Interactive effect of dissolved organic matter and phenanthrene on soil enzymatic activities

The investigation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on urease, catalase and polyphenol oxidase activity in a phenanthrene (Phe)-contaminated soil was conducted under laboratory incubation conditions. Values of soil enzymatic activity depended mainly on incubation time. In the initial 16 days, urease activity increased, and was followed by a decrease. In the initial 8 days, catalase activity decreased and then increased. Variation of polyphenol oxidase activity was just the reverse of catalase activity. After 30 days of incubation, no pronounced difference among treatments with Phe, Phe and DOM, and control were detected in urease, catalase and polyphenol oxidase activity. Phe might inhibit urease and catalase, and stimulate polyphenol oxidase. DOM could improve inhibition of Phe in soil urease and catalase activity during the initial period of applying DOM. Nevertheless, DOM had no significant effect on polyphenol oxidase activity in the Phe contaminated soil. There was a negative correlation between catalase and polyphenol oxidase (r = -0.761~(***)), and catalase and urease (r = -0.554~(**)). Additionally, a positive correlation between polyphenol oxidase and urease was also detected (r = 0.701~(***)). It is implied that the formed DOM after application of organic wastes into soils may counteract the inhibition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil enzyme activities.     

Effects of insoluble Zn, Cd, and EDTA on the growth, activities of antioxidant enzymes and uptake of Zn and Cd in Vetiveria zizanioides

A root-bag experiment was conducted to study the effects of insoluble Zn, Cd and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the plant growth, activities of antioxidant enzymes, proline, glutathione (GSH), water-soluble proteins and malondialdehyde (MDA) of Vetiveria zizanioides, and its uptake capacity of Zn and Cd.The results showed that plant growth of V.zizanioides was inhibited by Zn and Cd.The shoot dry weight (SDW) and root dry weight (RDW) decrease by 0.3%, 8.0%, 9.4% and 10.4%, 15.1%, 24.2% compared to the control without EDTA addition, respectively.After adding EDTA, shoot and root dry weight decreased over 10% and 15% compared to results in the absence of EDTA, respectively.The toxicity from insoluble Zn and Cd in soil on SDW and RDW of V.zizanioides was in order: Zn+Cd > Cd > Zn.The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), and contents of MDA and proline significantly increased, while the contents of GSH and water-soluble proteins markedly decreased with increasing Zn and Cd toxicity.With EDTA, shoot and root Zn concentrations increased in the Zn treatment by 7.3% and 37.4% compared to the plants grown in absence of EDTA.Shoot and root Cd concentrations in the combined Zn and Cd treatment with EDTA increased by 18.6% and 391.9% compared to the treatment without EDTA.However, Zn and Cd concentrations in shoot and roots decreased in the Cd treatment compared to the plants grown in absence of EDTA, with exception of root Cd concentration in the presence of EDTA).     

The effects of exogenous salicylic acid on growth and H2O2-metabolizing enzymes in rice seedlings under lead stress

Salicylic acid （SA） was an essential component of the plant resistance to pathogens and also plays an important role in mediating plant response to some abiotic stress. The possible effects of SA on the growth and H2O2-metabolizing enzymes in rice seedlings under lead stress were studied. When rice seedlings grown in nutrient solution containing Pb^2＋ （0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.25 mmol/L） for 18 d, the plant biomass as well as the chlorophyll content of leaves decreased with increasing Pb concentration. The pre-treatment with SA （treated with 0.1 mmol/L SA for 48 h before Pb stress） partially protected seedlings from Pb toxicity. The chlorophyll contents were significant higher in leaves of Pb-exposed with SA pre-treatment seedlings than in Pb-exposed plants at the same Pb intensity. SA pre-treated alone could significantly increase the length of shoot and root of seedlings but the vigour difference was not marked under long-term exposure to Pb toxicity. SA pre-treated influence the H2O2 level in leaves of seedlings by up-regulating the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, repressing the activity of catalase （CAT） and ascorbate peroxidase （APX） depending on the concentrations of Pb^2＋ in the growth medium. The results supported the conclusion that SA played a positive role in rice seedlings against Pb toxicity.     

