Search

BACKGROUND Sirtuin2 (SIRT2), one of the members of the sirtuins family, has been proven to be a conserved protein. SIRT2 is reported to be associated with infection and inflammation, and its expression level in some cells such as mice brain can be reduced by the stimulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We surmise that the expression levels of SIRT2 may be a warning signal of sepsis in the human body. METHODS A total of 38 intensive care units (ICU) patients with a diagnosis of sepsis/septic shock were recruited within 24 h of entry into the ICU. Serum procalcitonin (PCT), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and SIRT2 measurements were performed on admission, and on the second and fourth therapy days. The mRNA expression of SIRT2 was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS We ascertained that the expression levels of SIRT2 mRNA in sepsis patients and septic shock patients were lower than those in the healthy volunteer control group (P

Fibrosis is the final common pathology of most chronic diseases as seen in the heart, liver, lung, kidney, and skin and contributes to nearly half of death in the developed countries. Fibrosis, or scarring, is mainly characterized by the transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts and the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) secreted by myofibroblasts. Despite immense efforts made in the field of organ fibrosis over the past decades and considerable understanding of the occurrence and development of fibrosis gained, there is still lack of an effective treatment for fibrotic diseases. Therefore, identifying a new therapeutic strategy against organ fibrosis is an unmet clinical need. Naringenin, a flavonoid that occurs naturally in citrus fruits, has been found to confer a wide range of pharmacological effects including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer benefits and thus potentially exerting preventive and curative effects on numerous diseases. In addition, emerging evidence has revealed that naringenin can prevent the pathogenesis of fibrosis in vivo and in vitro via the regulation of various pathways that involved signaling molecules such as transforming growth factor-β1/small mother against decapentaplegic protein 3 (TGF-β1/Smad3), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), sirtuin1 (SIRT1), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), or reactive oxygen species (ROS). Targeting these profibrotic pathways by naringenin could potentially become a novel therapeutic approach for the management of fibrotic disorders. In this review, we present a comprehensive summary of the antifibrotic roles of naringenin in vivo and in vitro and their underlying mechanisms of action. As a food derived compound, naringenin may serve as a promising drug candidate for the treatment of fibrotic disorders.

Globally, tea is the second most consumed nonalcoholic beverage next to drinking water and is an important pathway of disinfection byproduct (DBP) exposure. When boiled tap water is used to brew tea, residual chlorine can produce DBPs by the reaction of chlorine with tea compounds. In this study, 60 regulated and priority DBPs were measured in Twinings green tea, Earl Grey tea, and Lipton tea that was brewed using tap water or simulated tap water (nanopure water with chlorine). In many cases, measured DBP levels in tea were lower than in the tap water itself due to volatilization and sorption onto tea leaves. DBPs formed by the reaction of residual chlorine with tea precursors contributed ∼12% of total DBPs in real tap water brewed tea, with the remaining 88% introduced by the tap water itself. Of that 12%, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and chloroform were the only contributing DBPs. Total organic halogen in tea nearly doubled relative to tap water, with 96% of the halogenated DBPs unknown. Much of this unknown total organic halogen (TOX) may be high-molecular-weight haloaromatic compounds, formed by the reaction of chlorine with polyphenols present in tea leaves. The identification of 15 haloaromatic DBPs using gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry indicates that this may be the case. Further studies on the identity and formation of these aromatic DBPs should be conducted since haloaromatic DBPs can have significant toxicity.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are a kind of emerging contaminants, but the information about their pollution profile and ecological risk are still scarce in China. In this study, 31 surface water samples of Haihe River (China) were collected in November 2017, and 11 OPEs were measured, and the ecological risk of OPEs was assessed by means of species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method and assessment factor method. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis and an international comparison with other rivers in the world were conducted. The results showed that total OPEs ranged from 23.98 to 824.72 ng L−1, and the mean value was 228.70 ng L−1. The concentration of OPEs decreased as follows: Tri(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) > Tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) > Triethyl phosphate (TEP) > Tributoxyethyl phosphate (TBEP) > Triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) > Tripropyl phosphate (TPrP) > Tri(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) > 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) > Tri(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCPP) > Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP) > Tri-m-cresyl phosphate (TMPP). TCPP (19.54–160.82 ng L−1) and TCEP (N.D.-151.99 ng L−1) with the mean value of 76.67 and 53.13 ng L−1 respectively were identified as the richest OPEs in Haihe River. The concentration of OPEs slowly increased in the upper reaches of Haihe River, and it tended to be stable in the middle reaches of Haihe River and decreased rapidly from the downstream to the outer sea. Significantly positive correlations occurred among three chlorinated alkyl OPEs (TCEP, TCPP, and TDCPP), suggesting that they might come from the same source. Based on the comparison, the pollution condition of OPEs in Haihe River was low, and TCEP was found to be the most abundant OPEs in China but it was not that in Europe. The ecological risk assessment on the basis of assessment factor method suggested that the risk of OPEs in Haihe River for algae, crustacean, and fish was limited. In addition, the results of SSD method suggested that the combined ecological risk of four OPEs in Haihe River was also low. This study provides information about the pollution status of OPEs in the surface water of China to some extents and a project for the risk estimation based on SSD for prior and emerging flame retardants.

