Sublethal concentrations of azinphos-methyl induce biochemical and morphological alterations in Rhinella arenarum embryos

Considering that amphibians are good sentinels of environmental conditions, Rhinella arenarum embryos were used to investigate the effects of sublethal concentrations of the organophosphorus insecticide azinphos-methyl, focusing on its anticholinesterasic or pro-oxidant actions and its possible connection with the appearance of morphological alterations. Early amphibian embryos exposed to azinphos-methyl displayed a protective response through glutathione S-transferase induction, along with superoxide dismutase inhibition. At intermediate embryonic stages, embryos exposed to azinphos-methyl displayed superoxide dismutase inhibition and morphological alterations, although cholinesterase activity was not altered, suggesting that molecular targets other than cholinesterase were involved in the development of morphological alterations. At the end of embryonic development, decreases in reduced glutathione and cholinesterase inhibition were observed, along with a significant increase in the number of malformed embryos. The connection between biochemical alterations and the appearance of malformations was not evident in R. arenarum embryos. However, increased glutathione S-transferase and decreased superoxide dismutase activities could be considered as early markers of exposure to azinphos-methyl. The results obtained demonstrate that sublethal concentrations of azinphos-methyl are a serious threat to toad embryos in their natural habitats because biochemical and morphological alterations could impair their ability to deal with environmental stresses.     

会泽铅锌尾矿区自然生长的3种豆科植物铅锌耐性的研究

为了解会泽铅锌尾矿区自然发生的豆科植物对重金属的耐性,研究了该地区自然发生的3种豆科植物在Pb2＋/Zn2＋单盐和双盐胁迫下种子萌发及其幼苗生长的情况。研究表明：在本实验所设的浓度范围内,Pb2＋/Zn2＋单独胁迫时,对供试植物种子及幼苗的生长主要表现为抑制作用,除苕子（Vicia Cracca L.）外,金属离子的质量浓度越大抑制作用越强;Pb2＋/Zn2＋共同胁迫时出现复杂的交互作用。对于苕子的种子及幼苗的生长,Pb2＋/Zn2＋呈现明显的相互加强抑制作用;对于其它2种植物,当Zn2＋浓度在低质量浓度时,Pb2＋似乎对Zn2＋抑制有缓解作用,同样当Pb2＋浓度在低质量浓度时,Zn2＋似乎对Pb2＋抑制有缓解作用,但是当Pb2＋/Zn2＋高浓度时,Pb2＋/Zn2＋呈现明显的相互加强抑制作用。不论是单盐还是双盐,苕子对的耐性最强,其次为白三叶（Trifolium repens L.）,紫花苜蓿（Medicago sativa L.）最弱。会泽铅锌尾矿区重金属含量高是该区植被恢复的最大障碍,进一步研究植物对Pb2＋及Zn2＋的耐受性对于铅锌尾矿区的植被恢复有极其重要的意义。     

PFOS对多齿围沙蚕CYPs、GST基因转录及酶活性的毒性效应

多毛类沙蚕已经广泛应用于海洋环境污染的生物监测,但其对新型持久性有机污染物全氟辛烷磺酰基化合物PFOS的毒理学研究尚无报道。本研究以潮间带优势种多齿围沙蚕(Perinereis nuntia)为研究对象,以细胞色素P450(CYP)、谷胱甘肽硫转移酶(GST)的基因和酶作为联合指标,研究了在PFOS亚致死浓度(4、8、16 mg·L-1)暴露第1、4、7、14天及净水恢复5 d后多齿围沙蚕CYP431A1、CYP424A1基因转录水平和EROD酶活性、GST omega基因转录水平和GST酶活性的响应情况。结果表明,PFOS暴露对EROD的抑制具有明显的时间-效应关系;CYP2系成员CYP431A1基因转录水平对PFOS的响应具有良好的剂量-效应关系并在胁迫第14天表现出最高的可诱导性;CYP4系基因CYP424A1的转录在4、8 mg·L-1处理组中与PFOS暴露时间正相关。II相解毒系统成员GST酶活和GST omega基因的响应均表现出随着PFOS胁迫时间的延长先下降,后上升的规律;多齿围沙蚕在高强度PFOS胁迫下仍可加速新陈代谢,表现出对PFOS的耐受性;净水恢复阶段,各指标都有向对照组水平恢复的趋势。总之,基因和蛋白的响应表明CYPs和GST在多齿围沙蚕PFOS新陈代谢中发挥重要作用,这些基因和酶具有作为生物标志物监测海洋潮间带PFOS污染效应的潜力。     

