Titanium dioxide nanoparticles relieve biochemical dysfunctions of fifth-instar larvae of silkworms following exposure to phoxim insecticide

Phoxim insecticide is widely used in agriculture, which is toxic to insect pests and nontarget organisms. The phoxim poisoning is hard to prevent for silkworms. TiO₂ NPs have been widely applied in whitening, brightening foods, toothpaste or sunscreens, and orally-administered drugs. However, whether TiO₂ NPs can increase resistance of silkworm to phoxim poisoning has not been reported. The results demonstrated that added TiO₂ NPs significantly decreased reduction of protein, glucose and pyruvate contents, lactate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase activities, and attenuated increases of free amino acids, urea, uric acid and lactate levels, activities of protease, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in the hemolymph of silkworms caused by phoxim exposure. From the present study, it is clearly evident that added TiO₂ NPs may relieve toxic impacts of phoxim insecticide on silkworm metabolism, which in turn may result in an increase in silk yield.     

Relationship between ammonia stomatal compensation point and nitrogen metabolism in arable crops: current status of knowledge and potential modelling approaches

The ammonia stomatal compensation point of plants is determined by leaf temperature, ammonium concentration ([NH4+]apo) and pH of the apoplastic solution. The later two depend on the adjacent cells metabolism and on leaf inputs and outputs through the xylem and phloem. Until now only empirical models have been designed to model the ammonia stomatal compensation point, except the model of Riedo et al. (2002. Coupling soil-plant-atmosphere exchange of ammonia with ecosystem functioning in grasslands. Ecological Modelling 158, 83-110), which represents the exchanges between the plant's nitrogen pools. The first step to model the ammonia stomatal compensation point is to adequately model [NH4+]apo. This [NH4+]apo has been studied experimentally, but there are currently no process-based quantitative models describing its relation to plant metabolism and environmental conditions. This study summarizes the processes involved in determining the ammonia stomatal compensation point at the leaf scale and qualitatively evaluates the ability of existing whole plant N and C models to include a model for [NH4+]apo.     

Effect of methyl tert-butyl ether on adipogenesis and glucose metabolism in vitro and in vivo

Methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE), as a widely used gasoline additive, is suspected of being environmentally toxic. MTBE accumulates mainly in adipose tissue, but its effect on obesity or obesity-related metabolic disorders has not been well understood yet. Therefore, we examined the effect of MTBE on the adipose function and the related metabolic processes with both 3T3-L1 cell line and C57 BL/6 J mice model. We found that exposure to MTBE at the environmental relevant concentration(100 μmol/L) could significantly induce differentiation of preadipocyte and disturb insulin-stimulated glucose uptake of mature adipocyte.The in vivo observation in male mice showed a positive correlation of visceral white adipose tissue(vWAT) expansion and cell size increase with MTBE treatment in 14 weeks. Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity tests demonstrated that MTBE at 1000 μg/(kg·day)disturbed the systemic glucose metabolism in a gender-specific manner, which might be partly attributed to the alterations of gut microbiota community at genus level with respect to Akkermansia, Clostridium XlVb, and Megamonas. In summary, our study characterized the effect of MTBE on adipose tissue function and glucose homeostasis in vitro and in vivo, and revealed that systemic disorders of the glucose metabolism might be modulated by the related gut microbiota.     

镉对河南华溪蟹肝胰腺线粒体自由基代谢的影响

为了探明镉对线粒体自由基代谢的毒性机理,采用急性毒性实验方法,研究了不同浓度镉(Cd2+)对河南华溪蟹(Sinopotamon henanen肝胰腺组织线粒体抗超氧阴离子(O2.-)能力、抑制羟自由基(.OH)产生能力、过氧化氢(H2O2)和一氧化氮(NO)含量及一氧化氮合成(NOS)活力的影响.具体实验设置5个Cd2+浓度组(7.25、14.50、29.00、58.00和116.00mg.L-1),分别在24、48、72和96h时对自由基代的相关指标进行测定.结果显示,Cd2+对线粒体自由基代谢的影响表现出时间和浓度效应关系.随着Cd2+浓度的增加和处理时间的延长O2.-能力、抑制.OH产生能力逐渐降低,但H2O2含量逐渐增高,NO含量和NOS活力的变化基本趋于一致,即随着Cd2+浓度的增加和处理间的延长先上升后下降.因此,线粒体中抗O2.-和抑制.OH产生能力、H2O2和NO含量及NOS活力可以作为重金属污染水生生物毒性效应指示物.     

