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Diego Gonzalez-Ramirez

Bio: Diego Gonzalez-Ramirez is an academic researcher from Mexican Social Security Institute. The author has contributed to research in topics: Micronucleus test & Mercury (element). The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 9 publications receiving 467 citations.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Dimaval-mercury challenge test holds great promise as a diagnostic test for mercury exposure, especially for low level mercurialism.

255 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: The easily performed DMPS-mercury challenge test is useful for monitoring dental personnel for mercury vapor exposure and is a better indicator of exposure and renal mercury burden than is the mercury level measured in the urine before DMPS is given.
Abstract: The sodium salt of 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonic acid (DMPS) challenge test (300 mg p.o. after an 11-hr fast) was given in Monterrey, Mexico to dental and nondental personnel. Urine samples were collected and analyzed for total mercury. The mean mercury urinary excretion (+/- S.E.) for 6 hr before and 6 hr after DMPS administration for 10 dental technicians, who formulate amalgam, was 4.84 micrograms +/- 0.742 and 424.0 micrograms +/- 84.9; for 5 dentists, who use amalgam in their practice, 3.28 micrograms +/- 1.11 and 162.0 micrograms +/- 51.2; and for 13 nondental personnel, 0.783 microgram +/- 0.189 and 27.3 micrograms +/- 3.19. The urinary coproporphyrin levels before DMPS administration, which are indicative of renal mercury content, were quantitatively associated with the urinary mercury levels among the three study groups after DMPS administration. This was not so if the urinary mercury level before DMPS administration was compared with the urinary coproporphyrin concentration. The urinary mercury level after DMPS administration is a better indicator of exposure and renal mercury burden than is the mercury level measured in the urine before DMPS is given. Regression analysis showed that the coefficient of urinary mercury was statistically and adversely associated with complex attention (switching task), the perceptual motor task (symbol-digit substitution), symptoms and mood. The easily performed DMPS-mercury challenge test is useful for monitoring dental personnel for mercury vapor exposure.

83 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: The conclusions are that DMPS has a highly specific effect in humans on MMA metabolism and/or urinary excretion; the human body stores substantial amounts of arsenic; and the urinary arsenic concentration after DMPS administration may be more indicative of the body burden of arsenic because it was greater than that found before DMPS was given.
Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate in a novel manner the arsenic exposure of humans living in two towns in Northeastern Chile. Residents of one town drink water containing 593 mg As/l. Those in the control town drink water containing 21 mg As/l. Our hypothesis was that the administration of the chelating agent, 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonic acid, Na salt (DMPS, DIMAVAL) would increase the urinary excretion of arsenic, alter the urinary profile of arsenic species and thus result in a better indication of the body load of arsenic and a better biomarker for arsenic exposure. The method used to evaluate these subjects was to give them 300 mg DMPS by mouth, after an overnight fast, and collect urine at specified time periods. The urine samples were analyzed for inorganic arsenic, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and total arsenic by hydride generation and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results indicated that: 1) During the 2-hr period after DMPS administration, MMA represented 42%, inorganic As, 20 to 22% and DMA, 37 to 38% of the total urinary arsenic. The usual range of the MMA percentage in human urine has been 10 to 20%. The % MMA increased almost equally for both the arsenic-exposed and control subjects. 2) The exposed subjects had a greater urinary excretion of total arsenic, before and after DMPS administration, than the control subjects. 3) Although buccal cells were obtained only from a few subjects, the prevalence of mononucleated buccal cells, an indication of genotoxicity, was 5-fold greater for those who consumed drinking water with the higher arsenic content than among control subjects. Our conclusions are that 1) DMPS has a highly specific effect in humans on MMA metabolism and/or urinary excretion; 2) the human body stores substantial amounts of arsenic; and 3) the urinary arsenic concentration after DMPS administration may be more indicative of the body burden of arsenic because it was greater than that found before DMPS was given.

72 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: DMPS treatment was effective in lowering the body burden of mercury and in decreasing the urinary mercury concentration to normal levels.
Abstract: DMPS (2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate, Na salt), when used as a challenge test for mercury in workers involved in the production of a calomel skin-bleaching lotion and in direct contact with mercurous chloride, elevated urine levels of mercury. A DMPS treatment regimen was devised and initiated. Three days after the challenge test, DMPS was administered p.o. (400 mg per day) for 8 days, followed by a no-treatment period of five days. A new cycle of DMPS treatment for 7 days was initiated and followed by 5 days without treatment. A third period of treatment was begun for 6 days, followed by a 5-day no-treatment period. The urinary mercury greatly increased during those periods when DMPS was administered (1754, 314, and 173 μg/24 h for the periods 1, 2 and 3, compared with 106, 48 and 53 μg/24 h on the corresponding no-treatment periods). One of the workers presented signs of drug intolerance and was discharged after receiving the first cycle of treatment. DMPS treatment was effective in lowering the body burden of mercury and in decreasing the urinary mercury concentration to normal levels.