As a well known endocrine-disrupting and model chemical, bisphenol A (BPA) may pose a serious threat to human health, since it and its disinfection by-products (DBPs) have been detected in drinking water, urine, human colostrum, adipose tissue, and placenta samples. Although chlorinated BPAs (Cl-BPAs) and iodinated BPAs (I-BPAs) have been well studied, brominated BPAs (Br-BPAs), and mixed halogenated DBPs like bromo-iodo-BPAs (Br-I-BPAs), and bromo-chloro-iodo-BPAs (Cl-Br-I-BPAs) are less well understood. Notably, the role of iodide (I-) during chlorination is not well understood, since the studies of the I-DBPs mainly focus on their genotoxicity and cytotoxicity. To understand the formation mechanisms of halogenated bisphenol A (HBPs) during chlorination with bromide (Br-) and/or I-, and the role of I- during chlorination, three set of reactions were performed in the laboratory ("BPA + chlorine + Br-", "BPA + chlorine + I-" and "BPA + chlorine + Br- +I-" assigned as group A, B and C respectively). Thirty HBPs were identified and 18 of them were never reported before. I- increases the transformation rate of BPA into HBPs as I-BPAs act as intermediate HBPs during chlorination that easily react with HClO/ClO- and HBrO/BrO- to form Cl-BPAs and Br-BPAs. HIO/IO- showed higher reactivity towards BPA and HBPs than that of HBrO/BrO- and HClO/ClO-. The recycling of I- was observed in the reactions of "BPA + chlorine + I-" and "BPA + chlorine + Br- +I-", which may explain why I- can induce BPA to transform into HBPs and suggests that I- may act as a catalyst during the BPA chlorination reactions. The reaction pathways are proposed which present the reactions of BPA and HBPs with HClO/ClO-, HBrO/BrO-, and HIO/IO-, as well as the recycling of I-. This study describes the potential DBP formation and transformation mechanisms of BPA and its 16 alternatives, as well as the role of I- on the transformation of phenol compounds during chlorination.

