Aims: To effectively exploit the atrazine degrading capabilities of Nocardioides spp. isolated from agricultural soil samples in Nigeria and ascertain the effect of pH, temperature and nutrient addition on the degradation process. Methodology and results: Isolates were cultivated on atrazine mineral salts medium at a temperature range of 4 °C - 45 °C and a pH range of 3-10. An optimum atrazine degrading activity was observed in the isolates between temperatures of 25 °C and 37 °C and between pH 5 and 8. Different carbon sources (glycerine, glucose, chitin, cellulose and sodium citrate) and nitrogen sources (urea, biuret, cyanuric acid, potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride) were also added to the medium. The addition of carbon and nitrogen sources did not increase degradation rates although urea and glycerine repressed the degradation ability of the isolates. Statistical analyses of variance at P < 0.05 showed no significant differences in the growth and degradation rates by both bacterial isolates under these conditions. Conclusion, significance and impact study: Atrazine degradation by Nocardioides spp. is pH and temperature dependent, and requires no additional sources of carbon and nitrogen. Hence, its use in bioremediation of atrazine contaminated agricultural soil should be explored.
Atrazine

OBJECTIVEWe tested whether melamine nephrotoxicity was exacerbated by urate (a typical component of renal stones in humans) in rats with hyperuricemiainduced by the uricase inhibitor, potassium oxonate (Oxo).

METHODSRats were exposed to melamine or Oxo alone or combinations of melamine (200-400 mg/kg) and Oxo (200-600 mg/kg) for 3 consecutive days. Kidney injury was evaluated by renal biochemical functions, histomorphology, and lipid peroxidation. Kidney crystals were analyzed for their composition.

RESULTSNephrotoxicity was minimal in animals administered melamine or Oxo alone, but it was demonstrable in animals administered at least 800 mg/kg of the two compounds combined. All rats in the 400+600 (melamine+Oxo) and 400+400 mg/kg groups and 4 out of 6 in the 200+600 mg/kg group died within 3 days; no rat died in the 200+400 or 200+200 mg/kg group. Dose-dependent renal damage resembling clinical findings in affected patients was observed in rats administered the two compounds. Crystal composition determination revealed the existence of melamine and uric acid in the affected kidneys, resembling human stones.

CONCLUSIONOur findings suggest that uric acid plays a key role in melamine-related kidney injury in humans. Future studies should consider uric acid together with melamine when examining adverse effects in humans.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hyperuricemia ; chemically induced ; complications ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Oxonic Acid ; Rats, Wistar ; Triazines ; toxicity

Hexazinone is a post-emergence herbicide/arboricides, and its acute poisoning has rarely been reported. Hexazinone is low-toxic to humans, but mass intake of hexazinone would still lead to organ impairment. This article analyzes a case of acute hexazinone poisoning from the poisoning treatment center of our hospital, and summarizes the symptoms and treatment effects of hexazinone poisoning, which is aimed at improving the comprehension, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Administration, Oral ; Herbicides ; Humans ; Poisoning ; Triazines

BACKGROUND: Chronic administration of morphine leads to the development of tolerance. We investigated the effects of intrathecal lamotrigine on the spinal morphine tolerance in rats that are undergoing tail flick tests. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were given intrathecal injections of saline 10 microl, lamotrigine 300 microg, morphine 15 microg or lamotrigine plus morphine combinations for 7 days (lamotrigine was given for days 1-7, days 1-3 or days 5-7). The acute and chronic nociceptive sensitivities were assessed using a tail flick test in which the distal 5 cm of the tail was dipped into warm water before and 30 minutes after the drug injection. With successive injections of morphine on day 8, a cumulative antinociceptive dose-response curve was constructed and the 50% effective dose (ED50) was calculated for each study group. RESULTS: The coinjection group of lamotrigine with morphine blocked the development of tolerance, as was shown by the preservation of morphine antinociception over 7 days and the concomitant decrease in the ED50 values on day 8, as compared with the morphine-alone group. Coinjection of lamotrigine blocked the development of morphine tolerance, as shown by the preservation of morphine antinociception over 7 days and the concomitant decrease in the ED50 values on day 8, as compared with the morphine-alone group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that lamotrigine augments the antinociceptive action of both acute and chronic morphine therapy, and it also attenuates the antinociceptive morphine tolerance in rats.
Animals ; Injections, Spinal ; Morphine ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Triazines ; Water

Last year, an epidemic of infantile urinary stone disease developed in China. Investigation revealed that melamine-tainted diary product caused urinary stone in these infants. Young infants were susceptible to the melamine toxicity and dehydration or other stone-prone factors aggravated the toxicity. Melamine-related urinary stones were small, multiple, and mainly composed of uric acid, thus conservative treatment of hydration and urine alkalinization worked well in majority of the patients.
China ; Dehydration ; Humans ; Infant ; Triazines ; Uric Acid ; Urinary Calculi