36 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: The results demonstrate that, in humans exposed to mercurous chloride, DMPS increases the urinary excretion of mercury and that the DMPS/mercury challenge test is of value for a more realistic estimation of mobilizable mercury.
Abstract: The sodium salt of 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonic acid (Dimaval; DMPS) challenge test has been given previously to humans exposed to elemental mercury (vapor) or mercuric salts, but not mercurous salts. The test (300 mg p.o., after an 11-hr fast) was given to 11 factory workers who make a skin lotion that contains mercurous chloride, eight users of the skin lotion and nine controls. Urines were analyzed for total mercury by using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mercury excreted for 6 hr before and 6 hr after DMPS treatment was 113 micrograms +/- 26 and 5037 micrograms +/- 682 S.E.M. for the skin lotion makers; 16.2 micrograms +/- 3.4 and 1410 micrograms +/- 346 S.E.M. for the skin lotions users; and 0.49 micrograms +/- 0.11 and 18.4 micrograms +/- 7.1 S.E.M. for the controls, respectively. The increases in urinary mercury resulting from the DMPS challenge test were 45-, 87- and 38-fold, respectively. The results demonstrate that, in humans exposed to mercurous chloride, DMPS increases the urinary excretion of mercury and that the DMPS/mercury challenge test is of value for a more realistic estimation of mobilizable mercury. An attempt to associate genotoxicity, as indicated by micronuclei content in buccal cells, with mercury exposure was inconclusive, perhaps because of the small number of subjects.

17 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An overview of redox and non-redox metal-induced formation of free radicals and the role of oxidative stress in toxic action of metals is provided.

2,429 citations

27 Oct 1991
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of lead poisoning on the developing developing developing nervous system were investigated, including neurological, neurobehavioral, and developmental effects in children, and toxicity.
Abstract: Essentiality Toxicity Carcinogenicity Lead(Pb) Exposure Toxicokinetics Toxicity Neurologic, Neurobehavioral, and Developmental Effects in Children Mechanisms of Effects on the Developing Nervous System Peripheral Neuropathy Hematologic Effects Renal Toxicity Lead and Gout Effects on Cardiovascular System Immunotoxicity Bone Effects Reproductive Effects Birth Outcomes Carcinogenicity Other Effects Dose Response Treatment Organic Lead Compounds Mercury (Hg) Exposure Disposition and Toxicokinetics Metabolic Transformation Cellular Metabolism Toxicology Biological Indicators Treatment Nickel (Ni) Exposure Toxicokinetics Essentiality Toxicity Nickel Carbonyl Poisoning Dermatitis Indicators of Nickel Toxicity

1,727 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: D diagnosis of mercury toxicity can be challenging but can be obtained with reasonable reliability and effective therapies for clinical toxicity have been described.
Abstract: Mercury is a toxic heavy metal which is widely dispersed in nature. Most human exposure results from fish consumption or dental amalgam. Mercury occurs in several chemical forms, with complex pharmacokinetics. Mercury is capable of inducing a wide range of clinical presentations. Diagnosis of mercury toxicity can be challenging but can be obtained with reasonable reliability. Effective therapies for clinical toxicity have been described.

791 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review provides an update of the existing chelating agents and the various strategies available for the treatment of heavy metals and metalloid intoxications.
Abstract: Chelation therapy is the preferred medical treatment for reducing the toxic effects of metals. Chelating agents are capable of binding to toxic metal ions to form complex structures which are easily excreted from the body removing them from intracellular or extracellular spaces. 2,3-Dimercaprol has long been the mainstay of chelation therapy for lead or arsenic poisoning, however its serious side effects have led researchers to develop less toxic analogues. Hydrophilic chelators like meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid effectively promote renal metal excretion, but their ability to access intracellular metals is weak. Newer strategies to address these drawbacks like combination therapy (use of structurally different chelating agents) or co-administration of antioxidants have been reported recently. In this review we provide an update of the existing chelating agents and the various strategies available for the treatment of heavy metals and metalloid intoxications.

765 citations

Journal ArticleDOI

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01 Apr 2011-BMJ

729 citations