Glial and neuronal cells in amniotic fluid of anencephalic pregnancies

Cultured amniotic fluid cells from four anencephalic pregnancies were characterized in indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) microscopy using specific antibodies against different types of cytoskeletal intermediate filaments. Most of the cells showed a fine fibrillar cytoplasmic fluorescence with antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFA), indicating that amniotic fluid cells in anencephalic pregnancies are of glial origin. The GFA-positive cells were rapidly adhering and proliferating. They remained as the major cell type also in long term cultures, and could easily be recovered from liquid nitrogen without losing their GFA positivity. GFA-positive cells were pleomorphic in appearance, and occurred in several morphologically different shapes. Amniotic fluid from one of the anencephalic cases contained typical neuronal cells, which in IIF were GFA-negative but could specifically be stained with anti-neurofilament antibodies. Most of the GFA-negative cells in all the cases were fibroblasts, identified by their fluorescence only with antibodies against vimentin. Epithelial cells showing positive keratin-fluorescence in IIF, were seen only occasionally.     

Prenatal diagnosis of a heterozygote for mucopolysaccharidosis type VII (β-glucuronidase deficiency)

We had the opportunity of investigating a case (BK) of a severe form of mucopolysacchari- dosis with nearly total deficiency of β-glucuronidase in serum, leucocytes and fibroblasts. We here report results obtained by prenatal diagnosis of a clinically normal child (BK's sister), and point out the difficulty in interpreting a heterozygous level of β-glucuronidase activity in cultured amniotic cells. Four successive passages of amniotic cells were tested for β-glucuronidase and α-mannosidase activity in at-risk and control cells. In different passages, enzyme activity was between 8 and 49 per cent of controls but 2 to 18 times higher than fibroblasts from the affected brother (BK). The highest activity was observed in the first passage and the lowest in the third. The electrophoretic separation of GAGS from at-risk amniotic fluid showed a normal pattern. We discuss the correlation between enzyme levels in different passages of cultured cells and that found in leucocytes and fibroblasts from the propositus and parents. From a practical point of view, we conclude that the first passage gives the most reliable results for prenatal diagnosis.     

广西扶绥肝癌高发与饮水水质关系的研究

广西扶绥是我国肝癌高发县之一，病区居民主要饮有机污染严重的塘水，塘水中的有机污染指标和某些有机组分均很高，而且与死亡率呈显的正相关关系。而石灰岩层中的深井水则相反，水质好，死亡率很低。测试结果表明，塘水中存在亚硝胺类化合物，它们与死亡率有较好的平行关系。用这类塘水进行人体外周血淋巴细胞微核试验和细胞染色体畸变试验，证明其中有致突变的化学物质。通过换水可阻截水中有害有机物和致癌物进入人体，以达到增     

固定化微生物脱氮

应用固定化微生物技术开展单级生物脱氮的研究。结果表明，固定化硝化与反硝化混合污泥可以实现单级生物脱氮，效果好于未固定化污泥，氨氧化速率和总无机氮的脱中分别提高到未固定化污泥的１．７倍和１３．４倍。结果还表明光硬化树脂也是一种较好的固定化介质。     

利用百合(Lilium davidii)根尖细胞的微核细胞率作为环境监测指标的探讨

首次报道了利用百合根尖细胞微核细胞率作为环境监测指标的可行性和优越性。实验证明,百合根尖比蚕豆根尖细胞的微核细胞率更敏感。     

固定化细胞技术在重金属废水处理中的应用研究进展

作为生物吸附技术的一种,固定化细胞技术用于重金属废水处理虽然时间不长,但已表现出良好的应用前景.通过分析固定化细胞技术的概念、固定化方法、可利用生物种类、吸附机理及其在生产实践中的应用情况,探讨了该技术目前存在的问题及研究方向.     

