Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and fetal triploidy

Fetal triploidy is commonly found in early pregnancy. The majority of these pregnancies spontaneously abort in the first trimester. Occasionally, the pregnancy progresses to the second and third trimesters. We reviewed the maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP), amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), amniotic fluid acetylcholinesterase (ACHE), fetal pathology, and placental pathology in sex second-trimester pregnancies complicated by fetal triploidy. Four of these patients had MSAFP values greater than 7.5 multiples of the median (MoM). Five of six pregnancies had MSAFP values greater than 2.25 MoM. All five of these patients had a partial mole. Four patients had amniotic fluid AFP values greater than 2.0 MoM. Two fetuses had associated neural tube defects. These were the only patients with positive amniotic fluid ACHE. None of the other patients had fetuses with anomalies that are known to be associated with an elevated MSAFP. The elevated MSAFP appeared to be related to the presence of a partial mole. Two of the five cases with an MSAFP greater than 2.25 MoM did not have sonographic evidence of a significant anomaly. Therefore, karyotyping can be of benefit in evaluating patients with elevated MSAFP.     

Combined fluorescence and electrochemical investigation on the binding interaction between organic acid and human serum albumin

Human serum albumin (HSA) is a plasma protein responsible for the binding and transport of fatty acids and a variety of exogenous chemicals such as drugs and environmental pollutants. Such binding plays a crucial role in determining the ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) and bioavailability of the pollutants. We report investigation on the binding interaction between HSA and acetic acid (C2), octanoic acid (C8) and dodecanoic acid (C12) by the combination of site-specific fluorescent probe, tryptophan intrinsic fluorescence and tyrosine electrochemistry. Two fluorescent probes, dansylamide and dansyl-L-proline, were employed in the displacement measurement to study fatty acid interaction with the two drug-binding sites on HSA. Intrinsic fluorescence of tryptophan in HSA was monitored upon addition of the fatty acids into HSA. Electrocatalyzed response of the tyrosine residues in HSA by a redox mediator was used to investigate the binding interaction. Qualitatively, observations made by the three approaches are very similar. HSA did not show any change in either fluorescence or electrochemistry after mixing with C2, suggesting there is no significant interaction with the short-chain fatty acid. For C8, the measured signal dropped in a single-exponential fashion, indicative of independent and non-cooperative binding. The calculated association constant and binding ratio is 3.1×106 L/mol and 1 with drug binding Site I, 1.1×107 L/mol and 1 with Site II, and 7.0×104 L/mol and 4 with the tryptophan site. The measurement with C12 displayed multiple phases of fluorescence change, suggesting cooperativity and allosteric effect of C12 binding. These results correlate well with those obtained by the established methods, and validate the new approach as a viable tool to study the interactions of environmental pollutants with biological molecules.     

二甲基甲酰胺中毒研究进展

介绍了二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)在人体的代谢、毒性作用和临床表现,以及DMF职业接触标志物的研究进展。     

硝基苯胺同牛血清白蛋白的相互作用及其毒性

运用毛细管电泳相互作用分析的峰漂移模型 ,在接近于生物大分子与配体作用所需要的生理条件下 ,测定了典型有机物邻 、间 、对 硝基苯胺三种化合物共存时与牛血清白蛋白的相互作用的结合常数 .结合常数大小顺序是 :邻 硝基苯胺 >对 硝基苯胺 >间 硝基苯胺 .根据三种物质作用前后紫外吸收强度的变化推算出的结果与实验结果具有一致性 .对这些结合常数与该三种物质的生物实验毒性她据及其分子结构参数的相关性进行比较分析 ,发现它们之间存在一定的相关性 .这表明用毛细管电泳相互作用分析方法评价硝基苯胺的生物毒性具有一定可行性 .     

有氧和厌氧环境下指示微生物的稳定性特征

建立有氧和厌氧水环境模拟反应器,利用荧光定量PCR和高通量测序技术探究了猪源拟杆菌标记物、部分指示微生物和潜在致病菌在有氧及厌氧水环境中的变化特征.结果表明,指示微生物 Streptococcaceae、Lactobacillaceae、Carnobacteriaceae、Ruminococcaceae、Lachnos...     

Comparative analysis of two tobacco surveillance questionnaires used in NHANES: accuracy of self-reported smoking status

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) uses two tobacco use surveillance questionnaires. One is administered during an at-home interview (HI) and the other, during an examination session at a mobile examination center (MEC). NHANES data for the years 1999–2012 were used to evaluate the consistency of responses to tobacco surveillance questions in HI and MEC interview. In addition, accuracy of self-reported smoking status was evaluated. Of those who reported to be daily cigarette smokers during HI, 18.7% reported to be either some-day smokers or nonsmokers during MEC interview. Of those who reported to be some-day cigarette smokers during HI, 22.1% reported to be daily smokers and 17.5% reported to be nonsmokers. Also, 4.1% of those who reported to be nonsmokers during HI reported to be either daily or some-day smokers during MEC interview. Using serum cotinine measurements taken during MEC interview, 27.1% were found to be smokers and 72.9% were found to be nonsmokers. In general, a moderate to high agreement, as measured by the κ statistic, was found between the self-reported responses to tobacco use questions during the home and MEC interviews as well as between smoking statuses based on self-reported and serum cotinine measurements.     

