The Northern Mole Vole: Is It a Hibernator?

Based on the results of long-term field studies (1980–1997) and published data on the ecology of the northern mole vole (Ellobius talpinusPall.), it is assumed that these animals living in the Southern Urals and the Transural region do hibernate. The factors that cause their hibernation (freezing of the ground, the resultant unavailability of food, and hypoxia), some indirect evidence for hibernation (the cessation of tooth root growth from autumn to spring and a long life span), and characteristic signs of the preparation for hibernation (a decrease in body weight and an increase in liver weight) are considered. A hypothetical scheme of the active and dormant periods is proposed.     

双道HG—AFS同时测定鲤鱼肝脏中痕量Hg和As

应用氢化物原子荧光法,测定鲤鱼肝脏中痕量Hg和As,该法具有原子吸收和原子发射光谱两种技术优势,同时它具有分析灵敏度高,干扰少,线性范围宽,可多元素同时测定等优点;在KBH4-酸还原体系中同时测定鱼肝中Hg和As,方法检出限分别为Hg：0．33ng／ml和As0．36ng／ml,线性范围分别为：0.1—2.0ng／ml和1．0—20．0ng／ml。加标回收率分别为Hg：96．0％和As：100．6％。分析结果可靠,方法令人满意,并适合大批量样品的分析.     

微塑料对鲫鱼生长、肝脏损伤和肠道微生物组成的影响

广泛存在于自然环境中的微塑料可能会危害水生生物的生长和健康,目前该方面的研究较少.以淡水杂食性鱼类鲫鱼作为研究对象,喂食不同微塑料浓度的鱼食进行为期30 d的食源暴露试验,分析微塑料对鲫鱼生长、肝脏损伤和肠道微生物组成的影响.结果表明,与对照组相比,各试验组中鲫鱼的身长没有明显变化,但低浓度组的鲫鱼体重显著增加,中浓度组和高浓度组的体重明显下降.低浓度组的鲫鱼肝脏组织基本正常,中浓度组和高浓度组的均出现了不同程度的肝组织异常现象,其中高浓度组的肝脏损伤最为严重.鲫鱼肠道中,变形菌门、梭杆菌门、厚壁菌门和拟杆菌门是门水平上的优势菌种,葡萄球菌属和劳尔氏菌属等致病菌在各试验组鲫鱼肠道中均有出现;α多样性结果表明高浓度组的鲫鱼肠道微生物菌群最为丰富;PCoA结果显示对照组和试验组的鲫鱼肠道微生物存在明显的聚类特征.     

全氟辛烷羧酸(PFOA)与全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)的细胞毒性效应

新型污染物全氟辛烷羧酸(PFOA)与全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)在全球范围内的各种环境介质中被广泛检出,对生态安全和人体健康造成威胁。利用MTT(噻唑蓝)法研究了PFOA/PFOS对人体细胞的毒性效应。结果表明,低剂量PFOA和PFOS对人体正常肝细胞增殖具有显著毒性,其3 d半数抑制浓度(IC50值)分别约为5和0.5μg·L-1。此外,PFOA和PFOS均对MCF-7细胞增殖表现出显著的非单调剂量-毒性效应,并且在环境浓度范围(0.6μg·L-1)内均可促进MCF-7细胞增殖,表现出潜在的类雌激素作用风险。     

4-硝基酚对大鼠肝脏的毒性及氧化损伤

研究环境内分泌干扰物4-硝基酚(4-nitrophenol,PNP)对大鼠肝脏功能的毒性作用及其对核因子相关因子-2(Nrf2)通路的影响.20只SD雄性大鼠随机分成4个组,分别为对照组、1、10和100 mg·kg-1体重PNP处理组,连续皮下注射28d,检测肝脏的结构变化、氧化损伤和Nrf2及其相关基因的表达情况.结果表明,与对照组相比,100 mg·kg-1PNP处理组大鼠的血清肝功能主要指标ALT、AST、AKP活性和TBIL含量显著性升高p＜005);100 mg·kg-1组肝脏GSH-PX、CAT和SOD活性显著性降低p＜005);大鼠肝脏中Nrf2及其下游基因NQOI和HO-1 mRNA表达水平在1mg·kg-1组显著升高(p＜0.05),10、100 mg·kg-1组有升高趋势;100 mg ·kg-1组肝脏显微和超微结构都发现有不同程度的损伤.结果提示,皮下注射1 mg·kg-1 PNP引起了大鼠肝脏氧化损伤,机体可能通过提高Nrf2及其相关基因mRNA的表达水平来抵抗PNP引起的肝脏损伤;皮下注射100 mg·kg-1 PNP改变了肝脏的正常生理功能,造成肝细胞超微结构病理损伤,引起肝脏毒性.     

The polymorphism of the human serum paraoxonase †

The activity of paraoxonase, the enzyme which hydrolyses paraoxon, 0,0‐diethyl‐0–4‐nitrophenylphosphate, in human serum shows a genetically determined polymorphism with strong interethnic differences. The serum paraoxonase genotype has a significant influence on the paraoxon clearance. Individuals with high serum paraoxonase activity may be better protected against the toxic effects of parathion (0,0‐diethyl‐0–4‐nitrophenylthiophosphate).

In Caucasians the polymorphism is governed by two alleles. The first allele has a gene frequency p _low of 0.67 to 0.78, and is manifested in both the form of a first homozygotic group with low activities and a second heterozygotic group with medium activities. About 50% of all Europeans belong to the low activity group. The second allele with a gene frequency q _high of 0.22 to 0.33 is manifested in the second heterozygotic and a third homozygotic group with medium resp. high activities. The Hardy‐Weinberg rule for a two allele model is valid for the distribution.

