Between pregnancy biological variability of first trimester markers of Down syndrome: implications for screening in subsequent pregnancies

In a group of 149 women who had undergone routine first trimester screening using fetal nuchal translucency thickness (NT) and maternal serum free β-hCG and pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) in two consecutive pregnancies the within person between pregnancy biological variability of these markers has been assessed. For fetal NT there was no correlation between NT MoM in the first and second pregnancy (r=0.0800). For maternal serum free β-hCG MoM a significant correlation was observed (r=0.4174) as was also found for PAPP-A MoM (r=0.3270). The implications for such between pregnancy marker association is that women who have an increased risk of Down syndrome in their first pregnancy are 1.5–2 times more likely to repeat this event in their next pregnancy. This observation may be useful in counselling women in the first trimester screening of a subsequent pregnancy. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

城市污水处理厂内分泌干扰物浓度分布和去除规律

采集南方某城市3个污水处理厂进出水及各工艺单元的水样,通过固相萃取-衍生化过程对水样进行预处理,并用气相色谱-质谱联用仪定量检测水样中的17α-雌二醇(17α-E2)、雌酮(E1)、雌二醇(E2)、雌炔醇(EE2)、雌三醇(E3)、辛基酚(OP)、正壬基酚(NP)和双酚A(BPA)等8种内分泌干扰物(EDCs).连续4个季度的分析结果显示,3个污水厂进出水及各工艺单元中均有EDCs检出,EE2和BPA是含量最高的两种EDCs,出水中最高浓度分别达到498.9ng.L-1和2652.5ng.L-1,其他6种EDCs浓度均不超过100ng.L-1;生物处理工艺对EE2、E3、NP、OP和BPA有较高的去除率,平均去除率约为57%～85%,但对于E1、E2和17α-E2的去除率较低且不稳定;一级处理工艺对EDCs仅有低于18%的去除率;紫外辐照消毒工艺对EDCs的去除没有明显效果;EDCs浓度季节差异显著,由于雨水的稀释作用,旱季浓度约为雨季的2.5～7.8倍.本文对于了解我国南方地区污水处理工艺中EDCs类物质的分布和转化特点有一定的参考意义.     

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin promotes migration ability of primary cultured rat astrocytes via aryl hydrocarbon receptor

Emerging evidence showed that 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) could induce expression of certain reactivation-associated genes in astrocytes, however, the consequent cellular effects and molecular mechanisms are still unclear. During the process of astrocyte reactivation, migration is a critical cellular event. In the present study, we employed wound-healing assay and Transwell® motility assay to explore the effects of TCDD on cell migration in primary cultured rat cortical astrocytes. We found that upon TCDD treatments at relative low concentrations (10^? 10 and/or 10^? 9?mol/L), the ability of primary astrocytes to migrate horizontally and vertically was promoted. In line with this cellular effect, the mRNA expression of two pro-migratory genes, including cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) was induced by TCDD treatment. Dioxin exerts its toxic effects mainly through aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway. So the role of AhR pathway in the pro-migratory effects of TCDD was examined using an AhR antagonist, CH223191. We found that application of CH223191 significantly reversed the pro-migratory effects of TCDD. Interestingly, the basal ability of horizontal migration as well as basal levels of CDC42 and MMP2 expression were dramatically reduced suggesting a possible physiological role of AhR in maintaining the endogenous migration ability of the primary astrocytes. These findings support the notion that dioxin promotes astrocyte reactivation at molecular and cellular levels.     

First trimester maternal serum placenta growth factor (PIGF)concentrations in pregnancies with fetal trisomy 21 or trisomy 18

