Effect of seawater salinity on the synthesis of zeolite from coal fly ash

A novel method for the synthesis of zeolite was developed in this paper. The synthesis was carried out by hydrothermal activation after alkali fusion and coal fly ash （CFA） was used as raw material with seawater of different salinities. Seawater salinity was varied from 32 to 88 for zeolite crystallization during the hydrothermal process. The results show that seawater salinity plays an important role in zeolite synthesis with CFA during hydrothermal treatment. The products were a mixture of NaX zeolite and hydroxysodalite; seawater salinity more strongly affected the crystallization than the type and chemical composition of the zeolites. The yield of CFA transformed into zeolite gradually rose with the increase in salinity, reaching a transformation rate of 48%--62% as the salinity increased from 32 to 88, respectively. The proposed method allows for the efficient disposal of by-products; therefore, the application of seawater in zeolite synthesis presents promising economic and ecological benefits.     

The oligopeptides production by the feather-degrading bacterium Bacillus methylotrophicus H0北大核心CSCD

Due to the high nutritive value of oligopeptides and the waste of feather resources, this study aimed at screening efficient strains of bacteria able to rapidly degrade feathers and produce large quantities of value-added oligopeptides. In order to assess the potential yield of oligopeptides, the promising strain H0 was selected from 16 feather-degrading microorganisms. To identify the strain, we analyzed the morphological and physiological characteristics of different strains, and carried out a gene sequence analysis of their 16S rRNAs. A single factor experiment was used to promote feather degradation and oligopeptide production, and the characteristics of the oligopeptides produced were also analyzed by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The strain was identified as Bacillus methylotrophicus. The optimal initial pH and temperature for oligopeptide production were 11 and 40 °C, respectively. After 72 h of fermentation under these optimal conditions, the feathers were almost completely degraded, with a 38.19% of oligopeptides (accounting for 67.53% of the total soluble peptides) and a 11.11% of free amino acids produced. LC-MS/MS analysis indicated that the oligopeptides were mainly short peptides containing 5-10 amino acids, with a molecular mass (Mr) of less than 1 300. Moreover, the peptides were abundant in branched-chain amino acids, that might be responsible for the antioxidant property of the feather hydrolysate. Our results demonstrate the great capability of B. methylotrophicus H0 in feather degradation and oligopeptide production. This research provides a high-quality microorganism resource, and the scientific basis for the development of feather-derived oligopeptide products. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Protoplast preparation and regeneration conditions of Bacillus subtilis ZGL14 producing alkaline pectinase北大核心CSCD

The protoplast fusion technique is one of the important microbial breeding methods. The main factors that affect protoplast preparation and regeneration were investigated using Bacillus subtilis ZGL14 as the starter strain. The optimal conditions for protoplast preparation and regeneration were determined in this study by optimizing the cell age, lysozyme concentration, enzymolysis time, enzymolysis temperature, pH values of the osmotic pressure stabilizer, regeneration medium types, and culture type. The results indicated that the optimal condition for protoplast preparation of B. subtilis ZGL14 was as follows: 9 h of cell age, 0.2 mg/mL of lysozyme concentration, 10 min of enzymolysis time, 32 °C of enzymolysis temperature, and 7.0 of osmotic pressure stabilizer pH value. Under this condition, the protoplast formation and regeneration rates were > 98% and > 30%, respectively. A good protoplast regeneration effect can be achieved using the regeneration medium with sodium succinate as osmotic pressure stabilizer in combination with Ca2+. The single-layer culture was better than double-layer for regeneration. The optimal condition for protoplast preparation and regeneration of B. subtilis ZGL14 was determined in this study, which provides technical support for protoplast fusion breeding of B. subtilis. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Isolation,identification and desulfurization mechanism of a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium with salt tolerance北大核心CSCD

