PM2.5和SO2复合暴露对大鼠心脏病理学及炎症因子表达的影响

将雄性SD大鼠分为对照组、1.5 mg·kg~(-1)PM_(2.5)组、5.6 mg·m-3SO_2组及1.5、6、24 mg·kg~(-1)PM_(2.5)和5.6 mg·m-3SO_2联合作用组.采用HE染色法、荧光实时定量PCR和ELISA等方法测定各组大鼠心脏组织病理学变化和炎症因子IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α、i NOS基因表达及NO含量.结果表明,与对照组相比,SO_2(5.6 mg%m-3)或PM_(2.5)(1.5 mg·kg~(-1))单独作用没有引起明显的心肌细胞损伤,而PM_(2.5)和SO_2共同作用导致不同程度的心肌排列紊乱,细胞间隙增大及炎症细胞浸润和出血,比SO_2(5.6 mg%m-3)或PM_(2.5)(1.5 mg·kg~(-1))单独作用有严重的病理学损伤.1.5mg·kg~(-1)PM_(2.5)和SO_2引起4个基因表达和NO水平的变化与对照组相比没有统计学意义,而PM_(2.5)和SO_2联合处理引起大鼠心脏炎症因子表达水平比对照组显著增高,同时与SO_2组或PM_(2.5)组相比也有显著升高.提示在本实验条件下,相比于PM_(2.5)(1.5 mg·kg~(-1))和SO_2(5.6 mg·m-3)单独作用,二者复合暴露能引起心脏组织病理损伤和炎症因子高表达,这可能是PM_(2.5)和SO_2引发心脏疾病的重要机制.     

北京大气PM_(2.5)对A549细胞炎性因子及DNA损伤的毒性

为探讨大气PM_(2.5)及其不同组分对人肺上皮细胞A549的毒性作用及其剂量-反应关系,将前期采集的PM_(2.5)颗粒物用不同方法进一步制备PM_(2.5)水溶性组分、PM_(2.5)脂溶性组分和PM_(2.5)单纯颗粒物,将制备的PM_(2.5)颗粒物及其组分以不同浓度(10,50,100,200,400μg/m L)对A549细胞染毒,用MTS法分别在染毒6,10,24,48,72h后测定细胞活力,染毒24h后用ELISA及RT-QPCR法测定炎性因子IL-6和TNF-α表达量,AP位点计数法测定细胞DNA损伤情况.结果表明:除PM_(2.5)水溶性组分外,其余染毒样本高浓度染毒时始终对细胞生长表现出抑制作用,其中低浓度染毒时可在较短时间对细胞生长表现出抑制作用,染毒时间较长时抑制作用减弱或消失,PM_(2.5)水溶性组分对细胞生长抑制作用并不显著;除PM_(2.5)水溶性组分外,其余染毒样本都显著升高了IL-6m RNA的相对表达量和IL-6蛋白的分泌,除PM_(2.5)脂溶性组分外,其余染毒样本都显著升高了TNF-αm RNA的相对表达量;除PM_(2.5)水溶性组分外,其余染毒样本都显著提高了DNA碱基缺失程度.总的来说,PM_(2.5)水溶性组分在抑制细胞活力、造成炎性损伤及DNA损伤方面作用相对较小,而PM_(2.5)所产生的毒性作用并不仅限于其所吸附的复杂成分,其中作为载体的固体核心颗粒对机体可能造成的毒性作用也不容忽视.     

Dioxin alters inflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has well characterized effects on specific immune responses, but the effects on the innate immune system are less understood. The effect of TCDD on inflammatory responses induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was evaluated in C57BL/6J female mice. Mice were treated with 30?µg?kg^?1 TCDD or vehicle once, p.o., and 4 days later, animals received LPS (0.05?×?10⁷?EU?kg^?1, i.p.) or vehicle. Inflammatory mediators and the liver injury marker, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), were measured, and liver histology was evaluated. TCDD-treated animals had higher plasma ALT activity than vehicle-treated animals, but the effect was mild and time-dependent. Few changes in liver histopathology were observed, mainly represented in greater steatosis in TCDD/LPS-treated mice compared to mice treated with LPS or TCDD alone. LPS produced a time-dependent increase in the plasma concentrations of interleukins (IL)-6, -10, and -12 and interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1. With the exception of IL-12, concentrations of each of these mediators were higher in plasma of mice co-treated with TCDD and LPS compared to either agent alone. The dose–response curve for the concentration of IL-6 in plasma suggested that dioxin increased the potency of LPS to cause the release of this cytokine but not the maximal response. Co-treatment with TCDD and LPS also led to greater expression of mRNA for IL-10 and IFN-γ compared to either TCDD or LPS alone. These results suggest that TCDD changes the inflammatory cytokine profile induced by LPS and that LPS enhances the hepatic steatotic response to TCDD.     

