Biochemical properties of beryllium potentially relevant to its carcinogenicity†

The carcinogenicity of beryllium to several animal species is well established and evidence exists which strongly suggests that this is the case in human exposure. In this review several biochemical properties of the metallocarcinogen are considered including, the causation of cell transformation, and infidelity of DNA synthesis, inhibition of cell division and enzyme induction, and interference with regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression. These effects are discussed in relation to beryllium chemistry, cellular accumulation mechanisms and distribution to subcellular organdies and molecular targets. It is suggested that the ultimate location and interactions of the metal ion in cell nuclei and its selective inhibition of certain protein phosphorylation reactions in particular are the biochemical effects potentially most relevant to induction of beryllium carcinogenesis.     

Uptake and genotoxicity of micromolar concentrations of cobalt chloride in mammalian cells

Literature data concerning the genotoxicity of cobalt salts have been conflicting. To establish appropriate incubation conditions, we conducted a series of uptake studies, before genotoxicity was determined by DNA strand break induction in HeLa cells and mutagenicity in V79 Chinese hamster cells. Co(II) is taken up by HeLa cells in a concentration‐dependent manner and is accumulated inside the cell. The uptake is preceded by a fast association step to the outer membrane, with no saturation up to 24 h. DNA strand breaks as determined by nucleoid sedimentation are induced at concentrations as low as 50μMCoCl₂. The induction is time‐dependent, showing the highest number of breaks after 4h incubation with no further increase up to 24h. CoCl₂ is mutagenic at the HPRT‐locus, enhancing the spontaneous mutation frequency 4.2‐fold at 100μ?. Besides direct interactions with DNA, the mutagenicity of CoCl₂ could also be due to a decrease in the Fidelity of DNA polymerisation.     

Biochemical speciation in chromium genotoxicity

The biochemical speciation of chromium compounds in mammalian cells is discussed with respect to uptake, metabolism, DNA binding and damaging. Whereas soluble hexavalent chromium is taken up rapidly and accumulated intracellularly after its reduction, compounds of trivalent chromium penetrate biomembranes about three orders of magnitude slower. Cr(VI) after its uptake is metabolised by electron donating compounds via Cr(V) to Cr(III) compounds. Chromium from various Cr(III) compounds, but not chromate, binds to chromatin in isolated cell nuclei. The DNA‐protein crosslinks and DNA strand breaks observed in rat liver and kidney after chromate administration are also found in vitro, when Cr(III) compounds (but not chromate) interacts with isolated nuclei. In the Chinese Hamster cell HGPRT mutation assay, three out of four tested Cr(III) complexes were found to be mutagenic. In a direct DNA strand break assay with supercoiled bacteriophage PM 2 DNA, neither chromate nor the four Cr(III) compounds tested caused nicks. However, the combined action of chromate plus glutathione as well as the isolated complex of pentavalent chromium, Na₄Cr(glutathione)₄, did cause DNA breaks. Reactive oxygen species are inferred to be the ultimate DNA nicking agents in this assay. In conclusion there appear to be two mechanisms of chromate genotoxicity; one with direct DNA damage caused by Cr(V) species and one via DNA‐protein crosslinks formed with Cr(III), the final reduction state of chromate.     

Genetic toxicology of metal compounds: An examination of appropriate cellular models †

Bacterial systems have not had success predicting metal carcinogenicity. Hypotheses explaining this failure are examined. Using a broad genetic endpoint, λ prophage induction, under sub‐toxic growing conditions, genotoxicity is seen for compounds of chromium, manganese, lead, molybdenum and tungsten. Copper, manganese, arsenic and molybdenum compounds enhanced UV mutagenesis in E. coli WP2.

