How do slugs cope with toxic alkaloids?

Summary. Arion lusitanicus and other slugs are able to feed on a variety of plants, even those containing toxic secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids. Alkaloids, like sparteine, lupanine, quinidine and atropine are avoided in no-choice feeding experiments only when they are present in concentrations above 1 mg/g food pellet. Alkaloids (sparteine, lupanine, cytisine, quinidine, atropine, senecionine, eserine, and harmaline) are toxic to Arion lusitanicus when injected. LD₅₀ values are 10 to 20 fold higher than in vertebrates indicating that slugs have a high tolerance towards food toxins. The tolerance is higher in young animals than in adult slugs. Injected alkaloids are rapidly detoxified within 72 h. Tolerance and detoxification can be induced by feeding slugs on non-lethal doses of lupin alkaloids. Using isolated microsomal preparations from the digestive gland, active detoxification was observed in vitro. Evidence is presented that cytochrome p450 plays an important role in detoxification of the applied alkaloids. A powerful and inducible detoxification systems appears to be the main mechanism that allows slugs to feed on plants rich in secondary metabolites (when no other food is available), that are usually avoided by other herbivores.     

硝基芳烃对虹鳉鱼(Poecilia reticulata)的毒性

主要研究了2,6-二硝基甲苯(2,6-DNT)和4-硝基甲苯(4-NT)两种硝基芳烃对虹鳉鱼的急性毒性、亚急性毒性及联合毒性效应,旨在为渔业水质标准的制定与完善提供可靠的科学依据。研究表明,2,6-DNT的急性毒性大于4-NT,二者的96 h LC50值分别为(25.22±0.19)mg/L和(60.26±0.09)mg/L;亚急性毒性研究中,两种化合物的各种质量浓度在40天内,对试验动物的生长有不同程度的影响;应用Marking相加指数法评价二者的联合毒性,结果表明其联合毒性为协同。     

海洋酸化与重金属、有机污染物和人工纳米颗粒的联合毒性效应研究进展

由于大量人类活动的影响,大气CO_2浓度持续增加,其中约1/3被海洋吸收,导致表层海水pH值降低和碳酸盐平衡体系波动,即"海洋酸化"现象。污染物的海洋环境效应一直是全球环境科学领域研究的热点。在实际环境中,海洋酸化往往与污染物共同存在并作用于海洋生态系统,且海洋酸化极有可能改变污染物的海洋环境行为从而影响其毒性效应。但现有研究大多针对海洋酸化或者污染物单独作用下的毒性效应展开,对海洋酸化与污染物的联合毒性效应的研究不足、亟待加强。为此,综述了近年来海洋酸化与典型污染物(重金属、有机污染物)及新型污染物(人工纳米颗粒)的相关文献,重点阐述了海洋酸化对污染物环境行为的影响和海洋酸化与污染物对海洋生物的联合毒性效应,指出当前的研究不足,并对未来的研究方向进行了展望。     

同步辐射技术在环境纳米金属组学研究中的应用

随着我国工业的发展,在工业产值不断提升的同时,向环境中释放出的各类污染物也逐渐增加,其中包括多种金属纳米颗粒物。这些金属纳米颗粒物进入大气、水源及土壤中,累积到一定程度引起环境安全问题;进一步可被动植物所吸收,经过食物链富集和传递,造成直接或间接人体暴露,危害人体健康。环境纳米金属组学,研究的范畴主要涉及自然或人为因素产生的金属纳米颗粒在环境介质和生物有机体中的生物/化学行为、转化归趋,并且据此评价金属纳米颗粒物的环境安全性及其生物健康效应。随着对金属纳米颗粒环境效应研究的不断深入,对传统的研究方法提出了更多的挑战。同步辐射具有高亮度、高准直和宽频谱等特性,在金属元素分析方面具有无可比拟的优势。本文主要介绍了同步辐射技术,如同步辐射X射线荧光分析技术(SR-XRF)和同步辐射X射线吸收光谱技术(SR-XAS)等,在金属纳米颗粒物的环境行为及其生物健康效应研究中的应用;结合本实验室及国内外的一些研究工作,阐述了同步辐射技术应用于环境纳米金属组学研究领域所取得的一些新进展,以期为拓展同步辐射技术在环境金属纳米颗粒物分析的应用研究提供参考价值。     

Possible causes and consequences of philopatry and breeding dispersal in red-backed shrikes <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Lanius collurio</Emphasis>

Studies of animal breeding dispersal have often focused on possible causes, whereas its adaptive significance has received less attention. Using an information-theoretic approach, we assessed predictions of four hypotheses relating to causes and consequences of breeding dispersal in a migratory passerine, the red-backed shrike Lanius collurio. As predicted by the reproductive performance hypothesis, probability of breeding dispersal in females (though not in males) decreased with increasing annual average number of fledglings produced in the past year, but there was no association with conspecific reproductive performance in either sex. The site choice hypothesis, stating that individuals disperse to improve breeding site quality, received support in males only, as dispersal probability was positively associated to a measure indicating low territory quality. The social constraints hypothesis, referring to dispersal in relation to intraspecific interactions, received little support in either sex. The predation risk hypothesis was hardly supported either. Consequences of dispersal were marginal in both sexes because neither fledgling production in females, nor territory quality in males improved after dispersal. In addition, males settled on territories closer to the forest edge than those occupied predispersal, which is opposite to the prediction of the predation risk hypothesis. We conclude that own reproductive success was the major factor determining dispersal behavior in females, whereas territory quality and possibly predation risk were most important in males. Overall, breeding dispersal appeared not to be adaptive in this dense population inhabiting an optimal habitat.     

