Effect of a popular Middle Eastern food (Falafel) on rat liver

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of short-term consumption of oil and frying oil extracted from falafel patties, and then to study the long-term effect of consumption of falafel patties on rat liver gross morphology and serum liver enzymes. The frying oil quality was assessed using thiobarbituric acid reaction on rat liver homogenate. Frying oil and oil extracted from falafel patties were administered to male Wistar albino rats via gavage for 5 days. Blood samples were collected and the activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and bilirubin levels were determined. Livers were weighed and gross morphology was assessed. For the long-term effect of falafel consumption, rats were fed falafel patties for 30 days, and then blood samples were collected and assayed for the above-mentioned parameters. Short-term consumption of falafel extracts and frying oil did not cause any significant difference in the liver function tests and liver gross morphology. Whereas, long-term consumption of falafel patties caused a significant increase in ALP, ALT, bilirubin level and increased liver weight/body weight ratio denoting hepatotoxicity. This indicates that consumption of large amounts of falafel on daily basis might lead to hepatotoxicity.     

胚胎期和哺乳早期全氟辛烷磺酸盐(PFOS)暴露对大鼠肝脏脂肪酸代谢影响的microRNA组学研究

研究低剂量全氟辛烷磺酸(perfluorooctane sulfonate,PFOS)对大鼠幼仔肝脏中microRNA的表达及脂肪酸代谢的影响,并且从microRNA分子角度探讨PFOS对肝脏相关功能影响的分子毒性机制及预测其他一些潜在的毒性效应。PFOS染毒剂量为3.2mg·kg-1,对照组给予同等体积的含2%的聚氧乙烯山梨糖醇酐单月桂酸酯乳化剂(Tween 20),利用高通量miRNA芯片技术观察了胚胎期和哺乳早期经PFOS染毒后出生第1和7天(PND1和PND7)大鼠肝脏组织miRNA的表达情况。结果显示,PFOS能够引起仔鼠肝脏microRNA表达量的变化,PND1和PND7时显著变化的microRNA个数分别为46和9个。miR-125a-3p、miR-23a*、miR-25及miR-494同时在PND1和PND7显著性表达,PND1呈现下调性变化,PND7呈现上调性变化。通过生物信息学和统计学分析发现:PFOS具有大鼠肝脏早期发育毒性,而且胚胎期的毒性效应强于哺乳早期;大鼠幼仔肝脏早期发育中,PFOS对其糖脂代谢及细胞凋亡过程具有毒性效应;胚胎期和哺乳早期,在低剂量PFOS暴露下,β和ω氧化代谢是肝脏脂肪酸代谢的主要方式;脂酰COA合成酶、脂酰COA脱氢酶及烯酰COA水合酶等脂肪酸代谢过程的关键酶,是PFOS暴露下microRNA潜在的靶分子。研究表明,PFOS具有多种肝脏早期发育毒性,低剂量PFOS暴露下,microRNA能够调节肝脏脂肪酸代谢相关靶基因的表达,进而调控脂肪酸代谢过程。     

磁铁矿纳米颗粒与Pb~(2+)复合物对大鼠肾细胞的毒性研究

磁铁矿纳米颗粒(magnetite nanoparticles, MNPs)是一种环境友好型吸附剂,广泛应用于废水中Pb~(2+)的处理。目前,有不少关于MNPs毒性的研究,但对MNPs处理Pb~(2+)形成的复合物的毒性却鲜有报道,其复合毒性亟待深入研究。本文以大鼠肾细胞(NRK)作为细胞模型,系统研究不同Pb含量的MNPs-Pb复合物,以及相应浓度的MNPs和Pb~(2+),对大鼠肾细胞活性、细胞形态和密度的影响,考察细胞对纳米颗粒的摄取以及细胞凋亡的作用机制,评估MNPs-Pb的毒性效应。结果表明,在本实验浓度和暴露时间(12 h)条件下,Pb~(2+)能够显著抑制细胞活性,改变细胞形态,促进细胞凋亡,对细胞有显著的毒性效应,并且呈现剂量相关性;利用MNPs吸附水环境中Pb~(2+)形成的复合物MNPs-Pb对大鼠肾细胞没有显著的毒性作用(P<0.05),MNPs对Pb~(2+)的吸附可能是Pb~(2+)的细胞毒性降低的原因。     