Pulmonary inflammation induced by office dust and the relation to 1 → 3-β-glucan using different extraction techniques

It is observed that 1?→?3-β-glucan, a major cell wall component of fungi, induces pulmonary inflammation. There is inconsistency in determining the correlation between the levels of glucan measured by current extraction methods and the respiratory inflammation observed in individuals or lab animals exposed to environmental dust samples. The glucan-specific limulus amebocyte lysate (G-LAL) method was used after extraction with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to analyze the glucan content of office dust samples collected from a water-damaged building. C3HeB/FeJ mice, an endotoxin-sensitive strain, were treated with different dust samples (2.5?mg?kg^?1 body weight) or saline (vehicle control) by pharyngeal aspiration. At 1?day after aspiration, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed, and lung inflammation and injury were assessed by measuring: (1) neutrophil (PMN) infiltration, (2) inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-10, MCP-1, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL12-p70) levels, and (3) albumin and lactate dehydrogenase in recovered BAL fluid. Both DMSO and NaOH extraction increased the detection of glucan by approximately 20-fold compared to water extraction. However, only the DMSO extraction method showed a statistically significant positive correlation between 1?→?3-β-glucan and albumin levels, total numbers of BAL, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) cells recovered, levels of TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-6. In conclusion, 1?→?3-β-glucan is a potent inflammatory agent in dust samples and DMSO extraction for glucan analysis may prove useful in understanding the impact of environmental contamination by glucans on lung disease.     

Induction of apoptosis and cytokine markers in colon cancer cells by magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles

Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgONP) are predominantly utilized in industrial products. This study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanisms underlying toxic effect of MgONP in human colon cancer (HT 29) cells over 48 hr period. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by using MTT and neutral red uptake assays. Data demonstrated that MgONP reduced cell viability in concentration- and time-dependent manner. MgONP induced oxidative stress by decreasing glutathione (GSH) concentrations and elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation levels. Increased caspase-3 enzyme activity and greater condensed, damaged chromosome was observed following MgONP exposure in HT 29 cells. The level of interleukin-4 (IL-4), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and DNA fragmentation were significantly higher in MgONP incubated cells. The results showed that MgONP-induced toxicity in HT 29 cells may be mediated through oxidative stress.     

Effects of Nonylphenol on immune function of female Sprague-Dawley rats

Nonylphenol (NP) is the final biodegradation product of nonylphenol polyethoxylates, which are widely used as surfactants in domestic and industrial products. NP was reported to exert estrogenic actions and shown to potentially adversely affect reproductive functions. However, NP influence on immune system function remains unclear. To address this issue, the effects of NP on spleen and thymus were examined in this study. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with NP orally at doses of 0, 20, 80, or 200 mg/kg respectively. Data showed that NP increased the levels of natural killer (NK) cells and natural killer T (NKT) cells in peripheral blood and decreased the levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in serum. These findings suggest that exposure to NP by oral route may induce adverse effects on the spleen and thymus and affect the immune function of female rats.     

免疫毒性评价中不同淋巴细胞激活剂致大鼠外周全血产生细胞因子作用的评价

淋巴细胞激活剂可有效活化免疫细胞,进而促进细胞因子的产生和分泌,但不同激活剂及激活方式的选择直接影响细胞因子产生的种类和水平。为评价不同激活剂促细胞因子产生的作用,筛选一种快速有效的激活方法用于细胞因子检测,本研究采用不同浓度佛波酯(PMA)/钙离子载体、植物血凝素(PHA)、刀豆蛋白A(Con A)、脂多糖(LPS)和美洲商陆素(PWM)体外激活大鼠外周全血0、2、4、6、8、10 h,对各样本中10种细胞因子(白细胞介素2(IL-2)、白细胞介素4(IL-4)、白细胞介素6(IL-6)、白细胞介素10(IL-10)、白细胞介素13(IL-13)、干扰素γ(IFN-γ)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)、粒细胞-巨噬细胞集落刺激因子(GM-CSF)、受激活调节正常T细胞表达和分泌因子(RANTES)和转化生长因子β(TGF-β))含量进行检测,并评价了环孢素A和硫唑嘌呤2种免疫抑制剂对激活剂诱导产生细胞因子的抑制作用。结果表明25 ng·mL-1PMA和1μg·mL-1钙离子载体体外诱导6 h可以显著升高大鼠外周全血IL-2、IFN-γ、TNF-α、RANTES和TGF-β含量,是一种作用广泛的激活方法。其诱导产生细胞因子作用的变化可反映机体免疫系统和功能的损伤,可有效用于外源化学物免疫毒性评价。     

Immunotoxicity of atrazine in Balb/c mice

The present study was designed to investigate the immunotoxicity of atrazine (ATZ) in male Balb/c mice. ATZ (175, 87.5, and 43.75 mg/kg bw/day) was administered by gavage method for 28 days. The following indexes were determined in various groups of mice: body and organ weight; antibody aggregation of serum hemolysin; proliferative response of splenocytes to ConA; delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH); natural killer cell activity; clearance of neutral red and nitric oxide (NO) release from peritoneal macrophages; apostosis and necrosis of splenocytes and thymocytes; cytokine production; and serum lysozyme. Results showed that cell-mediated, humoral immunity, and non-specific immune function in the high-dose ATZ group were suppressed; NO release and interferon-γ(IFN-γ)/interleukin-4 (IL-4) were also significantly decreased in the high-dose group. In the medium-dose group, the proliferation response and IFN-γ production was significantly decreased. In the low-dose group, the proliferation response was significantly decreased. Serum lysozyme was decreased in the ATZ-treated groups. The percentage of early apoptosis in thymocytes was increased significantly in high- and medium-dose ATZ groups. In conclusion, ATZ elicited an inhibitory effect on cell-mediated immunity, humoral immunity, and non-specific immune function of mice.