Relationship between metabolic enzyme activities and bioaccumulation kinetics of PAHs in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Many studies have investigated bioaccumulation and metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aquatic organisms. However, lack of studies investigated both processes simultaneously, and the interaction between these two processes is less understood so far. This study investigated the bioaccumulation kinetics of PAHs and metabolic enzyme activities, including total cytochrome P450 (CYPs) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), in zebrafish. Mature zebrafish was exposed to the mixture of phenanthrene and anthracene under constant concentration maintained by passive dosing systems for 16 days. The results showed that PAH concentrations in zebrafish experienced a peak value after exposure for 1.5 days, and then decreased gradually. The bioaccumulation equilibrium was achieved after exposure for 12 days. Both of the uptake rate constants (k_u) and the elimination rate constants (k_e) decreased after the peak value. The variation of PAH concentrations and metabolic enzyme activities in zebrafish had an interactive relationship. CYPs and T-SOD activities increased initially with the increase of PAH concentrations, but decreased to the lowest state when PAH concentrations reached the peak value. When the bioaccumulation equilibrium of PAHs was achieved, CYPs and T-SOD activities also reached the steady state. In general, CYPs and T-SOD activities were activated after exposure to PAHs. The decrease of PAH concentrations in zebrafish after the peak value may be attributed to the great drop of k_u and the variation of CYPs activities. This study suggests that an interactive relationship exists between bioaccumulation kinetics of PAHs and metabolic enzyme activities in aquatic organisms.     

镉对鲫鱼鳃和肝脏超氧化物歧化酶活性的影响

使用浸浴法以 0 mg/ L、0 .73 mg/ L、1 .46 mg/ L、2 .95 mg/ L 4个镉 (Cd Cl2 · 2 .5H2 O)浓度为丰产鲫 (Carassiusauratus of Penze(♀ )× Cyprinusacutidorsalis(♂ ) )幼鱼染毒 ,测定了 1 4 4 h内鳃及肝组织中超氧化物歧化酶 (SOD)活性的变化。结果表明 ,低浓度组Cd曝露时 ,鲫鱼鳃和肝组织中 SOD活性的变化短时间内不明显 ,但随着处理时间的延长 ,Cd提高了鳃和肝组织中 SOD的活性 ,导致“毒物兴奋效应”。高浓度组 Cd曝露时均抑制了肝和鳃中的 SOD活性 ,其作用随着曝露时间的延长和浓度的升高而增强 ,SOD酶活性降低所造成的活性氧伤害是引起鲫幼鱼死亡的重要原因。肝组织中的 SOD酶活性和敏感性高于鳃 ,这与其执行的生理功能有关     

Differential physiological,ultramorphological and metabolic responses of cotton cultivars under cadmium stress

Cadmium (Cd) stress may cause serious physiological, ultramorphological and biochemical anomalies in plants. Cd-induced physiological, subcellular and metabolic alterations in two transgenic cotton cultivars (BR001, GK30) and their parent line (Coker 312) were evaluated using 10, 100 and 1000 μM Cd. Germination, fresh biomass of roots, stems and leaves were significantly inhibited at 1000 μM Cd. Root volume tolerance index significantly increased (124.16%) in Coker 312 at 1000 μM Cd. In non-Cd stressed conditions, electron micrographs showed well-configured root meristem and leaf mesophyll cells. At 1000 μM Cd, greater ultramorphological alterations were observed in BR001 followed by GK30 and Coker 312. These changes were observed in nucleus, vacuoles, mitochondria and chloroplast. Dense precipitates, probably Cd, were seen in vacuoles, which were also attached to the cell walls. A considerable increase in number of nuclei, vacuoles, starch granules and plastoglobuli was observed in the electron micrographs of both roots and leaves at 1000 μM Cd. MDA contents were higher in roots of BR001 at 1000 μM Cd. Mean values of SOD activity in leaves of both BR001 and GK30 at 1000 μM Cd significantly increased as compared to the controls. POD activity in roots of BR001 and Coker 312 was greater at all Cd (10, 100, 1000 μM) levels over the control. Regarding APX, highest percent increase (71.64%) in roots of GK30 at 1000 μM Cd was found. Non-significant differences in CAT activity were observed at all levels of Cd stress in leaves of BR001 and GK30. Both transgenic cotton cultivars and their parental line invariably responded towards Cd stress. However, Coker 312 showed Cd-resistant behavior as compared to its progeny lines (BR001 and GK30).     

PCDD/Fs-induced oxidative damage and antioxidant system responses in tobacco cell suspension cultures

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) are ubiquitous contaminants and can be considerably accumulated by natural plants. In order to elucidate the biochemical and physiological responses of plant to PCDD/Fs, tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cells were selected as model plant and treated with time- and concentration-dependent PCDD/Fs. The toxic effect and oxidative stress caused by PCDD/Fs were evident, which could be indicted by the reduction in fresh mass, the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and the damage of tobacco cell ultrastructure. PCDD/Fs tolerance was correlated with changes in antioxidant system and hormones of tobacco cells. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) exhibited peak enzyme activities at the PCDD/Fs concentration of 1000 ng WHO₉₈-TEQ g⁻¹ fresh weight. Glutathione reductase (GR) enzyme activity increased monotonically at high level PCDD/Fs, but the activity of catalase (CAT) was only slightly affected at all treatment. Meanwhile, the exposure to PCDD/Fs resulted in the changes of hormones content. With the increase of exposure concentration of PCDD/Fs, the levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) increased, whereas the concentration of jasmonates (JAs) decreased. The above results suggest that tobacco cells had the ability to cope with the oxidative stress induced by low concentration of PCDD/Fs through increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and alternating plant hormones levels. However, oxidative stress and toxicity would burst out when plant cells were exposed to the high levels of PCDD/Fs.     

