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Chronic methyl bromide poisoning
Information Section
Green tea and cancer A study in China has provided evidence that drinking green tea may lower the risk of colorectal and pancreatic cancers. The tea drinking habits of patients with cancers of the colon, rectum and pancreas (885, 843 and 4.28 subjects, respectively) were compared with those of 1462 population controls. In men, the cancer risk (odds ratios) for regular tea drinkers compared with non-drinkers were 0.82 (95% CI 0.61--1.10) for rectal cancer and 0.88 (0.60-1.31) for pancreatic cancer. No association was found between tea drinking and colon cancer in males. I:a women, green tea drinking was associated with reductions in the risk of all three cancers with odds ratios of 0.47 (0.29-0.77) for pancreatic cancer, 0.77 (0.56-1.06) for colon cancer and 0.5,1 (0.36-0.73) for cancer of the rectum. The risks generally decreased with increasing tea consumption (Ji B.-T. et al., International Journal of Cancer 1997, 70, 255).
Caffeine and delayed conception A large multicentre study has found that women who drank the most caffeine had difficulty getting pregnant. Over 3000 women from Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain were interviewed about their usual intake of caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea and cola) and the time it had taken them to become pregnant for the first time. Requiring in excess of 9.5 months wm defined as a delayed conception. Those who daily drank in excess of 500 mg caffeine, compazed with those drinking up to 100 mg/day, had an increased risk of experiencing this problem (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.03-2.04) (Bolfimar F. et al., American Journal of Epidemiology 1997, 145, 324).
Caffeine and birth weight Investigators in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, have found an association between caffeine consumption during pregnancy and reduced birth weight. Over 1000 women were interviewed about their consumption of caffeim.,-containing drinks (coffee, tea and cola) while they were pregnant. Infants born to non-smoking mothers consuming at least 71 mg caffeine daily were around 116 g lighter than those born to mothers drinking less than 10 rag/ day (Vlajinac H.D. et aL, American Journal of Epidemiology 1997, 145,. 335).
529
Coffee dlterpenes affect blood cholesterol levels and the liver Dutch investigators have attempted to elucidate the relative effects on blood lipids and the liver of the coffee diterpenes, cafestol and kahweol (which differ only by the presence of an additional double bond). In this double-blind study 10 men were given oral doses of either cafestol or a cafestol/ kahweol mixture for 28 days, equivalent to about 10-20 cups of unfiltered coffee. The pattern of data suggested that both diterpenes were toxic to the liver (indicated by increases in the concentration of specific liver enzymes in the blood), but that kahweol was more active than cafestol. Cafestol, however, caused greater increases in lipid levels (total or LDL-cholesterol) in the blood (Urgert R. et aL, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1997,
6s, 519). Chronic methyl bromlde polsonlng Two rare cases of persistent toxic effects have been reported in pest control workers seasonally exposed to methyl bromide in France. Both men were working for their fourth season when they suffered effects including dizziness, an unsteady gait, poor co-ordination, impaired vision and abnormal sensations (such as numbness and tingling) in the feet and fingers. Hospital examinations suggested damage to the sensory nerves. The symptoms in one patient improved within 5 months of the end of exposure, but the other still had abnormal sensations in the feet and impaired vision after 2 years (De Haro L. et aL, Clinical Toxicology 1997,
35, 29). Lindane and reproductive toxicity in male rat offspring "Exposure to lindane during lactation induces reproductive hazards to male offspring rats which are detectable at adulthood'. Decreases in the number of sperm, spermatids and testosterone levels, microscopic changes in the testis, and reduced reproductive performance were reported in pubescent and adult rats whose mothers had received oral doses of 6 mg/kg body weight on days 9 or 14 of lactation or 1 mg/kg body weight/day on days 9-14 of lactation. Examination of the tissues showed lindane to be present in the plasma and milk of the mothers and in the testis, brain, liver and kidney of the male offspring (Dalsenter P.R. et al., Human and Experimental Toxicology 1997, 16, 146).
