富勒烯化学修饰与生物医学应用研究进展(Trends in Studies on Chemical Modification and Biomedical Applications of Fullerenes)

富勒烯以及内嵌金属富勒烯作为一种新型含碳纳米材料,由于其独特的结构和物理化学性质,在生物、医学、超导、光学及催化等多领域有着极为广阔的应用前景.在生物和医学领域,富勒烯及其衍生物具有抗氧化活性和细胞保护作用、抗菌活性、抗病毒作用、载带药物和肿瘤治疗等活性.但是富勒烯本身难以直接溶于生物友好介质中,且制备过程中残存的有机溶剂容易引起生物毒性,富勒烯需要进行合适的化学修饰来进一步改善其生物活性,这些问题已成为其在生物医学领域应用的主要障碍.在总结国内外相关研究基础上,论文重点综述了富勒烯及其衍生物的生物医学应用,同时对其化学修饰与毒性相关性研究进行了阐述.     

富勒烯对人胚肝细胞的氧化损伤

为初步探讨富勒烯(C60)对人体细胞的潜在危害,以人胚肝细胞(L-02)为研究对象,研究富勒烯暴露对人胚肝细胞的氧化损伤.人胚肝细胞暴露于0、1.25、2.50、5.00、10.00、20.00和40.00 μg·mL-1富勒烯悬液24h后,检测细胞内CAT活性和MDA与ROS含量.采用免疫组化法检测SOD蛋白在富勒烯...     

Vanadium properties,toxicity, mineral sources and extraction methods: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Vanadium chemicals, known as the “vitamins of the modern industry,” are major resources widely used in the petroleum, steel, batteries and catalyst...     

Chromium toxicity and tolerance in plants

Chromium (Cr) is the second most common metal contaminant in ground water, soil, and sediments due to its wide industrial application, hence posing a serious environmental concern. Among various valence states, Cr(III) and Cr(VI) are the most stable forms. Cr(VI) is the most persistent in the soil and is highly toxic for biota. Since Cr is a non-essential element for plants, there is no uptake mechanism; Cr is taken up along essential elements such as sulfate through sulfate transporters. Cr accumulation in plants causes high toxicity in terms of reduction in growth and biomass accumulation, and Cr induces structural alterations. Cr interferes with photosynthetic and respiration processes, and water and minerals uptake mechanism. Various enzymatic activities related to starch and nitrogen metabolism are decreased by Cr toxicity either by direct interference with the enzymes or through the production of reactive oxygen species. Cr causes oxidative damage by destruction of membrane lipids and DNA damage. Cr may even cause the death of plant species. Few plant species are able to accumulate high amount of Cr without being damaged. Such Cr-tolerant, hyperaccumulator plants are exploited for their bioremediation property. The present review discusses Cr availability in the environment, Cr transfer to biota, toxicity issues, effect on germination and plant growth, morphological and ultrastructural aberrations, biochemical and physiological alterations, effect on metabolic processes, Cr-induced alterations at the molecular level, Cr hyperaccumulation and Cr detoxification mechanism, and the role of arbuscular mycorrhizae in Cr toxicity, in plants.     

Duckweeds for water remediation and toxicity testing

The presence of toxic substances in wastewaters and outdoor bodies of water is an important ecotoxicological issue. The aim of this review is to illustrate how duckweeds, which are small, simply constructed, floating aquatic plants, are well suited to addressing this concern. The ability of duckweeds to grow rapidly on nutrient-rich water and to facilitate the removal of many substances from aqueous solution comprises the potential of these macrophytes for the remediation of wastewater and polluted aqueous reservoirs, while producing usable biomass containing the unwanted substances having been taken up. Their ease of cultivation under controlled and even sterile conditions makes duckweeds excellent test organisms for determining the toxicity of water contaminants, and duckweeds are important as model aquatic plants in the assessment of ecotoxicity. Duckweeds are also valuable for establishing biomarkers for the toxic effects of water contaminants on aquatic higher plants, but the current usefulness of duckweed biomarkers for identifying toxicants is limited. The recent sequencing of a duckweed genome holds the promise of combining the determination of water contaminant toxicity with toxicant diagnostics by means of gene expression profiling via DNA microarrays.     

Biochemical toxicity of benzene

Human exposure to benzene in work environment is a global occupational health problem. After inhalation or absorption, benzene targets organs viz. liver, kidney, lung, heart and brain etc. It is metabolized mainly in the liver by cytochrome P450 multifunctional oxygenase system. Benzene causes haematotoxicity through its phenolic metabolites that act in concert to produce DNA strand breaks, chromosomal damage, sister chromatid exchange, inhibition of topoisomerase II and damage to mitotic spindle. The carcinogenic and myelotoxic effects of benzene are associated with free radical formation either as benzene metabolites or lipid peroxidation products. Benzene oxide and phenol have been considered as proheptons. Liver microsomes play an important role in biotransformation of benzene whereas in kidney, it produces degenerative intracellular changes. Cohort studies made in different countries suggest that benzene induces multiple myeloma in petrochemical workers. Though extensive studies have been performed on its toxicity, endocrinal disruption caused by benzene remains poorly known. Transgenic cytochrome P450 IIE1 mice may help in understanding further toxic manifestations of benzene.     

