双酚A诱导人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞上皮间质化的研究

双酚A(BPA)是一类典型的环境雌激素,能干扰机体正常内分泌系统.作为一种激素相关疾病,乳腺癌的发生发展与BPA暴露的关系已引起人们的关注.本研究旨在探讨BPA对人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞上皮细胞间质化(EMT)的诱导作用.经BPA处理的MCF-7细胞,采用MTT试验检测BPA对细胞活力的影响,Transwell试验检测BPA对细胞迁移能力的影响,Real-time RT-PCR、Western Blot检测BPA对上皮型蛋白标志物E-cadherin、间质型蛋白标志物Vimentin及EMT相关转录因子Snail表达的影响.结果发现,低浓度BPA能够促进MCF-7细胞的增殖,显著增强细胞的迁移能力.BPA处理能抑制E-cadherin的表达,促进Vimentin及Snail的表达.研究结果提示,BPA处理可能通过促进Snail的表达而调控EMT相关蛋白标志物的表达,进而增强乳腺癌MCF-7细胞的迁移能力.     

Regulation of matrix stiffness on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of breast cancer cells under hypoxia environment

Substrate stiffness and hypoxia are associated with tumor development and progression, respectively. However, the synergy of them on the biological behavior of human breast cancer cell is still largely unknown. This study explored how substrate stiffness regulates the cell phenotype, viability, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human breast cancer cells MCF-7 under hypoxia (1% O₂). TRITC-phalloidin staining showed that MCF-7 cells transformed from round to irregular polygon with stiffness increase either in normoxia or hypoxia. While being accompanied with the upward tendency from a 0.5- to a 20-kPa substrate, the percentage of cell apoptosis was significantly higher in hypoxia than that in normoxia, especially on the 20-kPa substrate. Additionally, it was hypoxia, but not normoxia, that promoted the EMT of MCF-7 by upregulating hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vimentin, Snail 1, and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP 2) and 9 (MMP 9), and downregulating E-cadherin simultaneously regardless of the change of substrate stiffness. In summary, this study discovered that hypoxia and stiffer substrate (20 kPa) could synergistically induce phenotype change, apoptosis, and EMT of MCF-7 cells. Results of this study have an important significance on further exploring the synergistic effect of stiffness and hypoxia on the EMT of breast cancer cells and its molecular mechanism.     

Benefits and costs of controlling three allergenic alien species under climate change and dispersal scenarios in Central Europe

Climate change is likely to exacerbate the negative effects of invasive alien species (IAS) as it will foster their further spread. This paper analyses the potential socio-economic effects of three emerging IAS (giant ragweed, Ambrosia trifida; annual wormwood, Artemisia annua; and burweed marshelder, Iva xanthiifolia), which are known to cause substantial harm to human health and to have negative effects on agricultural production. The novelty of the study consists in an integrated approach that combines several aspects of IAS research and management. We model the future spread of the study species in Central Europe by the year 2050 under several climate change, management and spread scenarios. The costs and benefits of controlling the expansion of these IAS are based on this forecast. The results show that an early and coordinated response to the spread of these IAS yields substantial net benefits under all scenarios. Under the conditions of moderate climate change (+1.5 °C), discounted net benefits range from €19 to €582 million. Assuming more severe climate change (+2.4 °C), total savings over the full period are projected to add up to €1063 million. These large socio-economic benefits provide compelling evidence that public authorities should act preventively to restrict the spread of these three IAS.     

关于通风空调系统风管中聚集物的燃烧特性测试

通风空调系统风管中的聚集物可能引发火灾,或成为火灾在建筑物内蔓延传播的重要途径。笔者在民用建筑(包括酒店厨房、餐厅、地下车库、办公楼)和厂房(包括卷烟厂、化纤厂)中选取了不同用途的通风空调系统,对其中的聚集物进行了元素分析、工业分析,以确定其燃烧特性,预测风管中聚集物对火灾发生、传播的影响,为建立安全合理的通风空调系统提供理论基础和试验依据。     

