Multimodal sexual signals in male ocellated lizards Lacerta lepida: vitamin E in scent and green coloration may signal male quality in different sensory channels

The mechanisms that confer honesty to multiple sexual signals of vertebrates remain less known. We suggest that vitamin E in the scent (femoral secretions) and carotenoids in coloration of Lacerta lepida lizards might advertise quality because they are relevant in metabolism as major antioxidants and have a dietary origin. Results showed that there may be similar trade-offs between immunity and both chemical and visual signaling, as males with more vitamin E in secretions and those with more greenish, darker, and saturated carotenoid-dependent colorations had a higher immune response. This suggests that only high-quality males can divert from metabolism and allocate enough vitamin E to secretions and enough carotenoids to coloration. Therefore, information provided by visual and chemical signals is congruent. The use of multiple sensory channels may allow signaling a male quality under different circumstances or reinforce the reliability of the signal when both signals are perceived simultaneously. However, we also found that characteristics of carotenoid-dependent coloration mirror the amounts of vitamin E in secretions. This might support that carotenoids, which are not true antioxidants in the organism, would just reflect and “inform” on the actual contents of metabolic antioxidant vitamin E, which is part of the true system that prevent oxidation. We suggest that the metabolic roles of vitamins might be the actual basis of honesty of many sexual displays, and that carotenoid-based signals might be just the visible part of the whole system.     

Sexually dichromatic coloration reflects size and immunocompetence in female Spanish terrapins, Mauremys leprosa

Many studies have shown the importance of colorful ornamentation in mate choosiness or intrasexual conflict. However, research on color ornaments has focused mainly on birds, lizards or fish, but remains practically unknown in other animal groups such as turtles. In addition, female ornaments and their relation with sexual selection also remain almost unknown. Here, we measured the coloration of the shell and the limb stripes of male and female Spanish terrapins Mauremys leprosa and explored the existence of sexual dichromatism and the relation of color characteristics with body size and health state estimated from the immune response to the injection of an antigen (phytohaemagglutinin test). Our results showed that shell coloration, which could be constrained by natural selection to be cryptic, changed with body size, but did not differ between sexes. In contrast, females had brighter and less ultraviolet-saturated and more orange-saturated limb stripes than males. In females, interindividual variation in limb stripe coloration was related with body size and immune response suggesting that this coloration may inform honestly about multiple traits that could be important in sexual selection. In contrast, coloration of limb stripes of males was duller than in females, and was not related with any trait suggesting that coloration is not important in sexual selection for males.     

菲律宾蛤仔Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd及遗传杂合度的相互关系研究

测定了中国北方５个群体（青岛、烟台、兴城、大连、丹东）菲律宾蛤仔体内Ｃｕ、Ｐｂ、Ｚｎ、Ｃｄ含量，研究了４种重金属之间的相互关系及与遗传杂合度的相互关系。结果表明，Ｃｕ和Ｚｎ、Ｃｕ和Ｃｄ、Ｚｎ和Ｃｄ具有显著的相关性；Ｃｕ和Ｚｎ相关系数最大为０．９８３２，线性方程为：Ｃｚｎ＝５．２０７Ｃｃｕ－７．５８１６；Ｃｕ、Ｚｎ、Ｃｄ与杂合度相关系数为正，ｂｐ与杂合度相关系数为负，相关性均不显著。     

硝基苯对小鼠睾丸生殖细胞凋亡及Bcl-2、Bax表达的影响

为了探讨硝基苯对小鼠睾丸生殖细胞凋亡及Bcl-2和Bax mRNA表达的影响.将10周龄雄性昆明小鼠随机分为染毒组(26 mg·kg-1、52mg·kg-1、105 mg·kg-1)、溶剂对照组(花生油)、对照组(生理盐水),并对其灌胃染毒,试验期为30 d,RT-PCR法检测小鼠生殖细胞Bcl-2、Bax mRNA表达,透射电镜观察小鼠生殖细胞超微结构的变化,TUNEL法检测生殖细胞的凋亡.结果表明,小鼠生殖细胞的Bcl-2 mRNA表达明显低于对照组,Bax mRNA表达明显高于对照组,Bcl-2/Bax比值也明显低于对照组,并具有统计学意义(p<0.01,P<0.05);电镜观察结果显示,硝基苯能使生殖细胞的细胞核、染色质、线粒体等超微结构发生不同程度的病理改变.     