Placenta growth factor (PIGF), an angiogenic factor belonging to the vascular endothelial growth factor family, pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and free β-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG) were measured in maternal serum from 45 pregnancies with trisomy 21, 45 with trisomy 18 and 493 normal controls at 10–13 completed weeks of gestation. In the normal pregnancies maternal serum PIGF levels increased exponentially with gestation. The median multiple of the median (MoM) PIGF concentration in the trisomy 21 group (1.26 MoM) was significantly higher (p<0.0001) than in the control group (1.00 MoM). In the trisomy 18 group the median PIGF was lower (0.889 MoM) but this did not quite reach significance (p=0.064). The corresponding median MoM values for PAPP-A were 1.00 MoM for the controls, 0.49 MoM for trisomy 21 and 0.16 MoM for trisomy 18. The median MoM values for free β-hCG were 1.00 MoM for the controls, 2.05 MoM for trisomy 21 and 0.38 MoM for trisomy 18. In the control group there was a small but significant correlation of PIGF with free β-hCG (r=+0.1024) and PAPP-A (r=+0.2288). In the trisomy 18 group there was a significant association between PIGF and free β-hCG (r=+0.2629) but not with PAPP-A (r=+0.0038). In the trisomy 21 group there was a small but significant association with PAPP-A (r=+0.1028) but not with free β-hCG (r=+0.0339). The separation of affected and unaffected pregnancies in maternal serum PIGF is small, and therefore it is unlikely that measurement of PIGF would improve screening for these abnormalities provided by the combination of fetal nuchal translucency and maternal serum PAPP-A and free β-hCG. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

药品和个人护理用品(PPCPs)对环境的污染现状与研究进展

在过去的30多年中，有关有毒污染物的研究主要集中在工业化学物质和农药上。近5年多来，国外已经开始关注药品和个人护理用品（PPCPs）对环境的污染，但在我国还没有引起重视。国外的研究表明，合成麝香物质、显影剂、抗生素、雌激素、消炎止痛药、杀菌消毒剂等与人类生活密切相关的药品和个人护理用品在环境中普遍存在，但是其质量浓度通常非常低，多数情况下在ng/L～μg/L水平。粪便施肥和污水排放是PPCPs进入环境的主要途径。在常见的PPCPs中，抗生素和消炎止痛药在环境中检测出的频率最高，在地表水、地下水、饮用水、污泥、土壤等环境介质中，PPCPs在地表水中检测出的频率最高。目前关于PPCPs的研究主要集中在分析方法以及环境污染水平的调查，有关PPCPs在环境中的迁移转化规律，生态与健康风险以及PPCPs污染控制技术等方面的研究有待加强。     

长江、嘉陵江(重庆段)源水有机提取物的类雌激素活性评价

为了解长江、嘉陵江(重庆段)源水有机提取物的类雌激素活性，分别于夏季和冬季采用GDX—120大孔树脂对位于城区上、中、下游5个断面长江、嘉陵江(重庆段)源水进行有机物的浓缩提取。用体外MCF—7细胞增殖试验检测有机提取物的类雌激素活性。结果显示，源水有机提取物均具有类雌激素活性。其类雌激素活性中、下游均高于上游，丰水期高于枯水期。     

经饮水亚慢性铝染毒对大鼠血铁及相关蛋白水平的影响

为了探讨慢性铝暴露对大鼠铁代谢的影响,将100只4周龄清洁级雄性Wistar大鼠随机均分成摄铝组(430mg·L-1,以Al3+计)与对照组(蒸馏水),饮水染铝,每隔30d处死染铝大鼠和对照大鼠各10只,实验周期为150d.同时,在不同时间点(30d、60d、90d、120d、150d)测量大鼠体重,并进行协方差分析.最后,用火焰原子吸收分光光度法、固相竞争ELISA和比色法检测血浆Al、Fe、转铁蛋白(TF)、可溶性转铁蛋白受体(sTfR)含量及总铁结合力(TIBC).结果表明,在摄铝前期(90d前),染铝对大鼠体重无显著影响,而后期(120d后)染铝对大鼠体重抑制作用较大.在实验周期内,各时间点间对照组血浆中各指标均无显著差异,摄铝组随着时间的延长各指标变化较大.各时间点摄铝组血浆中Al含量及Al/Fe均显著高于对照组(p0.01);30d时摄铝组血浆中Fe含量与对照组相比无显著差异(p0.05),60、90、120d时均显著低于对照组(p0.01),150d时显著高于对照组(p0.01);30、60d时摄铝组血浆TF含量与对照组相比无显著差异(p0.05),90d后显著高于对照组(p0.05;p0.01);30、60d时摄铝组TIBC与对照组相比无显著差异(p0.05),其后各时间点均显著高于对照组(p0.01);30d时摄铝组sTfR含量与对照组相比无显著差异(p0.05),其后各时间点均显著低于对照组(p0.01).由此可见,铝可干扰大鼠体内铁的代谢,影响铁的生物学作用.     

Influence of rice straw burning on the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in agricultural county, Taiwan

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