Aryl hydrocarbon receptor activities of hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in recombinant yeast cells

Hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAH) with less than four rings are frequently found in the environment, whereas the toxicities associated with these compounds remain unclear. In this study, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)–ligand binding activities of OH-PAH were investigated by using a recombinant yeast assay system. The majority of the OH-PAH tested showed AhR–ligand binding activities, especially, when the hydroxylated derivatives of naphthalene were incubated with recombinant yeast. The structure–activity relationship between AhR activity and molecular weight or the octanol–water partition coefficient value of OH-PAH displayed significant correlations. These findings indicate that the site and number of hydroxy-groups substituted on PAH skeleton apparently influenced the AhR – ligand binding activity in the recombinant yeast assay.     

Ecotoxicity of silver nanoparticles on earthworm Eisenia fetida: responses of the antioxidant system,acid phosphatase and ATPase

Ecotoxicity of nanoparticles has received growing attention in recent years. This study investigated the influence of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) on earthworm Eisenia fetida. The experiment was performed with five test groups: control (without Ag-NP), 10?nm Ag-NP groups (20, 100 or 500?mg?kg^?1) and positive control (787?mg?kg^?1 AgNO₃). After 14-day acute exposure, activities of various enzymes, including glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), acid phosphatase (AP), and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase were determined. Effects of Ag-NP with different sizes (10 and 80?nm) were also tested. Data showed that the activity of GR was significantly lower at 500?mg?kg^?1. The activities of AP and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase were inhibited following the increase of Ag-NP concentration. When treated with Ag-NP with different sizes, activities of AP and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase of the 10?nm group were significantly lower than the control group, but those of the 80?nm group were similar to the control group. Data indicate that Ag-NP may be harmful to the earthworm E. fetida at 500?mg?kg^?1, and the toxicity of Ag-NP with 10?nm size is greater than 80?nm. In addition, AP and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase are sensitive biomakers to the effects of Ag-NP.     

Enzymatic and cellular level effects of nickel∗

The effects of Ni on hepatic enzymes of tilapia, viz. acid‐ and alkaline phosphatases, catalase and glucose‐6‐phosphatase, both under in vivo and in vitro conditions reflected the following tendencies. In vivo conditions indicated maximal increase in activity for acid phosphatase at 3.00 ppm, equivalent to 28.5%, followed by a slight decrease and increase thereafter. As for alkaline phosphatase, gradual increase in activity was observed with maximal activity at 9 ppm of Ni, equivalent to 16.8%. Catalase demonstrated similar tendencies with maximal activity at 9.0 ppm, equivalent to 101.2%. In the case of glucose‐6‐phosphatase, the tendency was the reverse with maximal inhibition at 9.00 ppm, i.e. 41.9%. In contrast to in vivo conditions, in vitro systems indicated that all investigated enzymes were inhibited in the region of 4–10% except for catalase which demonstrated a slight increase by 5–6% in activity between concentrations of 10–15 ppm of Ni but thereafter continuous inhibitory effects prevailed.

At cellular level, exposure of tilapia to a lethal dose of 9 ppm of Ni indicated not much of an adverse effect except for a slight depletion in fat and glycogen content. In the case of mitochondria, they were normal and a few large secondary lysosomes were observed. In relation to the cell membrane no dramatic change was detected.     

The relation between chemical structure and mutagenic activity of some polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (s‐pah)

Results of Hückel Molecular Orbital (HMO) calculations strongly suggest identical metabolic activation routes for the mutagen benzo[2,3]phenanthro[4,5‐bcd]thiophene and its homocyclic parent, benzo[a]pyrene.     

Fenton溶液预处理对TiO2纳米管催化活性的影响

采用Fenton溶液对TiO2纳米管电极进行预处理,研究其对TiO2纳米管催化活性的影响,考察了Fenton溶液的浓度、配比和处理时间等影响因素,研究了Fenton预处理过程中溶液中二价铁和总铁的含量变化,运用X射线光电子能谱仪(XPS)和场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)对TiO2纳米管电极进行了表征,初步探讨了经处理后TiO2纳米管催化活性再生或增强的机理.结果表明,经Fenton溶液处理后的TiO2纳米管催化活性有明显地提高,Fenton溶液浓度越高,TCs降解率越大(相应于TiO2纳米管催化活性的增强);在一定浓度范围内,H2O2的配比高低对TCs降解率影响较大,其所占比例高,则降解率高,而Fe2+配比高低对TCs降解率影响相对较小.在Fenton溶液处理过程中,溶液中剩余的Fe2+含量较为恒定,总铁的含量呈下降趋势.XPS分析表明,经Fenton溶液处理后,TiO2纳米管电极表面C1s含量降低,O1s、Fe2p含量增大;部分含碳官能团含量明显降低,O1s的电子结合能向高能端位移.     

盐沼植物群落研究进展：分布、演替及影响因子

盐沼是全球温带及亚热带地区的主要滨海湿地类型之一,在我国分布广泛。盐沼湿地生态系统敏感、脆弱且具有重要的生态系统服务功能。理解盐沼植物群落时空分布动态的一般规律与生态学机制,是开展盐沼生态系统研究的基础与关键。海陆交界的特殊环境特征是影响盐沼湿地植物群落的空间分布及演替过程的主要因素。在海洋潮汐作用下,盐沼湿地中的盐度、水淹强度、氧化还原电位等非生物因子往往呈梯度分布,这也导致了生物群落中种内、种间关系的变化。在非生物及生物因子的共同作用下,盐沼植物群落也往往沿高程梯度呈带状分布。环境变化是盐沼植物群落演替的驱动因素,在海岸线相对较为稳定的盐沼,植物群落的演替多属自发演替,而在靠近的大型河口的一些持续淤涨的盐沼,植物群落演替通常属于异发演替。沿海地区的水产业、流域上游及沿海地区的工程、污染及生物入侵等直接或间接的人类活动已对盐沼湿地植物群落的产生了深刻影响。经过数十年发展,国际上盐沼植物群落学研究的热点领域主要包括盐沼植物群落与其他生物群落的相互关系、植物群落在盐沼生态系统过程中的作用等。在全球变化背景下,盐沼植物群落对气候变化与海平面升高也日益成为盐沼植物群落学相关的热点。     