Laying date and polygyny as determinants of annual reproductive success in male collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis): a long-term study

Annual reproductive success (ARS) is one of the main components of lifetime reproductive success, a reliable measure of individual fitness. Previous studies often dealt with ARS and variables potentially affecting it. Among them, long-term studies that consider multiple factors at the same time are particularly important in understanding the adaptive value of different phenotypes. Here, we used an 18-year dataset to quantify the ARS of male collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) on the basis of recruited offspring. We simultaneously assessed the effect of start of breeding, age, polygyny, body size and the expression of forehead patch (a sexually selected trait). The success of early breeding individuals was appreciably higher than late birds; however, breeding too early was also disadvantaged, and males that bred around the yearly median breeding date had the highest ARS. Polygynous males were more successful in years with good food supply, while in years with low food availability, they did not produce more recruits than monogamous males. The age of males, their forehead patch size and body size did not affect the number of recruits. Our findings support the importance of breeding date and suggest stabilizing selection on it in the long term. We also show that polygyny is not always advantageous for males, and its fitness pay-off may depend on environmental quality.     

2,2',4,4'-四溴联苯醚对赤子爱胜蚓的抗氧化酶、代谢酶及其基因表达的影响

多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)是广泛存在于环境中的一种新型持久性有机污染物.四溴联苯醚同分异构体中的BDE-47是多溴联苯醚中最重要的单体之一.试验采用人工土壤培养法,通过亚急性试验,研究了在不同暴露时间阶段下,不同BDE-47剂量对赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia fetida)抗氧化酶(过氧化氢酶CAT)、代谢酶(谷胱甘肽转移酶GST)以及二者基因表达的影响.结果表明,在暴露14 d和28 d时,CAT活性被诱导上升并且差异显著;GST活性变化差异不显著;CAT基因表达水平在第14 d时呈现抑制效应,在后续的第28 d和第42 d基因表达水平上调;GST基因表达水平整体呈现诱导效应,并且差异显著,随着暴露时间的增加,低毒处理组(10、50 mg·kg-1)的基因表达水平逐渐下调至低于对照组的水平,高毒处理组(100、200 mg·kg-1)的基因表达量仍高于对照组水平;在BDE-47的暴露试验中,CAT与GST活性及其基因表达水平两项指标对低毒处理组较高毒处理组更为敏感.     

Carotenoid-based bill and eye ring coloration as honest signals of condition: an experimental test in the red-legged partridge (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alectoris rufa</Emphasis>)

Carotenoid pigments cannot be synthesized by vertebrates but must be ingested through the diet. As they seem to be a limited resource, carotenoid-based ornaments are particularly interesting as possible honest signals of individual quality, in particular of foraging efficiency and nutritional status. Some studies have demonstrated the condition dependence of carotenoid-based plumage in birds. However, many other carotenoid-pigmented bare parts (i.e. skin, caruncles, bills, cere, and tarsi) are present in birds but, in comparison with plumage, little is known about these traits as indicators of individual quality. Here, we show that the eye ring pigmentation and bill redness of the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) are positively associated to body condition and recent changes in body mass. Also, we found a negative relationship between these two traits and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, an indicator of physiological stress (the relationship with bill redness being significant only for males). In an experiment, we found that after a period of reduction in food intake (with the consequent loss of body mass), food-restricted birds showed lower eye ring pigmentation than ad-libitum-fed birds. Therefore, different ornaments seem to reflect changes in body condition but at different speeds or intensities (eye ring, a fleshy ornament, appears to respond more rapidly to changes in the nutritional status than a keratinized structure as the bill). These results indicate that carotenoid-based ornaments are condition-dependent traits in the red-legged partridge, being therefore susceptible to be employed as honest signals of quality in sexual selection.     

再生水对作物种子萌发、幼苗生长及抗氧化系统的影响

以小麦、黄瓜、西红柿为供试材料,研究再生水水培对小麦、黄瓜和西红柿种子萌发、生长发育及其活性氧清除系统的影响.结果表明,再生水对小麦种子发芽率有明显的促进作用,对西红柿种子无显著影响,而黄瓜种子表现出一定的抑制作用;对各物种幼苗生长发育有一定促进作用,再生水灌溉对小麦、黄瓜及西红柿叶片活性氧清除系统均无不利影响;作物各叶绿素及蛋白质含量也显著高于对照.研究结果表明,再生水可以替代自来水进行作物灌溉,但灌溉过程中需采取适当的措施,使再生水利用效果最佳.     

