Biochemical properties of beryllium potentially relevant to its carcinogenicity†

The carcinogenicity of beryllium to several animal species is well established and evidence exists which strongly suggests that this is the case in human exposure. In this review several biochemical properties of the metallocarcinogen are considered including, the causation of cell transformation, and infidelity of DNA synthesis, inhibition of cell division and enzyme induction, and interference with regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression. These effects are discussed in relation to beryllium chemistry, cellular accumulation mechanisms and distribution to subcellular organdies and molecular targets. It is suggested that the ultimate location and interactions of the metal ion in cell nuclei and its selective inhibition of certain protein phosphorylation reactions in particular are the biochemical effects potentially most relevant to induction of beryllium carcinogenesis.     

Uptake and genotoxicity of micromolar concentrations of cobalt chloride in mammalian cells

Literature data concerning the genotoxicity of cobalt salts have been conflicting. To establish appropriate incubation conditions, we conducted a series of uptake studies, before genotoxicity was determined by DNA strand break induction in HeLa cells and mutagenicity in V79 Chinese hamster cells. Co(II) is taken up by HeLa cells in a concentration‐dependent manner and is accumulated inside the cell. The uptake is preceded by a fast association step to the outer membrane, with no saturation up to 24 h. DNA strand breaks as determined by nucleoid sedimentation are induced at concentrations as low as 50μMCoCl₂. The induction is time‐dependent, showing the highest number of breaks after 4h incubation with no further increase up to 24h. CoCl₂ is mutagenic at the HPRT‐locus, enhancing the spontaneous mutation frequency 4.2‐fold at 100μ?. Besides direct interactions with DNA, the mutagenicity of CoCl₂ could also be due to a decrease in the Fidelity of DNA polymerisation.     

Biochemical speciation in chromium genotoxicity

The biochemical speciation of chromium compounds in mammalian cells is discussed with respect to uptake, metabolism, DNA binding and damaging. Whereas soluble hexavalent chromium is taken up rapidly and accumulated intracellularly after its reduction, compounds of trivalent chromium penetrate biomembranes about three orders of magnitude slower. Cr(VI) after its uptake is metabolised by electron donating compounds via Cr(V) to Cr(III) compounds. Chromium from various Cr(III) compounds, but not chromate, binds to chromatin in isolated cell nuclei. The DNA‐protein crosslinks and DNA strand breaks observed in rat liver and kidney after chromate administration are also found in vitro, when Cr(III) compounds (but not chromate) interacts with isolated nuclei. In the Chinese Hamster cell HGPRT mutation assay, three out of four tested Cr(III) complexes were found to be mutagenic. In a direct DNA strand break assay with supercoiled bacteriophage PM 2 DNA, neither chromate nor the four Cr(III) compounds tested caused nicks. However, the combined action of chromate plus glutathione as well as the isolated complex of pentavalent chromium, Na₄Cr(glutathione)₄, did cause DNA breaks. Reactive oxygen species are inferred to be the ultimate DNA nicking agents in this assay. In conclusion there appear to be two mechanisms of chromate genotoxicity; one with direct DNA damage caused by Cr(V) species and one via DNA‐protein crosslinks formed with Cr(III), the final reduction state of chromate.     

Genetic toxicology of metal compounds: An examination of appropriate cellular models †

Bacterial systems have not had success predicting metal carcinogenicity. Hypotheses explaining this failure are examined. Using a broad genetic endpoint, λ prophage induction, under sub‐toxic growing conditions, genotoxicity is seen for compounds of chromium, manganese, lead, molybdenum and tungsten. Copper, manganese, arsenic and molybdenum compounds enhanced UV mutagenesis in E. coli WP2.

The toxicity of metal compounds to cultured mammalian cells correlates well with rat oral LD₅₀ values. Whereas insolubility can present problems in bacterial studies, concentrations of metal compounds toxic to mammalian cells can be determined even in the presence of precipitate, and sometimes [Pb(NO₃)₂, BaCl₂ and BeCl₂] occurs only in its presence. PbS and MnS, which are insoluble, are much more toxic than the more soluble compounds Pb(NO₃)₂ and MnCl₂. These results demonstrate the importance of cellular phagocytosis of insoluble metal compounds as a factor in studying the toxicity and genotoxicity of metal compounds.     

