Michael Ritchie Moore

Publications (607) View all

• Article: Striking association between urinary cadmium level and albuminuria among Torres Strait Islander people with diabetes.

  Melissa Haswell-Elkins, Soisungwan Satarug, Peter O'Rourke, Michael Moore, Jack Ng, Victor McGrath, Maria Walmby
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  ABSTRACT: Indigenous people of the Torres Strait (Australia) have greater potential for cadmium exposure and renal damage than other Australians due to high cadmium in some traditional seafood and a high prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and obesity. This study explored associations between albuminuria and an index of cadmium exposure (urinary cadmium excretion) in the presence and absence of Type 2 diabetes. Two population-based, cross-sectional studies were undertaken in the Torres Strait to obtain data on body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, chronic disease, smoking, urinary cadmium, and albumin creatinine ratio (ACR). Age- and BMI-adjusted urinary cadmium levels were significantly higher (p<0.01) among people with diabetes and albuminuria (n=22, geometric mean (GM) 1.91 microg Cd/g creatinine) compared to those with diabetes and normal ACR (n=21, GM 0.74 microg Cd/g creatinine). Urinary cadmium was also strongly associated (p<0.001) with ACR among people with diabetes in regression models and remained significant after controlling for age, sex, BMI, smoking status, and hypertension (or continuous systolic and diastolic measurements). While the study has methodological limitations and the nature of the association is unclear, the striking dose-dependent links between markers of cadmium exposure and of Type 2 diabetic nephropathy highlight the need for further definitive research on the health effects of cadmium in the presence of diabetes.
  Environmental Research 04/2008; 106(3):379-83. · 3.40 Impact Factor
• Article: Does a high UV environment ensure adequate vitamin D status?

  Michael Kimlin, Simone Harrison, Madeleine Nowak, Michael Moore, Alison Brodie, Carolyn Lang
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  ABSTRACT: This study assesses the Vitamin D status of 126 healthy free-living adults aged 18-87 years, in southeast Queensland, Australia (27 degrees S) at the end of the 2006 winter. Participants provided blood samples for analysis of 25(OH)D (the measure of an individual's Vitamin D status), PTH, Calcium, Phosphate, and Albumin, completed a questionnaire on sun-protective/sun-exposure behaviours, and were assessed for phenotypic characteristics such as skin/hair/eye colour and BMI. We found that 10.2% of the participants had serum 25(OH)D levels below 25 nmol/l (considered deficient) and a further 32.3% had levels between 25 nmol/l and 50 nmol/l (considered insufficient). Our results show that low levels of 25(OH)D can occur in a substantial proportion of the population at the end of winter, even in a sunny climate. 25(OH)D levels were higher amongst those who spent more time in the sun and lower among obese participants (BMI>30) than those who were not obese (BMI<30). 25(OH)D levels were also lower in participants who had black hair, dark/olive skin, or brown eyes, when compared with participants who had brown or fair hair, fair skin, or blue/green eyes. No associations were found between 25(OH)D status and age, gender, smoking status, or the use of sunscreen.
  Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B Biology 12/2007; 89(2-3):139-47. · 2.81 Impact Factor
• Article: Exploring potential dietary contributions including traditional seafood and other determinants of urinary cadmium levels among indigenous women of a Torres Strait Island (Australia).

  Melissa Haswell-Elkins, Victor McGrath, Michael Moore, Soisungwan Satarug, Maria Walmby, Jack Ng
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  ABSTRACT: Indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands have been concerned about the safety of their traditional seafoods since the discovery of high cadmium levels in the liver and kidney of dugong and turtle in 1996. This study explored links between urinary cadmium levels and consumption frequency of these traditional foods and piloted a community-based methodology to identify potential determinants of cadmium exposure and accumulation. Consultations led to selection of one community for study from which 60 women aged 30 to 50 years participated in health and food frequency survey, urine collection and a routine health check. Urinary cadmium levels were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry; data were analysed using SPSS-14. The geometric mean cadmium level in this group of women was 1.17 (arithmetic mean 1.86) microg/g creatinine with one-third exceeding 2.0 microg/g creatinine. Heavy smoking (>or=300 pack years) was linked to higher cadmium in urine, as was increasing age and waist circumference. Analysis of age-adjusted residuals revealed significant associations (P<0.05) between cadmium level and higher consumption of turtle liver and kidney, locally gathered clams, peanuts, coconut, chocolate and potato chips. Dugong kidney consumption approached significance (P=0.06). Multiple regression revealed that 40% (adjusted r(2)) of variation in cadmium level was explained by the sum of these associated foods plus heavy smoking, age and waist circumference. No relationships between cadmium and pregnancy history were found. This paper presents a novel approach to explore contributions of foods and other factors to exposure to toxins at community level and the first direct evidence that frequent turtle (and possibly dugong) liver and kidney and wild clam consumption is linked to higher urinary cadmium levels among Torres Strait Islander women.
  Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology 06/2007; 17(3):298-306. · 2.93 Impact Factor
• Article: Extraction and purification of the zwitterions cylindrospermopsin and deoxycylindrospermopsin from Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii

  RLG Norris, GK Eaglesham, GR Shaw, P Senogles, RK Chiswell, MJ Smith, BC Davis, AA Seawright, MR Moore
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  ABSTRACT: The hepatotoxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN) has been isolated from the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (C. raci.). Efforts to study this toxin have been hampered by the time-consuming requirement to extract it from cultures of the organism. It is usually extracted from lyophilized cells collected from a laboratory culture. Our preliminary work suggested far more of the toxin is available in solution in the culture media than in the cells collected. We have therefore investigated the use of commercially available solid phase extraction sorbents to extract CYN from culture media in which C. raci. has been grown. A range of reverse phase and ion-exchange sorbents were tested across a range of pHs for their ability to retain CYN without success. Subsequently, graphitized carbon cartridges were found to retain CYN strongly. Elution with 5% formic acid in methanol allowed the CYN to be regained for final purification by HPLC. Deoxy-CYN, an analog of CYN can also be extracted using this procedure. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Article: A sensitive and specific assay for glutathione with potential application to glutathione disulphide, using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

  RL Norris, GK Eaglesham, GR Shaw, MJ Smith, RK Chiswell, AA Seawright, MR Moore
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  ABSTRACT: We have utilised the combination of sensitivity and specificity afforded by coupling high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to a tandem mass spectrometer (MS-MS) to produce an assay which is suitable for assaying glutathione (GSH) concentrations in liver tissue. The sensitivity suggests it may also be suitable for extrahepatic tissues, The method has been validated for GSH using mouse liver samples and also allows the assay of GSSG. The stability of GSH under conditions relevant to the assay has been determined. A 20-mul amount of a diluted methanol extract of tissue is injected with detection limits of 0.2 pmol for GSH and 2 pmol for GSSG. The HPLC uses an Altima C-18 (150X4.6 mm, 5 mum) column at 35 degreesC. Chromatography utilises a linear gradient from 0 to 10% methanol in 0.1% formic acid over 5 min, with a final isocratic stage holding at 10% methanol for 5 min. Total flow rate is 0.8 ml/min. The transition from the M+H ion (308.1 m/z for GSH, and 613.3 m/z for GSSG) to the 162.0 m/z (GSH) and 355.3 m/z (GSSG) fragments are monitored. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.