Micro-organism with efficient desulfurization performance is a key factor in the biological desulfurization technology. This study aimed to seek such a sulfur-oxidizing strain and understand its desulfurization mechanism. Wastewater in a sewage station of natural gas purification plant was used to screen the sulfide-oxidizing strain, and to identify it based on sequence similarity analysis of 16S rDNA and the morphological characteristics. Thiosulfate was used as substrate for investigating the sulfur oxidation performance and salinity tolerance; the OD600, content change of thiosulfate, sulfate, sulfur, pH and total alkalinity in the cultural system were also investigated. The strain DS-B was found to share the highest sequence similarity with Thioalkalivibrio thiocyanoxidans ARh2, therefore determined as Thioalkalivibrio. At the optimum temperature of 35 °C for growth and degradation, the removal efficiency of thiosulfate could reach 98.7% after 7 days. Strain DS-B had strong resistance to thiosulfate, and the optimal concentration of S2O32- was 2 × 104 mg/L. The analysis for sulfur oxides showed that it could oxidize thiosulfate by the pathway of S2O32-→SO42- / S2O32- → S → SO42-. Therefore the strain DS-B is a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium with great application prospect for its strong salt tolerance and conspicuous removal capability for thiosulfate.     

Removal of Cu（ll） ions from aqueous solution by activated carbon impregnated with humic acid

Humic acid （HA） was impregnated onto powdered activated carbon to improve its Cu（II） adsorption capability. The optimum pH value for Cu（II） removal was 6. The maximum adsorption capacity of HAimpregnated activated carbon was up to 5.98mg.g-1, which is five times the capacity of virgin activated carbon. The adsorption processes were rapid and accompanied by changes in pH. In using a linear method, it was determined that the equilibrium experimental data were better represented by the Langmuir isotherm than by the Freundlich isotherm. Surface charges and surface functional groups were studied through zeta potential and FTIR measurements to explain the mechanism behind the humicacid modification that enhanced the Cu（II） adsorption capacity of activated carbon.     

Isolation,identification, and biological characteristics of a wild Chaga mushroom北大核心CSCD

In this study, a pure culture strain (numbered as F1501) was obtained using tissue separation and purification methods from the sclerotia of Chaga mushroom from Russia. Further researches included studies on classification, optimum growth conditions of mycelia, extracellular polysaccharides from fermentation broth and their antioxidant activity, and artificial acclimation. According to the identification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, it was confirmed that F1501 was a species of the genus Inonotus and family Hymenochaetaceae, which had 99% similarity with Inonotus obliquus. F1501 was further classified as I. obliquus based on the morphological characteristics of its mycelia and sclerotia. The optimal carbon source, nitrogen source, C/N ratio, growth factor, temperature, and pH value for the growth of the F1501 strain mycelia were maltose, beef extracts, 10/1, B2, 28 °C, and 8.0, respectively. Liquid fermentation of F1501 was performed using PD media and a 10% inoculation amount at 28 °C and 150 r/min for 7 d. The content of polysaccharides in the fermentation broth was 476.32 mg/L, with a total antioxidant activity of 0.19 mmol/L (Trolox) and hydroxyl free radical-scavenging activity of 72.7%. Artificial acclimation study revealed that the fruiting body-like structure was obtained using cottonseed hulls as the main substrate. In the present study, a new strain of I. obliquus and its biological characteristics were explored, which could provide a theoretical basis for the artificial acclimation and development of wild mushrooms. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

A new efficient azo dye-decolorizing bacterium Paenibacillus dendritiformis GGJ7 and its decolorization process北大核心CSCD

This paper aimed to find an efficient bacterium for decolorizing azo dyes. A strain which could decolorize Congo Red efficiently was isolated from Congo Red. The strain was identified as Paenibacillus dendritiformis GGJ7 (GGJ7, in short) by 16S rRNA gene sequence (NCBI accession No. KY655213). Strain GGJ7 was applied to the decolorization of azo dyes in this research, and influencing factors of decolorization were investigated, including diverse nutritional conditions, culture conditions (pH, temperature, oxygen conditions), and various dyes. The results demonstrated that the decolorization rate of Congo Red by strain GGJ7 was much higher than that of the other eight strains (e.g., YRJ1, YRJ2 etc.) in our previous work. The optimal conditions for Congo Red decolorization were 25 g/L LB broth as nutrient source, 30 °C, pH 7, and an anaerobic environment. The mechanism of decolorization was mainly biodegradation, and the decolorization process of strain GGJ7 was conformed to the first-class kinetics model: -ln (At /A0) = 0.6058t - 0.1082. For different azo dyes, the decolorization rate was up to 95%. Strain GGJ7 only needed 1 h to decolorize 50 mg/L Methyl Orange, 25 mg/L Croceine Scarlet, and 25 mg/L Methyl Red, needed 3 h to decolorize 50 mg/L Orange G and 50 mg/L Orange G6, and needed 4 h to decolorize 50 mg/L Congo Red. In summary, strain GGJ7 is an efficient azo dye-decolorizing bacterium, and it has a potential application in treating printing and dyeing wastewater. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Screening and characterization of extremophiles in spacecraft assembly environment北大核心CSCD

