Erythroid-specific antibodies enhance detection of fetal nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood

Fetal nucleated erythrocytes (NRBC) in maternal blood are a non-invasive source of fetal DNA for prenatal genetic screening. We compared the effectiveness of three monoclonal antibodies for the separation of fetal cells from maternal blood by flow sorting. Mononuclear blood cells from 49 healthy pregnant women were incubated with antibody to CD 71, CD 36, and/or glycophorin A (GPA), employed singly or in combination with each other. These monoclonal antibodies recognize surface antigens on haematopoietic precursor cells. Successful isolation of fetal cells was defined as detection of Y chromosomal sequences in maternal blood from women carrying male fetuses, with absence of Y sequences when female fetuses were carried. Thus, gender prediction accuracy was used as a measure of fetal cell separation. Using anti-CD 71 to isolate fetal cells, gender prediction was 57 per cent correct; with anti-CD 36, it was 88 per cent correct. Anti-GPA, an erythrocyte-specific antigen, used alone or in combination with anti-CD 71 or 36, improved gender prediction to 100 per cent. We conclude that antibody to GPA improves the retrieval of fetal NRBC from maternal blood, permitting genetic analysis by the polymerase chain reaction.     

铜陵市大气环境系统模拟与综合管控研究

为落实铜陵市环境总体规划中大气环境规划,首先,利用A值法计算铜陵市大气环境容量,得出各区域大气环境承载率;之后,采用CALPUFF模型对铜陵市气象、土地利用以及地形要素进行综合处理;最后,根据模型输出对受体点和市域面积结果并结合ARCGIS得出不同影响性划分结果,以划定铜陵市总体规划中大气红线,并对后续规划提出针对性建议。从铜陵市污染源影响区、污染物影响区以及受体影响区地理坐标及面积占比评价结果来看,以污染物年均浓度为基准,红线部分面积为234.07km~2,占比为19.49%。     

核受体超家族及其酵母双杂交检测技术

环境污染物的内分泌干扰问题近年来引起了极大的关注,大量研究证实:核受体是内分泌干扰的重要作用位点.论文在总结国内外相关研究基础上,对生物体内核受体超家族的组成、结构特征、作用模式进行了概括总结;对环境内分泌干扰物干扰核受体超家族最新研究进展给予了评述;对酵母双杂交检测技术的原理及其在核受体超家族和环境内分泌干扰效应研究中的应用进行了探讨,指出应将酵母双杂交检测技术与核受体超家族研究相结合,建立成组重组核受体基因双杂交酵母体系,应用于多种内分泌干扰效应和作用机制的系统研究.     

Molecular characterization and developmental expression patterns of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and their responsiveness to TR agonist and antagonist in Rana nigromaculata

Considering some advantages of Rana nigromaculata as an experimental species, we propose that this species, like Xenopus laevis, could be used to assay thyroid hormone（TH） signaling disrupting actions. To validate the utilizability of R. nigromaculata, we investigated the responsiveness of R. nigromaculata to a TH receptor（TR） agonist（T3） and antagonist（amiodarone） by analyzing expression, based on characterizing TR cDNA and developmental expression patterns. With high levels of identity with the corresponding genes in X. laevis, both TRα and TRβ in R. nigromaculata exhibited roughly similar developmental expression patterns to those of X. laevis, in spite of some species-specific differences. Both TRα and TRβ expression had greater changes in the liver and intestine than in the tail and brain during metamorphosis. T3 exposure for 2 days induced more dramatic increases of TRβ expression in stage 27 than in stage34 tadpoles but not in stage 42 tadpoles, showing that the responsiveness of R. nigromaculata to TH decreased with development and disappeared at the onset of metamorphic climax.Corresponding to greater changes of TRβ expression in the liver and intestine than in the tail and brain during metamorphosis, the liver and intestine had higher responsiveness to exogenous T3 than the tail and brain. Amiodarone inhibited T3-induced TRβ expression. Our results show that R. nigromaculata can be used as a model species for assaying TH signaling disrupting actions by analyzing TRβ expression, and intestine tissues at stage 27 are ideal test materials due to high responsiveness and easy accessibility.     