The toxicity of metal compounds to cultured mammalian cells correlates well with rat oral LD₅₀ values. Whereas insolubility can present problems in bacterial studies, concentrations of metal compounds toxic to mammalian cells can be determined even in the presence of precipitate, and sometimes [Pb(NO₃)₂, BaCl₂ and BeCl₂] occurs only in its presence. PbS and MnS, which are insoluble, are much more toxic than the more soluble compounds Pb(NO₃)₂ and MnCl₂. These results demonstrate the importance of cellular phagocytosis of insoluble metal compounds as a factor in studying the toxicity and genotoxicity of metal compounds.     

Speciation and carcinogenic classification—some limits of assessment and prevention procedures—the case of “nickel”

The speciation of nickel is of the highest importance for the definition of lists of substances for regulatory activity in terms of prevention, regarding possible cancer risk. A review is made of the different attitudes of outstanding administrations in front of nickel speciation. Some of them show a maximum of care in chemical definition, others reflect a lack of scientific rigor leading to generic classifications, more or less abusive. The great complexity of the chemistry and physicochemistry of nickel imposes the “two‐level speciation concept” (chemical and physicochemical), at least for compliance with the “Good Laboratory Practice” as far as experimental toxicology is concerned. Recommendations are exposed for the attention of toxicologists and regulators who have been for some years now extremely solicited for prevention aims.     

云南宣威地区燃煤排放颗粒物中石英矿物的特征

云南宣威地区是我国人群肺癌死亡率最高的地区之一,过往研究表明,该区的高肺癌死亡率可能与居民室内燃煤排放颗粒物中的多环芳烃(PAHs)有关,而最近研究发现,其中的nm级石英可能是导致肺癌发生的原因, 但鲜见该区燃煤排放颗粒物中细粒石英矿物的研究. 为探究燃煤排放细粒矿物的分布特征,采集了肺癌高发区宣威市来宾镇及周边5个乡镇煤矿中的15个煤样,使用光学显微镜、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、带能谱的扫描电镜(SEM/EDS)分析了煤样的煤岩组分及矿物组成. 结果表明:宣威煤以中挥发分、较高镜质组烟煤为主,煤中主要矿物为石英、鲕绿泥石、高岭石和方解石;不同煤样中,矿物质的结晶程度有所差异;单颗粒统计结果显示,在所统计的775个矿物颗粒中,石英颗粒占37.9%,并且粒径多分布在1~2μm之间; 石英矿物颗粒的形状不规则且以微粒的形式填充在煤缝隙中. 石英与鲕绿泥石共存的现象显示,宣威煤中石英来源于富含Fe和Al的硅质热液流,而非岩石碎屑沉积;此外,在肺癌高发区(来宾镇),其煤中Si+Fe质矿物颗粒含量较Si质矿物高. 今后将重点研究石英颗粒在Fe参与下的生物活性.      

云南宣威地区燃煤排放PM10的微观形貌和粒度特征

宣威地区肺癌发病率居全国首位,并且肺癌与室内燃煤关系密切. 为了解宣威地区室内燃煤排放PM₁₀的微观形貌和粒度特征,使用小流量Minivol采样器,分别于2011年1月、3月和12月对宣威地区6个代表性乡镇的18个农户及对照点——贵州六盘水幸福村2个农户室内、外的PM₁₀进行采样. 采用扫描电子显微镜分析样品的微观形貌,并对颗粒物粒度进行统计分析. 根据微观形貌特征将PM₁₀分为烟尘集合体(链状、蓬松状、密实状)、球形颗粒(燃煤飞灰和焦油球)、矿物颗粒(规则和不规则状)、生物颗粒及超细未知颗粒. 结果表明:宣威地区室内PM₁₀微观形貌差别较大;室、内外PM₁₀的粒度分布在0.1~0.4μm内的颗粒数量所占比例较大,而1μm以上颗粒体积所占比例较大;小粒径颗粒对颗粒物数量贡献较大,而少数大粒径颗粒对体积贡献较大;宣威地区和对照点室内的PM₁₀数量-粒度和体积-粒度分布相似,室外PM₁₀数量-粒度特征相似但体积-粒度分布有所差异. 宣威地区室内的烟尘集合体和球形颗粒分别占颗粒物总数的10.5%和23.6%,高于对照点 (分别为7.7%和11.3%).      

