Cl-BDE-208和BDE-209诱导LINE-1基因低甲基化和ESR1基因高甲基化

十溴联苯醚(BDE-209)是使用最多的一种多溴阻燃剂,由于具有高亲脂性和低挥发性,容易蓄积在生物体内,在人体血清、母乳、肝脏等组织中均有检出;其环境脱溴产物九溴一氯联苯醚(Cl-BDE-208)也在血清样品和环境样品中被频频检出,而目前对这种化合物的毒理学研究,特别是对人体早期健康效应的研究较少。为了评估Cl-BDE-208和BDE-209的早期健康效应,以人乳腺癌细胞MCF-7为模型,环境相关浓度(0.375~3μmol·L-1)为暴露浓度,检测Cl-BDE-208和BDE-209对重复序列LINE-1、全基因组DNA甲基化(GDM)和雌激素受体基因(包括ESR1和ESR2)甲基化水平的改变。结果表明,Cl-BDE-208和BDE-209都可能通过降低DNA甲基化转移酶(DNMTs)活性而诱导了LINE-1和GDM的低甲基化,8-羟基脱氧鸟苷(8-OHd G)水平的升高可能参与了BDE-209引起的低甲基化过程;同时通过促进雌激素受体α(ESR1)基因的高甲基化而显著下调了ESR1基因的表达,而对雌激素受体β(ESR2)基因甲基化水平并没有显著影响。Cl-BDE-208和BDE-209都可能通过改变DNA甲基化水平而影响人体的早期健康效应,同时ESR1基因的高甲基化可能是Cl-BDE-208和BDE-209引起内分泌毒性的机制之一。     

MUCT短程硝化和反硝化除磷系统中Candidatus Accu- mulibacter的代谢活性和菌群结构

采用实现亚硝酸型硝化的MUCT工艺处理低C/N实际生活污水,在短程硝化的基础上实现反硝化除磷.研究短程硝化建立与破坏过程中,亚硝酸盐积累率的变化对系统除磷性能及Candidatus Accumulibacter菌群结构的影响.结果表明:MUCT除磷以反硝化除磷为主,平均反硝化除磷率高达88%.磷去除率与亚硝酸盐积累率具有很好的正相关性.短程硝化阶段磷的平均去除率比全程硝化阶段高30%以上,证明了亚硝酸盐更适合作为低C/N比污水反硝化除磷的电子受体.以多聚磷酸盐激酶基因(ppk1)作为遗传标记,采用实时荧光定量PCR方法考察不同亚硝酸盐积累率下Accumulibacter的丰度、各主要进化分支的菌群结构和相对丰度.当系统处于全程硝化状态时,存在少量以硝酸盐为电子受体的Acc-I型反硝化聚磷菌,低于总Accumulibacter的5%;当系统进入短程硝化状态后,Acc-I逐渐消失.运行期间以亚硝酸盐作为电子受体进行反硝化除磷的Acc-IID始终是优势聚磷菌,达到总Accumulibacter的92%以上,甚至接近100%,保证了亚硝酸型反硝化除磷的稳定运行,亚硝酸盐浓度是影响其丰度变化的重要因素.     

不同硝化负荷MBR去除类固醇雌激素的研究

以雌酮(E1)和17α-乙炔基雌二醇(EE2)2种典型类固醇雌激素为研究对象,考察了不同硝化负荷好氧MBR对其的去除特性.结果表明,硝化负荷为6.19,0.35,10.58mg/(gMLSS·d)的MBR对E1平均去除率分别为72.33%、64.06%和71.77%,去除负荷分别为29.98,23.06,27.66mg/(gMLSS·d);对EE2平均去除率分别为55.40%、42.87%和58.90%,去除负荷分别为22.39,16.54,23.58mg/(gMLSS·d).E1去除效果均优于EE2.MBR硝化负荷与氨氧化细菌之间有较好的线性关系;而SEs去除负荷与氨氧化细菌及硝化负荷之间不满足线性关系.硝化负荷为0.35mg/(gMLSS·d)时,SEs去除负荷较低,硝化负荷达到6.19mg/(gMLSS·d)时,SEs的去除负荷显著提高,而当硝化负荷增加到10.58mg/(gMLSS·d)时,SEs去除负荷不再有效提高.     