Bioanalytical and instrumental analysis of thyroid hormone disrupting compounds in water sources along the Yangtze River

Thyroid hormone (TH) agonist and antagonist activities of water sources along the Yangtze River in China were surveyed by a green monkey kidney fibroblast (CV-1) cell-based TH reporter gene assay. Instrumental analysis was conducted to identify the responsible thyroid-active compounds. Instrumentally derived l-3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T₃) equivalents (T₃-EQs) and thyroid receptor (TR) antagonist activity equivalents referring to dibutyl phthalate (DBP-EQs) were calculated from the concentrations of individual congeners. The reporter gene assay demonstrated that three out of eleven water sources contained TR agonist activity equivalents (TR-EQs), ranging from 286 to 293 ng T₃/L. Anti-thyroid hormone activities were found in all water sources with the TR antagonist activity equivalents referring to DBP (Ant-TR-EQs), ranging from 51.5 to 555.3 μg/L. Comparisons of the equivalents from instrumental and biological assays suggested that high concentrations of DBP and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) were responsible for the observed TR antagonist activities at some locations along the Yangtze River.     

Suppression of estrogenic activity of 17-beta-estradiol by beta-cyclodextrin

The suppressive effects of cyclodextrins (CDs) on the strong estrogenic activity of 17β-estradiol (E2) in water environments were investigated in this study. Cyclodextrins are doughnut-shaped molecules that possess a hydrophobic cavity and a hydrophilic exterior. The cavity can incorporate nonpolar molecules as guests to form inclusion complexes. β-CD and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HP-β-CD) were the most successful in forming a complex with E2 and improving its low aqueous solubility. The E2/CDs complexes bound to the estrogen receptor in a cell-free system as determined by ELISA and suppressed the hormone activities as measured by a yeast two-hybrid assay. These results indicate that hydrophobic E2 is easily transported through the lipid zone of the plasma membrane into the target cell and can bind to the nuclear receptor. However, the hydrophilic E2/β-CD and E2/HP-β-CD complexes do not penetrate the membrane. Therefore, these CDs are able to suppress the hormone activity of E2 through complex formation.     

基于受体模型和控制单元分区的流域污染源解析——以永定河张家口段为例

为识别永定河张家口段水体污染的主要来源并确定流域重点管控行业和优控单元,将受体模型与控制单元分区相结合,建立流域污染源解析方法。结合研究区水系分布、行政区划和数字高程模型(DEM)数据进行控制单元划分,利用聚类分析进行水质和污染源空间特征分析,通过因子分析和绝对主成分-多元线性回归(APCS-MLR)受体模型进行分区污染源识别与贡献率计算。结果表明:永定河张家口段按水质污染程度可分为污染较重的A区(洋河、清水河中下游)和污染较轻的B区(洋河、清水河上游及桑干河);A区受工业点源与面源混合影响,其中工业点源、农业种植贡献率分别为43%、44%;B区主要受面源影响,其中农村生活及旅游、农业种植、畜禽养殖贡献率分别为30%、18%、17%;由污染源空间特征,提出A区的重点管控行业为冶金和食品制造业,B区则为采矿业和食品制造业,确定覆盖阳原县的2、3号,覆盖涿鹿县北部和蔚县北部的5号,覆盖万全区的14号控制单元为面源污染优先防控单元。源解析与控制单元分区相结合的方法可较好地反映水质空间分异特征,提高源解析能力。     

基于绝对主成分-多元线性回归的滇池污染源解析

定量解析污染源是湖泊流域水环境管理的重要基础.基于滇池草海和外海多年水质监测数据,采用主成分分析（PCA）方法识别了主要水质指标的污染源类型,利用绝对主成分-多元线性回归模型（APCS-MLR）得到不同污染源对水质的贡献程度.结果表明,草海主要的污染源有农业面源、城市面源和内源3类,外海的主要污染源是农业面源、城镇生活污染源、城市面源和内源4类.与河流水污染源解析结果不同,底泥内源与气象因子对滇池主要水质指标的影响较大.     

Prenatal diagnosis of Apert syndrome: report of two cases

Two de novo cases with Apert Syndrome detected prenatally are presented herein. In the first, fetal ultrasound findings of syndactyly of the hands, craniosynostosis and proptosis resulted in a prenatal diagnosis in the nineteenth week of gestation. This is the earliest prenatal diagnosis of this syndrome in a not-at-risk case. Following counseling, this pregnancy was terminated and subsequent pathological examination and DNA analysis confirmed the diagnosis of Apert Syndrome and coarctation of the aorta. In the second case, fetal ultrasound at 21 weeks' gestation revealed a hypoplastic left heart and clover-leaf skull. Following counseling, this pregnancy was also terminated. Further examination of the fetus and DNA analysis led to a diagnosis of Apert Syndrome. These cases emphasize the need to complete a thorough fetal ultrasound in cases with potentially lethal cardiac abnormality and the importance of incorporating a fetal pathologist, as well as a medical geneticist, in the investigations performed after delivery or pregnancy termination when a fetal abnormality is detected on ultrasound. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.