PM2.5对小鼠和H9C2细胞心肌肥大相关因子mRNA表达的影响

用采自太原市4个不同季节的细颗粒物(PM_(2.5))对小鼠心肌细胞H9C2进行染毒后,采用荧光定量PCR技术检测心肌肥大相关因子ANP和TGF-β的mRNA水平.采用浓度分别为0、1、3、10μg·mL~(-1)的冬季PM_(2.5)处理H9C2细胞后,检测心肌肥大相关因子ANP、β-MHC、MMP2和MMP9的mRNA水平.之后分别选取4周龄、4月龄、10月龄C57BL/6雌性小鼠作为实验模型,采用咽后壁滴注的方法用3 mg·kg~(-1) PM_(2.5)暴露4周.采用苏木素-伊红染色(HE)对小鼠心脏组织病理切片进行观察,并检测ANP和β-MHC的mRNA水平.结果发现,与对照组相比,冬季PM_(2.5)诱导H9C2细胞中ANP和TGF-β的mRNA水平升高最为显著;其中,当冬季PM_(2.5)染毒浓度较高时可诱导ANP、β-MHC、MMP2和MMP9的mRNA水平均显著升高.经PM_(2.5)暴露4周后,幼年和老年小鼠心肌细胞核质比显著降低.老年小鼠心脏组织中ANP和β-MHC的mRNA表达水平显著上升.实验表明,冬季PM_(2.5)诱导心肌肥大标志物表达改变的效应要强于其他季节,且有一定的剂量效应关系,而老年小鼠对PM_(2.5)诱导的心肌肥大效应最为敏感.     

某聚氯乙烯分厂的氯乙烯职业健康风险评价

以某化工企业的聚氯乙烯分厂为研究对象,引入美国环境保护署(EPA)推荐的健康风险评价四步法,即危害鉴定、剂量-反应评价、暴露评价和风险表征,对不同作业任务(清釜、看釜、巡检和配料)工人的氯乙烯职业暴露进行健康风险评价。结果表明,从非致癌效应来看,看釜、巡检和配料岗位工人暴露于VC引起肝细胞多态性的HI值均高于安全阈值1,其中看釜工的危害指数最大,引起的不利健康效应最严重。从致癌效应来看,清釜工暴露于VC引起肝血管肉瘤的风险处于可接受水平;而看釜工患肝血管肉瘤的风险值R,达到可接受上限10-4对应的工作年限ED=1.91 a,因此,需要尽可能地采用安全防护措施减少该岗位的职业暴露。巡检和配料岗位的肝血管肉瘤风险达到可接受水平上限10-4时,对应的工作年限分别为4.36 a和9.33 a。由于健康风险评价更侧重长期暴露危害物质对人体健康的影响,即使工作场所满足国标规定的浓度阈值,仍然存在工人长期暴露于低浓度致癌物的风险。     

A Constructal Approach to the Optimal Design of Photovoltaic Cells

The constructal law is used for the minimization of the photovoltaic cells (PVC) electrical series resistance. In this paper we report a theoretical, step by step construction of optimal PVC, from the smallest, elemental cell to the largest assembly that relies on the minimisation of the maximum voltage drop subject to volume (material) constraints. This completely deterministic approach produces optimal geometric shape for each assembly level, the optimal number and orientation of constituents within each new, higher order assembly and the optimal size of each new collector (metallic) path.     

Cultured amniotic fluid cells for prenatal diagnosis of lysosomal storage disorders: A methodological study

The influence of culture conditions on the ultrastructure and enzyme activities of amniotic fluid cells are reported. Morphological changes were determined as a function of the number of lysosomal-like inclusion bodies per cell, and these results correlated to the activity of Thiexosaminidase, a-mannosidase, β-glucuronidase, arylsulphatase C and 5′ nucleotidase. The parameters examined were pH of the culture media, type of media, increasing cell passage and day of harvest. Our results indicate that enzyme activities are less sensitive to changes in culture conditions as compared to ultrastructural changes. We therefore recommend that in order to obtain reliable ultrastructural results for the diagnosis of storage disorders, cultures should be grown in MEM as the culture medium, the pH of the medium carefully monitored to remain below pH 7·4, examining the cultures no later than the eighth cell passage and no later than the 10th day after subculture.     

