Background: Boric acid (BA) is commonly used as pesticide, disinfectant and wood preservative. Its ingestion can cause serious organ damages resulting in death. Case report: A 19 year old man was found dead with two empty packs of BA tablets in vicinity of his body. On autopsy examination, brownish stains along with right angle of mouth and right nostril were found. Stomach was damaged with hem...

Paracetamol (acetaminophen, PCM) is a widely used over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic drug. Intake of a large dose of PCM may result in severe hepatic necrosis. Oxidative stress is mediated by oxidative capacities of the PCM metabolite (N-acetyl-para-benzo quinoneimine, NAPQI), which covalently binds to proteins and other macromolecules to cause cellular damage. At low doses, NAPQI is ...

An isolated rat hepatocyte preparation was used to study the cellular toxicity of cadmium and the protective effects of metallothionein on cadmium-induced toxicity. Exposure of primary suspension cultures of isolated rat hepatocytes to Cd2+ (0-35.7 microM) for 15 min resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in the synthesis of cellular proteins during a subsequent 6 h incubation. Such inhibition ...

Methylmercury (MeHg) is an environmental electrophile that covalently modifies cellular proteins with reactive thiols, resulting in the formation of protein adducts. While such protein modifications, referred to as S-mercuration, are thought to be associated with the enzyme dysfunction and cellular damage caused by MeHg exposure, the current consensus is that (1) there is a cellular response to...

To fully understand the significance of bone as a target tissue of lead toxicity, as well as a reservoir of systemic lead, it is necessary to define the effects of lead on the cellular components of bone. Skeletal development and the regulation of skeletal mass are ultimately determined by the four different types of cells: osteoblasts, lining cells, osteoclasts, and osteocytes. These cells, wh...

Gold, enigmatically represented by the target-like design of its ancient alchemical symbol, has been considered a mystical material of great value for centuries. Nanoscale particles of gold now command a great deal of attention for biomedical applications. Depending on their size, shape, degree of aggregation, and local environment, gold nanoparticles can appear red, blue, or other colors. Thes...

The transcriptional activator serum response factor (SRF) is a member of the immediate early gene family known to promote embryonic development, cell growth, and myogenesis through interaction with multiple nuclear protein factors. Previous studies have shown that SRF possesses potent transcriptional activation domains that can interfere with gene expression at artificially high expression leve...

Nanotechnology is one of the key technologies of the 21st century. Already by now, many products containing manufactured nanomaterials (NMs) have entered the market. Most industrial applications are based on just a few NM types, mostly metals and metal oxides. However, by varying size, shape or surface chemistry a large number of variants can be produced. Variations of physico-chemical paramete...