Miguel Machinski Junior

Pesticide use and cholinesterase inhibition in small-scale agricultural workers in southern Brazil

A controlled cross-sectional study of family growers of fruit and vegetables was conducted between October 2009 and October 2010 to characterize the use of pesticides, establish the socio-demographic profile, and analyze cholinesterase activity in small-scale agricultural workers in Southern Brazil. Data was collected for 173 workers and 179 controls. A structured questionnaire was applied collecting socio-demographic information and determining knowledge and work practices in relation to pesticide use. The benchmarks for total cholinesterase (ChEs) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) were obtained from the average enzymatic activity of the occupationally unexposed group (control). The mean age of the exposed population was 40.0 ± 11.2 years. The symptoms differed significantly (p 30%) of ChEs activity, whereas no workers showed high inhibition (>50%) of BuChE. Potential factors involved include gender, education, pesticide orientation, exposure, and hygiene measures.

Biomarcadores para avaliação da exposição humana às micotoxinas

Currently, mycotoxins represent a risk of environmental contamination, causing serious damages to human health. Those toxins can be found in different kinds of foods, and they constitute the main source of human exposure. The evaluation of such exposures can be monitored through the use of biomarkers, which elucidates the cause/effect and dose/effect relation in the evaluation of health risks for clinical and laboratory diagnostic purposes. The MEDLINE review about the use of biomarkers for assessment of aflatoxins, fumonisins, deoxynivalenol and ochratoxin A was carried out from 1981 to 2005. The biomarkers for assessment of human exposure to aflatoxins were the urinary metabolites of aflatoxin B1: aflatoxin M1, aflatoxin P1, aflatoxin Q1, the free aflatoxin in serum or plasma, the AFB-N7-guanine adducts and the albumin adducts or mutation in the tumour suppressor gene p53 present in human biological fluids. As far as fumonisins are concerned, levels of free fumonisin B1 and fumonisin B2, or levels of sphinganine and sphingosin, were quantified in blood and urine. As exposure biomarkers, deoxynivalenol has its own metabolism products and adducts (protein/DNA) present in human fluids. As to ochratoxin A exposure, we measure it in biological fluids, once it enables us to prevent or minimize the incidence of deaths or illnesses provoked by chemical exposure. Primeira submissao em 05/06/06 Ultima submissao em 22/02/07 Aceito para publicacao em 07/03/07 Publicado em 20/06/07 ARTIGO DE ATUALIZACAO UPDATING ARTICLEAtualmente, as micotoxinas representam um risco de contaminacao ambiental, acarretando serios prejuizos a saude humana. Essas toxinas podem estar presentes em diferentes tipos de alimentos, que constituem a principal fonte de exposicao para o homem. As exposicoes podem ser monitoradas atraves do uso de biomarcadores, que elucidam a relacao causa/efeito e dose/efeito na avaliacao de risco a saude para fins de diagnostico clinico e laboratorial. Realizou-se uma revisao bibliografica do periodo de 1981-2005, no MEDLINE, sobre utilizacao e propostas de biomarcadores para a exposicao a aflatoxinas, fumonisinas, desoxinivalenol e ocratoxina A. Os possiveis biomarcadores para avaliar a exposicao humana as aflatoxinas foram os metabolitos urinarios de aflatoxina B1, como aflatoxina M1, aflatoxina P1, aflatoxina Q1, aflatoxina livre em soro ou plasma, os adutos de AFB-N7-guanina, os adutos de albumina ou mutacao no gene supressor de tumor p53, presentes em fluidos biologicos. Para as fumonisinas, os biomarcadores foram os niveis de fumonisina B1 e fumonisina B2 livres, ou de esfinganina e esfingosina em sangue e urina. O desoxinivalenol tem como biomarcadores de exposicao os produtos de seu metabolismo e adutos macromoleculares (proteina/DNA) presentes nos fluidos biologicos. Para a exposicao a ocratoxina A (OA) os biomarcadores se restringem a quantificacao da propria toxina nos fluidos biologicos. A avaliacao da exposicao as micotoxinas constitui um importante aspecto para a saude publica, tendo em vista a possibilidade de prevenir ou minimizar a incidencia de doencas decorrentes da sua interacao com o organismo.