Spacecrafts need to strictly control microorganisms before entering space flight. The Spacecraft Assembly, Integration, and Test Center (AITC) is an important environmental source for spacecrafts to carry microorganisms. The assembly clean room has characteristics of ventilation, dryness, and lack of nutrients that are not conducive to the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, except for extremophiles. In this study, based on the internal air and surface environment of the AITC in China, 13 strains of bacteria were identified by plate culture and 16S sequence analysis, and their extreme environmental tolerance, antibiotic resistance, and film-forming ability were tested. All these bacteria belonged to the Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla, and nine strains belonged to the Bacillus genus. All 13 strains of bacteria were salt-tolerant, acid-tolerant, and alkali-tolerant, and 69.2% of the bacteria survived heat shock at 80 ℃. Among these, one strain of Sphingomonas sp. JCM7513 isolated from the surface environment was insensitive to all the tested antibiotics and had strong drug resistance, while the other 12 strains were sensitive to most β-lactam antibiotics but had strong resistance to tetracyclic antibiotics and erythromycin. Most of the isolated bacteria exhibited strong biofilm-forming abilities. The study showed that there are a certain number of extremophiles in the spacecraft assembly environment. To protect spacecrafts from biological corrosion and planetary protection forward pollution, more effective monitoring and elimination methods are needed. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Screening and identification of cellulose degrading bacterium Bacillus siamensis BREC-11 with tolerance to furfural北大核心CSCD

Furfural is a toxic metabolic inhibitor that is created during the conversion of lignocellulose to produce fuel, which can retard fermentation and increase production costs. thus, it is important for lignocellulosic conversion that the ability of the strain to resist furfural stress be improved. A cellulose-degrading bacterium BREC-11 with tolerance to furfural was isolated from the intestinal tract of Omphisa fuscidentalis hampson larvae via the addition of furfural in the medium. Based on analyses of morphological observations, physiological and biochemical characterizations, and 16S rDNA sequences, strain BREC-11 was shown to represent a member of the genus Bacillus and was named B. siamensis BREC-11. to study the tolerance concentration of strain BREC-11, a wide range of furfural formaldehyde concentrations were tested and strain BREC-11 was shown to grow in the mineral medium containing furfural up to 3.5 g/L. Cellulase activity of strain BREC-11 was determined at the tolerable concentration of 3.5 g/L furfural after incubation at 30 ℃ and 150 r/min for 2 days. Results indicated that filter paper enzyme, CMC-Na enzyme, and β-glucosidase activity was 0.1 U/mL, 0.21 U/mL, and 0.07 U/mL, respectively. BREC-11 is a cellulose-degrading bacterium with resistance to furfural, which has potential application in future bio-refinery processes. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Effects of bio-organic fertilizers on pineapple heart rot and bacterial community structure北大核心CSCD