BACKGROUND This study investigated the effect and the possible mechanism of trimetazidine in atherosclerosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS We established an atherosclerotic rat model by high-fat diet and vitamin D injection. Rats were separated into 3 different groups: control, atherosclerosis, and trimetazidine (n=10). The aortic artery was isolated and its morphological features were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) were analyzed using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were cultured and divided into 5 groups: no treatment, H₂O₂ treatment only, trimetazidine preincubation before H₂O₂ treatment, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) treatment only, and trimetazidine preincubation before oxLDL treatment. HASMCs proliferation was tested using the Cell Counting Kit-8. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of the aortic artery, and HASMCs were measured using commercially available kits. RESULTS HE staining assay showed that trimetazidine suppressed the progression of atherosclerosis and reduced foam cell formation in the aortic artery without affecting serum lipid levels. HASMCs proliferation assay revealed that trimetazidine alleviated the inhibitory effect of H₂O₂ on HASMCs proliferation and inhibited oxLDL-induced proliferation of HASMCs. Moreover, trimetazidine ameliorated ROS up-regulation elicited by H₂O₂ or oxLDL in HASMCs. Additionally, trimetazidine restored SOD activity and reduced MDA content of HASMCs. CONCLUSIONS Trimetazidine suppressed the progression of atherosclerosis by enhancing energy value, decreasing ROS level of aortic artery, modulating HASMCs proliferation, and reducing oxidative stress in HASMCs.

Emission characteristic of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from 12 medical waste incinerators (MWIs) which have a total yearly capacity of 523 440 ton medical waste and accounted for 8.1% of total yearly capacity of 246 MWIs in China were studied. The congeners profile, emissions and toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQ) indicators of PCDD/Fs in stack gas from two groups of MWIs were researched, and the possible formation mechanisms of PCDD/Fs from MWIs were preliminarily discussed. The results of present study were summarized as follows. (1) The total concentrations and TEQ of PCDD/Fs in stack gas from MWIs were 0.516-122.803 ng Nm-3 and 0.031-3.463 ng I-TEQ Nm-3, respectively. (2) 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-H7CDF, O8CDD, O8CDF and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-H7CDD were the indicatory PCDD/Fs of MWI source, which could be used to apportion the sources of PCDD/Fs in environmental medium in China. (3) The emission factors of PCDD/Fs from MWIs ranged from 32.7 to 4900.0 ng I-TEQ ton-1 with a mean of 1923.6 ng I-TEQ ton-1. (4) The gas emissions of PCDD/Fs from researched 12 MWIs and all of MWIs in China in 2016 were 37.742 and 465.951 mg I-TEQ year-1, respectively. (5) 1,2,3,7,8,9-H6CDF and 1,2,3,4,7,8-H6CDF were effective TEQ indicators for the real-time monitoring of the PCDD/Fs emission. (6) The congeners profile and factor composition of PCDD/Fs in stack gas from two groups of MWIs were researched based on positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, and the possible formation mechanisms of PCDD/Fs from MWIs were preliminarily discussed.

Ambient air contains a number of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), to which inhalation exposure has drawn worldwide concern. However, information regarding annual changes in the concentrations and health risks of POPs in the ambient air of Sao Paulo, Brazil, are limited. This study provides comprehensive information on annual changes in polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs), and 10 groups of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the ambient air of Sao Paulo between 2010 and 2015 based on the Global Monitoring Plan. The mass concentrations of the studied POPs (PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs, and OCPs) showed declining trends from 2010 to 2015 (from 2.65 × 10−2 to 1.33 × 10−2 pg m−3, from 9.89 × 10−2 to 3.12 × 10−2 pg m−3, and from 0.313 to 0.100 ng m−3, respectively), which might be due to the decrease of non-intentional emissions. The carcinogenic risk (CR) and non-carcinogenic risk (Non-CR) of the studied POPs were 1.48 × 10−11 to 6.08 × 10−7 and 3.44 × 10−8 to 3.34 × 10−3, respectively, which are lower than the generally accepted threshold values (10−6/10−5 and 1 for CR and Non-CR, respectively), suggesting that the health risks posed by the studied POPs were acceptable. PCDD/Fs had the highest CR (6.08 × 10−8-4.81 × 10−7), whereas the 95th percentile CR of DL-PCBs and nine of the OCPs were lower than 10−7, suggesting that among the studied POPs, PCDD/Fs in the ambient air warrant special attention. The 95th percentile CRs of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (2.30 × 10−8), dieldrin (1.30 × 10−8), hexachlorocyclohexanes (1.05 × 10−8), heptachlor (8.97 × 10−9), hexachlorobenzene (6.47 × 10−9), chlordane (5.89 × 10−9), heptachlor epoxide (1.42 × 10−9), aldrin (1.33 × 10−9), and mirex (2.71 × 10−10) in ambient air were relatively low, suggesting that their threats to human health were negligible. In general, PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs, and OCPs in the ambient air of Sao Paulo did not pose serious threats to human health during 2010–2015.