日光温室黄瓜低温冷害风险评估技术研究

基于人工气候箱和大田试验观测结果,探讨了日光温室黄瓜生产低温冷害气象指标确定技术,将冬季黄瓜生产低温冷害分为无灾、轻灾、中灾和重灾4个等级,利用层次分析法和GIS技术,对日光温室黄瓜生产低温冷害综合风险进行评估.结果表明,山东省各级冷害出现日数随着低温冷害程度的加重呈减少的趋势,但区域间存在一定差异.鲁北、鲁西北北部、鲁中北部以及半岛内陆地区遭受低温冷害风险较高,半岛东部沿海、鲁西南、鲁南及鲁东南沿海区域风险较低,其他地区属于中度风险.     

喹啉为MFC阳极燃料的微生物群落结构演化分析

通过构建填料型微生物燃料电池(MFC),首次对以喹啉为燃料时的MFC阳极表面的微生物群落进行了分析.PCR-DGGE的试验结果表明,随着燃料的改变,微生物群落也发生改变.当以喹啉和葡萄糖的混合溶液稳定地作为燃料时,由于受到喹啉毒性的抑制,微生物多样性降低,优势菌也发生明显的改变.与葡萄糖共基质相比,以单一喹啉为燃料时的阳极微生物优势菌落发生明显改变.新增加一类菌,这类菌与Pseudomonas sp. DIC5RS 的同源性为100%,推测该菌在单一喹啉为MFC燃料时喹啉的降解过程中起到关键作用.     

大气细颗粒物对小鼠T淋巴细胞亚群的影响

大气颗粒物对肺免疫系统有潜在毒性作用,打破免疫系统平衡,大气颗粒物成分中危害首当其冲的是大气细颗粒物(PM_(2.5)),为研究大气细颗粒物引起的机体T淋巴细胞中Th1/Th2免疫失衡方向。本研究通过免疫组化实验方法检测暴露后小鼠肺组织中T淋巴细胞的表达,进一步采用流式细胞术检测大气细颗粒物气管滴注后小鼠肺脏淋巴细胞中Th1/Th2比例。暴露组小鼠肺组织免疫组化研究结果提示浸润细胞区有大量的CD4~+T细胞,中高剂量暴露组小鼠肺组织中淋巴细胞亚群Th1/Th2比例向Th1偏移。大气细颗粒物影响免疫失衡,使T淋巴细胞向Th1漂移。     

四氯联苯对鸡外源原始生殖细胞迁移的影响

为了研究环境污染物四氯联苯对移植的原始生殖细胞增殖性迁移的影响,将发育至14期的供体鸡胚原始生殖细胞用PKH26荧光染料标记,然后移植到经过四氯联苯处理的受体鸡胚生殖新月区域,继续孵化,检测其迁移和增殖情况.结果表明,和对照组相比,四氯联苯可明显降低移植原始生殖细胞在血液和性腺中的数量;四氯联苯对外源性原始生殖细胞迁移有明显影响,但雌二醇对外源性原始生殖细胞的增殖性迁移无明显影响,揭示四氯联苯可能影响的是受体性腺的诱引物质,且这种影响是非雌激素样的作用.     

全聚苯胺太阳能电池材料的制备和性能

采用电化学和化学的方法制备了硫酸掺杂的p型导电聚苯胺和萘钠掺杂的n型导电聚苯胺,采用扫描电镜、X衍射分析、红外、紫外-可见分光光度计和和四探针法等手段对各种聚苯胺的形貌、结构和导电性等能进行了分析;将p型和n型导电聚苯胺组装成太阳能电池,研究了材料的结构、性能、电池的组装方式对太阳能电池性能的影响.结果表明:制备的p型和n型导电聚苯胺呈球形,堆砌结实,平均粒径在30—50nm,结晶度较大,导电性优异,在可见光区有强烈的吸收;由两者组成的双层太阳能电池性能优异,其开路电压为1.65V,短路电流为1.66mA.cm-2,填充因子为0.35,光电转换效率为2.96%.     

Analytical Study of the Heat Loss Attenuation by Clothing on Thermal Manikins Under Radiative Heat Loads

For wearers of protective clothing in radiation environments there are no quantitative guidelines available for the effect of a radiative heat load on heat exchange. Under the European Union funded project ThermProtect an analytical effort was defined to address the issue of radiative heat load while wearing protective clothing. As within the ThermProtect project much information has become available from thermal manikin experiments in thermal radiation environments, these sets of experimental data are used to verify the analytical approach. The analytical approach provided a good prediction of the heat loss in the manikin experiments, 95% of the variance was explained by the model. The model has not yet been validated at high radiative heat loads and neglects some physical properties of the radiation emissivity. Still, the analytical approach provides a pragmatic approach and may be useful for practical implementation in protective clothing standards for moderate thermal radiation environments.