Heart rot is a common soil-borne disease in the pineapple industry, but the situation can be alleviated by the application of bio-fertilizers with beneficial microbiomes. Clarifying the controlling mechanism of bio-organic fertilizer on the high incidence of heart rot is critical in monocultural pineapple cropping patterns. In our study, the soil of continuous cropping pineapple orchards was collected. Three types of carriers (rapeseed cake, peat soil, and coconut bran), biocontrol strains (Bacillus subtilis HL2 and Streptomyces strain HL3), and organic fertilizer (YJ) were composted into different bio-fertilizers (KC, KN, KY, LC, LN, and LY), which were used in pot experiments. The controlling effect of the bio-fertilizer was determined based on the response of pineapple heart rot and bacterial communities to different fertilizing methods. Our results revealed that the incidence of heart rot in bio-fertilizer KC was the lowest, which decreased by 20% and 13.3%, respectively, compared to HF (chemical fertilizer, 16-16-16) and YJ (organic fertilizer). The richness and diversity of soil bacterial communities in all biofertilized treatments (KC, KN, KY, LC, LN, and LY) were significantly higher than those in HF. However, the α-diversity indices of the bio-fertilizers (KC, KN, and KY) were higher than those of LC, LN, and LY, and the bacterial community composition was significantly different. The bacteria GP4, GP6, Bacillus, and Azohydromonas were enriched in KC, KN, and KY, while the relative abundance of Streptomyces increased significantly in LC, LN, and LY. Furthermore, Spearman correlation analysis showed that the relative abundance of these bacterial groups was significantly negatively correlated with the incidence of pineapple heart rot. In summary, the application of bio-organic fertilizers can decrease the incidence of pineapple heart rot by altering the soil bacterial community structure and stimulating beneficial soil microorganisms, which is important for reconstructing the ecological balance in continuous pineapple orchards. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Cloning and expression analysis of geosmin synthase gene from Aphanizomenon gracile北大核心CSCD

Geosmin is a secondary metabolite responsible for earthy odors. The occurrence of geosmin has great impact on the quality of water environment. The gene essential for geosmin biosynthesis have been identified in several species. But little is known about the mechanism of geosmin synthesis in Aphanizomenon gracile. This study attempted to clone the gene involved in geosmin biosynthesis of Aphanizomenon gracile a nd a nalyze t he geosmin production u nder d ifferent e nvironments. T he high-efficiency thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (hiTAIL-PCR) was used to amplify the full-length of geosmin synthase gene from Aphanizomenon gracile (WH-1). Real time PCR (RT-PCR) was applied to quantify the geosmin production in different light and temperature. As a result, geo, a geosmin synthase gene from Aphanizomenon gracile (WH-1) was cloned by hiTAIL-PCR. The full-length open reading frame (ORF) of geo was 2 262 bp, coding for a protein of 753 amino acids. Meanwhile, WH-1 was treated with different environment conditions and mRNA expression levels of geo were quantified by RT-PCR. It was found that low temperature (15 °C), high light intensity (35 μmol m-2 s-1) and continuous light illumination were beneficial to the expression of geo. The successful amplification of geosmin synthase gene verified that hiTAIL-PCR is an effective and simple procedure of low cost. The result provides fundamental knowledge on the monitoring and prevention for odorants.     

Screening and degradation characteristics of a tetracycline-degrading bacterial strain北大核心CSCD

Tetracycline is widely used in livestock and poultry breeding industry, which can cause serious problems to the environment. Antibiotic pollution has become an important environmental issue. This study aimed to isolate and identify a well-functioning tetracycline-degrading bacteria strain from activated sludge and to investigate its optimum degradation conditions. The strain was identified through morphological features, Gram staining, and the sequence analysis of 16S rRNA. Furthermore, the temperature, initial pH of the medium, inoculation amount, and type of metallic salt were analyzed to investigate the tetracycline degradation performance of the isolated strain. Based on the single factor test, the method of response surface analysis was adopted to optimize the degradation condition. The strain was named TTC-1 and identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae. The optimum condition for tetracycline degradation was determined as follows: temperature of 34.4 °C, pH of 7.22, and MnSO4 concentration of 0.32 g/L. Under this optimum condition, the predicted tetracycline degradation rate was 93.77%, whereas the observed value was 94.26%. The experimental results showed that the proposed model had high accuracy. TTC-1 showed a good performance in degrading tetracycline, which can provide reference for the bacteria during the biological treatment of tetracycline containing wastewater. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Membrane Fouling in Microfiltration of Sanitary Landfill Leachate for Removals of Colourand Solids