To recognize the occurrence and health risk of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in soil of residential areas, a nationwide survey was conducted covering 32 provincial-level administrative regions of China in 2018. Except for triamyl phosphate (TAP), twelve OPEs were detected in residential soil from 89 cities with a total concentration of 1.70–179 ng/g dw, indicating a relatively low contamination level of OPEs in residential soil of China (compared with point source soils and urban soils). Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) was the most abundant OPEs, followed by tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), which suggested that TCIPP has been a replacement of TCEP in recent years. An apparent geographical distribution of higher OPEs levels in the Bohai Rim, the Yangtze Delta and Shanxi province than other regions was found. According to the division of administrative levels, the most serious OPEs pollution occurred in prefecture-level city (20.2 ng/g dw), followed by provincial capital (17.9 ng/g dw) and county town (14.1 ng/g dw), which was affected by the usage of OPEs products and behaviors of local residents. The correlation analysis results showed that environmental parameters (total organic carbon (TOC), precipitation and temperature) were not the major factors determining OPEs contamination, while socioeconomic parameters were significantly correlated with OPEs concentration in undeveloped regions/cities with rare industrial source. Although the health risk assessment suggested a negligible risk to local residents (5.92 × 10−7-1.75 × 10−6 for non-carcinogenic risk and 4.82 × 10−12-2.10 × 10−11 for carcinogenic risk), the production and usage of TCIPP and TCEP should be paid more attention due to their relatively high risks. Our study was attempted to provide a nationwide baseline concentration of OPEs in soil of residential areas, which could be used to support further studies.

As one group of emerging pollutants, the threat of organophosphate esters (flame retardants and plasticizers, OPEs) to drinking water safety is not well recognized. Now, the oral reference dose (RfD) and oral cancer slope factor (SFO) of OPEs have been updated by USPEA, therefore the threat of OPEs to drinking water safety could be assessed. In this study, occurrence, health risk and key impact factor of OPEs in drinking water of China were analyzed covering 79 cities, whose population and gross domestic product (GDP) accounted for 28.8% and 44.1% of them in China, respectively. Total concentration of 14 common OPEs in drinking water was 13.42-265.48 ng/L. The exposure level of OPEs via ingestion of drinking water was much lower than that of food ingestion but was comparable with dust ingestion, inhalation and dermal absorption. A health assessment for OPEs via ingestion of drinking water suggested that the potential cancer risk occurred (1.00E-6) but no obvious non-carcinogenic effects occurred (1). Tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate (TDBPP) contributed to about 72.4% of carcinogenic risk, which should be treated as "prior monitoring OPEs" in further studies. The occurrence and distribution of OPEs in drinking water of China have a good corresponding relationship with the Aihui-Tengchong Line, and drinking water treatment technology (DWTT) was found to be a key factor. Total OPEs, halogeno-OPEs and alkyl-OPEs in drinking water from advanced DWTT cities were much lower than those of conventional DWTT cities. Compared with conventional DWTT, advanced DWTT could reduce about 65.6% and 36.5% of carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk of OPEs, respectively. Considering the annual growth of OPEs consumption in China and world, further studies regarding the environmental threat of OPEs are required.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are a group of emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which have been ubiquitously detected in the environmental media. However, national scale investigations on their occurrence and distribution in drinking water are still insufficient. In this study, we detected the 17 priority PFAAs in drinking water from 79 cities of 31 provincial-level administrative regions throughout China, and investigated their occurrence and distribution. Additionally, we also analyzed the influencing factors on their profiles, such as the existence of industrial sources, socioeconomic factors (population density and GDP), and assessed levels of risk associated with contaminated drinking water. On the national scale, the sum concentrations of the 17 PFAAs (∑17PFAAs) in drinking water was in a range of 4.49–174.93 ng/L with a mean value of 35.13 ng/L. Among the 17 individual PFAAs, perfluorobutanoic acids (PFBA) was the most abundant individual PFAAs with the median concentration of 17.87 ng/L, followed by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, 0.74 ng/L), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA, 0.40 ng/L) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS, 0.25 ng/L). The geographic distribution characteristic of ∑17PFAAs in drinking water was in a descending order of Southwestern China (57.67 ng/L) > Eastern coastal China (32.85 ng/L) > Middle China (29.89 ng/L) > Northwestern China (28.49 ng/L) > Northeastern China (22.03 ng/L), and in general, the existence of the industrial sources could positively affect the contamination levels of PFAAs in drinking water. The pollution level of PFAAs in drinking water also varied among the three different city levels (medium-sized city > big city > town). In towns, the positive correlations were observed between the population density and the ∑17PFAAs (R2 = 0.45, p