Reduced effect of Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease at the disease front

Pathogen-driven declines in animal populations are increasingly regarded as a major conservation issue. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is threatened with extinction by devil facial tumor disease, a unique transmissible cancer. The disease is transmitted through direct transfer of tumor cells, which is possible because the genetic diversity of Tasmanian devils is low, particularly in the major histocompatibility complex genes of the immune system. The far northwest of Tasmania now holds the last remaining disease-free wild devil populations. The recent discovery of unique major histocompatibility complex genotypes in the northwestern region of Tasmania has raised the possibility that some animals may be resilient to the disease. We examined the differences in the epidemiology and population effects of devil facial tumor disease at 3 well-studied affected sites in eastern Tasmania and 1 in western Tasmania (West Pencil Pine). In contrast to the 3 eastern sites, there has been no rapid increase in disease prevalence or evidence of population decline at West Pencil Pine. Moreover, this is the only onsite at which the population age structure has remained unaltered 4 years after the first detection of disease. The most plausible explanations for the substantial differences in population effects and epidemiology of the disease between eastern and western sites are geographic differences in genotypes or phenotypes of devils and functional differences between tumor strains in the 2 regions. We suggest that conservation efforts focus on identifying whether either or both these explanations are correct and then, if resistance alleles exist, to attempt to spread the resistant alleles into affected populations. Such assisted selection has rarely been attempted for the management of wildlife diseases, but it may be widely applicable.     

喹啉为MFC阳极燃料的微生物群落结构演化分析

通过构建填料型微生物燃料电池(MFC),首次对以喹啉为燃料时的MFC阳极表面的微生物群落进行了分析.PCR-DGGE的试验结果表明,随着燃料的改变,微生物群落也发生改变.当以喹啉和葡萄糖的混合溶液稳定地作为燃料时,由于受到喹啉毒性的抑制,微生物多样性降低,优势菌也发生明显的改变.与葡萄糖共基质相比,以单一喹啉为燃料时的阳极微生物优势菌落发生明显改变.新增加一类菌,这类菌与Pseudomonas sp. DIC5RS 的同源性为100%,推测该菌在单一喹啉为MFC燃料时喹啉的降解过程中起到关键作用.     

云南宣威燃煤室内可吸入颗粒物质量浓度变化特征

应用中流量采样器TSP-PM10-PM2.5对我国肺癌高发区宣威地区6个乡村19家农户进行采样,运用滤膜称重法来分析不同燃料类型室内及相应室外的大气颗粒物质量浓度特征.结果显示,各村庄室内、室外PM10质量浓度比值(I/O)变化范围为1.74~2.87,说明室内PM10污染主要由室内污染源引起;做饭时段室内PM10污染比其他时段严重,尽管烟囱可以将大量的污染物排出室外,但室内颗粒物的质量浓度依然较高.室内PM10质量浓度依燃料类型从高到低依次为块煤用户>型煤用户>燃柴用户>用电用户,室内PM2.5质量浓度依燃料类型从高到低表现为块煤用户>燃柴用户>用电用户;块煤、型煤用户的室内PM10的质量浓度平均值(442.49μg/m3、399.14μg/m3)超过国家室内空气质量标准日均值150μg/m3,污染严重;燃柴和用电用户室内PM10的质量浓度平均值(145.50μg/m3、119.91μg/m3)低于国家室内空气质量标准日均值150μg/m3,污染较轻.块煤用户PM2.5质量浓度日均值(132.58μg/m3)超过2012年2月29日环境保护部发布的环境空气质量标准二级标准75μg/m3,而燃柴和用电户PM2.5的质量浓度(55.24μg/m3、65.02μg/m3)均低于环境空气质量标准二级标准75μg/m3,说明块煤用户室内细颗粒污染较重,用电和燃柴用户室内细颗粒物污染相对较轻.