Tumor promoting effects of cyanobacterial extracts are potentiated by anthropogenic contaminants--evidence from in vitro study

Inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) is affiliated with tumor promotion process and it has been employed as an in vitro biomarker for evaluation of tumor promoting effects of chemicals. In the present study we investigated combined effects of anthropogenic environmental contaminants 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153) and fluoranthene, cyanotoxins microcystin-LR and cylindrospermopsin, and extracts of laboratory cultures of cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon gracile and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, on GJIC in the rat liver epithelial cell line WB-F344. Binary mixtures of PCB 153 with fluoranthene and the mixtures of the two cyanobacterial strains elicited simple additive effects on GJIC after 30 min exposure, whereas microcystin-LR and cylindrospermopsin neither inhibited GJIC nor altered effects of PCB 153 or fluoranthene. However, synergistic effects were observed in the cells exposed to binary mixtures of anthropogenic contaminants (PCB 153 or fluoranthene) and cyanobacterial extracts. The synergistic effects were especially pronounced after prolonged (6-24 h) co-exposure to fluoranthene and A. gracile extract, when mixture caused nearly complete GJIC inhibition, while none of the individual components caused any downregulation of GJIC at the same concentration and exposure time. The effects of cyanobacterial extracts were independent of microcystin-LR or cylindrospermopsin, which were not detected in cyanobacterial biomass. It provides further evidence on the presence of unknown tumor promoting metabolites in cyanobacteria. Clear potentiation of the GJIC inhibition observed in the mixtures of two anthropogenic contaminants and cyanobacteria highlight the importance of combined toxic effects of chemicals in complex environmental mixtures.     

S-100 protein in amniotic fluid of anencephalic fetuses

S-100 protein, which is found essentially in the astrocytes of the nervous system, was assayed in amniotic fluids by Particle Counting Immuno Assay. It was present in 19 cases of anencephaly out of 26, in 1 case of open spina bifida out of 5 and in each of the 4 cases of fetal death, whereas it was not detected in the 48 control amniotic fluids collected between the 16th and the 35th week of gestation. Thirty-one amniotic fluids from fetuses with other congenital malformations were devoid of detectable S-100. The presence of S-100 in amniotic fluid of anencephalic fetuses can presumably be considered as a biological sign of necrosis of the exencephalic brain and seems specific to damage of the central nervous system accompanied by neural tube defect.     

超滤法预处理L-乳酸发酵液

以白酒酒糟乳酸发酵液为研究对象,采用截留分子量为100 kDa的中空纤维超滤膜（聚偏氟乙烯PVDF膜）去除其中的蛋白质等杂质,为后续电渗析分离提纯L-乳酸提供合格的料液。研究表明,操作压力、温度、pH值和进料速度对蛋白质截留率、乳酸回收率和发酵液的膜通量均有影响;乳酸回收率与蛋白质截留率基本呈负相关关系,是因为被截留的蛋白质等在膜面形成滤饼层,有吸附并截留乳酸的作用。通过单因素实验,确定了在操作压力为20 kPa,温度为27℃,pH为3.9,进料速度为280 mL/min的情况下处理效果最好,蛋白质截留率可达到98.01%,乳酸回收率可达到97.78%,发酵液的膜通量为7.26 L/（m2·h）。     

Effect of coumaphos on cholinesterase activity,hematology, and biochemical blood parameters of bovines in tropical regions of Mexico