Parasites and health affect multiple sexual signals in male common wall lizards, Podarcis muralis

Multiple advertising sexual traits may either advertise different characteristics of male condition or be redundant to reinforce reliability of signals. Research has focused on multiple visual traits. However, in animals that use different multiple additional sensory systems, such as chemoreception, different types of traits might have evolved to signal similar characteristics of a male quality using different sensory channels. We examined whether ventral coloration and chemicals in femoral gland secretions of male common wall lizards, Podarcis muralis, are affected by their health state (blood-parasite load and cell-mediated immune response). Our results indicated that less parasitized lizards had brighter and more yellowish ventral colorations and also femoral secretions with higher proportions of two esters of octadecenoic acid. In addition, lizards with a greater immune response had more saturated coloration and secretions with higher proportions of octadecenoic acid methyl ester. We suggest that these signals would be reliable because only healthier males seemed able to allocate more carotenoids to coloration and presumably costly chemicals to secretions. The use of multiple sensory channels may provide more opportunities to signal a male quality under different circumstances, but also may reinforce the reliability of the signal when both types of traits may be perceived simultaneously.     

Metaphyseal chondrodysplasia McKusick type in a Chinese fetus,caused by novel compound heterozygosity 64T> A and 79G >T in RMRPgene

We present the first confirmed case by molecular analysis of a metaphyseal chondrodysplasia, McKusick type, in a 22-week fetus. Two novel compound heterozygous mutations, 64T> A and 79G > T, were found in the highly conserved regions of the RMRP gene. Twenty-two heterozygous g.1018 T> C mutations, two homozygous g.1018 T> C mutations, two heterozygous insertion mutations g.799_g.800insC and one heterozygous insertion mutation g.849_g.850insT were found among 100 normal controls. Careful radiological examination of the fetus for skeletal dysplasia allowed definitive diagnosis, proper genetic counselling and future prenatal diagnosis. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

TBT对大鼠肝脏ROS、抗氧化酶和解毒系统酶的影响

 研究了三丁基锡(TBT)对大鼠肝脏ROS、抗氧化酶和解毒系统酶的影响.SD大鼠随机分为6组,TBT染毒剂量各组分别为,0,0.1,0.3,1.0,3.0,10.0mg/kg(B·W),连续灌胃7d,第8d处死,取肝脏检测活性氧(ROS)水平、谷胱甘肽转硫酶(GST)活性、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性、谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)活性和谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量.结果表明,ROS随TBT浓度增加而升高,各浓度组均有显著性差异.在0.3,1.0mg/kg时,GST活性升高且具有显著性差异,在3.0,10.0mg/kg有下降趋势;GR活性也升高且具有显著性差异.CAT活性及GSH含量在各浓度组均无明显变化.研究结果提示,染毒各组ROS水平明显升高,而与ROS去除有直接关系的GSH水平和CAT活性没有发生相关的变化,因此TBT在代谢转化过程中产生的自由基不能及时被清除可能是导致ROS水平明显升高的重要原因.     

Serum lipid,apolipoprotein and lipoparticle levels in the human fetus

Blood collected from 62 fetuses aged 20–38 weeks of gestation was studied. The values of ten lipid parameters were determined: cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), apolipoprotein Al (apo A1), apolipoprotein B (apo B), apolipoprotein E (apo E), total apolipoprotein CIII (apo CIII), apolipoprotein CIII present in particles containing apo B (apo CIII LpB) or not (apo CIII Lp non-B), lipoparticles A1 (LpA1), and lipoprotein a (Lp(a)). The results show that, except for apo E, all the studied parameters were present in lower concentrations than in adults and newborns, and that Lp(a) is not detectable at that stage in life.     

衡山大气中PCBs的浓度水平及来源分析

为研究我国高山地区大气中多氯联苯(PCBs)的含量情况,于2009年4月~5月在衡山气象站采集了气相及颗粒相样品.以气相色谱法测得该地区大气中7种指示性PCB(Indicator-PCBs)的平均浓度为180.51pg/m3,含量最多的为PCB52.与国外高山站点相比,衡山的PCBs含量处于较高水平.通过后推气流轨迹分析了气流来向对PCBs含量的影响,结果显示,来自北方的气流携带较多的PCBs.主因子分析的结果表明,该地区PCBs的来源可以归结为3类,分别为:国外的PCBs产品;焚烧炉排放、造纸漂白等工业生产过程以及国产的变压器油等PCBs产品;含PCBs的油漆添加剂等.     

