilizing glutathione (GSH) show sexual dimorphism and developmental differences in rat brain. To test this hypothesis, we collected cortex tissue from male and female Sprague-Dawley rats at post-natal day (PN) 5, PN 10, PN 20, PN 30, and PN 60. We measured tissue levels of NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-ICDH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), and, glutathione reductase (GR) by UV spectrophotometry and determined glutathione peroxidase (GPx) expression therein by western blotting. Our results showed that sexual maturation had an impact on activities of enzymes that regenerate and utilize GSH and rat female cortex had more anti-oxidant capacity. Moreover, age-related decline in the activities of these key enzymes were observed. Reduced glutathione and NADPH protects the brain from oxidative stress. Thus, our results may have implications for neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease and developmental disorders of brain like autism in which oxidative stress plays a key role.

PMID: 19450567 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Monday, May 18, 2009

WEBINAR: Protecting Children from Environmental Risks at Home and in Child Care Settings

Upcoming Webinar

Wednesday,
May 20, 2009

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern
(8-9:30 a.m. Pacific)

Protecting Children from Environmental Risks at Home and in Child Care Settings

http://www.icfi.com/markets/social-programs/eei-webinar-may09.asp

Representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will share valuable information about how the early child care community can create healthy and safe settings by reducing various environmental risks in the child care setting and family homes that threaten children's health.

Continuous exposure to 900MHz GSM-modulated EMF alters morphological

Neurosci Lett. 2009 May 22;455(3):173-7.
Epub 2009 Mar 24

Continuous exposure to 900MHz GSM-modulated EMF alters morphological
maturation of neural cells.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19429115

Del Vecchio G, Giuliani A, Fernandez M, Mesirca P, Bersani F, Pinto R,
Ardoino L, Lovisolo GA, Giardino L, Calzà L.
BioPharmaNet-DIMORFIPA, Bologna University, Bologna, Italy.

The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure
on neuronal phenotype maturation have been studied in two different in
vitro models: murine SN56 cholinergic cell line and rat primary
cortical neurons. The samples were exposed at a dose of 1W/kg at 900
MHz GSM modulated. The phenotype analysis was carried out at 48 and 72
h (24 and 48 h of SN56 cell line differentiation) or at 24, 72, 120 h
(2, 4 and 6 days in vitro for cortical neurons) of exposure, on live
and immunolabeled neurons, and included the morphological study of
neurite emission, outgrowth and branching. Moreover, cortical neurons
were studied to detect alterations in the expression pattern of
cytoskeleton regulating factors, e.g. beta-thymosin, and of early
genes, e.g. c-Fos and c-Jun through real-time PCR on mRNA extracted
after 24h exposure to EMF. We found that RF-EMF exposure reduced the
number of neurites generated by both cell systems, and this alteration
correlates to increased expression of beta-thymosin mRNA.

Mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired oxidative-reduction activity, degeneration, and death in human neuronal and fetal cells induced by low-level exposure to thimerosal and other metal compounds

Mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired oxidative-reduction activity, degeneration, and death in human neuronal and fetal cells induced by low-level exposure to thimerosal and other metal compounds

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a910652305~db=all~jumptype=rss

D.A. Geier et al.

Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry
2009, 1–15, iFirst

Thimerosal (ethylmercurithiosalicylic acid), an ethylmercury (EtHg)-releasing compound (49.55% mercury (Hg)), was used in a range of medical products for more than 70 years. Of particular recent concern, routine administering of Thimerosal-containing biologics/childhood vaccines have become significant sources of Hg exposure for some fetuses/infants. This study was undertaken to investigate cellular damage among in vitro human neuronal (SH-SY-5Y neuroblastoma and 1321N1 astrocytoma) and fetal (nontransformed) model systems using cell vitality assays and microscope-based digital image capture techniques to assess potential damage induced by Thimerosal and other metal compounds (aluminum (Al) sulfate, lead (Pb)(II) acetate, methylmercury (MeHg) hydroxide, and mercury (Hg)(II) chloride) where the cation was reported to exert adverse effects on developing cells. Thimerosal-associated cellular damage was also evaluated for similarity to pathophysiological findings observed in patients diagnosed with autistic disorders (ADs). Thimerosal-induced cellular damage as evidenced by concentration- and time-dependent mitochondrial damage, reduced oxidative–reduction activity, cellular degeneration, and cell death in the in vitro human neuronal and fetal model systems studied. Thimerosal at low nanomolar (nM) concentrations induced significant cellular toxicity in human neuronal and fetal cells. Thimerosal-induced cytoxicity is similar to that observed in AD pathophysiologic studies. Thimerosal was found to be significantly more toxic than the other metal compounds examined. Future studies need to be conducted to evaluate additional mechanisms underlying Thimerosal-induced cellular damage and assess potential co-exposures to other compounds that may increase or decrease Thimerosal-mediated toxicity.

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MCSA NEWS
June 2009, Volume 4, Issue 6

MCSA NEWS
June 2009, Volume 4, Issue 6