环境内分泌干扰物促进乳腺细胞增殖的分子机制研究进展

乳腺癌是女性中常见的癌症,EDCs（environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals,环境内分泌干扰物）具有雌激素活性,能促进乳腺细胞的增殖,明确EDCs在乳腺癌细胞增殖中的作用和机制,有助于乳腺癌的预防.在归纳整理国内外相关研究基础上,总结了EDCs通过激活雌激素受体信号通路、抑制细胞凋亡和改变细胞周期等方面促进乳腺细胞的增殖,并对其分子机制进行了全面综述.EDCs促进乳腺细胞增殖的分子机制有:①EDCs通过与雌激素核受体（nERs）结合形成二聚体,改变受体构象,并结合到靶基因雌激素响应元件（ERE）上,进而调控增殖相关靶基因转录和蛋白表达;②EDCs也可通过与雌激素膜受体（mERs）结合,激活快速非基因组信号通路,改变靶蛋白活性或靶基因表达;③EDCs也可通过上调凋亡抑制蛋白Bcl-2和Bcl-xL的表达,抑制细胞凋亡;④EDCs还可通过上调细胞周期蛋白（cyclin）表达、提高周期依赖性蛋白激酶（CDKs）活性,加快细胞周期;⑤EDCs通过基因组、非基因组信号途径的交互,上调cyclin D和c-Myc表达,再通过CDK磷酸化细胞周期调节因子Rb蛋白,释放转录因子E2Fs,加速细胞从G₁期向S期的转变,促进细胞增殖.建议今后从与内源激素交互、影响雌激素E₂合成以及低剂量联合作用3个方面来探讨EDCs对乳腺细胞的增殖机制,以期为乳腺致癌物的筛查、乳腺癌预防和治疗以及乳腺细胞增殖机制的深入研究提供参考.      

邻苯二甲酸酯类化合物的研究进展

邻苯二甲酸酯类化合物（PAEs）是一类危险性较大的环境污染物;其分布广,难降解,具有致畸、致癌、致突变性和遗传毒性,能够干扰动物和人体的内分泌系统,也对人和动物的生殖系统造成较大的危害。本文根据国内外的最新研究成果,综述了PAEs的检测方法、毒性效应、分布和降解方法,并对今后PAEs的研究趋势进行了展望。     

Inorganic arsenic: A non-genotoxic carcinogen

Inorganic arsenic induces a variety of toxicities including cancer. The mode of action for cancer and non-cancer effects involves the metabolic generation of trivalent arsenicals and their reaction with sulfhydryl groups within critical proteins in various cell types which leads to the biological response. In epithelial cells, the response is cell death with consequent regenerative proliferation. If this continues for a long period of time, it can result in an increased risk of cancer. Arsenicals do not react with DNA. There is evidence for indirect genotoxicity in various in vitro and in vivo systems, but these involve exposures at cytotoxic concentrations and are not the basis for cancer development. The resulting markers of genotoxicity could readily be due to the cytotoxicity rather than an effect on the DNA itself. Evidence for genotoxicity in humans has involved detection of chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges in lymphocytes and micronucleus formation in lymphocytes, buccal mucosal cells, and exfoliated urothelial cells in the urine. Numerous difficulties have been identified in the interpretation of such results, including inadequate assessment of exposure to arsenic, measurement of micronuclei, and potential confounding factors such as tobacco exposure, folate deficiency, and others. Overall, the data strongly supports a non-linear dose response for the effects of inorganic arsenic. In various in vitro and in vivo models and in human epidemiology studies there appears to be a threshold for biological responses, including cancer.     

Model microgravity enhances endothelium differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of differentiation into multilineage cell types under certain induction conditions. Previous studies have demonstrated that physical environments and mechanical force can influence MSC fate, indicating that these factors may be favorable inducers for clinical treatment. Our previous study found that MSCs are spread with a spindle shape when cultured in normal gravity (NG), and under modeled microgravity (MMG) for 72 h, they become unspread and round and their cytoskeleton fibers are reorganized. These morphological changes affected the function of MSCs through the activity of RhoA. We examined the responses of MSCs under MMG stimulation, followed with VEGF differentiation. We found that MSCs under MMG for 72 h were differentiated into endothelial-like cells by detecting the expression of endothelial-specific molecules (Flk-1 and vWF), which were also able to form a capillary network. Their endothelial differentiation potential was improved under MMG compared with that under NG. We believe that this method is a novel choice of MMG stimulation for neovascularization. This phenomenon may increase the potential of MSC differentiation, which might be a new strategy for the treatment of various vascular diseases and improve vascularization in tissue engineering.     

Formation and cytotoxicity of a new disinfection by-product (DBP) phenazine by chloramination of water containing diphenylamine