Separation of amniotic fluid cell types in primary culture by percoll density gradient centrifugation

Amniotic fluid cells obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis at 15–17 weeks of gestation and cultured for 15 and 21 days were separated into three fractions by density gradient centrifugation in Percoll. Each fraction (or peak) corresponded to the following densities: peak A, 1·02–1·03 g/ml; peak B, 1·04–1·05; peak C, 1·05–1·06. Peak A was composed of both non-viable and viable cells; the latter adopted the morphology of epithelial cells in culture. Peak B contained a mixture of fibroblasts and epithelioid cells and peak C had only epithelioid cells. The variability of N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase and alkaline phosphatase activities was reduced in peaks B and C as compared to that of peak A and of unseparated cells suggesting that more defined and homogeneous cell types for enzymatic determinations can be obtained by centrifugation in Percoll density gradient. In prenatal diagnosis of biochemical defects, the separation of cells would permit a more precise diagnosis by eliminating enzyme variability due to the presence of different cell types or non-viable cells.     

Soil uranium,basement radon and lung cancer in Illinois,USA

Using counties as the sampling unit, a significant association between the chemical form of uranium occurring in soils with basement radon levels was found (Spearman r, 0.266; p > |r|, 0.007). Uranium atoms dispersed throughout the soil matrix are efficient emanators of Rn to soil gas, whereas Rn that is trapped diffuses very slowly from the several U-bearing minerals in Illinois soils and does not contribute significantly to explaining basement Rn. Basement Rn level is correlated with annual incidence of male and female lung cancers. Dispersed U is correlated with annual incidence of lung cancer in females with a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.162 (p > |r|, 0.104) and males of 0.177 (p > |r|, 0.075).     

Prenatal diagnosis of atypical tay-sachs disease by chorionic villi sampling

We studied a family at risk for atypical TSD in which the index case showed, clinically, a late onset and a gradual psychomotor deterioration and biochemically, a residual hex. A activity in leucocytes. Two prenatal diagnoses of affected fetuses were made in this family, The first one on amniotic cells, the second one on trophoblast biopsy samples. Both of them were confirmed after abortion on cultured cells. Prenatal diagnosis of TSD, even of some atypical forms is possible using trophoblast biopsy, but formal confirmation should be obtained on cultured trophoblasts.     

Peroxidase activity,lignification and promotion of cell death in tobacco cells exposed to static magnetic field

Bio-effects of static magnetic fields on cell growth and cell death have been investigated in suspension-cultured tobacco cells as undifferentiated, embryonic plant cell model. The cells in their logarithmic growth phase were exposed to static magnetic field with the magnitudes of 10 mT and 30 mT for 5 h/day. Exposure to static magnetic field ceased the growth and caused an increase in cell death of exposed tobacco cells compared to those cells which were not treated with the field. Promotion of cell death was accompanied by a harmonized increase in the activity of peroxidase and increase of lignifcation of cell walls.     

Detection of fetal cells in transcervical samples and prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities

Transcervical samples collected by lavage, aspiration, and cytobrush from women between 6 and 13 weeks of gestation were tested for the presence of fetal cells using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with probes for chromosomes X, Y, 1, and 21, and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA sequences derived from chromosomes X, Y, and 21. With a few exceptions, a good correlation was observed between the results of sexing the fetuses using FISH or PCR on transcervical cell (TCC) samples retrieved by lavage and those obtained by testing fetal (placental) tissue. In a comparative study between TCC samples collected by lavage or cytobrush, the sex of the fetus was correctly diagnosed by PCR amplification of a Y-derived DNA sequence. Variable results were observed with samples obtained by aspiration, mainly because this procedure was found to be more prone to failure to remove thick mucus without previous injection of physiological saline. Chromosome 21-derived small tandem repeats (STRs) of fetal origin were successfully detected in about 40 per cent of TCC samples recovered by lavage. Two cases of chromosomal abnormalities, one of trisomy 21 and one of triploidy, were detected in TCC samples in the course of our investigations.