Effect of effluent organic matter on ozonation of bezafibrate

The influence of three effluent organic matter (EfOM) model compounds, humic acid (HA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and sodium alginate (AGS), on the ozonation of bezafibrate (BF), a typical pharmaceutical and personal care product (PPCP), was investigated. The results show that ozonation efficiently removed BF from aqueous solution with removal efficiencies>95% within 8 min for all conditions. The reaction rate of BF decreased with increasing model compounds concentrations and the influence was more pronounced for HA and BSA, while less pronounced for AGS. Although BF concentration was significantly reduced, the degree of mineralization achieved was only approximately 11%. The addition of HA and BSA improved the mineralization of the solution, while the influence of AGS was minor. The acute toxicity of BF solution during ozonation was determined using the Luminescent bacteria test, and the toxicity exhibited an initial increase and a successive reduction. An overall decreased acute toxicity was observed with an increase of HA. The presence of BSA increased the formation rate of toxicity intermediates and resulted in inhibition peak forward.     

特异性拟杆菌引物在珠江三角洲的适应性研究

在珠江三角洲地区采集人、猪、牛、狗以及家禽等33个粪便样品,高效提取基因组DNA,选取14种特异性拟杆菌引物进行检验分析,并进一步采用已知污染源类型的水样对其进行验证.结果表明:采用粪便样品DNA专属提取试剂盒和水体样品DNA专属提取试剂盒提取的基因组模版纯度和提取率均符合后续实验要求.拟杆菌通用引物2#(Bac32F/Bac708R)检出率为85%(28/33),特别是对哺乳类动物和鸡的粪便具有更高的检出率.人的拟杆菌特异性引物3#(HF134F/ Bac708R)和4#(HF183F/Bac708R)、反刍动物的拟杆菌特异性引物8#(CF128F/Bac708R)以及猪的拟杆菌特异性引物10#(PF163F/Bac708R)在珠江三角洲地区同时具有较高的灵敏度和较强的特异性.水体样品验证实验与实际污染类型相符,说明拟杆菌通用引物2#、人的特异性引物3# 和4# 以及猪的特异性引物10# 在珠江三角洲地区具有很好的适用性.     

Effect of curacron toxicity on the total serum protein content of Cyprinus carpio

An experiment was conducted on freshwater fish Cyprinus carpio to study the effect of the pesticide curacron on total serum protein. Curacron is an organophosphate pesticide and used by the farmers to protect their crops. This pesticide reaches the aquatic ecosystem by direct or indirect means and affects aquatic fauna. LC50 for curacron for C. carpio was calculated by the log-dose/probit regression line method and found to be 0.38?ppm at 96?h. Three sub-lethal concentrations (0.1, 0.01, and 0.001?mL?L^?1) were selected to expose the fish for 1, 7, 14, and 21days. Changes in total serum protein were observed at all pesticide concentrations and exposure periods. Total serum protein was decreased from control. At 1 and 7 days, the decrease was quantitative at all concentrations, while at 14 and 21 days, the fall was significant at all concentrations. Hence, human population may be at risk by consuming these contaminated fish.     

Effects of benzo(a)pyrene on blood components,tumor markers,and oxidative status in mice

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of long-term exposure to benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) in mice. Hemogram, tumor markers, oxidative status, and B(a)P residues in liver tissue were evaluated. Sixty albino Swiss mice were randomly distributed equally into three groups; the control was given 0.1?mL corn oil once a week for 8 weeks. The other two groups were given 20 and 40?mg B(a)P per kg body weight once a week orally for the same period. B(a)P-treated mice suffered from depression and ascites, and macrocytic normochromic anemia was recorded at the 16th and 30th week. There was marked leukocytosis with lymphocytosis at the early stage of the experiment, followed by leukopenia, lymphopenia, and neutropenia at the end of the experiment. Monocytes and arginase activity were elevated throughout the experiment. Alpha feto-protein was detected only in the experimental groups in the 30th week of the experiment. A marked increase in lipid peroxides associated with a decrease in reduced glutathione and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity was observed in liver homogenate of the B(a)P-exposed animals. Residues of B(a)P were detected in liver tissue with a concentration parallel to the B(a)P dose level. In conclusion, B(a)P caused abnormal changes in the hemogram, evidence of tumor formation through B(a)P-induced oxidative stress, and it was accumulated in the liver tissue of mice.