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water have caused worldwide concern due to their potential carcinogenic effects. The formation of phenazine from diphenylamine (DPhA) chloramination was studied and its cytotoxicities for two human cancer cells were also investigated. Phenazine was detected synchronously with the consumption of DPhA by chloramination, which further confirmed that the new DBP phenazine can be produced along with N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA) from DPhA chloramination. The formation of phenazine had a maximum molar yield with solution pH increasing from 5.0 to 9.0, with phenazine as the main product for DPhA chloramination at lower pH, but higher pH favored the formation of NDPhA. Thus, solution pH is the key factor in controlling the formation of phenazine and NDPhA. Both the initial DPhA and chloramine concentrations did not show a significant effect on the molar yields of phenazine, although increasing the chloramine concentration could speed up the reaction rate of DPhA with chloramines. The cytotoxicity assays showed that phenazine had significant cell-specific toxicity towards T24 (bladder cancer cell lines) and HepG2 (hepatic tumor cell lines) cells with IC50 values of 0.50 and 2.04 mmol/L, respectively, and T24 cells being more sensitive to phenazine than HepG2 cells. The IC50 values of phenazine, DPhA, and NDPhA for T24 cells were of the same order of magnitude and the cytotoxicity of phenazine for T24 cells was slightly lower than that of NDPhA (IC50, 0.16 mmol/L), suggesting that phenazine in drinking water may have an adverse effect on human health.     

Inhibitory effects of four plants flavonoids extracts on fatty acid synthase

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) had been found overexpress and hyperactive in most cancers. Pharmacological inhibitors of FAS activity preferentially repress cancer cell proliferation and induce cancer cell apoptosis without affecting nonmalignant fibroblasts. These made FAS an excellent drug target for cancer therapy. The activity of FAS in 11 different kinds of cancer cells, including esophageal carcinoma (EC109, EC8712, H5E973), gastric carcinoma (N87, BGC823), lung carcinoma (A549, 95-D), hepatoma (HepG2), uterine cervix cancer (HeLa) and leukaemia (K562, U937) were compared using spectrophotometric method. We selected the cell line with the highest FAS activity as cell model to study the inhibitory effect of the flavonoids extracts on FAS. Four plants including Canavium album Raeuseh leaves, Bombax ceiba Linn, Brassica albograbra Bailey, and Citrus reticulata Blanco were selected for extracting flavonoids. The results showed significantly different FAS activity among different cancer cells. The FAS activity is the lowest in gastric cancer cell N87 (15.91 ± 3.61 U/mg protein) and the highest in lung cancer cell A549 (127.36 ± 10.14 U/mg protein). The cancer cell A549 was used as cell model to test the inhibitory effort of flavonoids extracts on FAS. Results showed that the flavonoids extracts of Citrus reticulata Blanco and Canavium album Raeuseh leaves have higher inhibitory effect on FAS activity compared with the universally used FAS inhibitor C75 and both extracts inhibit cancer cell proliferation when added to cultured cancer cells. These studies provided a good cell model for testing the inhibitory effect on FAS activity and suggested that Citrus reticulata Blanco rind and Canavium album Raeuseh leaves are good biomaterials for separating and purifying natural flavonoids FAS inhibitors and exploring their inhibitory mechanisms.     

新冠肺炎疫情对农村人居环境整治的影响

新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19,简称“新冠肺炎”）疫情的发生,影响了我国经济水平较低、环境管控力度较薄弱的农村地区的发展.通过对新冠肺炎防疫过程与农村人居环境整治工作间的相互关系进行剖析,探究新冠肺炎疫情防控对农村人居环境整治的主要影响.结果表明,农村垃圾堆积、污水处理不当、厕所粪污无害化处理不达标以及基础设施建设不完善等农村人居环境薄弱环节,存在形成病毒传播扩散途径的风险.而交通运输限制虽然有效抑制了新冠肺炎疫情扩散,但也致使农村人居整治工作延滞.同时,新冠肺炎疫情的传播扩散在短期内限制了农民行为活动,降低了群众对农村人居环境整治工作的热情.据此,建议应健全农村人居环境整治制度,完善整治工程技术,从而在有效管控新冠肺炎疫情传播的同时,更好地推进农村人居环境整治,提高农民生活质量,为疫情过后恢复农民生活、农业生产以及农村发展打下坚实的基础.      

气幕隔尘法在电炉屋顶烟罩排烟系统中的应用分析

通常电炉加料和出钢时的烟气均通过屋顶烟罩捕集,但使用效果不够理想。为提高屋顶烟罩的捕集效率,节省大规模排烟量和风机能耗,提出更加经济的气幕隔尘法用于辅助电炉屋顶烟罩排烟。即在屋顶烟罩底部形成一个无形透明的屏障,以阻止电炉加料或出钢时的向上烟气不因车间横向气流的干扰而向屋顶烟罩外扩散。结合工程项目分析了气幕隔尘新技术的应用前景。     

Comparative mammalian cell cytotoxicity of wastewater with elevated bromide and iodide after chlorination, chloramination, or ozonation