The photosynthetic characteristics of a Pyropia haitanensis red mutant mutated from a wild-type strain using chemical mutagens were studied. The aim was to compare the differences in photosynthetic characteristics between the red mutant and the wild type, and then to analyse the possibility of the red mutant as breeding material. The results indicated that the cytoplasm thickness of the red mutant and the wild type were similar, whereas the cell wall of the red mutant was significantly thinner than that of the wild type. Additionally, the chlorophyll a extract absorption spectra of both strains exhibited no obvious difference, whereas the absorption peaks at 498, 545, and 565 nm (which belong to phycoerythrin, PE) in the phycobiliprotein extract absorption spectra of the red mutant were clearly higher than those of the wild type. The PE content per area of the red mutant thallus was significantly higher than that of the wild type, and the ratios of PE to phycocyanin (PC) and PE to chlorophyll a were significantly higher in the red mutant than in the wild type. The net photosynthetic oxygen evolution rates of the red mutant and wild type cultured under different light intensities demonstrated that the oxygen evolution rates of all samples decreased with increasing light intensities, whereas the oxygen evolution rate of the red mutant was higher than that of the wild type under the same light intensities. The light response curves also indicated that the light-saturated photosynthetic rates (P max), light saturation points (LSPs), and light compensation points (LCPs) of both strains decreased to different degrees with increasing light intensities and that the P max and LSP values of the red mutant were significantly higher than those of the wild type under identical light intensities. In contrast, there were no obvious differences in the respiration rate (R d) and in the LCP. The F v/F m values of both strains were similar before light treatment, whereas the F v/F m of the red mutants after culture under different light intensities (120 and 200 μmol photons m−2 s−1) for 3 days were significantly higher than those values of the wild type. Moreover, ∆F/F m′ also exhibited a similar variation. Based on these results, the high content of PE in the P. haitanensis red mutant causes a steady red phenotype, and the increase in the PE concentration and the decrease in the thickness of the thallus may enhance its photosynthetic physiological activity. Thus, the red mutant of P. haitanensis may provide good material for Pyropia breeding.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of curcumin on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced cell migration and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 expression and activity in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), in order to identify whether the effects are mediated by the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway. The VSMCs cells were pretreated with curcumin prior to stimulation with TNF-α. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to determine the MMP-2 mRNA and protein expression levels in TNF-α-stimulated VSMCs. Activity levels of MMP-2 were measured using a gelatin zymography assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was also analyzed. Curcumin was found to suppress the TNF-α-stimulated migration of VSMCs. In addition, curcumin inhibited the TNF-α-induced induction of MMP-2 activity and expression. Curcumin also decreased ROS generation in TNF-α-stimulated VSMCs. Signal transduction experiments indicated that TNF-α-induced MMP-2 expression in VSMCs was partly reversed with the application of an NF-κB inhibitor (BAY11-7082). In addition, western blot analysis revealed that curcumin reduced NF-κB p65 protein expression in TNF-α-stimulated VSMCs at the concentration of 20 and 40 μM. Therefore, these observations indicated that curcumin suppressed TNF-α-stimulated VSMC migration and partially prevented TNF-α-induced MMP-2 expression and activity in VSMCs via the NF-κB pathway.