二氧化硫体内衍生物对雄性小鼠精子的毒性效应

为了探讨二氧化硫(SO2)的雄性生殖毒理效应,研究了SO2体内代谢衍生物———亚硫酸钠(Na2SO3)和亚硫酸氢钠(NaHSO3)混合液(物质的量比为3:1)对雄性昆明小鼠精子的毒性作用.采用腹腔注射(i.p.)染毒方法,每天注射一次,连续5 d,于染毒后d 35处死动物,观察和分析小鼠的精子活动度、数量和畸形率.结果表明:(1)SO2衍生物可引起小鼠精子数量尤其是正常活动度精子数量减少,引起不活动精子数量增加,且呈剂量-效应关系;(2)SO2衍生物可引起多种类型的精子畸形增加,尤其可引起不定形畸变精子的频率显著增加,总精子畸变率随染毒剂量的增加而呈剂量依赖性增高.由此推论,SO2污染有一定的雄性生殖毒性.图1表2参14     

Toxicity of octameric elemental sulphur in aquatic sediments

The proportions of elemental sulphur species in sediment from a contaminated area and a reference sediment sample were compared with the acute toxicity measured in short-term toxicity tests. Octameric elemental sulphur was separated into three operationally defined fractions. Here we show that octameric elemental sulphur contributes to the acute toxicity measured by bioluminescence inhibition. Our findings show that only a small part of extractable elemental sulphur was effective during exposure to the test organisms. A firmly bound fraction of sulphur was found in a contaminated sediment. This information has to be taken into account while interpreting the acute sediment toxicity.     

镉对稻田土壤典型微生物种的胁迫生理毒性

以水稻田土壤中典型的单种微生物为实验材料,采用纯培养方法,从个体水平上全面探讨了重金属镉胁迫对稻田土壤典型微生物的的生长、活性以及生化过程的生理毒性影响。研究表明:不同微生物纯培养对镉胁迫的敏感程度不同,G 较G-对Cd2 更为敏感,表现为世代时间缩短,最高菌浓度下降。固氮菌对Cd2 非常敏感,当Cd2 质量浓度为0.2mg·L-1时即完全抑制菌体增殖。同时,外源镉强烈的抑制作为稻田土壤中功能微生物的厌氧固氮菌及产甲烷细菌的生物活性,各菌种镉胁迫下细菌细胞内可溶性蛋白、还原糖、核酸质量浓度都在低质量浓度镉胁迫时有所增加;随着镉质量浓度的增加,细菌细胞内各种物质的质量浓度开始减小,以减慢细胞代谢速度,增强对镉胁迫的适应力;各种物质的质量浓度变化趋势为可溶性蛋白>还原糖>核酸,R.eutrophaDKC1细胞内含物质量浓度基本保持稳定。结果可在一定程度上说明镉对微生物的毒性效应,且能在早期较灵敏地指示污染的影响,作为稻田土壤环境受到污染胁迫的细胞生化指标具有一定可行性。     

Temporal dynamics of arsenic uptake and distribution: food and water risks in the Bengal basin

Abstract

Contaminated food chain is a serious contender for arsenic (As) uptake around the globe. In Nadia, West Bengal, we trace possible means of transfer of As from multiple sources reaching different trophic levels, and associated seasonal variability leading to chronic As uptake. This work considers possible sources-pathways of As transfer through food chain in rural community. Arsenic concentration in groundwater, soil, rice, and vegetable-samples collected detected in different harvest seasons of 2014 and 2016. Arsenic level in shallow groundwater samples ranged from 0.1 to 354?µg/L, with 75% of the sites above the prescribed limit by WHO (10?µg/L) during the boro harvest season. High soil As content (～20.6?mg/kg), resulted in accumulation of As in food crops. A positive correlation in As conc. with increase over period in all sites indicating gradual As accumulation in topsoil. Unpolished rice samples showed high As content (～1.75?mg/kg), polishing reduced 80% of As. Among vegetables, the plant family Poaceae with high irrigation requirements and Solanaceae retaining high moisture, have the highest levels of As. Contaminated animal fodder (Poaceae) and turf water for cattle are shown to contaminate milk (0.06 to 0.24?µg/L) and behoves strategies, practices to minimize As exposure.     

Fecundity as a Basis for Risk Assessment of Nonindigenous Freshwater Molluscs

Abstract:  The most efficient way to reduce future damages from nonindigenous species is to prevent the introduction of harmful species. Although ecologists have long sought to predict the identity of such species, recent methodological advances promise success where previous attempts failed. We applied recently developed risk assessment approaches to nonindigenous freshwater molluscs at two geographic scales: the Laurentian Great Lakes basin and the 48 contiguous states of the United States. We used data on natural history and biogeography to discriminate between established freshwater molluscs that are benign and those that constitute nuisances (i.e., cause environmental and/or economic damage). Two statistical techniques, logistic regression and categorical tree analysis, showed that nuisance status was positively associated with fecundity. Other aspects of natural history and biogeography did not significantly affect likelihood of becoming a nuisance. We then used the derived statistical models to predict the chance that 15 mollusc species not yet in natural ecosystems would cause damage if they become established. We also tested whether time since establishment is related to the likelihood that nonindigenous mollusc species in the Great Lakes and United States would cause negative impacts. No significant relationship was evident at the U.S. scale, but recently established molluscs within the Great Lakes were more likely to cause negative impacts. This may reflect changing environmental conditions, changing patterns of trade, or may be an indication of "invasional meltdown." Our quantitative analyses could be extended to other taxa and ecosystems and offer a number of improvements over the qualitative risk assessments currently used by U.S. (and other) government agencies.