To assess the effect of coumaphos [O-(3-chloro-4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-1-benzopyran-7-yl) O,O-diethyl phosphorothioate] exposure on physiological responses during bovine production, acetylcolinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities were measured in whole blood, erythrocytes, and plasma of healthy male steers (Bos Taurus x Bos indicus) sprayed with coumaphos at a non-lethal dose of 1 mg kg^{? 1} body weight per day once every 14 (in vivo group) or 21 days (southern and central groups). Coumaphos topically administered at 1 mg/kg body weight per day to cattle under normal management practices in tropical areas produced a significant inhibition in erythrocyte (RBC) AChE and BuAChE activities when compared to baseline levels. RBC-AChE activity for the in vivo group decreased 71.3% (P < 0.05) and BuChE activity 59.1% (P < 0.05); RBC-AChE activity decreased 55.1% (P < 0.05) (southern group) and 43.4% (P < 0.05) (central group). Compared to the control specimens, steers from in vivo, southern, and central groups after 150 days of exposure had lower (P < 0.05) leukocyte count, absolute lymphocyte, erythrocyte, and platelet counts. Decreases in RBC-AChE activities correlated with decreased lymphocyte (r = 1.000, p = 0.01), erythrocyte (r = 1.000, p = 0.003), and platelet counts (r = 0.841, p = 0.036). Significantly increased BUN levels (P < 0.05) correlated with the decrease in RBC-AChE activities (r = ? 0.997, p = 0.047) and with the decrease in absolute red blood cell (r = ? 0.883, p = 0.020) and lymphocyte (r = ? 0.825, p = 0.043) counts; increased (P < 0.05) total plasma protein levels correlated with the decrease in RBC-AChE activities (r = ?0.998, p = 0.043), absolute red blood cell (r = ? 0.998, p = 0.040), lymphocyte (r = ? 0.893, p = 0.017), and platelet (r = -0.855, p = 0.030) counts. The physiological responses correlated with the erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase inhibition could be considered as early indicators or warning responses of bovine exposures to organophosphorus pesticides (OPs).     

Short-term metal accumulation and MTLP induction in the digestive glands of Perna virdis exposed to Zn and Cd

Time-dependent Zn and Cd accumulation and metallothionein like protein (MTLP) induction in the digestive glands of mussels, Perna virdis, were measured under different exposure conditions. The initial uptake rate at start of chase (ρ0) and mean residence time (τ) were calculated to determine the physiological response of organisms and their potential detoxification mechanisms. It was found that in digestive glands, Zn had obviously higher ρ0 and shorter mean residence time than Cd, indicating that these two metals had different accumulation dynamics even though they were very close in the periodic element table. MTLP levels in digestive glands varied from 0.51 to 1.05 μg/g ww (wet weight). The MTLP level increased continuously when mussels were exposed to low and middle levels of Zn and Cd media, and reached maximal levels at day 4, then decreased when they were exposed to high level Zn and Cd solutions. With regard to the fraction of Zn and Cd accumulated in the digestive glands, the ratios of soluble metal to total metal decreased continuously after exposure in low and middle levels of Zn and Cd media, and decreased continuously in the first 4 days and then to level off when mussels were exposed to media with high concentration of Zn and Cd. Results suggested that both MTLP induction and metal insolubilization were detoxification processes in digestive glands of mussels.     

First-trimester maternal serum schwangerschafts protein 1 (SP1) in pregnancies associated with chromosomal anomalies

The relationship between first-trimester maternal serum Schwangerschafts protein 1 (SP1) and the karyotype of the pregnancy was examined in 692 women who underwent chorionic villus biopsy at 6–12 weeks. There were 30 pregnancies with abnormal karyotypes, consisting of 14 Down's syndrome (DS), eight trisomy 18, and eight other anomalies, two of which were mosaics. The normal ranges and medians for gestation were defined from the 662 cases in which the karyotype was normal. The median SP1 (0·5 MOM) of the abnormal group was significantly lower than that of the normal group (10 MOM). This relationship was maintained for the DS pregnancies (0·4 MOM) and for anomalies other than trisomy 18 (0·43 MOM) but not trisomy 18 (1·1 MOM). It is possible that the use of SP1 as a screening test for chromosome anomalies in the first trimester could have a 43 per cent detection rate for a 5 per cent false-positive rate.     

酸水解法提取剩余污泥蛋白质的条件优化

为充分提取污水污泥中的细胞蛋白,实现污泥的增值利用,以青岛市李村河污水处理厂剩余污泥为材料,采用酸水解法提取剩余污泥中的蛋白质. 经正交试验综合考察了水解温度、水解时间、反应体系pH和固液比(污泥样品质量(g)/加水体积(mL))等因素对剩余污泥蛋白质提取率的影响. 结果表明:水解温度和反应体系pH对蛋白质提取率的影响较大;通过试验获得的提取污泥蛋白质的最优工艺条件是水解温度为121 ℃,水解时间为5 h,反应体系pH为1.25,固液比为1∶3.0.在上述条件下,剩余污泥蛋白质提取率可达62.71%,水解后的剩余残渣经干燥后测定可知,其质量相对于原污泥样品质量(干重)削减率达到30.49%. 试验证明,选用该法不仅可以达到破解剩余污泥细胞并释放蛋白质的目的,还可以使污泥减量.      

