Toxic metals, including excessive levels of essential metals tend to change biological structures and systems into either reversible or irreversible conformations, leading to the derangement of organ functions or ultimate death. Nickel, a known heavy metal is found at very low levels in the environment. Nickel is available in all soil types and meteorites and also erupts from volcanic emissions. In the environment, nickel is principally bound with oxygen or sulfur and forms oxides or sulfides in earth crust. The vast industrial use of nickel during its production, recycling and disposal has led to widespread environmental pollution. Nickel is discharged into the atmosphere either by nickel mining or by various industrial processes, such as power plants or incinerators, rubber and plastic industries, nickel-cadmium battery industries and electroplating industries. The extensive use of nickel in various industries or its occupational exposure is definitely a matter of serious impact on human health. Heavy metals like nickel can produce free radicals from diatomic molecule through the double step process and generate superoxide anion. Further, these superoxide anions come together with protons and facilitate dismutation to form hydrogen peroxide, which is the most important reason behind the nickel-induced pathophysiological changes in living systems. In this review, we address the acute, subchronic and chronic nickel toxicities in both human and experimental animals. We have also discussed nickel-induced genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity and toxicity in various other metabolically active tissues. This review specifically highlighted nickel-induced oxidative stress and possible cell signaling mechanisms as well.

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Objective: Pregnancy is characterized by profound changes in the function of

Background: Pregnancy leads to profound alterations in the respiratory system of the mother, leading to alteration in the normal course of common pulmonary diseases. However there is insufficient information regarding the changes in respiratory parameters of smaller airways in different trimesters of pregnancy. Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the pulmonary function tests in 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd trimesters of pregnancy & compare them with non-pregnant control group. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried in 200 healthy women in the age range of 19-35 years. The subjects were distributed in four groups, i.e control (non-pregnant) group and 1 st , 2 nd & 3 rd trimester pregnant groups. Number of subjects in each group was 50. We recorded respiratory parameters in control and study groups. Statistical analysis was done by 'Z' test. Results: There is significant decrease in FEV1, FEV1%, FEF25-75%, FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75% in all trimesters of pregnancy with maximum decrease in 1 st trimester. Conclusion: The changes in pulmonary functions are attributed to the marked changes in the respiratory parameters during pregnancy. This knowledge of pulmonary function changes during pregnancy may be helpful in the prevention of gestational complications associated with an inadequate maternal respiratory adaptation.