Naringenin (NG), a flavanone extracted from various plants, has potent vasoprotective effects likely related to the induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). In the current study, we investigated mechanisms underlying the effect of NG on HO-1 expression and high glucose (HG)- or free fatty acids (FFA)-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). First, we found that HUVECs exposed to NG exhibited enhanced HO-1 expression in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, HUVECs treated with NG exhibited activation of phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt, extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) and SP600125 (a JNK inhibitor) reduced NG-induced HO-1 expression, whereas BIRB796 (a p38 inhibitor) and PD98059 (an ERK inhibitor) had no effect. The cytoprotective effects of NG were correlated with activation of the transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a critical regulator of HO-1 expression. Indeed, the results of our experiments using LY294002 and SP600125 indicated that NG may stimulate Nrf2 through PI3K/Akt and JNK pathway activation. Moreover, treatment of HUVECs with Nrf2 siRNA decreased NG-induced HO-1 expression. Finally, pretreatment of HUVECs with NG remarkably reduced HG- or FFA-induced cell apoptosis, and this effect was greatly abrogated in the presence of SnPP (an HO-1 inhibitor). Above all, our data show that NG increased HO-1 expression and reduced HG- or FFA-induced cell apoptosis in HUVECs by upregulating PI3K, JNK, and Nrf2 pathways, which may confer an adaptive survival response in diabetes-induced vascular injury.

The photosynthetic characteristics of thalli of cultured Pyropia yezoensis strains collected in January, February, and March in seaweed cultivation area of South China Yellow Sea were studied. Results showed that the maximum quantum efficiency (F v/F m) of all P. yezoensis thallus collected at different times was 0.65. The actual quantum efficiency (ΔF/F m′) of samples in January was the lowest of all samples, while the ΔF/F m′ of samples in March was significantly higher than those in January and February. The increase of temperature and photosynthetic pigments ratios of phycoerythrin and chlorophyll a (PE/Chla) and phycocyanin and chlorophyll a (PC/Chla) from January to March may be the important reasons for the increase in light use efficiency of thallus; although the thallus in March was significantly thicker than in January which may have reduced the light energy absorbed by photosynthetic pigments, the increase of relative high energy use efficiency also helped to maintain the photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate in March. The thicker thallus also reduced photodamage, and the thallus area was increased obviously in March, so the growth rate of thallus in March was over 35 % higher than that in February. Our research indicates that the photosynthetic characteristics of P. yezoensis strains thalli have a close relationship with their growth stage and environmental factors especially temperature, and those photosynthetic characteristics are also reflected in the growth rate of the thalli.

