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Minor routes of detoxification and excretionMinor routes of detoxification and excretion include:
HairFurred animals can excrete a large amount of xenobiotics into their hair, which serves as an excretory tissue for essential, nonessential, and potentially toxic elements. These elements are irreversibly incorporated into growing hair, and the amount is proportional to the level of the element in other body tissues. Because of this, hair can be used to estimate the extent of toxic exposures. In some instances hair is more revealing than blood, because blood tests reveal the concentrations outside the cell and waste material being discarded, rather than the concentrations being stored in the body. The hair serves as a recorded history of what is stored in the body, and contains 200 times the trace elements that the blood does. Blood is an indicator of recent exposures, while hair is indicative of chronic, long-term exposures. Hair grows at a rate of about one-half inch a month, so that a person whose hair is five inches long has an exposure record of approximately 10 months.
Fingernails and toenailsSubstances taken into the body, both toxic and nontoxic, are deposited in the cells of the nails and become part of the nail. Fingernails and toenails are formed from heavily cornified epidermal layers. The hardness and flexibility of nails are related to the keratin (a protein in hair and nails) content and its orientation pattern, as well as its water content. The high sulfur content of keratin contributes to their hardness. The pink coloration of nails is caused by the capillary network beneath them that is visible through the cornified cells. The analysis of nails by several different methods can determine nail content, as well as identifying depositions in the nails. Forensic testing sometimes involves testing nails for the presence of poisonous elements, such as arsenic. Sometimes depositions are evident on visual inspection of the nail. In some cases only the fingernails are involved; in others, the toenails are also affected. Toxins that affect the nails include:
The deposition of chemicals in the nails can be useful when treating some nail disorders, including fungal infections. For example, one medication, griseofulvin, is deposited in the keratin precursor cells. It binds tightly to new keratin, which then becomes resistant to fungal invasions. SweatOur bodies sweat when we get hot in an effort to maintain normal body temperature. Sweat content is almost identical to that of urine, and includes water, lactic acid, and uric acid. Because of this, the skin, which is a major organ of the body, is sometimes referred to as the third kidney. As much as 30 percent of body wastes can be eliminated through sweat. Xenobiotics and heavy metals are excreted in the sweat when the body is heated. Raising body temperature causes these chemicals to be released from fat cells into the bloodstream. Blood vessels in the skin dilate to allow more blood to flow to the surface, which activates the sweat glands. The sweat glands pour water onto the skin's surface, and as it evaporates, it releases both heat and toxins from the body. Dilating the blood vessels and increasing blood flow increases the nutrient supply to the skin, as well as allowing toxins deep in the body to be carried to the surface and excreted. In addition, the heat inhibits the replication of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, increases oxygen intake and heart rate, and stimulates blood and lymph flow, all of which assist in cleansing the body. TearsTears are another minor route of excretion for the body. They are formed in the lacrimal gland, located above the eye in a depression of the orbital bone. The tears flow over the eyes and into the inferior lacrimal duct, two small tubes in the corner of the eye. They then spill into the nasolacrimal duct, a tube leading into the nose, causing the nose to run when a person cries. If these ducts are overtaxed, tears run down the cheeks. Tears moisten the eyes, wash away irritants, and protect the eyes from infection. Both emotional and irritant tears contain three chemicals known to be released by the body during stress. These are adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), the most reliable indicator of stress; leucine-enkephalin, an endorphin that probably modulates pain sensation; and prolactin, a hormone that regulates milk production in mammals. Prolactin also promotes tear production, which may explain why women cry more easily than men do. Adult women have serum prolactin levels nearly 60 percent higher than those of men; but before puberty, boys and girls have similar prolactin levels and similar crying frequencies. Breast milkEven breast milk, both for humans and other mammals, is a minor route of detoxification and excretion. Toxic substances are excreted in breast milk, just as they are in the sweat and tears. Human breast milk contains 3 to 5 percent fat, and lipid-soluble chemicals can be excreted in this fat. During lactation, stores of body fat release their stored toxins into the bloodstream, where they make their way into the breast milk. Women who have more stored toxins are believed to release more toxins into their breast milk. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBS) and the pesticide DDT have been found in breast milk, as well as toxic metals such as lead. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that the average American breastfed baby ingests nine times the permissible level of dieldrin, a cancer-causing pesticide, and ten times the maximum allowable level of PCBS. PCBs have been found to cause birth defects and cancer in animals. Cow's milk also contains toxins excreted by the cow. Any chemicals to which a cow is exposed, such as herbicides and pesticides, as well as fertilizers and any chemical treatment of its foods, can be reflected in the milk. Cow's milk containing the same amount of DDT as is frequently found in breast milk would be banned by the Food and Drug Administration. In addition to DDT, cow's milk has been found to be contaminated with pesticides such as dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide (a metabolite of a pesticide), and lindane. Infant formula that is prepared from cow's milk can contain these toxins. In spite of the possible toxins that can be in breast milk, breastfeeding is still preferable to bottle-feeding. Breast milk contains the nutrients a baby needs in the right proportions, including the amino acids necessary for development of the brain and nervous system. It forms a smaller curd in the baby's stomach and is easier to digest than the cow's milk protein in infant formulas. Breastfed babies are less likely to become ill with diarrhea and gastrointestinal infections. Breastfeeding also decreases the possibility of autoimmune disease, leukemia, sudden infant death syndrome, ear infections, immune system disorders, and respiratory disease. If a breastfed baby does develop a respiratory infection, it is likely to be less severe. Breastfeeding also offers long-term benefits. It appears to slow the development of celiac disease (a digestive disorder) and to offer protection from Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in adulthood. Individuals who were breastfed are less likely to develop insulin-dependent diabetes, lymphoma (malignant tumors of the lymph tissue), and food allergies.
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