An improved index for monitoring metal pollutants in surface sediments

An approach for defining the quality of surface sediments of limited areas in terms of heavy metal contents is proposed. Sediments were taken on a bi‐dimensional mapping, for checking possible different sources of pollution in the case study, a harbour zone. Non residual metals were determined by ICP‐AES in cold diluted hydrochloric acid leachates of sediments. An “enrichment factor”;, r, can be computed for each metal: metals with r values exceeding unity can be considered as indicators of metal pollution. A “total enrichment factor”;, R, was proposed in order to assess the degree of pollution of sediments for each site. R is an adimensional value that accounts for the presence of metals that exceed threshold values determined by background concentrations.     

Plant extract reduces tobacco smoke harmful effects on alveolar macrophage immune responses

Tobacco smoke is a major factor responsible for lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although the best solution to reduce the incidence of these diseases is to quit smoking, there are still a large number of smokers. Thus, given the immunoregulatory properties of plant extracts, their capacity to reduce tobacco smoke harmful effects on alveolar macrophage (AM) functions was investigated. AM were treated with tobacco smoke extract and parenchymata tissue extract (PTE), or mesophyll cell extract (MCE) of Spinacia oleacea. The effects of tobacco smoke extract from PTE and MCE-treated cigarette filters were also investigated. AM production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and AM cytotoxicity were measured. Tobacco smoke extract significantly inhibited TNF, IL-10, and MCP-1 release, and AM cytotoxicity. The addition of PTE and MCE to tobacco smoke extract abrogated the inhibition of AM mediator release. However, only MCE restored AM cytotoxicity. Interestingly, tobacco smoke extract of PTE and MCE-treated cigarette filters showed reduced effects on AM functions. Tobacco smoke extract from MCE-treated (0.25%) cigarette filters did not inhibit TNF, IL-10, and MCP-1 release in contrast to tobacco smoke extract from buffer-treated cigarette filters. AM cytotoxic activity was not inhibited by the treatment with tobacco smoke extract from MCE-treated cigarette filters. Our data suggest that the presence of plant extract in cigarette filters reduces the inhibitory effects of cigarette smoke on AM functions. Thus, MCE-treated cigarette filters may help reducing lung diseases associated with smoking.     

The effects of developmental lead (Pb) exposure on the expression of the CTGF and TGF-β1 in hippocampus of pups

Pregnant mice were exposed to control (0%), low (0.1%), moderate (0.5%), and high (1%) lead (Pb) acetate in deionized drinking water from the first day of gestation to postnatal day (PND) 21. Pb concentration was determined in blood and the hippocampus at the 7th, 14th, or 21st day of neonatal mice pups. The expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and TGF-β1 mRNA and protein was also measured in the hippocampus using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry assays. The expression of CTGF and TGF-β1 mRNA was up-regulated in hippocampus in Pb-exposed groups. These results were further confirmed by immunohistochemistry staining. Data suggest that CTGF and TGF-β1 genes are differentially regulated and are affected by Pb.     

Connectivity Planning to Address Climate Change

As the climate changes, human land use may impede species from tracking areas with suitable climates. Maintaining connectivity between areas of different temperatures could allow organisms to move along temperature gradients and allow species to continue to occupy the same temperature space as the climate warms. We used a coarse‐filter approach to identify broad corridors for movement between areas where human influence is low while simultaneously routing the corridors along present‐day spatial gradients of temperature. We modified a cost–distance algorithm to model these corridors and tested the model with data on current land‐use and climate patterns in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The resulting maps identified a network of patches and corridors across which species may move as climates change. The corridors are likely to be robust to uncertainty in the magnitude and direction of future climate change because they are derived from gradients and land‐use patterns. The assumptions we applied in our model simplified the stability of temperature gradients and species responses to climate change and land use, but the model is flexible enough to be tailored to specific regions by incorporating other climate variables or movement costs. When used at appropriate resolutions, our approach may be of value to local, regional, and continental conservation initiatives seeking to promote species movements in a changing climate. Planificación de Conectividad para Atender el Cambio Climático     