甘薯燃料乙醇循环经济发展模式研究

非粮食生物质燃料乙醇产业在我国还属于幼稚产业,目前对此类农产品加工企业循环经济发展模式的实证研究很少。文章以重庆环球甘薯燃料乙醇生产为例,从循环经济理念出发,以甘薯燃料乙醇生产及相关企业为基本研究单元,运用工业生态系统集成和物质代谢的系统分析方法,深刻剖析甘薯燃料乙醇企业循环经济发展模式。     

硒和环境中富里酸对小麦幼苗糖代谢的影响

利用小麦水培试验，研究了硒和土壤富里酸地小麦幼苗糖代谢的影响，结果表明，硒在植物初期可以促进幼苗糖代谢，可溶性糖含量量和α－淀粉酶活力明显增加，富里酸对这一过程有抑制作用，处理１周和２周后，硒开始抑制植株代谢，富里酸可减轻抑制作用，由实验结果分析知，可溶性糖含量与α－淀粉酶活力保持良好的相关性，说明相经作用机理是通过上关酶体系实现的。     

羟基化多溴联苯醚(OH-PBDEs)在小鼠肝脏S9中的体外代谢研究

羟基化多溴联苯醚(OH-PBDEs)是一类具有内分泌干扰性质的酚类化合物,且内分泌干扰效应大于其母体多溴联苯醚(PBDEs),研究OH-PBDEs的体外代谢行为对于理解其在生物体内的富集转化具有重要意义.以小鼠肝脏S9部分作为研究对象,考察了3-OH-BDE-47、5-OHBDE-47、6-OH-BDE-47和2'-OH-BDE-68在小鼠肝脏中的体外代谢.结果表明小鼠肝脏S9中的I相酶和II相酶均能代谢4种OH-PBDEs;醚键与OH官能团及Br原子互为邻位时,I相酶对OH-PBDEs的代谢率最高,即6-OH-BDE-47表现出较高的代谢率,此外,4种OH-PBDEs经I相酶代谢后均能生成2,4-二溴苯酚,表明醚键断裂是其主要的I相酶代谢途径;OH-PBDEs的OH官能团与醚键互为间位时,II相酶对其葡萄糖醛酸结合反应最高,也就是5-OH-BDE-47表现出较高的去除率.     

负投入法在循环经济规划中的应用

采用基于物质流核算框架和三维物质投入产出表(PIOT)的物质代谢调控模型编制循环经济规划时,在实际中存在着同一行业的产品计量单位不一致的问题,给物质代谢调控模型的构建带来了困难,尝试用负投入法对此加以解决.首先,在理论上对负投入法的可行性进行了探讨.其次,给出了如何在三维PIOT框架下运用负投入法解决前述问题的具体方法.最后,以河南省义马市循环经济规划为例,对所提出的方法进行验证.结果表明,在PIOT中,负投入法仍能够准确地反映主产品和副产品之间的技术关系.而负投入法在价值型投入产出表中的2个缺点,在PIOT的应用中都可以克服.在具体应用中,需要处理好由投入产出分析行模型计算所得的“负投入”量与实际总需求量之间的关系,以及副产品的需求量与供应量之间的关系.案例分析表明该方法是实用、可行的.     

Cd对小白菜生长及氮素代谢的影响研究

采用水培的方法,研究了不同Cd2 水平(0、1、2.5、5、10 mg·L-1)对小白菜叶片中铵态氮、硝态氮、可溶性蛋白质、游离脯氨酸、叶绿素、部分营养元素含量以及蛋白水解酶、硝酸还原酶、谷氨酰胺转化酶与合成酶活性的影响.结果表明,低浓度的Cd处理(1 mg·L-1)刺激了小白菜的生长,提高了小白菜的生物量、叶绿素含量以及硝酸还原酶、谷氨酰胺合成酶与转化酶活性.Cd处理降低了小白菜对Cu、Ca、Fe、Mg的吸收,但促进了P的吸收.10 mg·L-1的Cd处理显著降低了可溶性蛋白质含量、硝酸还原酶、谷氨酰胺合成酶和转化酶活性(p＜0.05),提高了蛋白水解酶活性,不利于叶片中铵态氮与硝态氮的同化,造成叶片中铵态氮和硝态氮的累积.小白菜叶片中游离脯氨酸含量与铵态氮含量成极显著正相关(p＜0.01),说明小白菜叶片中游离脯氨酸的累积在一定程度上缓解了铵的毒害.     

植物去除空气污染物的机理研究进展

介绍了植物去除空气污染物的研究现状及机理,主要包括:通过叶表面的气孔和表皮吸收、吸附;植物体内代谢或者分泌酶催化氧化还原进入体内的污染物;通过植物联合根系微生物降解由于干湿沉降进入土壤或者水体中的污染物等.提出了在植物空气去除机理研究中存在的问题,以及未来需要研究的方向.