Blood cells, chemicals that

In addition to erythrocytes, blood contains white blood cells, called leukocytes, of several types, and platelets, also called thrombocytes, which control blood clotting. Hematopoiesis (from the Greek, haimo, for blood, and poiein for to make ) is the process by which the elements of the blood are formed. The marrow of bone contains so-called stem cells which are immature predecessors of these three types of blood cells. Chemicals that are toxic to bone marrow can lead to anemia (decreased levels of erythrocytes), leukopenia (decreased numbers of leukocytes), or thrombocytopenia. Pancytopenia, a severe form of poisoning, refers to the reduction in circulatory levels of all three elements of the blood. One or more of these conditions can result from sufficiently intense exposure to chemicals such as benzene, arsenic, the explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT), gold, certain drugs, and ionizing radiation. Health consequences can range... 

The mature red blood cell cannot synthesize protein. Reticulocytes are active in protein synthesis. Once reticulocytes enter the circulation, they lose their intracellular organelles (ribosomes, mitochondria, etc) within about 24 hours, becoming young red blood cells and concomitandy losing their ability to synthesize protein. Extracts of rabbit reticulocytes (obtained by injecting rabbits with a chemical—phenylhydrazine—that causes a severe hemolytic anemia, so that the red cells are almost completely replaced by reticulocytes) are widely used as an in vitro system for synthesizing proteins. Endogenous mRNAs present in these reticulocytes are destroyed by use of a nuclease, whose activity can be inhibited by addition of Ca +. The system is then pro-... 

In contrast to profound immunosuppression, such as that which occurs in patients with HIV/AIDS or primary immunodeficiency diseases, exposure to immunotoxic chemicals or drugs is believed to be more likely to cause mild-to-moderate levels of immunosuppression (e.g., a 20% decrease in white blood cell counts). This review attempts to address, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the potential adverse health effects of moderate levels of immunosuppression. The following general conclusions can be surmised. 

Hemolysis Alteration, dissolution, or destruction or red blood cells in such a manner that hemoglobin is liberated into a medium in which the cells are suspended (e.g., by specific complement-fixing antibodies, toxins, various chemical agents, tonicity, alteration of temperature. 

Benzene is the basis of a whole set of industrial chemicals called aromatic hydrocarbons that can be derived from the benzene molecule by changing one or more of the hydrogen atoms to form other compounds. They are called aromatic because they have a spicy smell. Exposure can give rise to brain and blood cell damage. 

A variety of hydrolases catalyze the hydrolysis of acetylsalicylic acid. In humans, high activities have been seen with membrane-bound and cytosolic carboxylesterases (EC 3.1.1.1), plasma cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8), and red blood cell arylesterases (EC 3.1.1.2), whereas nonenzymatic hydrolysis appears to contribute to a small percentage of the total salicylic acid formed [76a] [82], A solution of serum albumin also displayed weak hydrolytic activity toward the drug, but, under the conditions of the study, binding to serum albumin decreased chemical hydrolysis at 37° and pH 7.4 from tm 12 1 h when unbound to 27 3 h for the fully bound drug [83], In contrast, binding to serum albumin increased by >50% the rate of carboxylesterase-catalyzed hydrolysis, as seen in buffers containing the hydrolase with or without albumin. It has been postulated that either bound acetylsalicylic acid is more susceptible to enzyme hydrolysis, or the protein directly activates the enzyme. 

The in vivo micronucleus test is used for the detection of damage to chromosomes as well as the mitotic apparatus in bone marrow or peripheral blood cells of rodents. The assay system has been well standardized.14-17 The basic features of the test system are (1) the effect of the test chemical is observed in anucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) (2) PCEs have a relatively short lifespan, so that any micronuclei they contain must have been generated as a result of recently induced chromosome damage (3) micronuclei are readily identifiable and their distribution is well defined and (4) the frequency of induced micronuclei in PCEs is dependent on sampling times. 

SPMD sample extracts, e.g., certain organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), are known to inhibit cholinesterase activity. Therefore, these results were not unexpected. However, it was surprising that a similar response was not observed with brain cholinesterase activity. It is possible that brain cells can more readily metabolize the chemicals, that the chemicals did not pass the brain blood barrier or that the effects occurred earlier in the exposure period, effectively allowing the activity to recover. Considering the numerous neurotoxic chemicals potentially entering aquatic ecosystems or present as airborne vapor phase chemicals, the neurotoxic mode of action related to exposure to contaminants is of increasing interest. Evidence presented in this work demonstrate that SPMDs concentrate members of this class of toxicants. 

Blood plasma is the liquid, mostly water, that carries several types of blood cells as well as nutrients, and other chemicals, such as hormones, that need to be transported around the body. 

No information was located for the mechanism of inhalation, oral, or dermal absorption of 3,3 -dichloro-benzidine in humans or animals. Also, no information was located for the mechanism by which 3,3 -dichlorobenzidine is transported in the blood. However, a studies in rats have shown that 3,3 -dichlorobenzidine forms adducts with hemoglobin (Bimer et al. 1990 Joppich-Kuhn et al. 1997), indicating that at least a small amount of the chemical is associated with red blood cells. 

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