Insect cell-based impedance biosensors: a novel technique to monitor the toxicity of environmental pollutants

Cell biosensors are currently emerging as novel, sensitive techniques to monitor the toxicity of environmental pollutants. Here, we have developed electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) for on-line monitoring of the behavior of insect cells. Cells were cultured on a microarray of eight small gold electrodes, deposited on the bottom of tissue culture wells. Upon inoculation, cells showed a tendency to drift downward and attached to the gold surface precoated with the protein Concanavalin A to accelerate the cell attachment. The impedance increased because the cells acted as insulating particles to restrict the current flow. The resulting impedance, a coordination of many biological reactions within the cell, was continuously monitored in real-time to reveal information about cell spreading and micromotion. As the cell behavior was sensitive to external chemicals, the applicability of ECIS for inhibition assays was demonstrated with HgCl₂, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2-amino 4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT) and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB). Electronic Publication     

A preliminary study of the phycological degradation of natural stone masonry

For many years it has been realised that the weathering of stone is not merely determined by physical and chemical factors but also by biological agents. When the stone in question is a historic building or monument, the damage done constitutes an irretrievable loss of our heritage and history. Laboratory studies have commenced in Paisley to study the effect of photoautotrophs on the major sedimentary rock forming minerals, with a view to expanding this work to study the overall effect of these micro-organisms on heritage masonry. Tests were carried out on Albite, Calcite, Dolomite, Orthoclase, Siderite and Quartz, using axenic cultures of the following: Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorococcum tetrasporum, Scenedesmus obliquus, Oocystis marsonii, Stichococcus bacillaris. The rock chips were immersed in either water or bolds basal media and exposed to a mix of the micro-organisms listed above and then tested weekly for their pH, fortnightly for the waters chemical composition using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and visually utilising the universitys SEM facilities. Work so far has revealed biologically mediated etching of minerals, a well-defined pH profile over a period of 90 days, as well as a variety of elemental release patterns for the different minerals.     

松胞素B对人血淋巴细胞和CHL细胞微核率的影响

研究了不同浓度的松胞素Ｂ对人血淋巴细胞和中国仓鼠肺成纤维细胞（ＣＨＬ）分裂吉周期和微核率的影响。结果表明,松胞素Ｂ浓度增高过高能引起细胞微核率增高。在本研究中,对ＣＨＬ细胞微核率试验以３μｇ／ｍＬ松胞素Ｂ较适合;而对人血淋巴细胞微核试验,松胞素Ｂ浓度以２－４μｇ／ｍＬ为宜,松胞表Ｂ浓度过高会提高微核背景值,降低试验的灵敏度和精确性。     

太湖藻类抗逆性的初步研究

分析太湖鲜底泥和干底泥中活体藻类的种类和数量,以及几种太湖水华优势藻类经过低温、低光处理后的变化,探讨了太湖水华中的优势藻类对湖泊不良环境的适应。研究结果表明,在鲜底泥中检测到11种活体藻类。经低温(5~6℃)处理的底泥中检测到8种活体藻类,总细胞密度为2100个·mL-1,比常温(10~28℃)下保存的底泥中的活体藻类种类(4种)更多,总细胞密度(1090个·mL-1)更高。长期干旱处理也不能使底泥中的藻类完全失去生命力;经过低温、无光处理7个月的微囊藻(Microcystisaeruginosa)和斜生栅列藻(Scenedesmusobliquus)依然保持良好的生长能力,只是微囊藻的对数生长期比对照出现的晚一些。它们在湖泊中广泛存在,在水华中的爆发的特性是与它们对不良环境的适应性和抗性密切相关的。     

取代芳烃对绿藻、斜生栅列藻急性毒性的自相关拓扑指数

本文提出新的原子生物活性值 (ai) ,由其建构自相关拓扑指数 ( mL) . 1 6种氯代芳烃对绿藻的急性毒性 ( -lgEC50 )与其0 L ,1L的回归方程为 :-lgEC50 =0 6 1 99+2 6 1 6 3× 1 0 - 6　1L2 5+ 0 0 0 92 0 L ,r=0 936 3. 1 8种苯酚、苯胺类化合物对斜生栅列藻的急性毒性 ( -lgEC50 )可以表示为 :-lgEC50 =1 1 374 + 0 1 4 4 71L0 6+ 0 0 0 2 70 L,r=0 95 35 .用Jackknife法检验 ,以上模型具有总体稳健性 .     