In this research,the treatability of solids from sanitary landfill leachate by microfiltration membrane was investigated and the fouling of the membrane was carefully studied.Continuous microfiltration process was carried out for 21 h in experimental system involved coagulation with Moringa oleifera followed by filtration using submerged hollow fibre microfiltration membrane (MFM).Coagulation with M.Oleifera,air diffusers and back flush technique were used for preventing or alleviating fouling of the membrane.The hollow fibre MFM showed high removals of 98%,91% and 99% for turbidity,colour and total suspended solids respectively.It was obtained at the beginning of the filtration.However,quality of the filtrate rapidly declined during the filtration process.Fouling was found to proceed according to the classical cake filtration model.Coagulation with M.Oleifera as well as the back-flush technique could not fully restore the deterioration occurred to the membrane.     

Construction of an ecosystem service value evaluation system for the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park in Chengdu City Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process北大核心CSCD

As a special ecosystem, an urban forest park, which is different from a regular “forest park”, is one of the key elements involved in improving the urban ecological environment and promoting the sustainable development of a city. The “urban forest park” can also significantly improve living conditions by acting as a greenbelt. The Chengdu Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park is a rare mountain urban forest park located in the center of the city. This “urban forest park” not only provides more ecological products and maintains ecological security but also meets the growing needs of people for food, environmental quality, and spirituality. To comprehensively assess the ecological value of the Chengdu Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park, this study used the literature analogy and questionnaire survey methods to establish a targeted ecosystem service assessment system in this study area. In addition, combined with the hierarchical analysis method, the indicator system was tested, and the specific evaluation index was determined. In the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park Ecosystem Service Value Index System, three first-level indicators, such as ecological material products (with a weight of 0.412 6), ecological regulation (0.327 5), and dwelling culture (0.259 9); eight secondary indicators, such as product production (0.206 3), resource supply (0.206 3), and biodiversity (0.194 4); and twenty-three tertiary indicators, such as air negative oxygen ion (0.154 7), habitat quality (0.095 9), and ecological health benefit (0.075 5), were identified. From the weights of the first and second indicators, it was clear that the supply of ecological material products is the main service function in the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park ecosystem. Moreover, from the weights of the third indicator, the public’s cognition and concept of the ecosystem service value of the “urban forest park” gradually shifted from the supply service of products and resources to cultural services. In summary, the ecosystem service value assessment system designed for the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park in this study has certain feasibility and extensibility that lays a theoretical foundation for the scientific assessment of ecological value and ecological value realization mechanism for other “forest parks” worldwide. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Identification of Tsuga Germplasm by Morphological Characters and RAPD Markers

Germplasm collection is important to preserve and maximize genetic diversity for germplasm conservation. Tsuga dumosa （ D. Don） Eichler in Engler ＆ Prantl. and T. chinensis var. forrestii （Downie） Silba germplasm was collected from three localities in China： Mt. Yulong, Wenfeng Temple and Mt. Dishiergu, Yunnan Province. Accessions were identified based on morphological characters and RAPD markers. The shapes of the apices and margins of needles were examined, and the length and width of needles, cones and seeds from accessions of mature plants were used to compare the morphological differences and to identify the germplasm. Molecular markers generated by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD） were also used to characterize the taxa. Although the clustering based on RAPD markers was inconsistent with the morphological characters of the needles, based on the overall morphological characters and on RAPD markers, the accessions from Mt. Yulong and Wenfeng Temple were identified as T. chinertsis var. forrestii, and those from Mt. Dishiergu identified as T. dumosa. Taxonomic identification of the accessions was made based on morphology and by RAPD markers concurred. The results indicate that the shapes of the apices and margins of needles particularly from young plants could not be used as a possible key to identify T. dumosa and T. chinertsis var. forrestii. Fig 6, Tab 3, Ref24     

Mycelial culture of wild Inonotus hispidus parasitizing the jujube tree and the cultivation conditions of its fruit body on rice medium北大核心CSCD

