Zearalenone screening of human breast milk from the Naples area

The mycotoxin zearalenone exhibits estrogenic and anabolic properties in several animal species, humans included. Food contamination by zearalenone is caused either by direct contamination of grains, fruits, and their based-products or by “carry-over” of mycotoxins in animal tissues, milk, and eggs after intake of contaminated feedstuff. Now, a survey on zearalenone contamination in breast milk of healthy primiparous women living in the Naples countryside was conducted. From 47 healthy primiparous women, breast milk samples were collected within the first six weeks after delivery as well as clinical data of mother–newborn pairs. Breast milk analyses were performed with both competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. At 36.9 ± 2.6 days after vaginal delivery, the mean zearalenone contents of the breast milk samples were 1.13 ± 0.34 µg/L. The zearalenone levels correlated with both mother weights before pregnancy (r = ?0.506; P < 0.001) and at delivery (r = ?0.351; P < 0.05). The present results indicate that breast milk may be contaminated with zearalenone.     

G蛋白偶联雌激素受体1介导的环境雌激素效应研究进展

环境雌激素进入生物体后,可通过多种方式介导发挥类似内源雌激素的作用,干扰生物体的正常功能,进而对生物体产生毒害作用。其中,基因组方式介导的雌激素效应主要通过与细胞核内的雌激素受体(如ERα和ERβ)结合;而非基因组方式介导的雌激素效应则主要通过与膜雌激素受体结合从而发挥作用。近年来对G蛋白偶联雌激素受体1(GPER1)的研究表明,该受体是区别于雌激素核受体的膜雌激素受体,可单独介导雌激素诱发的非基因组方式雌激素效应,然而目前对其介导的雌激素效应机制研究并不完善。综上,本文结合近年来对GPER1的研究进展,从该受体的发现、特性以及其介导的雌激素效应和相关通路进行了综述。     

杭州市灰霾与非灰霾日不同粒径大气颗粒物来源解析

在2011年典型灰霾和非灰霾天气下,采集了杭州市不同粒径的大气颗粒物样品,测定并分析各粒径段颗粒物的质量浓度及其化学成分;同时采集并分析了主要污染源排放的颗粒物样品,通过CMB(化学质量平衡)模型进行源解析. 结果表明:灰霾天气下,二次粒子是杭州市各粒径段颗粒物的首要贡献源,其对≤1.1、>1.1~3.3、>3.3~5.8和>5.8~10μm粒径段的颗粒物贡献率分别为60.4%、62.2%、54.8%和46.5%. 在一次排放源中,机动车尾气是≤1.1和>1.1~3.3μm粒径段颗粒物的重要来源,贡献率分别为13.8%和12.2%;城市扬尘是>3.3~5.8μm粒径段颗粒物的重要来源,贡献率达到16.0%;而建筑施工尘是>5.8~10μm粒径段颗粒物的重要来源,贡献率为14.2%. 非灰霾天气下,随着颗粒物粒径的增加,二次粒子的贡献率显著下降,对≤1.1μm粒径段颗粒物的贡献率为42.7%,而对>5.8~10μm粒径段颗粒物的贡献率仅为15.5%;机动车是各粒径段颗粒物的重要贡献源,贡献率均在20%以上;煤烟尘是≤3.3μm细粒径段颗粒物的重要贡献源类,贡献率为22.0%;城市扬尘是>3.3~5.8μm粒径段颗粒物的重要来源,贡献率为18.3%;建筑施工尘依然是>5.8~10μm粒径段颗粒物的重要来源,贡献率为21.4%.      

MiRNA-451 is a potential biomarker for estrogenicity in mouse uterus

The uterotrophic assay has been commonly used to test environmental estrogens in vivo, however, it is often not sensitive enough sometimes. An alternative way is to evaluate estrogenicity through biomarker genes. MicroRNA （miRNA） is a class of regulatory gene, which has been shown to be a good biomarker for many diseases and toxicological effects in recent years, and some evidences showed that estrogen induced response was partially mediated by miRNAs. In this study, two types of microarrays were used to test the 17[3-estradiol （E2） induced miRNA expression profile at different time points in the immature mouse uterus. Statistical analysis showed the aldehyde slide based array had less variation than the amino slide based array, and 11 dysregulated miRNAs were screened out for significant fold change. Real-time PCR was performed to further confirm that 4 out of 7 selected miRNAs, namely miR-451, miR-155, miR-335- 5p, and miR-365, are E2 regulated miRNAs in the uterus. The function of the predicted targets of these miRNAs is involved in cell grow control, which is consistent with the main E2 function in the uterus. MiR-451 had similar strong responses to E2 in the uterus of both immature and overiectomized mice, and could be a potential biomarker for estrogenicity in the uterus.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments held in experimental mesocosms