Congener profiles, distribution and sources of parent and alkyl-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of Southern Yellow Sea (SYS), China were investigated. The ecological risk of parent-PAHs to aquatic organisms were evaluated based on sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), risk quotient (RQ), organic carbon (OC)-normalized analysis and mean effects range-median quotient (M-ERM-Q). The concentrations of 33 PAHs were analyzed, including 14 parent PAHs (without naphthalene and acenaphthylene), 16 alkyl-PAHs (7 methylphenanthrenes, 3 methylanthracenes, 3 methylfluoranthenes, and 3 methylpyrenes), dibenzothiophene, retene and perylene. Total concentrations of PAHs (TPAHs) ranged from 200.8 to 3629.0ng/g dry weight (d.w.), with a mean value of 1035.4ng/g d.w., and mainly contributed by fluorene, phenanthrene, methylphenanthrene, retene, fluoranthene and pyrene. Analysis of a broad variety of diagnostic ratios suggested that combustion was the key source of PAHs. Principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR) indicated that combustion of coal, softwood and nature gas, coke oven, petroleum and vehicle emission were the main sources of PAHs in sediments of SYS, contributing 41.5%, 30.6%, 18.8%, and 9.0% to TPAHs, respectively. Ecological risk assessment of individual parent-PAHs suggested that fluorene, phenanthrene and fluoranthene may cause some risk to aquatic organisms in some stations. OC-normalized analysis and M-ERM-Q indicated that risk of multiple parent-PAHs was quite low in the studied area.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of curcumin treatment on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced matrix metalloproteinase‑2 (MMP‑2) activity, and assess whether the effects are mediated by the Ras/mitogen‑activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2) signaling pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). VSMCs were isolated from male Sprague‑Dawley rats. Protein expression levels were analyzed by western blotting. The activity of MMP‑2 was measured with gelatin zymography, and an electrophoretic mobility shift assay was used to detect the DNA binding activity of nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB). Curcumin treatment was demonstrated to inhibit LPS‑induced MMP‑2 activity in rat VSMCs. This inhibitory effect was partially blocked by ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, an inhibitor of NF‑κB activation, and farnesylthiosalicylic acid, an inhibitor of Ras. In addition, the results of the present study indicated that LPS‑induced phosphorylation of Ras homolog family member A and MEK1/2 was significantly decreased by curcumin. Furthermore, NF‑κB p65 expression in the nucleus and the DNA binding activity of NF‑κB in rat LPS‑exposed VSMCs was decreased by curcumin. Taken together, these findings suggest that curcumin prevents of LPS‑induced MMP‑2 activity through Ras/MEK1/2 and NF‑κB signaling.

The levels of photosynthetic pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence of Porphyra yezoensis strains selected from high-light environments were investigated. Sutong and Sulian strains originated from the same high-light environment but were selected from different sites on the Yellow Sea coast of Jiangsu Province, China. In January (a low temperature period), the Sulian strain and the WT (a widely cultivated strain) had higher levels of chlorophyll a, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, and allophycocyanin, and higher actual photochemical efficiency of PSII (ΔF/F m′) than the Sutong strain. This indicated that Sulian and the WT may have better adaptation to low temperature. In March (an optimal temperature period), Sutong had higher levels of photosynthetic pigments and higher ΔF/F m′ than the WT and Sulian strains. This suggested that Sutong had higher light use efficiency at optimal temperatures and that most energy absorbed by PSII was used for photosynthetic electron transport. The differing areas of origin of these strains may have resulted in these differences in temperature adaptation.

Sources and ecological risk of sixteen priority PAHs in surface sediments from Bohai Sea (BS) and northern part of the Yellow Sea (NPYS) were investigated. The total concentrations of PAHs varied in ranges 149.24-1211.81 and 148.28-907.47 ng/g for BS and NPYS, respectively. Principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR) suggested that coal combustion, vehicular emission and coke oven could be the primary PAH contributors, accounting for 56.6%, 29.2% and 14.2% of PAH concentrations, respectively. Analysis with sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) indicated that acenaphthylene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene may occasionally cause adverse biological effects in some stations. Organic carbon (OC)-normalized analysis and mean effects range-median quotient (M-ERM-Q) suggested that the combined ecological risk of PAHs was generally low. The toxic equivalent concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs were 12.87-64.6 ng/g-BaP(eq) and 5.95-68.80 ng/g-BaP(eq) in BS and NPYS, respectively, suggesting low carcinogenic risk for both BS and NPYS.