Inonotus hispidus is a kind of rare medicinal fungus, and its natural resources are very scarce. Currently, the artificial cultivation technology of I. hispidus is not completely developed, and this reflects on its extremely low biological conversion rate and long cultivation period. In order to improve the bioconversion rate and shorten the production cycle of I. hispidus, we first analyzed the mycelia culture conditions of the collected I. hispidus, and then we further explore the method of domesticated cultivation of its fruiting body in rice medium. During the process of mycelial culture, the suitable temperature, pH, carbon source, and nitrogen source for mycelial growth were selected using the mycelial growth rate as index. During the domesticated cultivation of the fruiting body, the suitable culture medium for its growth was selected using the bioconversion rate as index. Screening results of mycelial culture conditions showed that the optimal culture conditions for the growth of mycelium of the wild I. hispidus were: temperature of 25 °C, initial pH of 6.0, glucose as the carbon source, and yeast extract powder as the source of nitrogen. The results of the domesticated cultivation showed that the biotransformation rate of I. hispidus was higher when using rice as the main medium substrate. The optimal cultivation conditions were: a 0.2% yeast extract content in the nutrient solution, a 1:1.6 ratio of rice to nutrient solution, and a 4 mL inoculum of the liquid strain. Under these conditions, it took about 4 days for the mycelium to grow over the cultivation medium. The time required for the differentiation of the primordium to form fruit bodies was about 20 days, and the bioconversion rate reached 28.70% ± 5.05%. The results of this study indicate the feasibility of using rice as the main substrate for the cultivation of I. hispidus, and it also provide new insights for the finding of new cultivation substrates for other rare medicinal fungi. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Use of Biotic Community Structure as a Measure of Ecological Degradation

The benthic macroinvertebrate communities of two lotic aquatic habitats,namely,the Churni River(C-R)and the Jalangi River(J-R)were compared in this study.One lotic aquatic system(C-R)was polluted by organic pollutants due to discharge of unprocessed sewage water,while the other(J-R)was not affected by such pollution.Evaluations of various physico-chemical properties of water,sediment and different macroinvertebrate communities of the two tropical lotic systems were done in a period from January,2002 to December,2003.A long term temporal change in the macroinvertebrate communities was recorded due to increase in sediment rH value.Sediment redox potential affected by the anthropogenic activities was found to be an important factor for alteration of macroinvertebrate communities in these aquatic ecosystems.A positive correlation has been established between rH and Margalef index in this study.Potassium and the total count of coliform bacteria in water showed significantly higher values for the polluted Churni River than those for the Jalangi River.Fig 3,Tab 4,Ref 34     

Isolation,identification, culture conditions,and laccase production of a wild mushroom 'Huaier'北大核心CSCD

In the present study, fruiting bodies of a wild medicinal mushroom, 'Huaier, ' were collected from Populus canadensis in the Beijing Xiangshan Park. The pure culture strain was obtained from fruiting bodies using the tissue isolation method. It was stored and numbered as XS-01. It was systematically classified using morphological and ITS identification. Further studies were focused on mycelia optimum culture conditions and laccase production by liquid fermentation. A 598-bp partial ITS region sequence (GenBank accession number KY93348) was obtained using PCR method. Phylogenetic tree and genetic distance analysis were performed using the MEGA 6.0 software. The present strain possessed the highest homology (100%) with Perenniporia robiniophila, and the genetic distances were 0.000. Based on the ITS sequencing and morphological characteristics of fruiting bodies and mycelia, XS-01 was identified as P. robiniophila. Based on mycelial growth rate and quality, mycelia optimum culture conditions were revealed to be as follows: the optimum carbon sources were starch and maltose, the optimum nitrogen source was yeast extracts, the optimum C/N ratio range was 30/1 - 60/1, the best growth temperature was 32 °C, the optimum pH was 7, and the optimum growth factor was VB1. Further study of Cu2+ on extracellular laccase production revealed that 1.0 mmol/L Cu2+ could significantly enhance the enzyme production, with the highest activity of 417.5 U/mL when cultured for 96 h and an increase ratio of 93.4% to the control. On the other hand, 2.0 mmol/L Cu2+ can markedly decrease the enzyme production laccase activity at 96 h to 79.0 U/mL, which was 36.6% of that of the control. In conclusion, a pure strain of T. robiniophila with high extracellular laccase activity was obtained, suggesting its potential application for artificial cultivation and laccase production. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Effects of Combined Exposure to Formaldehyde and PM2.5 on the Brain of Balb/c Mice Asthma Model