运动对2,3,7,8-四氯二苯并二噁英持续暴露大鼠肝脏氧化应激的影响

为探索运动对2,3,7,8-四氯二苯并二噁英(2,3,7,8-TCDD)持续暴露大鼠肝脏氧化应激的影响,本研究将7周龄雄性SD大鼠适应性喂养1周后,随机分为对照(NC)、运动对照(EC)、染毒1(NT1)、运动染毒1(ET1)、染毒2(NT2)、运动染毒2(ET2)、染毒3(NT3)、运动染毒3(ET3)、染毒4(NT4)及运动染毒4(ET4)共10组。染毒组(NTs、ETs)腹腔注射TCDD(溶于玉米油),对照组及各染毒组首次剂量依次为0、0.4、1.6、6.4、25.6μg·kg~(-1)(以单位体重计),之后每周给予上述剂量的21%作为维持剂量,持续染毒8周;运动组尾部负重5%游泳,每周5 d,每次30 min。实验结束取材,测定血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶(AST)、肝组织超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)活性及丙二醛(MDA)、活性氧(ROS)含量。结果显示:1)染毒可升高各染毒组大鼠血清AST活性及NT4组大鼠血清ALT活性,增加NT2、NT3组肝脏MDA含量,而降低NT1、NT2组大鼠血清ALT活性;2)运动可升高大鼠血清AST及ALT活性,增加大鼠肝组织GSH-Px活性;3)运动可升高染毒大鼠血清AST活性(T1剂量),降低染毒大鼠血清ALT活性(T1剂量),降低染毒大鼠血清AST活性(T3剂量),升高染毒大鼠血清ALT活性(T3、T4剂量),增加染毒大鼠肝组织SOD活性(T2、T3剂量)、CAT活性(T1、T2、T3剂量)及GSH-Px活性(T2、T3、T4剂量),降低染毒大鼠肝组织MDA含量(T2、T3、T4剂量)及ROS含量(T1、T3剂量)。结果表明,2,3,7,8-TCDD持续暴露8周可引起大鼠肝细胞氧化应激损伤,并产生剂量依赖效应;而有氧运动可增加2,3,7,8-TCDD持续暴露(T2、T3剂量)大鼠肝组织抗氧化酶活性,有效降低氧化应激损伤而减轻肝毒性。     

Cobalt-induced hormonal and intracellular alterations in rat ovarian fragments in vitro

The objective of this in vitro study was to examine dose-dependent changes in the secretion activity (progesterone, 17β-estradiol and insulin-like growth factor-I) of rat ovarian fragments after experimental cobalt (Co) administration including the apoptotic potential of Co on rat ovarian fragments by evaluating the expression of apoptotic markers Bax and caspase-3. Ovarian fragments were incubated with cobalt sulphate (CoSO₄.7H₂O) at the doses 90, 170, 330 and 500 μg.mL^?1 for 24 h and compared with control group without Co addition. Release of progesterone (P₄) 17β-estradiol and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) by ovarian fragments was assessed by RIA, expression of Bax and caspase-3 by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Observations show that P₄ release by ovarian fragments was significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited after cobalt sulphate addition at higher doses 170–500 μg.mL^?1 used in the study in comparison to control. However, cobalt sulphate addition did not cause any significant change in the release of 17β-estradiol by ovarian fragments at all the doses used in the study (90–500 μg.mL^?1) in comparison to control. On the contrary, IGF-I release by ovarian fragments was significantly (P < 0.05) stimulated after cobalt sulphate addition at the lowest dose 90 μg.mL^?1 in comparison to control, while other doses did not cause any significant change. Also, addition of cobalt sulphate decreased the expression of both the apoptotic peptides Bax and caspase-3 at the higher doses 170, 330 and 500 μg.mL^?1, but not at the lowest dose 90 μg.mL^?1 used in the study. Obtained results suggest Co induced (1) inhibition in secretion of steroid hormone progesterone, (2) dose-dependent increase in the release of growth factor IGF-I, and (3) decrease in the expression of markers of apoptosis (Bax and caspase-3) of rat ovarian fragments.     

