基于细菌毒性测试与小鼠肺基因转录分析的PM2.5健康效应

尽管大量流行病学和毒理学研究表明,PM_(2.5)暴露会导致一系列肺部疾病,但是其毒性机制尚不明确.本研究选取不同浓度梯度PM_(2.5)颗粒物样品进行细菌毒性评价,结果显示颗粒物的发光细菌急性毒性、遗传毒性分别为低毒和阴性.此外,采用气管灌注方法模拟小鼠呼吸暴露,研究了肺脏病理改变及差异基因表达.肺脏病理切片分析显示,PM_(2.5)暴露造成肺组织不同程度炎症反应和纤维化损伤,并呈现浓度越高、损伤程度越明显的现象.通路分析发现PM_(2.5)暴露影响到核糖体蛋白功能、脂肪酸与胆固醇代谢功能的正常表达,提示肺部炎症反应源于基因损害,其造成的损害后果可能是不可逆的.GO聚类分析发现免疫功能发生聚类富集,相关基因功能异常表达可能是造成肺部炎症的具体路径.这些发现有助于了解PM_(2.5)暴露危害路径和机制.     

柱孢藻毒素对草鱼淋巴细胞毒效应及氧化损伤机理研究

针对淡水水体拟柱孢藻水华产生的柱孢藻毒素,以我国典型食用鱼种草鱼(Ctenophar yngodon idellus)为实验材料,研究了其对鱼体免疫细胞毒效应及机理.结果表明,随着体外暴露剂量的增加,草鱼淋巴细胞活性逐渐降低,暴露24h后100μg·L-1柱孢藻毒素诱导组细胞活性仅为对照组的20%;对诱导组淋巴细胞的DNA检测发现呈现阶梯状电泳的典型细胞凋亡特征;应用流式细胞仪进一步检测了细胞凋亡率,表明1～100μg·L-1柱孢藻毒素均能够诱导细胞凋亡,并且其凋亡毒效应呈现明显的时间-效应和剂量-效应关系;诱导12h后,氧化应激产物活性氧(ROS)和丙二醛(MDA)含量均明显上升,100μg·L-1柱孢藻毒素诱导组ROS含量为对照组的2.5倍,MDA含量为对照组的2倍,诱导24h后,1、10、50和100μg·L-1实验组氧化应激产物含量仍然明显上升,这说明氧化应激是柱孢藻毒素导致草鱼淋巴细胞DNA损伤的重要原因;RT-PCR技术对重要凋亡基因的检测表明,1～100μg·L-1实验组凋亡促进基因Bax表达显著增强(p<0.05),50和100μg·L-1高剂量组凋亡抑制基因Bcl-2表达显著降低(p<0.01).本研究从细胞水平揭示柱孢藻毒素对草鱼免疫细胞具有明显的毒性,该毒效应通过氧化应激介导的DNA损伤表现,凋亡是柱孢藻毒素对草鱼免疫细胞毒性的主要机制.     

农药毒死蜱对小鼠脑细胞氧化损伤的研究

毒死蜱是一种高效、低毒、广谱的有机磷杀虫杀螨剂.为研究其对生物体的氧化损伤,以昆明小鼠为受试体,毒死蜱按3、6和12 mg·kg-13个剂量水平灌胃染毒小鼠7d,以脑组织匀浆测定活性氧(Reactive oxygen species,ROS)、还原型谷胱甘肽(Glutathione,GSH)和丙二醛(Malondialdehyde,MDA)的含量,以脑细胞测定DNA-蛋白质交联(DNA-protein Crosslink,DPC)系数.实验结果表明,随着毒死蜱染毒剂量的升高,ROS和MDA含量及DPC系数逐渐上升,GSH含量逐渐降低,各指标呈一定的剂量-效应关系.染毒剂量为6 mg·kg-1时,与对照组相比,DPC有显著差异(p＜0.05),MDA有极显著差异(P＜0.01);染毒剂量为12 mg·kg-1时,与对照组相比,ROS和DPC有显著差异(p＜0.05),GSH和MDA有极显著差异(p＜0.01).说明较高剂量的毒死蜱可造成小鼠脑组织的氧化损伤和DNA-蛋白质交联作用增强.     