Epidemiological studies have shown that there is a link between asthma and brain damage,but toxicological studies have not fully confirmed yet,especially the effects of asthma on the brain. In this study,at first,we explore the effects of asthma on the brain through the establishment of an allergic asthma model. Then PM_(2.5),a typical outdoor air pollutant and formaldehyde,a typical indoor air pollutant were selected to be closer to the true environment and find whether there is any synergism between them. In this study,an ovalbumin( OVA)-sensitized mice asthma model was established. 30 male Balb/c mice were randomly divided into 5 groups:( 1) saline control group,( 2) OVA-sensitized group,( 3) OVA-combined with formaldehyde exposure group,( 4) OVA-combined with PM_(2.5) exposure group,( 5) Combination of OVA,formaldehyde and PM_(2.5) exposure group. The mice were inhaled with formaldehyde or/and instilled with PM_(2.5) from day 1 to 18. The mice asthma model was developed by OVA sensitization and challenge. The mice were sensitized with OVA+Al( OH)3( 5 mg OVA and 175 mg Al( OH)3 in 30 m L saline each time) or saline( 30 m L saline each time) by intraperitoneal injection on day 1,7 and 14.This was then followed by an aerosol challenge in 1% OVA( 30 min·d~(-1)) from day 19 to 25( 7 times) using an ultrasonic nebulizer. On the 26 th day,the organ coefficient of mice brain was counted,then the contents of oxidative stress of mice brain were measured,including reactive oxygen species( ROS),glutathione( GSH) and malondialdehyde( MDA),and the concentrations of NF-κB and interleukin-1β( IL-1β) were detected by using ELISA kits.Detection of interleukin-6( IL-6) was made with immunohistochemical method. Histological assay for brain was also conducted. In our results,all the OVA treated groups showed a significant increase of ROS and a significant decrease of GSH contents when compared with the control group. Except OVA-sensitized group,other OVA treated groups also showed a significant increase of MDA contents when compared with the control group,and MDA contents of OVA-sensitized group showed significant change when compared to the combined exposure group. In ROS and GSH,combined exposure showed some joint effect compared with single exposure. When OVA was applied in combination with formaldehyde and PM_(2.5),NF-κB was activated. And all the OVA treated groups showed increased levels of IL-1β and IL-6 compared with the control group. And the combined exposure showed an aggravated effect when compared with OVA-sensitized group. Histopathological observation of the hippocampus in mice brain clearly showed the difference of eosin( EO) stained neurons in the combined exposure group compared with the control group and OVA-sensitized group. The pyramidal neurons of the mice with allergic asthma exposed to formaldehyde and/or PM_(2.5) had been reduced in number,the cells were swollen and the dendrites had disappeared. Allergic asthma can cause damage to the brain through oxidative stress. Exposure to formaldehyde and PM_(2.5) will increase the damage caused by allergic asthma to the brain,which may be mediated by oxidative stress and NF-κB activation.This promotes the release of the inflammatory factors,resulting in increased inflammation.     

Inhibitory kinetics of β-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by cadmium北大核心CSCD

Cadmium (Cd2+) pollution in an aquatic environment can negatively affect certain reproductive parameters of aquatic animals. β-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) is considered to play an important role in the fertilization process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Cd2+ on the activity of NAGase purified f rom the testis of Nile tilapia, toward contributing new knowledge on the breadth of negative effects of Cd2+ for Nile tilapia production. The kinetic method of substrate reaction was used for this assessment, and an inhibitory model was established to study the kinetics of NAGase under inhibition by Cd2+. The results showed that Cd2+ could reversibly inhibit the enzymatic activity of NAGase, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration was estimated to be 40.95 mmol/L. Cd2+ was found to be a competitive inhibitor of NAGase, and the inhibitory constant was determined to be 17.13 mmol/L. The microscopic rate constants of inactivation were also determined. Together, these findings demonstrate that Cd2+ is a reversible inhibitor that can competitively inhibit NAGase. These results may provide a theoretical foundation for further studies on the reproduction of tilapia. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.