Sediment was collected from three locations along a pollution gradient in Narragansett Bay and transplanted to controlled mesocosms. Total hydrocarbons and eleven individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in these sediments over a period of 394 days. Total hydrocarbon concentrations increased in the “relatively uncontaminated”; (Rhode Island Sound) sediment that was held in the mesocosms, but did not change in the two other sediments. The concentrations of four PAHs: naphthalene, 2‐methyl naphthalene, 1‐methyl naphthalene and biphenyl, decreased in the “contaminated”; (Providence River) sediment during the experiment and the calculated half‐lives for these compounds were 287, 353, 321 and 333 days, respectively.     

Characterization of airborne particulate matter in Thessaloniki,Greece

A receptor modeling approach has been applied to identify and apportion sources of airborne particulate matter in Thessaloniki, Greece. The absolute principal component analysis source apportionment technique used, provided quantitative information regarding both source particle characteristics and impacts. The analysis identified four major sources of heavy metals within total suspended particles (TSP) in the centre of the city: oil burning, pyrometallurgical non‐ferrous metal processes, motor vehicles and soil resuspension. Their contributions to TSP estimated by regression on absolute principal component scores (APCS) were 12%, 8%, 5% and 4%, respectively. A similar analysis conducted for a sampling site close to the industrial area identified five major sources: oil burning, industrial Cr source, soil resuspension, pyrometallurgical non‐ferrous metal processes and motor vehicles with contributions 20%, 15%, 9%, 8% and 4%, respectively.     

好氧反硝化菌的脱氮特性研究与探讨

本论文对好氧反硝化菌株FR2,FX5,FW4在好氧条件下的反硝化特性进行了研究。结果表明：反硝化主要发生在菌体的对数生长期,且反硝化过程中NO2^--N有少量的积累。 对不同温度、pH、碳源对好氧反硝化作用的影响进行了研究,结果表明：该三株菌在好氧条件下均具有良好的反硝化效果;温度为25℃～30℃的中性和微碱性条件反硝化效果较好;以乙酸钠为碳源的反硝化效果最好,NO3^-N的去除率最高。以葡萄糖为碳源的反硝化效果最差,NO3^-N的去除率最低。     

双酚AF诱导乳腺癌细胞增殖的分子机制

从细胞水平上研究不同浓度双酚AF （BPAF）对MCF-7人乳腺癌细胞系的细胞增殖能力、细胞凋亡、细胞周期等终点的影响;以新型雌激素膜受体GPER1介导的PI3K/Akt和ERK1/2信号通路为靶点,研究低浓度BPAF对该信号通路相关基因表达的影响,以及其在诱导乳腺癌细胞增殖中的作用,评估其增殖效应机制.结果表明,低浓度BPAF （0.001~1μmol/L）能够诱导MCF-7细胞的增殖,使S期细胞比例升高,并且激活雌激素信号通路相关基因mRNA的表达;在较高浓度时（>10μmol/L）能抑制细胞活力,诱导细胞凋亡.通过特异性靶点抑制剂发现GPER1在mRNA层面上激活了PI3K/Akt和ERK1/2信号通路,并且该信号通路的激活可能是BPAF引起MCF-7细胞增殖的关键机制,并且ERα也在其中起到了重要的作用.     

大气颗粒物“二重源解析”技术的误差分析

"二重源解析"模型计算结果的误差是采样误差、样品处理误差、化学组分分析误差、数据处理误差以及数学模型误差等所有误差的积累。提出了"二重源解析"解析结果的相对误差和标准偏差表达式,并用之计算了某市利用"二重源解析"模型计算的源贡献值的相对误差和标准偏差,还针对从源排放出来的初始态颗粒物在传输过程中发生的扬尘态变化提出了扬尘转化率的概念和计算方法。     

内分泌扰乱化学品活性筛选和测试方法

对近年来对内分泌扰乱化学品(EDCs)的筛选和测试方法进行了述评。目前倾向于采用包括与激素受体结合的亲和力测试、体外和活体测试在内的层式检测法对EDCs的活性进行筛选和测试,并评价人体和野生动物内分泌扰乱的性质、可能性和剂量-反应关系。目前也致力于EDCs的结构-效应关系特别是定量关系的研究,旨在提供一种简便低廉的筛选方法。总的说来,稳定可靠的标准化筛选和检测方法的建立仍待努力。