环境激素烯菌酮引发小鼠前列腺癌细胞的毒性机制

为探讨环境激素烯菌酮引发小鼠前列腺癌(RM-1)细胞毒性机制,设计了3组实验,分别为对照组、烯菌酮染毒组(染毒组)和烯菌酮染毒后添加维生素E组(实验组),各组给药培养48h后,观察细胞形态变化。检测细胞增殖活性、丙二醛(MDA)含量、抑制羟自由基能力、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)活性、Na+-K+-ATP酶活性和Ca2+-Mg2+-ATP酶活性。结果表明,与对照组相比,染毒组RM-1细胞圆缩脱落明显,贴壁细胞减少;细胞增殖率、抑制羟自由基能力、Na+-K+-ATP酶活性和Ca2+-Mg2+-ATP酶活性明显降低(p<0.05),LDH活性和MDA含量显著升高(p<0.05)。与染毒组相比,染毒后添加维生素E,圆缩脱落细胞减少,而梭形贴壁细胞明显增加;细胞增殖率、抑制羟自由基能力、Na+-K+-ATP酶活性和Ca2+-Mg2+-ATP酶活性显著升高(p<0.05),LDH活性和MDA含量明显下降(p<0.05)。这表明维生素E可能通过其抗氧化性拮抗了烯菌酮引发的氧化应激,缓解了细胞膜的损伤,维持了细胞膜的完整性和膜蛋白的功能,防止了细胞内LDH外逸、Na+-K+-ATP酶和Ca2+-Mg2+-ATP酶活性的下降,从而逆转了烯菌酮引发的细胞死亡和增殖率的下降。     

Effects of tour boats on dolphin activity examined with sensitivity analysis of Markov chains

In Patagonia, Argentina, watching dolphins, especially dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus), is a new tourist activity. Feeding time decreases and time to return to feeding after feeding is abandoned and time it takes a group of dolphins to feed increase in the presence of boats. Such effects on feeding behavior may exert energetic costs on dolphins and thus reduce an individual's survival and reproductive capacity or maybe associated with shifts in distribution. We sought to predict which behavioral changes modify the activity pattern of dolphins the most. We modeled behavioral sequences of dusky dolphins with Markov chains. We calculated transition probabilities from one activity to another and arranged them in a stochastic matrix model. The proportion of time dolphins dedicated to a given activity (activity budget) and the time it took a dolphin to resume that activity after it had been abandoned (recurrence time) were calculated. We used a sensitivity analysis of Markov chains to calculate the sensitivity of the time budget and the activity-resumption time to changes in behavioral transition probabilities. Feeding-time budget was most sensitive to changes in the probability of dolphins switching from traveling to feeding behavior and of maintaining feeding behavior. Thus, an increase in these probabilities would be associated with the largest reduction in the time dedicated to feeding. A reduction in the probability of changing from traveling to feeding would also be associated with the largest increases in the time it takes dolphins to resume feeding. To approach dolphins when they are traveling would not affect behavior less because presence of the boat may keep dolphins from returning to feeding. Our results may help operators of dolphin-watching vessels minimize negative effects on dolphins.     

黑胸散白蚁纤维素酶的体外酶学特性

采用DNS法研究了我国广泛分布的一种低等木食性白蚁——黑胸散白蚁纤维素酶的体外酶活特性以了解其纤维素降解机制.结果表明,内切β-1,4-葡聚糖酶(EG)、纤维二糖水解酶(CBH)和β-葡萄糖苷酶(BG)这3种酶的最佳反应时间均为15 min,最佳底物浓度为1%,最适反应pH为5.6,最适反应温度为35℃.在最适反应条件下,EG、CBH和BG的活性分别达到71.3(±13.9)U/mg、5.8(±0.8)U/mg和4.1(±0.7)U/mg.EG在体外的热稳定性较差,在50℃及更高温度酶活很低或完全失活,但该酶对pH稳定性较好,在pH 3.2～8.0范围内酶活力变化不大.Native-PAGE电泳检测到该白蚁体内至少有8种不同的EG活性条带,肠道不同部位纤维素酶活性条带种类不同.这些研究表明,木食性白蚁降解纤维素是一个复杂的过程,需要多种纤维素酶的共同作用.     

用改进的TRAP法测定树木端粒酶活性

TRAP法是一种常用的测定端粒酶活性的方法,但并不太适合测定木本植物的端粒酶活性.因此以油松针叶为实验材料,对TRAP法进行改进.参照前人的研究通过对比实验证明,在端粒酶提取过程中将PEG8000加入上清液,可获得高效的端粒酶.在此基础上,对PCR先导引选择TS、模板浓度选择100 ng,最终获得油松针叶高质量的端粒酶PCR产物.应用SYBR Green I替代银染液对电泳凝胶进行染色,获得条带清晰、重复性好的电泳结果.通过对油松针叶、银杏叶片、胡杨愈伤组织、沙冬青悬浮细胞等4种木本植物实验材料进行测定,证明该改进的技术体系可能是适合于木本植物端粒酶活性测定的稳定的、灵敏度高的可行方法.图5表1参17