Age-related decline in metabolic competence of small and medium-sized synaptic mitochondria

A computer-assisted morphometric investigation of cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity, selectively evidenced by preferential diaminobenzidine cytochemistry, has been carried out on synaptic mitochondria in the cerebellar cortex of adult and old rats. The ratio (R) of the area of the cytochemical precipitate (CPA) to the overall area of each mitochondrion (MA) was calculated. R refers to the fraction of the inner mitochondrial membrane actively involved in cellular respiration, thus its quantitative estimation constitutes a reliable index of the mitochondrial metabolic competence (MMC). In adult rats a significant negative correlation between MA and R values was found, while in old animals there was just a positive trend. Paired-quartile comparisons of R values showed a significant age-related decrease in small and medium-sized mitochondria, whereas the lowest and not significant age-related reduction was found in oversized organelles. A paired decrease in number and increase in size is reported to be a general trend for mitochondria during aging, but oversized organelles, according to their low R value, constitute a scanty, though functional, compensating reaction. Thus, the present findings support the argument that the currently reported age-related cellular metabolic decay appears to rely both on the decline in MMC of the small and medium-sized mitochondria, and on their specific reduction in number. This novel result is of biological relevance since it is largely the small and medium-sized mitochondria that are required for the provision of adequate amounts of ATP for actual cellular performance, while the significantly enlarged organelles are thought to represent an intermediate ultrastructural feature in mitochondrial genesis and/or remodelling.     

英国塘鹅蛋中多氯联苯同类物的时空变化趋势

1977～1998年间,在苏格兰西部的艾尔萨克雷格对收集到的塘鹅蛋中的多氯联苯(PCB)同类物进行了回顾性分析.对一些年份所收集的塘鹅蛋中每年选择8～10个对其PCB同类物浓度范围分别进行了分析.所有的同类物在几年之内浓度都降在低,但不同的同类物降解速率不同.     

Effects of atmospheric gases on terrestrial plants and critical levels of air pollution

An integrated approach was developed to determine the critical levels of air pollution for ecological standard setting based on the unified index of biological response, by taking into account the effects of all pollution components simultaneously. An empirical model of plant productivity was taken as the dose response model for gaseous pollutant effect on the productivity of trees and the annual productivity of plants was used as the above mentioned index. The CO2 increase in the lower atmosphere was considered to potentially increase plant productivity and NO2 was estimated as neutral while being dangerous for plants as a chemical precursor of ozone or as a source of acidification. The maximum permissible chronic O3 and SO2 levels for trees were estimated and it was found that O3 is much more phytotoxic, as compared to SO2 , with a rather narrow range of permissible levels (27-33 ppb) which complicates its monitoring and control.     

1957～1990年西北威尔士地区土壤酸性的增加

由自然界或人类活动排出的氧化硫或氧化氮所造成的酸沉降,会加剧土壤中阳离子的淋溶。如果土壤排水析出的主要离子是硫或氮,那么,为了保持土壤电荷呈中性就需要当量浓度阳离子。析出的阳离子常常被土壤交换体系用氢离子替代,结果,土壤的酸度增加。欧洲许多国家都报道过这种主要由人为排放二氧化硫和二氧化氮造成的土壤酸化问题。然而,除了在位于派克格拉斯和勃劳德鲍克的罗瑟姆斯太德试验站和基斯克劳福     

CO_2放电分解过程中与质量无关的氧同位素效应:对与质量无关的化学作用的进一步认识

<正> 长期来,宇宙化学界普遍认为,引起由化学作用产生的同位素效应的唯一原因是同位素质量差,对氧而言,产生了人们熟知的δ~(17)O0.52δ~(18)O关系式(Matsuhisa等,1978)。基于这一点,与质量无关(non-mass-depen-     

用抽提法除去污染土壤中的重金属

本试验的目的是开发从污染过的土壤中除去重金属的技术。试验是将六种不同的荷兰土壤用人工污染上五种不同的重金属,然后将污染过的土壤用三倍的0.1M的HCI溶液进行抽提,可将土壤中的Cu、Pb与Zn抽出90～99％,将Ni抽出80～90％,但是三价铬(Cr)只能抽出0～25％,可用次氯酸(HOCI)溶液在pH为8时抽出大部份铬(三价)。在水力旋流器中进行了固液分离试验。用化学凝聚与絮凝试验表明,几种絮凝剂都可收到很好的分离效果,这种絮凝并不影响抽提结果。在抽提与分离试验结果的基础上,安装了一套实验室规模的连续装置。抽提是在几只装有搅拌器的槽内进行,也可在有筛板的柱子中进行连续抽提。絮凝剂可以帮助     

Fluoride distibution and the effect of some ions along Alexandria coastal Mediterranean seawater of Egypt

The coastal seawater of Mediterranean of Alexandria receives large amount of discharged waters containing industrial wastes, sewage, and agricultural and domestic drainage. Fluoride and some parameters were(chemical and physical) determined. The data gave indication that the content and the amount of the discharged water largely affect the chemical composition of the coastal water. Stepwise regression analysis was highly significant and the model was very fruitful, where the observed and calculated values were mostly concordant. This may indicated that there was a relation between fluoride content in coastal seawater and its content in the discharged water.     

The effect of metapleural gland secretion on the growth of a mutualistic bacterium on the cuticle of leaf-cutting ants

In Acromyrmex octospinosus leaf-cutting ants the metapleural glands produce an array of antibiotic compounds that serve as a general defence against unwanted microbes on the cuticle. Leaf-cutting ants also grow mutualistic Pseudonocardiaceae bacteria on their cuticle that produce antibiotics controlling a microfungal parasite of their fungus gardens. Interaction between this bacterium and gland secretion therefore seems unavoidable. We document the typical development of bacterial growth on the cuticle of young major workers, show that growth starts a few days after eclosion, and that the maximal cover is reached after 2–3 weeks and gradually declines when workers mature. Experimental closure of the metapleural glands had no effect on the initial exponential growth phase of the bacterium, but significantly reduced the cover during the decline phase. The age-dependent abundance of the bacterium and its partial dependence on metapleural gland secretion support the hypothesis that the abundance of this mutualist is actively regulated.