Acid mine-drainage toxicity testing

The BOD inhibition test, the activated sludge respiration inhibition test, and the Microtox® Bioassay procedure were examined for their potential as rapid toxicity screening methods for acid mine drainage (AMD) and for setting toxicity threshold levels in receiving waters. The BOD inhibition test proved to be unsuitable due to the high chemical oxygen demand of the toxicant. The long incubation time (minimum 5 d at 20°C) allowed growth of chemo-autotrophic bacteria and resulted in excessive flocculation and precipitation of metals, making accurate and meaningful measurements of inhibition impossible. The activated sludge respiration inhibition test was successful in measuring AMD toxicity, and for deriving toxicity threshold levels for the basic heterotrophic community in surface waters. However, it is a very time-consuming technique and is not sensitive enough to be used as a routine screening technique. The variability in toxicity was found to be due to the availability of metals as well as the effect of pH on metabolism. Simple linear models were derived to estimate inhibition within surface waters. Prediction of the inhibition caused by AMD can be made as long as the pH of the river water after mixing and the dilution of the AMD are known. Most accurate predictions are made using equations for specific pH ranges, but a useful estimation of inhibition can be obtained using the general equation: inhibition (%) = -2.34 pH + 6.41 AMD (%) + 22.1. The Microtox® Bioassay method, although expensive, was rapid and simple to use. It was the most sensitive test of the three, with the toxic response of marine bacteria increasing notably from 5 to 15 min due to the presence of bivalent metals in the toxicant. The problem of repeatability and reproducibility encountered with the activated sludge inhibition test was overcome with the highly standardised Microtox® method, making it an ideal screening method for AMD. However, the advantage of the activated sludge inhibition test is that the types of heterotrophic micro-organisms found in activated sludge are similar to those found in receiving waters such as the Avoca River and so more meaningful toxicity threshold values can be obtained.     

Cadmium and lead toxicity and bioaccumulation in Microcystis aeruginosa

The growth of human population leads to intensification of agriculture and promotes, through eutrophication, development of cyanobacteria. One of the most widespread and bloom-forming species in freshwater is toxic Microcystis aeruginosa （M. aeruginosa）. Combustion of fossil fuels and metallurgical processes are the main sources of heavy metals contamination in surface water including cadmium （Cd） and lead （Pb）. The following study was conducted in order to determine the effect of 1- 20 mg. L-1 of Cd and Pb on photochemistry （using flow cytometry） and growth （based on chlorophyll concentra- tion） ofM. aeruginosa as well as to estimate levels of metal bioaccumulation. We have found that 1-10mg.L-1 of Cd and 1-5 rag. L1 of Pb induced continuous enhancement of chlorophyll fluorescence during 24 h of incubation. No significant degradation of chlorophyll was observed in these samples. At higher concentrations of 20 mg. L-1 of Cd and 10-20 mg.L-1 of Pb chlorophyll level significantly decreased and its fluorescence was quenched. M. aeruginosa demonstrated high capability of Cd and Pb bioaccumulation, proportionally to initial metal concentration. In samples with initial concentration of 20 mg. L-1 of Cd and Pb bioaccumulation of 87.3% and 90.1% was observed, respectively. Our study demonstrates that M. aeruginosa can potentially survive in highly metals polluted environments, be a primary source of toxic metals in the food chain and consequently contribute to enhanced toxicity of heavy metals to living organisms including human.     

Bacterial toxicity testing and antibacterial activity of parabens

Parabens are used because of their antimicrobial effects, yet they have multiple adverse effects. The aim of this work was to evaluate the bactericidal activity and bacterial toxicity of the most common parabens: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isopropylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben and phenylparaben. The bactericidal action was evaluated by means of the dilution-neutralization method against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and the biotest of inhibition of growth of E. coli was applied for the bacterial toxicity assay. Bactericidal concentrations were reached only for propylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparaben. The toxicity study showed methylparaben to be the least toxic, whereas the most toxic one was phenylparaben. It can be concluded that the disinfectant activity of the parabens studied is insignificant against S. aureus and E. coli. Acute toxicity is very low, and the inhibitory effect is weak. Our results provide information about the risk–benefit balance of parabens use.     

