The Effects of Dietary Iron Supplementation on the Toxicity of Piroctone Olamine in the Growing Rat

Abstract

Weanling Charles River CD rats of both sexes were fed 300 mg/kg/day of Piroctone Olamine, an anti-bacterial agent, and were supplemented with 0, 50, 100 or 200 ppm dietary iron as FeSO4.7H2O for six weeks. However, analytical data indicated that Piroctone was degraded in the diet so that the rats received only 225 mg/kg/day. The rats given Piroctone Olamine without iron gained significantly less body weight and ate significantly less feed than controls, with the effect being more pronounced in the males. They also developed severe microcytic, hypochromic anemia. The rats supplemented with all three levels of dietary iron grew at a rate similar to controls. The rats supplemented with 50 ppm dietary iron had anemia with all of the hematological iron-associated factors being significantly depressed. The 100 ppm supplement restored all hematologic factors to normal in the females, but slight reductions remained in the males. The 200 ppm supplement of iron restored all parameters to values similar to the controls in both sexes. These results suggest that the mechanism of the toxicity of Piroctone Olamine is the prevention of dietary iron absorption by in situ chelation.

Child Soldier Victims of Genocidal Forcible Transfer

“…To what extent do our depictions and actions marginalise or silence these groups and mask our own complicities? 148 It is held here, however, that these children are the victims of armed adults exploiting the highly coercive circumstances that these very adults have created (mass atrocities in the context of internal armed conflict, intimidation of civilians including demands that families turn over their children to be child soldiers in the perpetrators' group with refusal resulting in death or grave bodily harm, unsuccessful attempts of children to escape recruitment met with death or serious bodily harm etc.). 146 The current author holds that it is valid to speak on behalf of victims of human rights abuses where: (1) that speech is human rights advocacy intended to improve the legal protections and/or practical situation of the direct or indirect victims at present or in future and these victims cannot readily speak for themselves (as is the case often with children who have been child soldiers who have committed conflict -related atrocities and are marginalized in their community, frequently also orphaned etc.…”

“…137 Happold (2005), p. 101. The current author has argued elsewhere that children do not have an unqualified right to participate in hostilities in contrast to lawful adult belligerents and cannot therefore properly be considered to be combatants (in the context of an international conflict); nor soldiers in any sense in an internal conflict as opposed to being classed as civilians 144 Recall that the concept of 'child soldier' does not exist under IHL though IHL sets out special protections for children who for whatever reason are captured or detained by the adversary during or at the conclusion of hostilities 145 presumably, in some instances, after the children's active involvement in hostilities. 139 AP I to the 1949Geneva Conventions (1977 international conflicts only as a last resort (AP I), no recruitment of under 15s by any State or non-State armed force in non-international conflict and no participation of under 15s directly or indirectly in the internal armed conflict (AP II); no use in an international conflict of younger children where older children are available and then their use only as a last resort (AP I) etc.…”

“…Children thus do not have an unqualified right to participate in hostilities as child soldiers as part of such a State armed force and their recruitment by such a force is itself unlawful. 144 . 140 Children then under IHL hold a privileged status which entitles them to: (1) special protection on account of their age regarding their potential recruitment and use in hostilities (the specifics being set out, for instance, in AP I 141 and AP II 142 to the 1949 Geneva Conventions in respect of various prohibitions and limitations with broader protections specified under international human rights law such as OP-CRC-AC), 143 (2) special protection on account of age while engaged in conflict in respect of being targeted as a military objective in that IHL requires efforts be made to spare the child if possible in the context of the exigencies and practicalities of the situation, and (3) additional protections on account of age should they be captured by an adverse party.…”

“…The UK is isolated amongst its traditional military allies in this practiceno other country in the European Union and no other UN Security Council permanent member state recruits from this age. 148 Yet, Britain filed a declaration to the OP-CRC-AC 149 upon its ratification of that instrument reserving the right (at its discretion) to deploy under 18s where it determined this justifiable in the particular circumstances. Internationally, more than 130 states have set their minimum armed forces recruitment age at 18 or above, in line with the recommendations of expert international human rights bodies(emphasis added).…”

“…All of this can rightly be considered a form of 'childspecific persecution' 141 amounting to a crime against humanity as well as a war crime. 144 Scholars who recast ex child soldiers as perpetrators or victim-perpetrators hold that, at a minimum, the ex child soldier who has committed atrocity should in the transitional or post-conflict phase be held accountable through Truth and Reconciliation mechanisms or the like both in the interests of justice and because, they claim, this approach is allegedly therapeutic for the child and his or her community alike. 143 Children who have given interviews to Western researchers have, in effect, unwittingly and without their consent often had their stories interpreted so as to assign the child subjects perpetrator status implying full agency and the requisite evil mind (mens rea) as an element of an international crime.…”