上海市若干环境污染物的诱变性

用中国仓鼠肺成纤维细胞(V_(79)),进行次黄嘌呤—鸟嘌呤磷酸核糖转移酶位点(HGPRT Locus)试验,检测了上海市若干环境污染物的诱变性。结果发现,污染物量与诱变性之间呈剂量—反应关系。所有样品经代谢活化后(加S_9),其诱变性均有增高的趋势。卷烟焦油、油烟冷凝物的T/C值均>3,而不加S_9的黄浦江水和自来水样,则对V_(79)细胞可能具有间接的诱变作用(T/C值<3)。     

Prenatal detection of trisomy 21 in uncultured amniocytes by fluorescence in situ hybridization: A prospective study

A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for the detection of trisomy 21 in interphase nuclei of uncultured amniotic fluid cells. Five hundred cases were analysed in situ and classified as normal or abnormal; the results were subsequently checked against the cytogenetic findings. Four hundred and ninety-three were correctly identified as normal with an 86·6 per cent average frequency of scored nuclei exhibiting two signals; six cases were correctly identified as trisomic for chromosome 21 with 81·7 per cent of scored nuclei exhibiting three signals; and one abnormal case involving an unbalanced chromosome 21·21 translocation was falsely scored as normal due to poor hybridization/detection efficiency. The method has been substantially improved and simplified so that it is suitable for the rapid detection of trisomy 21. As aneuploidy detection in interphase does not identify structural chromosome aberrations, it is not a substitute for fetal chromosome analysis.     

A comparative study of the toxicity of 1,1,2-trichloroethane,dieldrin, pentachlorophenol and 3,4 dichloroaniline for marine and fresh water organisms

The aquatic toxicity of 1,1,2-trichloroethane, dieldrin, pentachlorophenol and 3,4-dichloroaniline was determined for about 15 marine and fresh water animals and several unicellular algae. Acute, subchronic and chronic tests including reproduction studies, were carried out. The results are summarized in five tables.     

长江、嘉陵江(重庆段)源水有机提取物的类雌激素活性评价

为了解长江、嘉陵江(重庆段)源水有机提取物的类雌激素活性，分别于夏季和冬季采用GDX—120大孔树脂对位于城区上、中、下游5个断面长江、嘉陵江(重庆段)源水进行有机物的浓缩提取。用体外MCF—7细胞增殖试验检测有机提取物的类雌激素活性。结果显示，源水有机提取物均具有类雌激素活性。其类雌激素活性中、下游均高于上游，丰水期高于枯水期。     

高气泡表面积通量浮选柱气浮除藻的研究

湖泊、水库等水源的富营养化，使藻类去除成为饮用水生产的重要任务。本研究采用高气泡表面积通量浮选柱气浮除藻，考察了混凝剂、气泡表面积通量和浮选柱高度等因素的影响。试验表明，高气泡表面积通量浮选柱气浮可高效地去除绿藻、硅藻和蓝藻，叶绿素a和藻类去除率达95％以上，比传统浮选柱气浮和沉降作业有较大幅度提高。与普通气浮柱比较，高气泡表面积通量浮选柱增加了气泡与藻的碰撞几率，防止因大表观充气速率造成的紊流和扰动，使气泡／藻结合体有相对静态的浮升环境，避免了气泡／藻结合体在浮升过程中的脱落，实现对藻类的迅速捕集和转移。