Recycling wastewater is becoming more common as communities around the world try to better control their water resources against an increased frequency of either prolonged droughts or intense flooding. For communities in coastal areas, wastewaters may contain elevated levels of bromide(Br~-) and iodide(I~-) from seawater intrusion or high mineral content of source waters. Disinfection of such wastewater is mandatory to prevent the spread of pathogens, however little is known about the toxicity of wastewater after disinfection in the presence of Br~-and I~-. In this study we compared the induction of chronic cytotoxicity in mammalian cells in samples of municipal secondary wastewater effluent amended with elevated levels of Br~-/I~-after disinfection by chlorine, chloramines or ozone to identify which disinfection process generated wastewater with the lowest level of adverse biological response. Chlorination increased mammalian cell cytotoxicity by 5times as compared to non-disinfected controls. Chloramination produced disinfected wastewater that expressed 6.3 times more cytotoxicity than the non-disinfected controls and was 1.3 times more cytotoxic than the chlorinated samples. Ozonation produced wastewater with cytotoxicity comparable to the non-disinfected controls and was at least 4times less cytotoxic than the chlorine disinfected wastewaters. These results indicate that compared to chlorination and chloramination, ozonation of wastewater with high Br~-/Ilevels yielded the lowest mammalian cell cytotoxicity, suggesting its potential as a more favorable method to disinfect wastewater with minimizing the biological toxicity in mind.     

二氧化碳封存及提高石油采收率的环境风险研究

随着全球气候变暖效应的加剧,如何降低大气中二氧化碳含量成为一个焦点问题,二氧化碳的地质封存及资源化利用成为可选的有效途径。目前,二氧化碳封存及二氧化碳提高石油采收率的项目已遍布世界各地,但是其存在的环境风险不容忽视。本文从二氧化碳的封存原理出发,具体分析了二氧化碳地质封存的风险来源及其可能对环境、人体、生态等造成的危害,同时结合二氧化碳提高石油采收率工程的特殊性进行了风险分析,并鉴于我国目前并没有相应的风险评价导则,提出了下一步需要根据相应的风险类型制定出一套适合我国二氧化碳地质封存的风险评价体系的建议。     

检测致突变(致癌)物质的简易法

螺胚以羟基脲处理使其大多数细胞分裂同步后,以各种化学品或药物处理之,然后测定螺胚增长与对照组比较,凡能损伤DNA的物质均使螺胚增长放慢.此法能检测环境中各类物质的致突变性(致癌性).     

Methods Evaluation for Rapid Concentration and Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in Raw Wastewater Using Droplet Digital and Quantitative RT-PCR

Food and Environmental Virology - Wastewater surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging public health tool to understand the spread of Coronavirus...     

Benefits and risks associated with consumption of Great Lakes fish containing omega-3 fatty acids and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

正Introduction Assessment of environmental health effects arising from exposure to multiple substances is often very challenging.This is particularly true when humans are exposed to a mixture that contains both beneficial and harmful substances.A good example relates to the risk and benefits of fish consumption.     

Did ice-age bovids spread tuberculosis?

Pathognomonic metacarpal undermining is a skeletal pathology that has been associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in bovids. Postcranial artiodactyl, perissodactyl, and carnivore skeletons were examined in major university and museum collections of North America and Europe for evidence of this and other pathology potentially attributable to tuberculosis. Among nonproboscidean mammals from pre-Holocene North America, bone lesions indicative of tuberculosis were restricted to immigrant bovids from Eurasia. No bone lesions compatible with diagnosis of tuberculosis were found in large samples of other pre-Holocene (164 Oligocene, 397 Miocene, and 1,041 Plio–Pleistocene) North American mammals, including 114 antilocaprids. Given the unchanged frequency of bovid tubercular disease during the Pleistocene, it appears that most did not die from the disease but actually reached an accommodation with it (as did the mastodon) (Rothschild and Laub 2006). Thus, they were sufficiently long-lived to assure greater spread of the disease. The relationships of the proboscidean examples need further study, but present evidence suggests a Holarctic spread of tuberculosis during the Pleistocene, with bovids acting as vectors. While the role of other animals in the transmission of tuberculosis could be considered, the unique accommodation achieved by bovids and mastodons makes them the likely “culprits” in its spread.     

Role of winter temperature and climate change on the survival and future range expansion of the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) in eastern North America

Global climate change has already affected the abundances, range limits, and interactions of many species. The hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), an invasive insect introduced to eastern North America from Japan, has decimated stands of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina hemlock (T. caroliniana) from Georgia to Connecticut. However, its spread across central and northern New England has been slowed substantially by its inability to tolerate cold winter temperatures. Using data from previous lab and field studies collected over the past 17 years, including adelgid spread and overwintering mortality, we first characterize the temperature conditions that may limit adelgid spread. We then show how, in the future, rising winter temperatures due to climate change are likely to remove the conditions currently limiting adelgid spread, and facilitate the northward expansion as more suitable habitat becomes available.