高浓度氨氮胁迫对纤细裸藻的毒性效应

采用室内培养方法,通过检测纤细裸藻生长、光合色素含量、抗氧化酶活性及DNA损伤(彗星实验)研究了高浓度氨氮胁迫对纤细裸藻(Euglena gracilis)的毒性效应,以期为氨氮的水生态风险评价以及藻类污水净化提供科学依据.结果表明,氨氮在所设定的浓度范围内抑制藻类的生长,浓度越高,抑制越明显,2 000 mg·L-1时相比对照抑制率达55.7%;叶绿素含量随氨氮浓度增加先升高后下降,蛋白质含量与叶绿素变化趋势基本吻合;抗氧化酶系统中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性随氨氮浓度增加而上升,2 000 mg·L-1时比对照分别增加了30.7%和49.4%,提示氨氮胁迫可诱导抗氧化酶活性增加;彗星实验中,纤细裸藻细胞DNA损伤程度随氨氮浓度增加而加重,表明高浓度氨氮具有潜在的致突变性.     

二氯乙腈对大肠杆菌基因表达的影响

为探究二氯乙腈（DCAN）对大肠杆菌（E.coli）基因表达的影响及相应的毒性作用,采用自组织映射（SOM）聚类及剂量效应关系分析方法考察了E.coli在不同剂量DCAN暴露120min过程中其基因表达状况.结果表明：随时间及浓度改变E.coli基因表达具有动态性;在DCAN浓度为1.429×10^-3mg/L时,多个参与应急反应（SOS response）调节、氧化还原应激及普通应激的基因启动子活性发生改变,导致DNA损伤、氧化应激加剧,细胞生物化学和物理稳态可能受到干扰;此外,毒性终点结果表明DNA损伤是DCAN主要的毒性作用模式.     

Atrazine accumulation and toxic responses in maize Zea mays

Atrazine accumulation, oxidative stress, and defense response in maize seedlings exposed to extraneous atrazine were studied. Accumulation of atrazine in maize increased with increasing exposure concentration. The abscisic acid (ABA) content was positively correlated with the atrazine concentrations in maize roots and shoots (p < 0.05). Hydroxyl radical (·OH) in maize was determined in vivo with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Its intensity was positively correlated with atrazine concentration in roots and shoots (p < 0.05), and higher level of ·OH generated in roots than in shoots corresponded to the major accumulation of atrazine in roots. Superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase in roots were up-regulated by atrazine exposure at 1 mg/L compared to the control and malondialdehyde content in roots was enhanced when atrazine exposure concentration reached 10 mg/L. These results suggested the exposure and accumulation of atrazine caused oxidative toxicity and antioxidant response in maize.     

Toxic effects of perfluorononanoic acid on the development of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos

Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) is a nine-carbon perfluoroalkyl acid widely used in industrial and domestic products. It is a persistent organic pollutant found in the environment as well as in the tissues of humans and wildlife. There is a concern that this chemical might be a developmental toxicant and teratogen in various ecosystems. In the present study, the toxic effects of PFNA were evaluated in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. One hour post-fertilization embryos were treated with 0, 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 350, and 400 μmol/L PFNA for 96 hr in 6-well plates. Developmental phenotypes and hatching rates were observed and recorded. Nineteen genes related to oxidative stress and lipid metabolism were examined using Quantitative RT-PCR and confirmed by whole mount in situ hybridization (WISH). Results showed that PFNA delayed the development of zebrafish embryos, reduced the hatching rate, and caused ventricular edema and malformation of the spine. In addition, the amount of reactive oxygen species in the embryo bodies increased significantly after exposure to PFNA compared with that of the control group. The Quantitative RT-PCR and WISH experiments demonstrated that mRNA expression of the lfabp and ucp2 genes increased significantly while that of sod1 and mt-nd1 decreased significantly after PFNA exposure. The mRNA expression levels of gpx1 and mt-atp6 decreased significantly in the high concentration group. However, the mRNA expression levels of both ppara and pparg did not show any significant variation after exposure. These findings suggest that PFNA affected the development of zebrafish embryos at relatively low concentrations.     

Molecular toxicity and defense mechanisms induced by silver nanoparticles in Drosophila melanogaster

The widely use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as antimicrobial agents gives rise to potential environmental risks. AgNPs exposure have been reported to cause toxicity in animals. Nevertheless, the known mechanisms of AgNPs toxicity are still limited. In this study, we systematically investigated the toxicity of AgNPs exposure using Drosophila melanogaster. We show here that AgNPs significantly decreased Drosophila fecundity, the third-instar larvae weight and rates of pupation and eclosion in a dose-dependent manner. AgNPs reduced fat body cell viability in MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays. AgNPs caused DNA damage in hemocytes and S2 cells. Interestingly, the mRNA levels of the entire metallothionein gene family were increased under AgNPs exposure as determined by RNA-seq analysis and validated by qRT-PCR, indicating that Drosophila responded to the metal toxicity of AgNPs by producing metallothioneins for detoxification. These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of AgNPs toxicity and may provide clues to effect on other organisms, including humans.