姜黄素对宫颈癌淋巴转移动物模型干预效应研究

目的 研究姜黄素对IGF-1调控的宫颈癌淋巴转移动物模型的研究.方法 建立宫颈癌淋巴转移鸡胚尿囊膜（CAM）模型,并观察姜黄素对IGF-1调控的淋巴管生成的作用.结果 ①在健康受精的SPF鸡胚的CAM上接种不同浓度的Hela细胞悬液1×103/L～1×108/L存活率差异没有统计学意义.1×107/L为最适接种浓度.②移植瘤组织切片HE染色课件癌细胞聚集成癌巢,与人宫颈癌形态相似.免疫组化染色,可见移植瘤内有微淋巴管形成③对照组、IGF-1组、Cur组和IGF-1＋ Cur组的LMVD依次为21.28±10.13、28.58±12.26、16.23±8.76和18.23±9.36条/4HP,LVA依次为2.91±1.16、3.42±1.25、2.00±1.51和2.72±1.21％,差异具有统计学意义（P＜0.05）.结论 在鸡胚人宫颈癌移植瘤模型中可观察到姜黄素对IGF-1调控的宫颈癌淋巴管生成的抑制作用.图3,表3,参9.     

邻苯二甲酸二乙基己酯(DEHP)对THP-1细胞IL-1β和MMP-8表达及ROS的影响

为探讨邻苯二甲酸二乙基己酯((DEHP)的细胞免疫毒性作用与机制,采用RT-PCR和ELISA方法,考察了0.05～1μmol·L-1浓度范围内的DEHP对THP-1细胞白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β)及基质金属蛋白酶-8(MMP-8)基因和蛋白表达的影响;采用免疫印迹WesternBlot方法检测DE-HP对ERK1/2磷酸化水平的影响;以2,'7-'二氯荧光素二乙酸酯(DCFH-DA)为荧光探针检测1～50μmol·L-1DEHP对细胞内活性氧(ROS)产生的影响。结果显示,0.05和0.2μmol·L-1DEHP在6h内显著诱导IL-1β和MMP-8基因表达(P<0.05或0.01);0.05～1μmol·L-1DEHP刺激细胞48h,可诱导IL-1β蛋白表达,并表现出明显的剂量-效应关系,线性拟合的确定系数为0.937;0.05μmol·L-1DEHP刺激细胞6或12h,显著诱导MMP-8蛋白表达(P<0.05);0.2μmol·L-1DEHP在15～30min内快速诱导ERK1/2磷酸化;1～50μmol·L-1DEHP浓度依赖性刺激细胞中ROS的产生;ERK/MAPK抑制剂PD98059显著抑制DEHP诱导的MMP-8分泌,但对IL-1β分泌未表现出抑制作用。研究表明,DEHP可能是经ERK/MAPK信号路径诱导MMP-8基因和蛋白的表达,经其他路径诱导IL-1β基因和蛋白的表达,诱导细胞内ROS的产生,从而激发炎症反应,进而损害免疫系统功能引发哮喘等炎症性疾病。此研究结果可为DEHP的暴露风险评估提供参考。     

Feedbacks between conservation and social-ecological systems

Robust ways to meet objectives of environmental conservation and social and economic development remain elusive. This struggle may in part be related to insufficient understanding of the feedbacks between conservation initiatives and social-ecological systems, specifically, the ways in which conservation initiatives result in social changes that have secondary effects on the environments targeted by conservation. To explore this idea, we sampled peer-reviewed articles addressing the social and environmental dimensions of conservation and coded each paper according to its research focus and characterization of these feedbacks. The majority of articles in our sample focused either on the effect of conservation initiatives on people (e.g., relocation, employment) or the effect of people on the environment (e.g., fragmentation, conservation efficacy of traditional management systems). Few studies in our sample empirically addressed both the social dynamics resulting from conservation initiatives and subsequent environmental effects. In many cases, one was measured and the other was discussed anecdotally. Among the studies that describe feedbacks between social and environmental variables, there was more evidence of positive (amplifying) feedbacks between social and environmental outcomes (i.e., undesirable social outcomes yielded undesirable environmental effects and desirable social outcomes yielded desirable environmental effects). The major themes within the sampled literature include conflict between humans and wild animals, social movements, adaptive comanagement, loss of traditional management systems, traditional ecological knowledge, human displacement and risks to livelihoods, and conservation and development. The narratives associated with each theme can serve as hypotheses for facilitating further discussion about conservation issues and for catalyzing future studies of the feedbacks between conservation and social-ecological systems.