Green tea and cancer A study in China has provided evidence that drinking green tea may lower the risk of colorectal and pancreatic cancers. The tea drinking habits of patients with cancers of the colon, rectum and pancreas (885, 843 and 4.28 subjects, respectively) were compared with those of 1462 population controls. In men, the cancer risk (odds ratios) for regular tea drinkers compared with non-drinkers were 0.82 (95% CI 0.61--1.10) for rectal cancer and 0.88 (0.60-1.31) for pancreatic cancer. No association was found between tea drinking and colon cancer in males. I:a women, green tea drinking was associated with reductions in the risk of all three cancers with odds ratios of 0.47 (0.29-0.77) for pancreatic cancer, 0.77 (0.56-1.06) for colon cancer and 0.5,1 (0.36-0.73) for cancer of the rectum. The risks generally decreased with increasing tea consumption (Ji B.-T. et al., International Journal of Cancer 1997, 70, 255).
Caffeine and delayed conception A large multicentre study has found that women who drank the most caffeine had difficulty getting pregnant. Over 3000 women from Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain were interviewed about their usual intake of caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea and cola) and the time it had taken them to become pregnant for the first time. Requiring in excess of 9.5 months wm defined as a delayed conception. Those who daily drank in excess of 500 mg caffeine, compazed with those drinking up to 100 mg/day, had an increased risk of experiencing this problem (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.03-2.04) (Bolfimar F. et al., American Journal of Epidemiology 1997, 145, 324).
Caffeine and birth weight Investigators in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, have found an association between caffeine consumption during pregnancy and reduced birth weight. Over 1000 women were interviewed about their consumption of caffeim.,-containing drinks (coffee, tea and cola) while they were pregnant. Infants born to non-smoking mothers consuming at least 71 mg caffeine daily were around 116 g lighter than those born to mothers drinking less than 10 rag/ day (Vlajinac H.D. et aL, American Journal of Epidemiology 1997, 145,. 335).
529
Coffee dlterpenes affect blood cholesterol levels and the liver Dutch investigators have attempted to elucidate the relative effects on blood lipids and the liver of the coffee diterpenes, cafestol and kahweol (which differ only by the presence of an additional double bond). In this double-blind study 10 men were given oral doses of either cafestol or a cafestol/ kahweol mixture for 28 days, equivalent to about 10-20 cups of unfiltered coffee. The pattern of data suggested that both diterpenes were toxic to the liver (indicated by increases in the concentration of specific liver enzymes in the blood), but that kahweol was more active than cafestol. Cafestol, however, caused greater increases in lipid levels (total or LDL-cholesterol) in the blood (Urgert R. et aL, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1997,
6s, 519). Chronic methyl bromlde polsonlng Two rare cases of persistent toxic effects have been reported in pest control workers seasonally exposed to methyl bromide in France. Both men were working for their fourth season when they suffered effects including dizziness, an unsteady gait, poor co-ordination, impaired vision and abnormal sensations (such as numbness and tingling) in the feet and fingers. Hospital examinations suggested damage to the sensory nerves. The symptoms in one patient improved within 5 months of the end of exposure, but the other still had abnormal sensations in the feet and impaired vision after 2 years (De Haro L. et aL, Clinical Toxicology 1997,
35, 29). Lindane and reproductive toxicity in male rat offspring "Exposure to lindane during lactation induces reproductive hazards to male offspring rats which are detectable at adulthood'. Decreases in the number of sperm, spermatids and testosterone levels, microscopic changes in the testis, and reduced reproductive performance were reported in pubescent and adult rats whose mothers had received oral doses of 6 mg/kg body weight on days 9 or 14 of lactation or 1 mg/kg body weight/day on days 9-14 of lactation. Examination of the tissues showed lindane to be present in the plasma and milk of the mothers and in the testis, brain, liver and kidney of the male offspring (Dalsenter P.R. et al., Human and Experimental Toxicology 1997, 16, 146).