Aflatoxin M1 in the urine of non-carriers and chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus in Maringa, Brazil

Exposure to aflatoxins (AFs) in the diet may favour the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the acute exacerbation of hepatitis in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. Measurement of biomarkers such as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), in urine allows for the assessment of populations exposed to aflatoxins. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in the urine of HBV carrier and non-carrier patients. One group included 43 randomly selected HBV carriers treated at two hospitals in the city of Maringa, Brazil, from March to June 2008. Control group consisted of 29 healthy adult volunteers with anti-HBs positive and HBsAg negative test results. Detection of AFM1 was performed by fluorescence using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and post-column derivation with the Kobra Cell®. Of the 72 samples analysed, 05/29 (17.2%) AFM1 positive samples were from HBV non-carriers, and 16/43 (37.2%) of samples were from chronic HBV carriers. This study showed AFM1 in the urine of the two surveyed population. However, there is evidence that the chronic HBV carriers have a higher risk of developing HCC due to additive interaction between AFs and HBV.

N-acetil-β-D-glicosaminidase como biomarcador precoce de disfunção renal para a exposição ocupacional ao chumbo inorgânico

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to verify the enzymatic activity of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) as a possible early biomarker of renal dysfunction due to occupational exposure to inorganic lead. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected a group of 30 males that had been exposed to inorganic lead in a battery factory in the state of Parana. This group comprised those employees whose blood lead levels were below 40 mg/dl. The control group consisted of 15 healthy adults of similar age and gender compared with the exposed group. Blood lead concentrations, d-aminolevulinic acid levels and urinary NAG activity were measured. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: It was shown that urinary NAG activity was significantly higher (p < 0.05, U test of Mann-Whitney) in the exposed group in comparison to the control group, and there was a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05, Spearman Rank Order correlation) between the biological indicator of lead exposure and urinary NAG activity. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the increase of urinary NAG activity may be used as an early biomarker of the exposure to inorganic lead.

Avaliação da Atividade Antibacteriana do Óleo Essencial de Copaifera Multijuga Frente Às Células Vegetativas de Alicyclobacillus Acidoterrestris.

Angela Aparecida Silva, Idinea Fernandes Santos, Marcia Maria Anjos, Jane Martha Graton Mikcha, Miguel Machinski Junior, Celso Vataru Nakamura, Benicio Alves Abreu Filho. Avaliacao da Atividade Antibacteriana do Oleo Essencial de Copaifera Multijuga Frente As Celulas Vegetativas de Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris. In: Anais do 12o Congresso Latinoamericano de Microbiologia e Higiene de Alimentos MICROAL 2014 [= Blucher Food Science Proceedings, num.1, vol.1]. Sao Paulo: Editora Blucher, 2014. DOI 10.5151/foodsci-microal-276 Avaliacao da Atividade Antibacteriana do Oleo Essencial de Copaifera Multijuga Frente as Celulas Vegetativas de Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris.

Atividade Antimicrobiana do Óleo Essencial de Copaifera Guianensis Frente À Alicyclobacillus Acidoterrestris.

Angela Aparecida Silva, Idinea Fernandes Santos, Marcia Maria Anjos, Isabela Carolini Pascoli, Daniela Biral Prado, Celso Vataru Nakamura, Jane Martha Graton Mikcha, Miguel Machinski Junior, Benicio Alves Abreu Filho. Atividade Antimicrobiana do Oleo Essencial de Copaifera guianensis Frente A Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris.. In: Anais do 12o Congresso Latinoamericano de Microbiologia e Higiene de Alimentos MICROAL 2014 [= Blucher Food Science Proceedings, num.1, vol.1]. Sao Paulo: Editora Blucher, 2014. DOI 10.5151/foodsci-microal-298 Atividade Antimicrobiana do Oleo Essencial de Copaifera guianensis Frente a Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris.