In vitro agonistic and antagonistic endocrine disrupting effects of organic extracts from waste water of different treatment processes

Effluents from wastewater treatment plant （WWTP） have been reported to have a broad spectrum of endocrine disrupting compounds （EDCs）. The majority of studies have focused on the occurrence of estrogenic activity, while ignoring nuclear hormone receptors （NRs） pathways. In the present study, a battery of in vitro yeast bioassays and a cell bioassay, including antagonistic and agonistic effects on estrogen receptor （ER）, androgen receptor （AR）, progesterone receptor （PR）, estrogen- related receptor （ERR） and aryl hydrocarbon receptor （AHR）, were conducted to evaluate the removal efficien- cies of EDCs by different treatment processes of a WWTP located in Beijing. Estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, anti- androgenic, anti-progesteronic, anti-ERR and the activa- tion of AHR activities were detected in samples from all treatment processes and the receiving water. The concen- tration of estrogenic contaminants with estradiol （E2） equivalent concentrations ranged from 0.82 x 10-9 to 3.54 x 10 9g Ee_EQ.L-1. The concentration of anti-estrogenic contaminants with 4-hydroxytamoxifen （4-OHT） equiva- lent concentrations ranged from 1.24 × 10-6 to 2.36 x 10-6 g 4-OHT-EQ.L-1. The concentration of anti-androgenic contaminants ranged from 2.21 x 10-s to 3.52 × 10-6g flutamide-EQ. L-1. The concentration of anti-progesteronic contaminants ranged from 3.15 x 10^-5 to 2.71 x 10^-4g RU486-EQ. L-1. The concentration of anti-ERR contami- nants ranged from 7.09 x 10-5 to 6.50 x 104 g 4-OHT-EQ × L^-10. The concentration of AHR activators ranged from 1.7 × 10-10 to 3.4 × 10^-10g TCDD-EQ-L-1. These processes including secondary clarifier, coagulation, as well as coal and sand filtration could eliminated 67.2% of estrogenic contaminants, 47.0% of anti-estrogenic contaminants, 98.3% of anti-androgenic contaminants, 88.4% of anti- progesteronic contaminants, 65.4% of anti-ERR contami- nants and 46.9% of AHR activators. WWTP effluents contain multiple receptor disruptors may have very complex adverse effects on exposed organisms.     

The Toxicology of Silica Nanoparticles: A Review

Silica nanoparticles are increasingly used in industrial, cosmetics, and medical applications. Workers in nanosilica production industries, laboratory personnel in drug production industries, patients taking drugs with nanosilica in its formulations, and everyone in society who uses cosmetics are potentially at risk to health effects induced by silica nanoparticles. Like other nanomaterials, nanosilica has unique physical and chemical properties that modify its toxic effects compared to bulk silica or microparticles of silica. Nanosilica toxicology has been studied by various in vitro and in vivo protocols and on humans, studies which are collected and summarized in the present publication. The toxic effects are outlined based on the type of body compartment, viz. cardiovascular, dermal, respiratory, neural, hepatic, genetic, immune, reproductive, and renal system. Further information, especially the experimental protocols and toxicological endpoints, are summarized in tables.     

木质素降解酶对四环素的降解可行性

选取了使用广泛、在环境中残留量大、生物毒性大、不易被生物降解的四环素类抗生素中的四环素,考察了其被木质素过氧化物酶(LiP)和锰过氧化物酶(MnP)粗酶液体外降解的效果,证明2种酶对四环素均有较强的降解作用,并在此基础上比较了3个不同酶活(15 U·L-1、40U·L-1、70 U·L-1)下的降解率.结果表明,同等酶活(40 U·L-1)下,LiP比MnP的降解能力强,在适宜的反应条件下,LiP对50 mg·L-1四环素的降解率在5min内可达95%以上,而MnP在2h后仅达70%.对于LiP,当酶活从15 U·L-1升高至40 U·L-1时,降解率提高约15%,当酶活进一步升高至70 U·L-1时,降解率变化不大,而提高酶活可明显提高MnP对四环素的降解率.此外,通过反应进程中补加H2O2,可以明显提高MnP对四环素的降解率.     

联苯胺对鲫鱼肝线粒体DNA(mtDNA)作用的研究

采用平板电泳的方法,研究等浓度连续喂养的鲫鱼肝线粒体DNA的表达条带差异特征.结果表明:该实验中的鲫鱼mtDNA拥有两个EcoR Ⅰ的酶切位点;随着联苯胺作用时间的延长,mtDNA双链断裂呈三个依次递进的状态;线粒体DNA的断裂总是从低分子量链向高分子量链的断裂转移.     

云南药用植物种质资源的试管保存技术

本文介绍了植物种质资源试管保存的实验技术,分析了药用植物试管苗基因库建立及超低温保存的程序、特点,并研究了云南珍稀药用植物如千年健、粉叶小檗、金钗石斛及绞股蓝种质的试管保存技术,为云南省珍稀濒危药用植物的保护及合理利用提供了方法和依据