Volume and financial value of species traded in the medicinal plant markets of Gauteng,South Africa

The demand for traditional medicinal plants and products in South Africa has created an extensive cross-border industry involving thousands of harvesters and traders. The market values of individual taxa vary considerably. Pricing structures fluctuate between markets and over time as the cost of harvesting species varies depending on a gatherer's access to the resources and the proximity of markets to the harvesting sites. This paper estimates trade values, describes the prices paid for 22 plant resources, investigates pricing structures relative to the mass/volume sold and the factors that influence the market price for plants. There is an inverse and disproportionate relationship between the price per kilogram (R/kg) and mass of the product sold. The smaller the quantity sold, the higher the R/kg sale values are relative to sales of larger quantities. This relationship is evident in different plant part types (e.g. bark and bulbs), species and markets (shops and street markets). Given the high mass sold relative to the price, bulbs, like bark, have the lowest R/kg values compared to other products like roots, fruits and leaves. The prices paid for heavier/denser species is thus disproportionate to the mass sold. If the relative values are used as an indicator of plant vulnerability (assuming high values indicate greater vulnerability), then bias is created in favour of 'lighter' and less dense plant parts typically sold in small quantities because of the nature of the plant part and the manner in which it is marketed and required by customers.     

Hatching asynchrony and survival of insurance offspring in an obligate brood reducing species,the American white pelican

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) lay two eggs but typically rear only one young owing to siblicidal brood reduction affecting the later-hatched, or B-chick. When the A-offspring fails at an early age, the B-chick may survive as a replacement (insurance) offspring. Using a combination of nests with natural and artificially manipulated hatching asynchrony, I examined the hypothesis that hatching asynchrony in this species is adaptively tuned to permit B-chicks to survive during the time they are most likely to be needed as replacements, with brood reduction following when they become redundant. Hatching asynchrony over the natural range of 0–4 days significantly increased within-brood mass differentials and reduced B-chick lifespan. Full synchrony had a marginally negative effect on A-chick mass. Greater asynchrony did not significantly affect the number of days B-chicks survived after hatching of the A-chick, owing to a corresponding extension of time B-offspring were protected from harassment while still within the egg. This resulted in a high probability (> 0.8) of B-chicks surviving through the initial period (5–7 days) of maximum early A-chick loss. Redundant B-chicks were subject to heavy brood reduction, with both chicks likely to have survived at only one each of 94 natural and 84 manipulated (0, 2, and 4 days asynchrony) nests. Hatching asynchrony in American white pelicans, in combination with a rapid development of senior chick siblicidal competence, appears to result in a time course of brood reduction appropriate for an effective insurance reproductive strategy. Received: 2 February 1996 /Accepted after revision: 18 May 1996     

