Environmental Se–Mo–B Deficiency and its Possible Effects in Jiantou Keshan Disease Area in Shaanxi Province, China

Keshan disease (KD) occurs in a wide geographic belt stretching from the Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China to Yunnan Province in southwestern China, including Huangling County, Shaanxi Province. In order to research relationships between eco-environmental geochemistry and KD pertaining to Se, Mo, B, Zn, Mn, and Cu, this investigation was conducted in the Jiantou KD area in Huangling County, one of the areas in China where the incidence of KD is highest. Environmental samples (rock, soil, plant and childrens hair) were collected from the area. Se in plants is low, ranging from 0.03 to 0.06 µg Se g^–1 in corn, potato and soybean. Se contents in childrens hair are normal or reach the limitation of dangerous level. This study reports 0.18 µg Se g^–1, B <40 µg g^–1, and Mo <1.0 µg g^–1 in aeolian soil, 0.14–0.38 µg Mo g^–1 and 3–8 µg B g^–1 in corn and potato (daily staple food for local human beings in the area). The Jiantou KD area is one where the elements Se, Mo and B are deficient. It is proposed that the deficiency of elements Se, Mo and B may be involved in the pathogenicity of KD with respect to the eco-environmental system because Se, Mo and B are essential micronutrients for plants and human beings. It seems that there is no significant relationship between the Zn–Mn–K–Pb–Ba associations and KD.     

Predicting the risk of cobalt deprivation in grazing livestock from soil composition data

The objective was to derive predictive equations for acetic acid-extractable cobalt (A-ECo) in soils so that extensive national databases for total (T) Co in soils and stream sediments could be converted to plant available concentrations for the purpose of predicting risk of Co deficiency in grazing livestock. Data on the chemical and physical properties of 103 soils from 15 different parent materials and 54 soil series in England and Wales were used. Ranges for the mean values for parent materials were: TCo, 5.0–20.4 and A-ECo, 0.20–1.30 mg kg^–1; percentage (P) A-ECo, 3.4–13.5; soil manganese (Mn) 268–1174 mg kgDM^–1; pH, 3.7–8.0. There were significant effects of parent material on all parameters with Chalks, Old and New Red Sandstones particularly low in A-ECo. Multiple linear regression yielded the following equation for predicting A-ECo, which accounted for 56% of the variance with 12 outliers, including the lowest pH values, omitted:A-ECo(mg kg^-1) = 1.4 - 0.0619TCo (mg kg^-1) - 0.432TMn(g kg^-1) - 0.171pHPrediction of PA-ECo was less precise:PA-ECo(%) = 21.1 - 4.5TMn(g kg^-1) - 1.77pH(r ² = 44.8%; 88 d.f.REML was used on the complete, unbalanced, log-transformed data set to fit a Generalised Mixed Model with parent material as random effect and soil Mn and pH as fixed effects; the effect of parent material was no longer significant. It was concluded that A-ECo can be satisfactorily predicted for most soils in England and Wales from TCo, TMn and soil pH.     

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency by amniotic fluid steroid analysis

The concentration of 17OH-progesterone was measured in second trimester amniotic fluid samples from 12 mothers who previously had had an infant with congenital adrenal hyper-plasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. In 4 affected pregnancies, the concentrations were more than 2 S.D. higher than those determined in 44 samples from normal pregnancies (mean ± S.D., 8·1 ± 2·4 nmol/1). The remaining 8 pregnancies were predicted to be unaffected based on the results of amniotic fluid concentrations within the normal range. In each instance, the infant was normal. The results indicate that measurement of amniotic fluid 17OH-progester-one concentrations during the second trimester is an accurate prenatal test for 21-hydroxylase deficiency. The results should be supplemented with determination of fetal sex by karyotype analysis on the amniotic fluid cells.     

电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定饮用水中的硒

应用电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定饮用水中的硒元素。结果表明,高能碰撞模式(HEHe)较碰撞/反应池气体模式(He模式)消除干扰效果更好;在HEHe模式下,~(78)Se在0.5~100μg/L范围内线性良好,相关系数0.999 9,方法检出限为0.06μg/L,相对标准偏差为0.4%~0.8%,加标回收率为97.1%~103.2%。方法性能指标均能较好满足饮用水中Se的定量测试要求。     

Isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency: mutation analysis and DNA-based prenatal diagnosis

Isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency is an autosomal recessive, neurological disorder resulting from a defect in SUOX, the gene encoding the enzyme that catalyzes the terminal reaction in the sulfur amino acid degradation pathway. In its classical, severe form, sulfite oxidase deficiency leads to intractable seizures, severe and progressive brain pathology and death at an early age. We report here on clinical features and mutational analysis of the genetic defect in a newborn with sulfite oxidase deficiency. Cultured fibroblasts from this patient exhibited no detectable sulfite oxidase activity, and a unique four base pair deletion was present in the cDNA isolated from the same source. Identification of the same genetic defect in a heterozygous state in each of the parents and the monitoring of subsequent pregnancies in this family by DNA-based prenatal diagnosis are also described. The deletion mutation was identified in a homozygous state in uncultured chorionic villus tissue from the second pregnancy that was subsequently terminated. In the third pregnancy, the presence of sulfite oxidase activity and identification of the mutation in a heterozygous state suggested that the fetus was not affected. This pregnancy resulted in the birth of a normal child. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

土壤硒的生物有效性研究

对黑麦幼苗的试验表明,黑麦幼苗中的总硒(Se)浓度与总干重的乘积与0.1mol/L KH2PO4浸提态Se呈显著相关.对黑油菜的试验表明,在酸性土壤上,当Se(Ⅵ)的量≥0.5mg/kg时,可显著减少黑油菜的产量;而当Se(Ⅳ)的量达到2.0mg/kg时对产量影响不大;黑油菜吸收Se(Ⅵ)的量要大于吸收Se(Ⅳ)的量.通过田间采样分析表明,KH2PO4浸提态Se能反映土壤对植物的供Se状况,推荐用0.1mol/L KH2PO4溶液作为酸性土壤生物有效性Se的浸提溶液.影响土壤Se生物有效性的主要因子是CaCO3,其次是粉粒、有机质、黏粒含量.pH值可通过CaCO3对KH2PO4浸提态Se产生影响.     

北部湾钦江流域土壤侵蚀及其硒元素流失评估

以钦江流域2015年的气象数据、遥感数据及数字高程模型、土壤类型以及土壤质地等数据为基础,基于修正的通用土壤流失方程（RUSLE）和GIS空间分析技术,定量分析了广西北部湾钦江流域土壤侵蚀及其硒元素流失的空间分布特征.研究结果表明：（1）北部湾钦江流域2015年土壤侵蚀总量为381.64×104t/a,平均土壤侵蚀模数为14.79t/（hm²·a）,小于2010年钦江流域的土壤侵蚀模数,但远大于水利部规定的在南方红壤丘陵区土壤允许流失量;（2）流域土壤侵蚀强度以微度侵蚀为主,侵蚀强度从流域上游到下游依次降低,0~240m之间的高程带以及>15°的坡度带是未来土壤侵蚀防治的重点区域;（3）山地地区的土壤侵蚀模数最高,达23.49t/（hm²·a）,高于流域平均土壤侵蚀模数约1.59倍,丘陵地区次之,而冲积平原最小;（4）流域土壤的硒含量介于0.38~0.72mg/kg之间,平均值0.49mg/kg,高于中国土壤硒元素背景值的1.69倍;（5）不同土地利用类型土壤硒含量随着土壤剖面深度的增加均呈现出减低趋势,硒的含量在不同土地利用类型中的排序为林地 > 园地 > 草地 > 水田 > 旱地,而在不同土壤类型中硒含量大小顺序则为：新积土 > 石灰岩土 > 潜育水稻土 > 淹育水稻土 > 赤红壤 > 潴育水稻土 > 砖红壤 > 滨海沙土 > 紫色土 > 咸酸水稻土.（6）流域土壤硒元素的流失总量为8987.05kg/a,平均流失模数为0.0344kg/（hm²·a）,其中流域中游的硒元素流失量最大.该项研究成果可为钦江市政府开发富硒农产品、发展富硒农业以及提升钦江流域土地利用的价值提供科学依据.     

Severe drought and the vitamin A status of rural pre-school children in India

A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in six drought-affected areas of India in 2003 to assess the impact of drought on the vitamin A status of 3,657 rural pre-school children. The prevalence of Bitot's spots was found to be significantly (p < 0.01) higher (1.8 per cent) during drought (odds ratio (OR) = 2.0; 95 per cent confidence interval: 1.6 -2.7). The dietary intake of vitamin A was lower during drought and in 81 per cent of households it was less than 50 per cent of the recommended rate. Severe drought has an adverse impact on the vitamin A status of rural pre-school children, particularly those with illiterate mothers and belonging to an older age group (p < 0.01). Communities need to be sensitised, therefore, to vitamin A deficiency through health and nutrition education, and there needs to be wider coverage of vitamin A supplementation, particularly among children in drought-affected and drought-prone areas.