植物铜素毒害及其抗性机制研究进展

Cu是植物生命活动必需的微量矿质元素，广泛参与各种生命活动；但过量Cu胁迫将诱导植物细胞产生大量活性氧，引起膜脂过氧化，膜透性增大，细胞内容物大量外渗，甚至发生细胞死亡。Cu^2 扩散到细胞核内会诱发DNA之间、蛋白质之间以及DNA和蛋白质之间发生分子内和分子间交联，DNA链的断裂、重排和脱嘌呤作用等前诱变损伤以及DNA期外合成、DNA甲基化异常等遗传毒害。植物细胞在长期进化过程中形成了各种抗Cu素毒害机制，如细胞壁的固着作用、质膜的限制作用、有机小分子(有机酸、植物螯合肽、金属硫蛋白)螯合作用等。文章综述了有关研究的最新进展。     

Properties,synthesis and toxicity of silver nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles are actually used in several industrial sectors and end up in the environment, thus inducing a possible toxicity for living organisms. This article reviews the properties, synthesis and toxicology of silver nanoparticles, with focus on the toxicity for insects such as Bombyx mori.     

Assessment of toxicity of heavy metal contaminated soils by the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure

The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd in soils near a lead–zinc mine located in Shangyu, Zhejiang Province, China, were determined and their toxicity was assessed using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The TCLP method is a currently recognized international method for evaluation of heavy metal pollution in soils. The available levels of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd were 8.2–36, 23–143, 6.4–1367 and 0.41–2.2 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, while the international standards were 15, 25, 5 and 0.5 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Soils around the mine were more polluted with Zn and Pb, followed by Cd and Cu. Moreover, the levels of heavy metals in the soils extracted by TCLP indicated that extraction fluid 2 was more effective than extraction fluid 1 in extracting the heavy metals from the polluted soils and there was a positive correlation between fluids 1 and 2. Available heavy metal contents determined by TCLP were correlated with soil total heavy metal contents.     

Scaling toxicity data across species

The response of various species to doses of chemicals can often give the impression that some (such as cattle in the case of molybdenum) are much more susceptible than others to these chemicals. These impressions usually rely on an underlying assumption that equivalent doses are based on mg of the chemical per kg body weight of the animal. That is, that doses scale as the first power of body weight. This assumption is more often wrong than right. When viewed in a more general way, where the scaling is proportional to a power of the body weight and the exponent determined empirically, it is often found that equivalent doses scale with an exponent in the range of 0.6 to 0.8. As a result, larger animals are indeed more susceptible to toxicity on a mg kg^–1 body weight basis, but this is not because of unique differences in the species, but only because of different body sizes. This method of scaling is called allometry or allometric scaling. An early version of this approach was based on body surface area where the exponent is 2/3. More recently, pharmacokinetics has revealed that the reason for the different response of larger animals is related to the slower metabolic and clearance rates for larger animals which give rise to larger biological half-lives for chemicals in the body and to higher tissue concentrations per given dose.     

Nitrate toxicity toPenaeus monodon protozoea

Increased levels of nitrate occur in natural waters due to pollution, and in aquaculture systems from nitrification and addition of microalgal cultures for feeding. Static bioassays showed that significant mortality of larvalPenaeus monodon (Fabricius) occurred within 40 h at nitrate concentrations as low as 1 mg NO ₃ ^- l^–1. Sublethal effects of this concentration resulted in changes to ganglionic neuropiles and muscles. At higher concentrations (10 and 100 mg NO ₃ ^- l^–1), additional tissues were affected including the hypodermis, midgut and proventriculus. This is the first report of toxicity to a marine organism of nitrate at concentrations normally present in enclosed seawater and mariculture systems. The results are discussed in terms of management of culture systems and of natural marine ecosystems containing elevated levels of nitrate.     

Landfill leachate-induced toxicity in mice

Microbial, plant and studies in aquatic animals have shown that landfill leachate is toxic. However, more information about its effects in terrestrial animals is required. As a part of ongoing research into the toxic effects of landfill leachate in Nigeria, we evaluated the acute effects of raw and simulated leachates from Abadina, Orita-Aperin and Oworonsoki dump sites, all in Southwest Nigeria, in mice. Raw leachates were obtained directly from the dumps while the simulated leachates were obtained from the solid wastes in the laboratory by using the ASTM method. The samples were designated Abadina raw leachate (ARL), Orita-Aperin raw leachate (OARL) and Oworonsoki raw leachate (OWRL); and Abadina simulated leachate (ASL), Orita-Aperin simulated leachate (OASL) and Oworonsoki simulated leachate (OWSL). Their physico-chemical properties were determined in accordance with standard analytical methods. Young male mice (12-15 wk) weighing 24-31 g were exposed to 1%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50% and 100% concentrations of each test samples for 5 consecutive days and were observed for a period of 96 h for toxic response. Mortality recorded at different times for each sample at the various concentrations was mostly within the last 48 h of the exposure period. The LC50 obtained are 100% for both ARL and OARL, and 50% for OWRL; and 83.50% and 50% for ASL and OWSL, respectively. It was indeterminate for OASL. Apart from this, other toxic effects like weight loss, sluggishness, loss of hair and reduced food intake were observed. The investigated samples were ranked as OWRL > OWSL > ASL > OARL > ARL > OASL. The observed effects were due to the toxic constituents present in the leachate samples. This suggests that the mixtures have the potential to cause harmful effect to public health and our environment through seepage into ground or surface water.