急性冷暴露对仔猪血浆中IL-2、IL-6、ACTH和皮质醇水平的影响

为了探讨急性冷应激对仔猪免疫系统的影响,本试验将18头45 d"约克夏"仔猪随机分成常温对照组(Control,C)、冷暴露组(Cold exposure,CE)和冷暴露并阻断糖皮质激素受体组(Cold exposure+RU486,CER).常温组在18～20 ℃、冷暴露各组在4～8℃环境下分栏饲养.冷暴露时间持续12 h,在冷暴露开始后的第0、1、3、6、9、12 h六个时间点对18头仔猪采血并分离血浆,分别使用双抗体夹心ELISA法检测各血浆样品的IL-2和IL-6水平,放射免疫分析法测定血浆样品的ACTH和皮质醇水平.结果显示:单纯冷暴露组IL-2水平和IL-6水平在冷暴露6 h时明显升高(P<0.01),ACTH水平在各时间点均明显降低(P<0.01),而Cortisol水平仅在冷暴露3 h时明显升高(P<0.01),IL-2与IL-6的水平呈强相关(r=0.959 5),ACTH与IL-2的水平呈巾等强度负相关(r=-0.435 9)、与IL-6的水平呈弱的负相关,皮质醇与IL-2的水平呈弱的负相关、与IL-6的水平呈中等强度负相关(r=-0.447 8);受体阻断组IL-2在冷暴露6h、9 h和12 h时均明显升高(P<0.01),IL-6在冷暴露6 h明显升高(P<0.01),ACTH在冷暴露各时间点均明显降低(P<0.01),IL-2和IL-6水平呈中等相关(r=0.416 1),ACTH与IL-2、IL-6的水平均呈强负相关(r=-0.676 5/-0.717 4),皮质醇与IL-2、IL-6均呈弱负相关.上述结果表明,急性冷暴露能使IL-2、IL-6及皮质醇的分泌增强,且阻断糖皮质激素受体会导致IL-2和IL-6之间以及ACTH与IL-2/IL-6之间的相关性改变.图1参21     

华南丘陵区农林复合生态系统早稻田CH4和N2O排放通量的时间变异

采用静态箱-气相色谱法对典型华南农林复合生态系统早稻田CH4和N2O排放进行田间原位测定,探讨早稻田两种温室气体的排放规律。结果表明,有植株参与稻田在水稻生长季节中CH4排放昼夜变化表现为双峰模态,收割后为三峰模态,CH4排放昼夜变化幅度比无植株参与稻田大。在测定期内有植株参与稻田CH4昼夜平均排放通量大小依次为:成熟期(1.96±0.33)>孕穗期(0.13±0.01)>收割后(-0.01±0.02)(mg.m-2.h-1)。有植株参与稻田在孕穗期CH4昼夜平均排放通量显著高于无植株参与稻田(P<0.01)。在测定期内有、无植株参与稻田CH4平均排放通量分别为0.85±0.28、0.14±0.09 mg.m-2.h-1。有、无植株参与稻田N2O昼夜平均排放通量没有显著差异。在测定期内有、无植株参与稻田N2O平均排放通量分别为118.07±50.97、15.65±21.56μg.m-2.h-1。CH4和N2O的排放无论是昼夜变化还是季节变化都与温度没有明显相关关系,其排放受稻田水分和养分状况的影响。水稻作物对CH4排放影响较大,对N2O排放影响不明显。     

Responses of three mouse species to deterrent chemicals in the monarch butterfly. I. Taste and toxicity tests using artificial diets laced with digitoxin or monocrotaline

Summary Of three common mouse species at the Mexican overwintering sites of the monarch butterfly, onlyPeromyscus melanotis eats monarchs. We hypothesized thatP. aztecus andReithrodontomys sumichrasti reject monarchs because they are more sensitive to the bitter taste and/or toxic effects of the cardiac glycosides (CGs) and pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in the butterflies. Two-choice preference tests revealed no difference in taste avoidance thresholds to free base and N-oxide forms of the PA, monocrotaline, but very different avoidance thresholds to the CG, digitoxin. Avoidance thresholds forR. sumichrasti andP. aztecus were, in respective order, 1020 and 34 times less than that forP. melanotis. We also tested the toxic sensitivity of juvenile mice by chronically feeding diets containing digitoxin or monocrotaline at concentrations similar to those used in the preference tests. No species developed CG toxicity, but bothP. melanotis andP. aztecus developed moderate PA toxicity (R. sumichrasti was not tested for PA toxicity).P. aztecus grew more slowly and manyP. melanotis had hepatic metabolic lesions. Thus, the three mouse species responded very differently to the taste and toxic properties of CGs and PAs at ecologically relevant concentrations: 1) CGs were taste rejected by all species exceptP. melanotis, while PAs were not; and 2) PAs were toxic, while CGs were not.