OBJECTIVE: The pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (BP-NOS) has been insufficiently studied. The aim of this prospective naturalistic study was to explore the effectiveness of lamotrigine adjunctive treatment in patients with BP-NOS. METHODS: Data from 50 patients diagnosed with BP-NOS were analyzed. On the basis of the prospective mood chart methodology, the efficacy of lamotrigine adjunctive treatment was assessed by changes in the mean Clinical Global Impressions-Bipolar Version (CGI-BP) depression scores. A paired t-test was used to test the statistical significance of the changes in CGI-BP depression scores. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (RM ANOVA) with simple effect analysis was performed to explore the sequential changes during a 52-week period. Cohen's d was calculated to measure the magnitude of the treatment effects on the changes in depression severity. Time to lamotrigine discontinuation was also calculated using the Kaplan-Meier estimates. Lamotrigine-associated adverse events were monitored every two weeks. RESULTS: A significant decrease, with a large effect size (Cohen's d=1.6), in the mean CGI-BP depression scores was associated with lamotrigine adjunctive treatment in intent-to-treat analysis (t=8.7, df=49, p<0.001). Twenty-four patients (48.0%) completed 52-week lamotrigine adjunctive treatment. Analysis of the data obtained from those completing the treatment revealed a large effect (Cohen's d=4.0) on improvement in the severity of depression (t=16.8, df=32, p<0.001). Sixty percent of patients achieved remission (n=30), and 64% of patients (n=32) showed some clinical response to lamotrigine adjunctive treatment. The mean time to lamotrigine discontinuation was 31.3+/-3.1 weeks (CI=25.2-37.4). Lamotrigine adjunctive treatment was well tolerated, with no serious rashes reported. CONCLUSION: Lamotrigine seems to be effective in the management of depressive symptoms in BP-NOS. Long-term use of lamotrigine was generally safe and well tolerated. Large-scale controlled trials might be needed to confirm the findings of this naturalistic study.
Bipolar Disorder ; Depression ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Triazines

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess the subclinical balance dysfunction in elderly people taking antiepileptic drugs. METHODS: We recruited sixty-three patients who were at least 50 years old, without complaint of dizziness or imbalance, and on a stable dose of carbamazepine, lamotrigine or levetiracetam. Their balance scores were compared with those of newly diagnosed untreated age- and sex-matched epilepsy patients (n=21). All the subjects underwent balance measurements that included an activities-specific balance confidence scale, quantitative caloric and rotational chair testing and posturography. The spectral frequency analysis of body sway while standing upright was also investigated. Sensory organization (SOT) and motor control tests were done by computerized dynamic posturography (CDP). RESULTS: The sway distance and area of center of pressure significantly increased in the patients treated with carbamazepine. Spectral frequency analysis of this group showed a significantly increased spectral power at low and middle frequencies on the antero-posterior (Y) plane and at low frequencies on the lateral (X) plane. CDP showed no significant differences in SOT results among the groups. However, motor control test revealed increased latencies and slowed adaptations in the carbamazepine group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that newer drugs such as lamotrigine or levetiracetam may induce less disequilibrium than carbamazepine in older people on monotherapy for epilepsy. The disturbance is likely related to slowed central postural reflexes.
Aged ; Anticonvulsants ; Carbamazepine ; Cytidine Diphosphate ; Dizziness ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Piracetam ; Triazines

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic ; chemically induced ; Humans ; Triazines ; adverse effects

Lamotrigine is a newer anti-epileptic drug for adjunctive treatment of refractory epilepsy, partial seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and bipolar disorder. Lamotrigine overdose causes serious central nervous and cardiovascular problems, but reports are uncommon. Few lamotrigine overdoses have been described because anti-epileptic drug use is limited and usually used with combination of other anti-epileptic drugs. In addition, most patients visit emergency departments with multi-drug overdoses, so few cases of lamotrigine poisoning alone exist. We had a female patient visit our emergency department a couple of hours after a lamotrigine overdose treated with intravenous hydration and urine alkalization by NaHCO3. She recovered successfully without any evidence of renal injury. However, she developed profound rhabdomyolysis, a previously unreported complication of this medication. We suggest that serial creatine kinase levels should be measured after lamotrigine poisoning.
Bipolar Disorder ; Creatine Kinase ; Emergencies ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Female ; Humans ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Seizures ; Triazines

The Korean Medication Algorithm Project for Bipolar Disorder (KMAP-BP) was developed in 2002 and revised in 2006. The aim of this study was to compare the KMAP-BP 2006 with other recently published treatment guidelines for bipolar disorder. We conducted a systematic review of the six most recently published guidelines and treatment algorithms for bipolar disorder to compare the similarities and differences between these guidelines and the KMAPBP 2006. Most treatment guidelines had similarities in their treatment options. The guidelines generally advocated atypical antipsychotics as first-line treatment in the manic phase and lamotrigine in the depressive phase. While lithium and divalproex were commonly used as mood stabilizers in the manic phase, divalproex was recommended in mixed or dysphoric mania. Mood stabilizers or atypical antipsychotics were selected as first-line treatment in maintenance. Some guidelines were more concerned about special clinical situations such as pregnancy, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and elderly patients, which were not described in the KMAP-BP 2006. Our findings suggest that the medication strategies for bipolar disorder are based on data from recent studies and clinical experiences. Useful information and a rationale for making sequential treatment decisions can be provided by critically reviewing the treatment guidelines. The treatment algorithms and guidelines are not substitutes for clinical judgment, but can serve as critical references to complement individual clinical assessments.
Aged ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Bipolar Disorder ; Complement System Proteins ; Humans ; Judgment ; Lithium ; Obesity ; Pregnancy ; Triazines ; Valproic Acid