In vitro fluorescence displacement investigation of thyroxine transport disruption by bisphenol A

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical with high production volume and wide applications in many industries. Although BPA is known as an endocrine disruptor, its toxic mechanisms have not been fully characterized. Due to its structural similarity to thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), one possible mechanism of BPA toxicity is disruption of hormone transport by competitive binding with the transport proteins. In this study, the binding interactions of BPA, T4, and T3 with three thyroid hormone transport proteins, human serum albumin (HSA), transthyretin (TTR), and thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) were investigated by fluorescence measurement. Using two site-specific fluorescence probes dansylamide and dansyl-L-proline, the binding constants of BPA with HSA at drug site I and site II were determined as 2.90 104 and 3.14 104 L/mol, respectively. By monitoring the intrinsic fluorescence of tryptophan, a binding constant of 4.70 103 L/mol was obtained. Similarly, by employing 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid as fluorescence probe, the binding a nity of BPA with TTR and TBG was measured to be 3.10 105 and 5.90 105 L/mol, respectively. In general, BPA showed lower binding a nity with the proteins than T3 did, and even lower a nity than T4. Using these binding constants, the amount of BPA which would bind to the transport proteins in human plasma was estimated. These results suggest that the concentrations of BPA commonly found in human plasma are probably not high enough to interfere with T4 transport.     

巨大芽孢杆菌对土壤理化性质及植物富集镉锌的影响

不同生物之间存在复杂相互作用,构建多元生物协同修复有利于提高修复效果.微生物群落繁殖快,适应性强以及抗逆性等优势在土壤重金属污染治理中发挥着重要作用.以巨大芽孢杆菌（Bacillus megaterium）为供试菌株,以包心芥菜［Brassica juncea（L.） Czerniak.］为供试植物,探究二者联合作用下修复Cd和Zn污染土壤的可行性.首先开展60 d室内培养试验,明确巨大芽孢杆菌活化土壤Cd和Zn含量的潜力及改善土壤质量的可行性;进而通过盆栽试验探究巨大芽孢杆菌对包心芥菜富集重金属的影响.结果表明室内培养条件下,巨大芽孢杆菌能够显著降低土壤pH值,土壤有效态Cd和Zn含量显著增加,与对照相比,增幅分别为24%~47%和11%~13%;同时土壤磷酸酶（ALP）、蔗糖酶（SU）和脲酶（UR）活性明显改善.盆栽试验结果表明,与对照相比,接菌处理显著提高了包心芥菜生物量,增幅为10%~23%.同时植物富集Cd和Zn含量升高：植物地上和地下部分Cd富集浓度分别为对照组的1.61~1.70倍和1.05~1.15倍;不同部位对Zn的富集浓度分别为对照的1.38~1.61倍和1.47~1.53倍.相关性分析结果表明,土壤pH值是引起土壤重金属有效态活性和酶活性改变的关键因素.接菌处理下,植物过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性对增强植物抗逆性更为显著.试验结果初步证实了巨大芽孢杆菌-包心芥菜联合修复Cd和Zn污染土壤的可行性.     

亚砷酸钠对酵母细胞抗氧化酶活性和脂质过氧化的影响

以模式生物酿酒酵母为材料,研究亚砷酸钠对细胞生长、抗氧化酶活性、丙二醛(MDA)含量及胞内活性氧(ROS)水平的影响。结果显示,加入亚砷酸钠(终浓度0.1~0.6 mmol·L~(-1))后,培养液在600 nm处的光密度值(OD600值)低于对照组,并呈浓度依赖性降低。经亚砷酸钠处理12 h后,酵母细胞中过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)活性均增高,但胞内ROS水平和MDA含量与对照组无显著差异。砷处理24 h后,POD在0.2 mmol·L~(-1)砷处理组中活性最高,而CAT、SOD和T-AOC活性呈浓度依赖性增高;胞内ROS水平和MDA含量在高浓度砷组(0.4和0.6 mmol·L~(-1))显著增高。结果表明,亚砷酸钠可抑制酵母细胞生长,改变细胞内抗氧化酶活性,较高浓度时可引起细胞氧化损伤。     

