A screening assay for thyroid hormone signaling disruption based on thyroid hormone-response gene expression analysis in the frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus

Amphibian metamorphosis provides a wonderful model to study the thyroid hormone (TH) signaling disrupting activity of environmental chemicals, with Xenopus laevis as the most commonly used species. This study aimed to establish a rapid and sensitive screening assay based on TH-response gene expression analysis using Pelophylax nigromaculatus, a native frog species distributed widely in East Asia, especially in China. To achieve this, five candidate TH-response genes that were sensitive to T3 induction were chosen as molecular markers, and T3 induction was determined as 0.2 nmol/L T3 exposure for 48 hr. The developed assay can detect the agonistic activity of T3 with a lowest observed effective concentration of 0.001 nmol/L and EC50 at around 0.118–1.229 nmol/L, exhibiting comparable or higher sensitivity than previously reported assays. We further validated the efficiency of the developed assay by detecting the TH signaling disrupting activity of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a known TH signaling disruptor. In accordance with previous reports, we found a weak TH agonistic activity for TBBPA in the absence of T3, whereas a TH antagonistic activity was found for TBBPA at higher concentrations in the presence of T3, showing that the P. nigromaculatus assay is effective for detecting TH signaling disrupting activity. Importantly, we observed non-monotonic dose-dependent disrupting activity of TBBPA in the presence of T3, which is difficult to detect with in vitro reporter gene assays. Overall, the developed P. nigromaculatus assay can be used to screen TH signaling disrupting activity of environmental chemicals with high sensitivity.     

Heterogeneous oxidation of SO2 by O3-aged black carbon and its dithiothreitol oxidative potential

Ozone (O₃) is an important atmospheric oxidant. Black carbon (BC) particles released into the atmosphere undergo an aging process via O₃ oxidation. O₃-aged BC particles may change their uptake ability toward trace reducing gases such as SO₂ in the atmosphere, leading to different environmental and health effects. In this paper, the heterogeneous reaction process between O₃-aged BC and SO₂ was explored via in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Combined with ion chromatography (IC), DRIFTS was used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the sulfate product. The results showed that O₃-aged BC had stronger SO₂ oxidation ability than fresh BC, and the reactive species/sites generated on the surface had an important role in the oxidation of SO₂. Relative humidity or 254 nm UV (ultraviolet) light illumination enhanced the oxidation uptake of SO₂ on O₃-aged BC. The oxidation potentials of the BC particles were detected via dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The DTT activity over BC was decreased in the process of SO₂ reduction, with the consumption of oxidative active sites.     

河豚毒素检测技术研究进展

对检测河豚毒素的主要方法包括生物检测方法、理化检测方法、免疫学方法、传感器方法进行了介绍,并对目前检测方法的优缺点进行比较分析。小鼠测定法是河豚毒素检测的标准方法;理化检测法方法准确,但是对设备要求高,前处理严格;免疫学方法费用较高;传感器方法是新方法,还有待进一步规范。各种检测方法都有其优缺点,河豚毒素检测时应根据要求选择方法。     

Monoclonal antibody produced by heterologous indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and its application for parathion residue determination in agricultural and environmental samples

A heterologous indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed, which was based on monoclonal antibody (Mab) to determine parathion residue in agricultural and environmental samples. Eight Mabs were produced by introducing the heterologous indirect ELISA into the screening procedure. It was shown that these Mabs had more broad-reactivity with twenty competitors than that of 5H7 (Mab produced by homologous screening). So it became much easier using these new Mabs to develop heterologous immunoassays. In addition, all the developed heterologous ELISAs could be used to determine parathion residue in semiquantitative or quantitative level, and their detection limitation (LOD) was around 2 ng/mL. Compared with the previous heterologous ELISA (hapten 11/5H7) with IC₅₀ of 13.3 ng/mL, a better heterologous ELISA (hapten 11/1E1) was obtained with IC₅₀ of 3.8 ng/mL, which improved the sensitivity 3.5 times. Finally, the latter was applied to parathion residue determination in spiked agricultural and environmental samples without extraction or cleanup. The average recoveries of parathion added to water, soil, cucumber, Chinese cabbage and carrot were between 80.4 % and 111.8 %. The LOD for water and soil samples was 5 ng/mL, and the LOD for cucumber, rice and corn samples was 10 ng/mL.     

Oxidative stress and genotoxicity of 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium chloride on loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus)

This study was a preliminary step to evaluate the acute toxicity of 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium chloride ([C₈mim]Cl) on loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) by determining the effects on hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities and by the comet assay. The results showed that [C₈mim]Cl had acute toxicity at concentrations above 20 mg L^?1, inducing oxidative stress and genotoxicity on fish liver cells. In respect to enzyme activities, [C₈mim]Cl induced changes in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione content the livers of fish exposed at 20–80 mg L^?1. [C₈mim]Cl at the same exposure level caused a remarkable increase in malondialdehyde level. The comet assay indicated that [C₈mim]Cl at 20–80 mg L^?1 induced genotoxicity in liver cells. With increased exposure concentration and time, the two comet parameters trailing rate and tail moment were significantly increased, with significant differences (P < 0.05) observed between control group and each treatment group. The present study shows that ionic liquids can be a threat to the health of aquatic organism when accidentally released to aquatic ecosystems.     

Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC)-based prenatal diagnosis for tuberous sclerosis

Tuberous sclerosis (TSC) is a frequent autosomal-dominant condition (affecting 1 in 6000 individuals) caused by various mutations in either the hamartin (TSC1) or the tuberin gene (TSC2). This allelic and non-allelic heterogeneity makes genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis difficult, especially as a significant proportion of TSC cases are due to de novo mutations. For this reason the identification of the disease causing mutation is mandatory for accurate counseling, yet current mutation detection methods such as single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) or denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) are labor intensive with limited detection efficiency. Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) is a high-throughput, semi-automated mutation detection system with a reported mutation detection rate close to 100% for PCR fragments of up to 800 bp. We used a recently described DHPLC assay allowing the efficient detection of mutations in TSC1 to analyze the DNA extracted from a chorion villus sample in order to perform a prenatal diagnosis for TSC. The fetus was found not to have inherited the deleterious mutation and the DHPLC diagnosis was confirmed by haplotype analysis. This represents the first DHPLC-based prenatal diagnosis of a genetic disease. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

白眉蝮蛇毒精氨酸酯酶的急性、亚急性毒性实验

用小鼠和大鼠分别研究了白眉蝮蛇(Agkistrodon halys ussuriensis )蛇毒中精氨酸酯酶的急性毒性和亚急性毒性.腹腔和静脉给药小鼠急性毒性分别为半数致死量LD50,ip =5.73～6.68 U/kg, LD50,iv=4.12～4.76 U/kg ;最大致死量LD100,ip=8.60 U/kg, LD100,iv=6.40 U/kg;最小致死量LDmin,ip =4.20 U/kg, LDmin,iv=3.10 U/kg .大鼠急性毒性结果分别为LD50,ip= 5.09～5.98 U/kg, LD50,iv=3.30～3.86 U/kg ; LD100,ip=7.80 U/kg, LD100,iv=5.50 U/kg; LDmin,ip=3.60 U/kg, LDmin,iv=2.70 U/kg.大鼠亚急性毒性实验结果为活动能力、生长率、进食量、死亡率等一般综合指标药物处理组和CK没有明显差别;血检、尿检等临床指标除谷丙转氨酶(GPT)高剂量药物处理组与CK有明显差异外(P<0.05),其它生化指标无显著差异(P>0.05);病理解剖和脏器系数指标,高剂量药物处理组肝脏明显肿大、空泡化,脏器系数也明显高于CK(P<0.05),其它脏器未见病变,脏器系数未见显著差异(P>0.05).从急性毒性和亚急性毒性方面考虑,纯精氨酸酯酶比现在临床应用的"蝮蛇清栓酶"(主要成分为精氨酸酯酶)毒性低. 表3 参11     

油松毛虫感染白僵菌后体内蛋白质、酯酶和多酚氧化酶的变化

采用分光光度法测定了油松毛虫(Dendrolimus tabulaeformisTsai et Liu)3~5龄幼虫被病原物白僵菌(Beau-veria bassiana)感染后,其体内蛋白质的含量和多酚氧化酶活性的变化;结果表明,被白僵菌感染后1~8d,虫体内蛋白质含量持续下降,而未感染的则变化不大;多酚氧化酶(PPO)的活性呈现出先升高后下降的趋势.利用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳技术,分析了染菌后1~7d幼虫体内酯酶同工酶的变化;结果显示,染菌后的3、4龄幼虫体内酯酶同工酶酶谱与对照相比,酶带数量变化较大,未染菌的为3条酶带,感染病菌后变为1条和2条.与其相比,5龄幼虫染菌后酯酶同工酶的酶带数量没有变化,只是酯酶的活性及含量比对照有明显减弱趋势.图2表5参16     

白眉蝮蛇毒精氨酸酯酶对CHL细胞增殖抑制和染色体畸变的影响

研究了蝮蛇清栓酶的有效成分精氨酸酯酶体外对中国仓鼠肺成纤维细胞 (CHL)增殖和染色体畸变的影响 .精氨酸酯酶的浓度以酶活单位U表示 .细胞增殖抑制试验和染色体畸变试验都用两种方法 :直接法和代谢活性法 .精氨酸酯酶设 3个浓度 :1.0× 10 -3 U /mL ,0 .5× 10 -3 U /mL和 0 .2 5× 10 -3U/mL .其中最高浓度比临床治疗浓度高约10 0倍 .细胞增殖抑制试验采用细胞贴壁培养 ,乙醇固定 ,结晶紫染色 ,单层细胞密度计测定细胞密度 .染色体畸变试验采用给药后 2 4h和 48h收集中期分裂细胞 ,低渗固定 ,制片 ,Giemsa染色 ,观察 10 0个中期分裂细胞的染色体结构异常及多倍体的出现率 .试验结果表明 ,精氨酸酯酶在上述浓度对CHL细胞的增殖没有抑制作用 ,对CHL细胞的染色体结构也没有影响 .表 2参 10     

用改良彗星试验检测工业废水的DNA损伤作用

采用改良彗星试验直接检测了多种工业废水不所引起的Ｖ７９细胞ＤＮＡ损伤。结果表明,所测的种各工业废话水均含有ＤＮＡ损伤剂,能够诱发培养的Ｖ７９细胞ＤＮＡ链断裂,其中以制革厂不的ＤＮＡ损伤作用最强。本研究显示出改良彗星试验在综合评价各种废水遗传毒性方面具有广阔的应用前景。