转Bt基因水稻残留秸秆对农田底栖动物的影响

为研究转Bt基因水稻秸秆残留对稻田内底栖动物的潜在影响,利用转Bt基因水稻“华恢1号”及其亲本“明恢63”的秸秆进行稻田填埋试验,分析转Bt基因水稻秸秆中Bt蛋白对秸秆分解和底栖动物多样性的影响. 结果表明:①在填埋的水稻秸秆上共发现223个底栖动物,分属9个科,其中,在转Bt基因和非转基因水稻秸秆上均发现7个科. ②秸秆种类和秸秆填埋时间对底栖动物丰度、物种数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、辛普森优势集中性指数(Simpson diversity index)和Pielou均匀度指数均无明显影响. ③转Bt基因和非转基因水稻秸秆剩余率均随着填埋时间的延长而逐渐降低,填埋7周后,两种类型秸秆剩余率平均值均为44.0%,二者之间无明显差异. ④在填埋的7周内,转Bt基因水稻秸秆中w(Bt蛋白)平均值为1.99~3.04 μg/g,7周后为2.04 μg/g. 研究显示,稻田残留的转Bt基因水稻秸秆对底栖动物多样性无显著影响.      

锯齿新米虾对Cu2+和毒死蜱毒性的生理响应

为研究水生生物对水体中重金属和有机磷农药毒性的生理响应,以锯齿新米虾为试验生物,采用半静止毒性试验方法,分别研究了Cu2+和毒死蜱5 d暴露时间对锯齿新米虾肌肉组织生理指标的影响.结果表明,锯齿新米虾暴露在不同浓度Cu2+和毒死蜱溶液下,随着暴露时间的延长,肌肉组织蛋白浓度均有不同程度的降低.Cu2+溶液较低浓度组(0.086 mg·L-1和0.172 mg·L-1)和毒死蜱较高浓度组(0.006 0μg·L-1和0.012 0μg·L-1)中,总SOD活性表现抑制效应;Cu2+溶液较高浓度组(0.344 mg·L-1和0.688 mg·L-1)表现为"抑制-诱导-抑制"的变化趋势,而毒死蜱较低浓度组(0.001 5μg·L-1和0.003 0μg·L-1)表现为"抑制-诱导"的变化趋势;暴露在Cu2+和毒死蜱溶液下,MDA含量变化相似,且在一定浓度范围内,随着Cu2+和毒死蜱浓度增加,MDA含量呈逐渐上升的趋势,说明Cu2+和毒死蜱加快了锯齿新米虾肌肉组织脂质过氧化作用;ACh E活性在Cu2+和毒死蜱溶液中表现为抑制效应,且在Cu2+和毒死蜱溶液的较高浓度组中,其活性随浓度的增加而呈逐渐降低的趋势,说明Cu2+和毒死蜱对锯齿新米虾肌肉组织的正常生理功能产生了影响,其浓度越高,产生的损伤效应越大.研究表明,鉴于不同浓度的Cu2+和毒死蜱溶液对锯齿新米虾肌肉组织的损伤程度不同,总SOD、MDA和ACh E可以作为评价重金属和有机磷农药对锯齿新米虾急性毒性效应的生理指标.     

从制药厂废醪中回收蛋白质

采用凝聚沉降法从制药厂废醪中回收蛋白质。介绍了该法的原理、凝聚剂筛选和工艺条件试验情况。确定了最适宜的工艺条件：废醪等电点的ｐＨ为３．５,它与凝聚剂０．５ｍｉｌ／Ｌ硫酸铁铵溶液的适宜体积比约为（８０～１３０）：１。讨论了温度和时间对凝聚效果的影响。在适宜工艺条件下粗蛋白的回收率可达到９６％以上。