牙科汞齐造成的汞污染研究进展

除了食鱼之外,牙汞齐是一般人群汞暴露的重要途径.对于牙汞齐所引起的汞释放及其对人体造成的危害从动物暴露实验和孕妇牙汞齐对母亲和胎儿体内汞含量的影响两方面进行了综述,表明牙汞齐会造成动物肝脏、肾脏及脑组织中汞浓度的升高,孕妇口腔中牙汞齐会在孕妇及胎儿体内造成汞累积;关于牙科废水汞含量以废水处理的研究近年来引起人们的关注,众多研究表明牙科诊所排放出来的废水中的汞是可以为生物所吸收利用的,会对地表水造成污染,在牙科诊所中安放汞分离器是国外普遍采用的方法,但分离器的效率需要进一步提高.最后从牙汞齐对人体健康的影响、汞释放机理、牙科废水处理等方面给出了研究建议.目前我国对于牙科汞齐造成的汞污染尚未给予充分重视,建议开展牙汞齐对人体和环境影响的研究与评价,以正确认识其危害,进行治理,减少人体汞暴露以及汞的环境排放量.     

黄精多糖对老龄大鼠记忆获得和记忆再现的影响

用中药黄精（Ｐｏｌｙｇｏｎａｔｕｍｓｐ．）中提取的多糖ＰＰ三种剂量连续灌胃老龄大鼠,于ｄ１５和ｄ３０进行迷宫测定,以检测黄精多糖对大鼠记忆获得和记忆再现的影响．结果显示：连续灌胃１５ｄ,黄精多糖能明显降低大鼠迷宫测试中的错误次数,显著提高大鼠学习和记忆能力;ｄ３０测试获同样结果,潜伏期测试表明能明显缩短潜伏期．另外ＰＰ对大鼠的体重变化无影响,也无副作用     

氯化镉对不同鼠肝肿瘤细胞的毒性及对金属硫蛋白的诱导研究

本文比较了氯化镉对两种去分化和五种分化的鼠肝肿瘤细胞株的细胞毒性以及对金属硫蛋白的诱导能力。结果表明,经2μM氯化镉处理18h后,90—95％的细胞浆中镉同金属硫蛋白结合,而只有5—10％的镉同高分子量部分相连。在IIE细胞中镉与金属硫蛋白的结合取决于氯化镉的浓度与处理时间。当氯化镉浓度高达20μM时对去分化细胞的存活率未见有明显影响,但当浓度为3—10μM时则对分化细胞的存活率有显著影响。这种细胞毒性似与高分子量部分结合的镉的量有关,且氯化镉对这两种细胞的金属硫蛋白有不同的诱导能力。     

人造板材释放的甲醛所致遗传毒性的研究

进行了两方面的DNA损伤实验：(1)采用SCGE技术进行体外实验，观察甲醛对大鼠肝细胞和人血淋巴细胞DNA损伤作用；(2)采用微核技术进行体内实验，观察甲醛对活体小鼠的骨髓嗜多染红细胞的微核率诱导作用．结果表明在浓度为1．24mg/m^3、3．71mg/m^3时，不论是体内还是体外实验，甲醛对细胞DNA都有明显的损伤作用．SCGE实验结果还表明，高浓度的甲醛可能引起DNA交联．     

A mixture of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) changed the lipid content of pregnant Long Evans rats

Pregnant Long Evans rats received 1.0 μg/kg of dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQ) by oral gavage on the 15th gestational day (GD 15), using a dosing mixture that contained two polychlorinated dioxins, four polychlorinated furans and three non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Rats were sacrificed on GD 16, GD 21 and postnatal day 4 (PND 4). The lipid content of fetus, pup, placenta and maternal liver, serum and adipose tissue were determined. Treated GD 16 and GD 21 fetuses had identical lipid content to the control group, yet the lipid content of treated pups on PND 4 was 32% higher than that of the control group. On the other hand, the lipid content of placenta, liver, and serum from the treated dams was 44–50%, 24%, and 38% lower than that of the control group, respectively. Thus, a low-dose mixture of dioxin-like compounds can cause changes in lipid content. The lipid content of offspring was not affected until they were exposed via lactation.