Lead is a neurotoxic metal. No safe blood lead level (BLL) has been identified in children; the CDC reference value was lowered to 3.5 µg/dL in 2021, while Mexico’s regulatory threshold remains at 10 µg/dL. Lead-glazed earthenware is the main documented source of pediatric exposure in Mexico. We studied children 0–15 years insured by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in two Jalisco municipalities: Tonalá (n = 500), historically a ceramic-producing center, and Zapopan (n = 374), an urban area without this tradition. BLL was measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and sociodemographic, environmental, occupational, and household exposure data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed with bivariate tests and multivariable models. Median BLL was 1.16 µg/dL in Tonalá and 2.08 µg/dL in Zapopan. Few children reached 5 µg/dL (3.2% and 6.4%), roughly twice as many exceeded 3.5 µg/dL (6.6% and 16.3%), and most exceeded 1 µg/dL (59.4% and 93.6%). In Zapopan, household glazed earthenware use and younger age were independently associated with a higher BLL in every model; in Tonalá, paternal professional occupation was associated with a lower BLL, an exploratory finding given its small subgroup. Widespread low-level exposure at both sites supports sustained facility-level surveillance and alignment of Mexico’s regulatory criterion with current reference values.
Jesús García-Gómez, Oscar Humberto Rodríguez-Aguirre, Jorge A. Ruiz-Romero et al.· Toxics· 0 citations
Cervical cancer (CC) remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide, primarily driven by persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types. Given that natural products with selective antitumour properties offer potential for novel therapies, we evaluated the cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and molecular effects of
cinnamon
essential oil (CEO) on HPV-positive cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa and SiHa) and nontumorigenic keratinocytes (HaCaT).
Cells were exposed to a range of dilutions of CEO. Cell viability was determined by WST-1 and sulforhodamine B assays. Apoptosis was assessed using Annexin V/PI staining, caspase-3/8/9 activation, and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) loss by flow cytometry. Proliferation was measured using EdU incorporation, and senescence was measured by β-galactosidase activity. Genome-wide transcriptional changes and HPV E6/E7 oncogene expression were analysed by RNA-Seq and validated with qPCR.
CEO induced dose-dependent cytotoxicity and inhibited proliferation in cervical cancer cells, while HaCaT cells were significantly more resistant. Apoptosis was evidenced by Annexin V/PI positivity, activation of caspases -8, -9, and -3, and significant loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. No significant senescence induction was observed. Additionally, CEO also significantly downregulated HPV
E6
/
E7
oncogene expression in HeLa and SiHa cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed broad differential gene expression, including upregulation of stress and apoptosis-related genes and downregulation of proliferation, oxidative phosphorylation, and viral-related pathways.
CEO exerts selective cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects on cervical cancer cells by triggering mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and suppressing HPV oncogenes. These findings support CEO as a potential source of bioactive compounds for complementary strategies against HPV-related malignancies.
R. Piña-Cruz, Andrea Molina-Pineda, Sayma Vizcarra-Ramos et al.· BMC Complementary Medicine a...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
