Effect of Leishmaniasis on the Performance of Elementary School Students: A Case Study among Syrian Refugees in Some Bekaa (Lebanon) Area Schools

Since the Syrian conflict started, Lebanon became a common destination receiving a huge number of Syrian refugees that are living in camps spread all over the country, with the largest concentration in the Bekaa Valley. Generous steps are being taken to increase the access to formal education, such as offering free public education and opening second shifts in the public schools in the afternoon. Yet barriers, such as child labor and health-related factors like the spreading of some communicable diseases, like Leishmania, are keeping children out of classroom. The present study was done with the aim of investigating the effect of leishmaniasis on the performance and the academic achievement of Syrian refugee children. The results showed varying degrees of knowledge and dealing with the case of leishmaniasis. The disease clearly had an effect on the students’ attendance in schools, and by proxy on their academic performance.

Data on dysfunctional muscle contraction and genes contractile expression associated with chlorpyrifos exposure in slow twitch skeletal muscle

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is a toxic organophosphate commonly used worldwide. Its residues are being detected in different environmental matrixes and hence in the food chain. Repeated CPF exposure might pose health risk for the general population on long term. This data article contains the data of contractility impairment further to dietary exposure to CPF on a hind limb skeletal muscle; soleus, a typical slow twitch skeletal muscle. Thirty adult male rats Sprague Dawley are divided into three groups receiving the following daily diet for 6 weeks: Group 1 (vehicle), Group 2: CPF1 (CPF 1mg/kg/day) and Group 3: CPF5 (CPF 5 mg/kg/day). Soleus twitch tension and fatigability index are determined at the end of the treatment. The activity of acteylcholinesterase enzyme is assessed in the tissues homogenate. Additionally, we examined the expression levels of ryanodine type 1 receptor (RyR1), ATPase Sarcoplasmic/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca²⁺ Transporting 1 (Atp2a1), ATPase Sarcoplasmic/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca²⁺ Transporting 2 (Atp2a2) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in CPF-exposed skeletal muscle tissue using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. CPF exposure at two different doses induced an increase in twitch contraction in soleus muscle along with an increase in fatigability index. These increases are accompanied by low level of acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity as well as modification in genes level expression of nAChR, RyR1, Atp2a1 and Atp2a2 involved in contractility.

Impacts of prolonged chlorpyrifos exposure on locomotion and slow-and fast- twitch skeletal muscles contractility in rats

AIM

Investigate the effect of dietary exposure to chlorpyrifos on locomotion and contraction of soleus andextensor digitorum longus (edl) involved in locomotion. Methods: Rats were fed diets containing 1 or 5 mg kg-1 of chlorpyrifos for six weeks. Locomotion has been assessed weekly using beam walking and beam balance tests. Soleus and edl were removed to study contractile properties, myofibrillar protein content and myosin heavy chain isoforms.

RESULTS

Animals treated with 5 mg kg-1 chlorpyrifos had a decrease body weight. An increase by 28% and 24% in latency time assessed by beam walking test and a decrease by 9% and 13% in the beam balance time was reported after 6 weeks of 1 and 5 chlorpyrifos exposure respectively. The contractile properties in soleus showed an increase in twitch amplitude by 25% and 63% in 1 and 5 doses respectively, without modification in the contraction time and half relaxation time. edl treated with 1 mg kg-1 showed a decrease by 35%, 42% and 22% in twitch amplitude, contraction time and half relaxation time respectively. edl treated with 5 mg kg-1 showed an increase of 23% in twitch amplitude without modification of the other parameters. These changes were associated with modification of myofibrillar protein content in all treated groups. Myosin heavy chain isoforms were altered in both skeletal muscles treated with 1 mg kg-1.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to chlorpyrifos can alter the locomotion and produce physiological changes in a dose and muscle type related manner.