Burden levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and polychlorinated biphenyls in typical edible meat animals

The concentrations and distributions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the whole blood and meat of eight typical edible animals (chicken, donkey, horse, cattle, rabbit, sheep, duck, and pig) were illustrated. Total concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and PCBs (on a basis of liquid volume) in animal bloods were 142-484 pg/L and 46-62 ng/L, respectively. Total concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs (on a basis of dry weight (dw) and lipid weight (lw)) in animal meat samples were 0.47-1090 pg/g dw (0.47-4513 pg/g lw) and 7.2-23 ng/g dw (10-776 ng/g lw), respectively. TEQs for both PCDD/Fs and PCBs in animal blood and meat samples were (67 ± 27) pg/L and (5.3 ± 14) pg/g dw (24 ± 56 pg/g lw), respectively. Besides, the dietary intakes of PCDD/Fs and PCBs were also estimated. Chicken and pig contributed more TEQs than other animals. Chicken contributed the most (95%) with high toxicity, followed by pig (3.4%) with high consumption. The dietary intake of chicken might pose risks to consumers who prefer to eat chicken products, who should comprehensively consider the essential nutrients and contaminants in food during dietary intake.     

Integrated plumage colour variation in relation to body condition, reproductive investment and laying date in the collared flycatcher

The possible integration of different sexual ornaments into a composite system, and especially the information content of such ornament complexes, is poorly investigated. Many bird species display complex plumage coloration, but whether this represents one integrated or several independent sexual traits can be unclear. Collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) display melanised and depigmented plumage areas, and the spectral features (brightness and UV chroma) of these are correlated with each other across the plumage. In a 5-year dataset of male and female plumage reflectance, we examined some of the potential information content of integrated, plumage-level colour attributes by estimating their relationships to previous and current year body condition, laying date and clutch size. Females were in better condition the year before they became darker pigmented, and males in better current year condition were also darker pigmented. Female pigment-based brightness was positively, while male structurally based brightness was negatively related to current laying date. Finally, the overall UV chroma of white plumage areas in males was positively associated with current clutch size. Our results show that higher degree of pigmentation is related to better condition, while the structural colour component is associated with some aspects of reproductive investment. These results highlight the possibility that correlated aspects of a multiple plumage ornamentation system may reflect together some aspects of individual quality, thereby functioning as a composite signal.     

浙江嘉兴农场大气羰基化合物水平及来源

对浙江嘉兴农场的大气羰基化合物水平进行了研究,利用液相双质谱(LC-MS/MS)进行样品分析,检测出32种羰基化合物.结果表明,甲醛、乙醛、壬醛/2-壬酮和十二醛为最为丰富的羰基化合物,其平均浓度分别为13.99,8.76,7.77,7.13μg/m3,分别占羰基化合物总量的18.29%,11.45%,10.16%,9.32%.光化学反应和植物排放,尤其是水稻的排放,是嘉兴农场大气羰基化合物的主要来源;水稻收割活动还是乙醛和己醛的另一个来源.羰基化合物之间的相关性分析表明,甲醛与乙醛之间有显著线性相关(r=0.58,P0.70,表明庚醛与乙醛及其他高分子的羰基化合物亦有相同来源;十一醛、十二醛、十三醛、辛醛、癸醛和壬醛/2-壬酮之间的线性相关在0.95~0.99范围(P<0.01),表明其来源极为一致.     

Determination and assessment of total mercury levels in local, frozen and canned fish in Lebanon

Fish is an important constituent of the Lebanese diet. However, very little attention in our area is given to bring awareness regarding the effect of the toxicity of mercury (Hg) mainly through fish consumption. This study aimed to report analytical data on total mercury levels in several fish species for the first time in thirty years and to also made individuals aware of the presence and danger from exposure to mercury through fish consumption. Fish samples were selected from local Lebanese markets and fisheries and included 94 samples of which were fresh, frozen, processed, and canned fish. All values were reported as microgram of mercury per gram of fish based on wet weight. The level of mercury ranged from 0.0190 to 0.5700 μg/g in fresh samples, 0.0059 to 0.0665 μg/g in frozen samples, and 0.0305 to 0.1190 μg/g in canned samples. The data clearly showed that higher levels of mercury were detected in local fresh fish as opposed to other types thus placing consumers at higher risk from mercury exposure. Moreover, the data revealed that Mallifa (yellowstripe barracuda/Sphyraena chrysotaenia), Sargous (white seabream/Diplodus sargus), Ghobbos (bogue/Boops hoops), and shrimp (Penaeus sp.) were among the types containing the highest amounts of mercury. On the other hand, processed fish such as fish fillet, fish burger, small shrimp and crab are found to contain lower levels of mercury and are associated with lower exposure risks to mercury. Lebanese population should therefore, be aware to consume limited amounts of fresh local fish to minimize exposure to mercury.