The percentage of the low activity group decreases as one moves from Europe to Africa and Asia. In most of the Mongoloids and Negroids only 5 to 20% of the population can be included in the low activity group, which is not even demonstrable in Aborigines, Maoris, Tonga and some African and Indian (Central America) tribes. The validity of the Hardy‐Weinberg rule for a two‐ or three‐allele model must be rejected in non‐Caucasians.     

Metallothionein induction in mice by CCL4: Hepatic Zn‐status and distribution of administered Cd∗

Induction of metallothionein (MT), Zn status and the subcellular distribution of administered Cd were studied in liver after single administration of CC1₄ to mice. Hepatic MT was increased up to 153±16 μMT/g liver 18 h after injection of 2ml CCl₄/kg body weight. The observed decrease in Zn bound to cytosolic high molecular weight proteins from 25.5 ± 0.6 to 19.8±1.1 resp. 19.0 ± 1.7 μgZn/g and the increase in MT bound Zn from 4.0±0.5 to 9.5 ± 1.1 resp. 10.9±1.1 μgZn/g compensate each other.

Zn content of whole liver and hepatic cytosol remained unchanged. Hepatic subcellular distribution of 4 mg Cd/kg body weight, administered 2 h prior termination was also influenced by CC1₄. Cd bound to high molecular weight proteins decreased from 10.0±1.0 to 7.2±1.6 resp. 3.7 ± 2.6 μg Cd/g and Cd bound to MT increased from 12.5 ± 1.4 to 18.0 ± 3.8 resp. 23.1± 6.4 μgCd/g. Cd content of both, whole liver and cytosol was not significantly different from control. The induction of MT has been suggested to be beneficial due to its role in the sequestration of toxic metals. The depletion of Zn from cytosolic high molecular weight proteins however might adversively influence essential physiological processes.     

Antidiabetic effects of Trigonella foenum-graecum seed powder in a rat model

Free radical production and oxidative stress are known to increase in liver during diabetes and may contribute to oxidative damage. In this study, the effect of oral feeding of Trigonella foenum-graecum seed powder (TSP) has been studied on blood glucose, membrane-linked ATPases, antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, lipofuscin content and membrane fluidity in livers of a diabetic rat. Diabetes was induced by administration of alloxan monohydrate. Hyperglycemia during diabetes has been shown to entail free radical generation, with a concomitant increase in lipid peroxidation and lipofuscin content, inhibition of membrane-linked ATPases, increased antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased membrane fluidity. TSP treatment reverses the changes to near normal levels thereby ameliorating the management of diabetic complications.     

PCB disposition and different biological effects in rats following direct soil exposure vs. PCBs off-gassed from the soil

A comparison of PCB congener profiles and limited biological effects was made between direct exposure to PCB-contaminated soil and vapor phase PCBs from that soil to determine congener patterns useful for identifying exposure sources in humans and wildlife. Weanling female Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to either control or PCB-contaminated soil (from a landfill in Southern Illinois) for 1 and 2 weeks. The exposures were via direct contact with the soil or via airborne exposure with the rats isolated from the soil by a wire screen. Total PCB of 25% contaminated soil used in the study was 13?500?ppm. No PCBs were detectable in control rats. In direct-exposed rats, total PCB residues in fat pad, ear skin, serum, liver, and inguinal lymph nodes after the 1-week exposure were 6256, 185, 3.2, 149, and 41?ppm, respectively, but decreased to 465, 72, 1.7, 106, and 32.4?ppm after the 2-week exposure. In airborne-exposed rats, total PCB residues were 7.8, 1.6, 0.03, 0.2, and 0.6 in the same manner and slightly increased in fat pad and ear skin to 11.6 and 2.14, respectively. Decreases in both the concentrations and percentages of “episodic” PCBs (those congeners rapidly metabolized) in the fat pad were apparent following the 2-week exposure compared to the 1-week exposure by both routes. Both EROD and BROD activities were significantly increased in the direct-exposed rats, whereas only BROD activity increased in airborne-exposed rats. Serum T ₄ levels were depleted in the direct-exposed rats regardless of time of exposure but were increased insignificantly after 1-week and significantly after 2 weeks in the airborne-exposed rats. No significant changes in serum insulin levels were apparent in any of the treated groups. The results suggested that exposure of animals to PCBs via different routes could result in different PCB profiles, which could cause different biological effects.     

Effects of coconut product–caffeine interactions on liver cells in Wistar albino rats

The effects of interactions between coconut products and caffeine on the induction of drug-metabolizing enzyme in Wistar albino rats were studied. Twenty rats were randomly divided into four groups: (Group 1) control received via oral route a placebo (4 mL distilled water). Groups 2–4 were treated for a 14-day period, respectively, with 50 mg caffeine/kg body weight (BW), 50 mg caffeine/kg plus 50 mg coconut water/kg, or 50 mg caffeine/kg plus 50 mg coconut milk/kg in a 4 mL volume via gastric intubation. One day after the after the final exposure, the animals were euthanized by inhalation of an overdose of chloroform. The blood of each rat was collected by cardiac puncture, and the liver of each was harvested and processed to examine several biochemical parameters, including total protein and RNA levels, protein/RNA ratios, and the activities of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST, respectively). Results showed that while ingestion of coconut milk and coconut water increased the values of protein and protein/RNA ratios, there was a decrease in ALT and AST activities. These effects were opposite to those produced by caffeine alone and may prevent the adverse effects attributed to caffeine.