硝酸铊对浮萍(Lemna gibba L.)的生长抑制及其氧自由基损伤作用

为了探讨硝酸铊(Tl(I)-nitrate)对浮萍(Lemna gibba L.)的生长抑制作用及其可能的氧化损伤机制,设置了Tl(I)-nitrate的8个处理组(0.005、0.01、0.02、0.04、0.08、0.1、0.5和1.0 mg·L-1)和对照组(0.0 mg·L-1),进行96 h急性毒性实验,测定96 h内超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性及丙二醛含量。结果表明:96 h暴露时间下,浮萍生长受抑制程度与Tl(I)浓度之间呈正相关,Tl(I)-nitrate对浮萍的96 h EC50为0.076 mg·L-1,NOEC为0.01 mg·L-1。CAT活性随着Tl(I)-nitrate浓度升高逐渐降低,在0.5和1 mg·L-1时,有极显著差异(p0.01)产生,SOD活性在0.1 mg·L-1时显著升高(46%),POD活性和MDA含量在Tl(I)浓度0.5 mg·L-1时明显上升。当Tl(I)-nitrate胁迫超出浮萍抗氧化酶系统清除活性氧的能力时,活性氧积累导致浮萍受到不可逆转的氧化损伤。Tl(I)-nitrate对浮萍生长产生明显的抑制作用     

Photolysis of 3‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐1, 1 ‐Dimethylurea (Diuron) in dilute aqueous solution

Diuron samples at 40mg/L concentration were photolyzed with ultraviolet lamps and with natural sunlight to determine if data from ultraviolet lamp photolysis could be used to predict results from sunlight photolysis. Seven photoproducts were identified from the photolysis experiments. The identified photoproducts and the photoproduct yields were essentially the same for the two light sources.     

The human serum paraoxonase—Polymorphism and specificity

Human serum contains EDTA‐sensitive (Ca⁺⁺‐dependent) and EDTA‐stable (albumin) paraoxonases which hydrolyse paraoxon, 0,0‐diethyl,0–4‐nitrophenyl phosphate.

In Caucasians the EDTA‐sensitive enzyme shows a genetically determined polymorphism which is governed by two alleles. In typical Mongoloid or Negro populations this polymorphism is expressed to a lesser degree, and in a few samples (e.g. Aborigines) it cannot be observed at all. The distribution of the activity of the EDTA‐stable (albumin) paraoxonase is unimodal.

Many authors supposed that paraoxonase is an arylesterase (EC 3.1.1.2) which means that it is also able to hydrolyse phenylacetate or β‐naphthylacetate. New investigations have shown that the human serum fractions splitting paraoxon can be separated from those hydrolysing phenylacetate and related substrates.

The polymorphism of the EDTA‐sensitive human serum paraoxonase can be applied to investigations concerning specificity. From this it becomes evident that this enzyme is rather specific. Already slight changes of the paraoxon molecule lead to a decrease of activity. On the other hand the enzyme seems to hydrolyse also phosphonic acid esters and 4‐nitrophenylacetate in the same way like paraoxon (polymorphism).

There is a linkage relationship of paraoxonase with cystic fibrosis and DNA markers. According to these results the (EDTA‐sensitive) paraoxonase locus is on the human chromosome 7.

A high serum paraoxonase level actually protects serum cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) and has to be considered in biological monitoring of workers exposed to parathion.     

Smokeless tobacco extract impairs iron homeostasis in rats and human hepatoma,HepG2 cells

Tobacco exposure may alter homeostasis of iron (Fe), one of the most abundant and essential transition metals in the body. In this study, the effect of aqueous extract of smokeless tobacco was evaluated on Fe homeostasis in rats and human hepatoma, HepG2 cells. Our findings suggested that tobacco consumption even at low doses impairs Fe homeostasis leading to Fe deficiency anemia. Significant alterations were noted with respect to hematological parameters and expression patterns of selected intestinal Fe-transporters, Fe-binding proteins, and Fe-regulatory hormone, hepcidin. Impairment in the hepatic and renal antioxidant defense system was also observed in the treated rats. Histopathological studies revealed cirrhosis of liver and goblet cell hyperplasia of small intestine. Further, analysis of hepcidin promoter and its expression along with ferritin (expression and ELISA) in HepG2 cells demonstrated an enhanced expression of both the genes resulting in sequestration of Fe in treated cells, thus indicating systemic Fe deficiency.