铝胁迫下外源钙对外生菌根真菌抗氧化保护酶活性的影响

采用液体培养方法,研究了4个不同菌株(Bo 02、Bo 15、Pt 715和Sl 08)的抗铝性及其在铝胁迫下加入0、0.25、0.5、1.0 mmol.-1L-1Ca2+处理后抗氧化保护酶活性的变化,旨在了解钙在缓解外生菌根真菌铝毒方面的作用.结果表明,不同菌株抗铝性不同,Pt 715和Sl 08的抗铝性强于Bo 02和Bo 15.铝胁迫可显著提高外生菌根真菌Bo 02 CAT和SOD活性、Bo 15SOD活性、Sl 08 CAT和POD活性,说明外生菌根真菌中这几种酶活性的提高与铝毒胁迫密切相关.4个菌株中,Bo 02酶活性对外源钙最敏感,外源钙对Bo 02铝胁迫的缓解作用最好.较高浓度的钙(≥0.5 mmol.L-1)可缓解或消除Sl 08铝胁迫造成的抗氧化酶活性上升.     

Reproductive toxicity and underlying mechanisms of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) is an endocrine disruptor commonly found in plastic products that has been associated with reproduction alterations, but the effect of DEHP on toxicity is still widely unknown. Using DEHP concentrations of 10, 1, and 0.1 mg/L, we showed that DEHP reduced the reproductive capacity of Caenorhabditis elegans after 72 hr. of exposure. DEHP exposure reduced the reproductive capacity in terms of decreased brood sizes, egg hatchability (0.1, 1 and 10 mg/L), and egg-laying rate (1 and 10 mg/L), and increased numbers of fertilized eggs in the uterus (1 and 10 mg/L). DEHP also caused damage to gonad development. DEHP decreased the total number of germline cells, and decreased the relative area of the gonad arm of all exposure groups, with worms in the 1 mg/L DEHP exposure group having the minimum gonad arm area. Additionally, DEHP caused a significant concentration‐dependent increase in the expression of unc-86. Autophagy and ROS contributed to the enhancement of DEHP toxicity in reducing reproductive capacity, and glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were activated as the antioxidant defense in this study. Hence, we found that DEHP has a dual effect on nematodes. Higher concentration (10 mg/L) DEHP can inhibit the expression of autophagy genes (atg-18, atg-7, bec-1, lgg-1 and unc-51), and lower concentrations (0.1 and 1 mg/L) can promote the expression of autophagy genes. Our data highlight the potential environmental risk of DEHP in inducing reproductive toxicity toward the gonad development and reproductive capacity of environmental organisms.     

Cd胁迫对桐花树同工酶的影响

利用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶垂直板电泳方法,研究了不同浓度Cd胁迫对桐花树幼苗叶片过氧物酶(POD)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、酯酶(EST)同工酶酶谱的影响.结果表明:Cd胁迫下POD和EST同工酶组成发生了较大的变化,酶带颜色深浅和条数均有变化.部分同工酶基因表达在镉胁迫下完全关闭而酶带消失,另一部分同工酶基因表达则被启动而有新的酶带产生.而SOD同工酶酶带的亮度强弱也有明显的变化.这说明桐花树体内POD,EST和SOD同工酶确实能够适应Cd胁迫而产生相应变化,从而调节细胞代谢,以抵抗逆境胁迫.     

The effects of exogenous salicylic acid on growth and H2O2-metabolizing enzymes in rice seedlings under lead stress

Salicylic acid （SA） was an essential component of the plant resistance to pathogens and also plays an important role in mediating plant response to some abiotic stress. The possible effects of SA on the growth and H2O2-metabolizing enzymes in rice seedlings under lead stress were studied. When rice seedlings grown in nutrient solution containing Pb^2＋ （0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.25 mmol/L） for 18 d, the plant biomass as well as the chlorophyll content of leaves decreased with increasing Pb concentration. The pre-treatment with SA （treated with 0.1 mmol/L SA for 48 h before Pb stress） partially protected seedlings from Pb toxicity. The chlorophyll contents were significant higher in leaves of Pb-exposed with SA pre-treatment seedlings than in Pb-exposed plants at the same Pb intensity. SA pre-treated alone could significantly increase the length of shoot and root of seedlings but the vigour difference was not marked under long-term exposure to Pb toxicity. SA pre-treated influence the H2O2 level in leaves of seedlings by up-regulating the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, repressing the activity of catalase （CAT） and ascorbate peroxidase （APX） depending on the concentrations of Pb^2＋ in the growth medium. The results supported the conclusion that SA played a positive role in rice seedlings against Pb toxicity.     

Role of the reduction site in the fluorinated or sulfated TiO2 photocatalytic process

In this article,the effects of TiO_2 surface fluorination and sulfation,on the active oxygen species formed at the reduction site in the photocatalytic process,namely O_2~(?) and H_2O_2,were investigated from a new perspective.The superoxide radical,(O_2~(?)),was determined by colorimetry of nitroblue tetrazolium,a prominent O_2~(?) scavenger.Hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) was estimated by using the iodide-starch method.In the naked TiO_2 photocatalysis,O_2~(?) though less reactive,was a very important intermediate.When the TiO_2 surface was fluorinated,more O_2~(?) and H_2O_2 were produced,which indicated that the surface modification could greatly reduce the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes,thus enhancing the photocatalytic rate.In the sulfated system,photocatalysis proceeded with a more complicated mechanism.These results added support to the view of fluoride-induced enhancement and sulfide's nonappreciable inhibition effect.