一种新去整合素Adinbitor的表达、序列分析及其对C6神经胶质瘤细胞凋亡的诱导

Adinbitor为一通过基因工程方法获得的来自于中国白眉蝮蛇毒腺的去整合素家族的新成员 .从蝮蛇毒腺中提取总RNA进行RT -PCR扩增 ,获得了 2 19bp的白眉蝮蛇去整合素基因 .cDNA测序及由此推导的氨基酸序列结果显示 ,Adinbitor为含有 73个氨基酸的多肽 ,其中包括 12个半胱氨酸 ,并具有去整合素的特征模序 -RGD .对此去整合素基因进行克隆、转化与诱导后 ,得到了该蛋白的可溶性高效表达 .经组氨酸亲和层析纯化 ,获得了分子量Mr为 9×10 3 的均质融合蛋白 ,并将其命名为adinbitor.序列分析表明 ,adinbitor与已发表于GENBANK上的整合素序列有很高的同源性 ,其中同源性最高的是南韩的saxatilin ,二者的蛋白质同源性高达 91.78% .活性测定结果表明 ,Adinbitor能有效地诱导神经胶质瘤细胞C6的细胞凋亡 ,有希望成为一种抗癌新药 .图 5参 15     

<Emphasis Type="Bold">Chronodisruption and cancer</Emphasis>

Research into health effects of chronodisruption (CD), a relevant disturbance of the circadian organization of physiology, endocrinology, metabolism and behaviour, is evolving at a rapid pace. With regard to malignancies, our synthesis of key experiments indicates that CD can play a causal role for cancer growth and tumor progression in animals. Moreover, our meta-analyses of 30 epidemiological studies evince that flight personnel and shift workers exposed to chronodisruption may have increased breast and prostate cancer risks: summary relative risks (RRs) for investigations of flight personnel and of shift workers suggested a 70 and 40% increase in the risk of breast cancer, respectively, and excess relative risks of prostate cancer in nine studies in flight personnel (40%) and in two studies in male shift workers. There was a remarkable indication of homogeneity of results from the individual studies that contribute to the average statistics. However, in view of doubts about whether the differing assessments of CD can really be regarded as valid reflections of the same causative phenomenon and the lack of control of covariates in the majority of studies, it is premature to conclude that the risk observations reflect a real, rather than spurious, association with CD. The challenge for future epidemiological investigations of the biologically plausible links between chronodisruption and human cancers is to conduct studies which appreciate details of transmeridian travelling, of shift work and of covariates for the development of the diseases.     

不同粒径的大气细颗粒物对A549细胞的毒性研究

研究了不同粒径的大气细颗粒物对人肺癌上皮细胞A549的生物学效应,探讨了大气中细颗粒物粒径与细胞毒性的关系。采集杭州市大气中不同粒径的细颗粒物,制备成不同粒径的颗粒物总悬浮液,将A549细胞暴露于该制备液24 h后,测定细胞活力(MTT法)和培养液上清液中的LDH含量;并选择最佳浓度为后续暴露剂量,测定ROS生成量,评价不同粒径大气细颗粒物对细胞损伤效应。此外,还采用RTPCR测定凋亡基因P50、BAX、BCL-2表达情况。不同粒径的细颗粒物均显著抑制A549细胞活力,LDH显著增多,并存在剂量-效应关系;最佳染毒质量浓度为10μg/m L;ROS的生成量和各个凋亡基因的mRNA表达量均高于对照组。大气中不同粒径的细颗粒物均能对A549细胞产生毒性,并且随粒径增加,颗粒物对细胞的毒性呈降低趋势。     

The short-chain perfluorinated compounds PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA and PFHxA, disrupt human mesenchymal stem cell self-renewal and adipogenic differentiation

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are commonly used in industrial processes and daily life products. Because they are persistent, they accumulate in the environment, wildlife and humans. Although many studies have focused on two of the most representative PFASs, PFOS and PFOA, the potential toxicity of short-chain PFASs has not yet been given sufficient attention. We used a battery of assays to evaluate the toxicity of several four-carbon and six-carbon perfluorinated sulfonates and carboxyl acids (PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA and PFHxA), with a human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) system. Our results demonstrate significant cyto- and potential developmental toxicity for all the compounds analyzed, with shared but also distinct mechanisms of toxicity. Moreover, the effects of PFBS and PFHxS were stronger than those of PFBA and PFHxA, but occurred at higher doses compared to PFOS or PFOA.