Abdelkader Battah

Alcohol in medicolegal cases seen at Jordan University Hospital.

The magnitude of alcohol-associated incidents in relation to medicolegal cases, including road traffic accidents and acts of violence, has not been evaluated in Jordan. Between 1993 and 1995, 825 such cases received at Jordan University Hospital were screened for the presence of alcohol. Blood alcohol was positive in 9.1% of vehicle passengers, 9.6% of pedestrians, 12.4% of cases involving violence, 13.6% of drivers, 65% of cases brought by police and in 12.5% of other cases. Blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) ranged from 10–350 mg/dL. BAC of more than 50 mg/dL was found in 65% and 55% of driver and violence cases respectively, and in 33% to 69% of the other categories. Alcohol may have contributed to some of these incidents. In cases with positive BAC, prior alcohol intake was frequently denied. There was no association between cases with positive BAC and a particular time, date or occasion.

Carbon monoxide fatalities in medicolegal autopsies.

All post-mortem medicolegal reports issued by Jordan University Hospital (JUH) during the period 1978–96 were reviewed. Carbon monoxide (CO) as a silent killer was responsible for 31.5% (n=110) of poisoning fatalities. These were due to unintentional exposure to CO sources in confined spaces (bedrooms (24.6%), worker lodgings (23.6%) and bathrooms (16.4%)), and without the victims being aware of CO hazards. Sixty-five per cent of CO fatalities occurred during December to February and 30% of the cases involved the age group 20–29 years, followed by the age group 30–39 years (20%). Non-Jordanians constituted 50% of CO fatalities and Egyptian workers accounted for 78%. Being unaccustomed to cold climates, and on low incomes, they had been using simple and unsafe heating devices. Many of these deaths could have been prevented. Safety educational campaigns to increase awareness of the general population of CO sources, their hazards and how to avoid them should be held continuously during the cold months of the year. All health and safety sectors are advised to be involved.

Biochemical Changes Induced by the Toxicity of Variable Sizes of Silver Nanoparticles

Background : Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) rapid involvement in industry and nanomedicine increased human exposure to variable forms of these particles, with possible potential risk on human health. Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the biochemical changes induced by variable sizes of SNPs toxicity. Place and Duration of Study: Faculty of Medicine, The University of Jordan and the

Stability of trihexyphenidyl in stored blood and urine specimens

Abstract Trihexyphenidyl (THP) is an anticholinergic agent with forensic toxicological interest. The stability of THP was studied in postmortem blood and urine samples at a concentration of 0.25 μg/ml under different storage temperatures. After solid phase extraction (SFE), THP was measured by gas chromatography. On day zero and at intervals over a 6 months period, there was no significant loss of THP at the storage temperatures –20° C and 4° C in the spiked and authentic samples. Blood and urine samples stored at 25° C showed a maximum recovery loss (about 14%) of THP after 3 months of storage. This loss was considered a significant change and corresponded to a P value < 0.046. The study demonstrates that the analysis of blood and urine samples containing THP would produce consistent results when they are stored for 6 months at –20 or 4° C and for 3 months at 25° C.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of two nifedipine products in capsule form following single oral administration in healthy volunteers

SummaryThe pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC, Cmax, Tmax, and t1/2) of nifedipine following single oral administration of a 10 mg capsule of test product were compared to those of the same amount of a reference product. The two products in capsule form were administered according to a randomized two-way crossover design in 22 healthy male volunteers. Nifedipine plasma concentrations were determined using a rapid, sensitive and precise high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with ultraviolet (UV) detection at 235 nm. The parametric 90% confidence intervals of the mean value of the ratio [Myograd® (test product) /Adalat® (reference product)] for pharmacokinetic parameters were 0.90–1.08, 0.80–1.07, and 0.93–1.12 for AUC0⇌∞, Cmax and t1/2, respectively. In each case, values were within the acceptable bioequivalence range of 0.8–1.25. Distribution free point estimate for the difference in expected medians of Tmax of the two products (Myogard®-Adalat®) was 0.00 h with a 90% confidence interval of 0.00–0.13 which is greater than the accepted bioequivalence of ±0.12. The kinetic parameters were comparable to those reported for nifedipine, and no statistically significant differences were found in any of them when comparing the two products by analysis of variance (ANOVA) on log-transformed data. Thus, the two products could be considered bioequivalent regarding absorption rate (Cmax and Tmax), extent of absorption (Cmax and AUC) and elimination (t1/2)

Occupational exposure to pesticides and occurrence of the chromosomal translocation t(14;18) among farmers in Jordan

Highlights • t(14;18)(q32;q21) occurs in about one tenth of middle aged Jordanian males.• Occupational exposure to pesticides increased the frequency of t(14:18) in farmers.• Age, smoking or personal protective equipment use did not influence t(14;18) frequency.

Morphometric Alterations Induced by the Toxicity of Variable Sizes of Silver Nanoparticles

Poco se sabe acerca de las alteraciones morfometricas inducidas por la toxicidad de las nanoparticulas de plata (NPP). El objetivo fue investigar el efecto del tamano variable de las NPP en diferentes parametros morfometricos. Ratones machos adultos sanos (BAL/C) fueron sometidos a diferentes NPP de diferentes tamanos durante 35 dias (10 nm, 20 nm, 40 nm 60 nm y 100 nm, respectivamente). Las NPP causaron una disminucion no significativa del peso promedio, una disminucion significativa en el consumo de alimentos, un aumento de la ingesta de agua, ceguera unilateral, cambios en el color de piel y colestasis junto con una disminucion en el tamano promedio del higado, rinon y el peso del bazo, en relacion al peso corporal. Los ratones sometidos a 10 nm y 20 nm fueron mas afectados que los ratones que recibieron las nanoparticulas mas grandes. Estos resultados pueden indicar que las NPP podrian inducir alteraciones morfometricas que estan relacionadas con el tamano, en las cuales las NPP mas pequenas tienen un mayor impacto que las mas grandes.

Chemical Composition of Volatile Oil from the Aerial Parts of Rosmarinus officinalis L. Grown in Jordan

Abstract The chemical composition of volatile oil hydrodistilled from the aerial parts of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), collected from cultivated species in Jordan, has been analyzed by means of GC and GC-MS. The oil yield was 0.7 % (v/w of dried material). Fifty five compounds, counting for more than 99 % of the oil composition, were successfully identified. Monoterpenes (33.8 % as monoterpene hydrocarbons and 63.7 % as oxygenated monoterpenes) represented the predominant oil fraction (97.5 %). This included 1,8-cineole (31.1 %) (the principal oil component), α-pinene (16.5 %), camphor (11.7 %), borneol (8.7 %), camphene (6.1 %), and verbenone (3.0 %) as major oil constituents. In addition to assigning a 1,8-cineole chemotype to Jordanian rosemary, the oil composition which is characterized by dominant levels of oxygenated terpenoids, gives an added industrial value to the hydrodistilled oil.