To investigate antiatherosclerosis effect of atorvastatin (ATV) in a rat atherosclerosis model, and to explore roles of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in this event.After being fed a high-fat diet, the rats were treated with ATV, ATV combined with cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) inhibitor DL-propargylglycine, and ATV combined with endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) inhibitor N'-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester hydrochloride from 9 to 12 weeks, respectively. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed. Pathologic changes of aortic arch were observed to assay the degree of atherosclerotic lesions. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were determined. Further, nitric oxide, total nitric oxide synthase and eNOS, and H2S and CSE were also measured.Compared with the normal control group, serum TC, triglyceride, and LDL-C levels in the model group were significantly elevated (P 0.05). Pathological result suggested typical atherosclerotic lesions after the high-fat diet. The serum nitric oxide, eNOS, H2S, and CSE significantly decreased (P 0.05). Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that mRNA levels of eNOS and CSE in the aortic arch of the model rats were significantly downregulated (P 0.05). Actually, ATV significantly ameliorated atherosclerotic lesions. ATV also significantly downregulated increased serum TC and LDL-C, and upregulated decreased serum nitric oxide and eNOS. However, it had no significant effects on serum H2S and CSE (P 0.05). ATV combined with DL-propargylglycine significantly reduced serum H2S and CSE, and increased serum nitric oxide and eNOS as compared to single ATV treatment (P 0.05). ATV combined with N'-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester hydrochloride significantly increased serum TC, LDL-C, H2S, and CSE, and decreased nitric oxide and eNOS as compared to the single ATV (P 0.05).ATV significantly ameliorates atherosclerotic lesions and enhances the activity of serum nitric oxide system, but not H2S system. The blockage of nitric oxide pathway, but not H2S pathway, significantly weakens antiatherosclerosis of ATV.

Background— Non-O type of ABO blood group has been associated with a predisposition to coronary heart disease. It is thought that this association is partly mediated by increased cholesterol levels in non–O-type individuals. In this study, we sought to estimate the mediation effect size. Methods and Results— In a group of individuals (n=6476) undergoing coronary angiography, we detected associations of non-O type with significant coronary artery disease with >50% stenosis in ≥1 coronary arteries (odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.39; P =2.6×10 −4 ) and with prevalent or incident myocardial infarction (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.09–1.37; P =1.2×10 −3 ). Subjects of non-O type had higher levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean [SEM] in mmol/L: 4.931[0.021], 3.041 [0.018], and 3.805 [0.020] in non-O type compared with 4.778 [0.026], 2.906 [0.021], and 3.669 [0.024] in O type; P =3.8×10 −7 , P =1.5×10 −7 , and P =3.1×10 −7 , respectively). Mediation analyses indicated that 10% of the effect of non-O type on coronary artery disease susceptibility was mediated by increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level ( P =7.8×10 −4 ) and that 11% of the effect of non-O type on myocardial infarction risk was mediated by raised low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level ( P =2.0×10 −3 ). Conclusions— In a model in which it is presumed that cholesterol is a mediator of the associations of ABO group with coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction, around 10% of the effect of non-O type on coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction susceptibility was mediated by its influence on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level.

Within a few days of being isolated, primary human hepatocytes undergo a rapid dedifferentiation process and lose susceptibility to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in vitro. This fact has limited their further application. In this study, a convenient and feasible method of preventing this dedifferentiation was established, by co-culturing human fetal hepatocytes with hepatic non-parenchymal cells to maintain the differentiation features of human fetal hepatocytes. Isolated hepatic cells were seeded at a low density, and cultured in dimethyl sulfoxide-free medium for a month to allow rapid proliferation of non-parenchymal cells. Subsequently, 2% dimethyl sulfoxide was added to induce formation of typical hepatic islands, in which hepatocytic features could be further maintained for up to an additional 3 months. These hepatic islands, formed of piled-up hepatocytes, were surrounded and invaded by non-parenchymal cells. Protein expression profiles showed that the human fetal hepatocytes underwent a rapid maturation process, and the hepatocytic features were well preserved. Most importantly, these human fetal hepatocytes still exhibited susceptibility to HBV infection after long-term maintenance, for as long as 10 weeks. This co-culture method has overcome the pre-existing disadvantages of primary human hepatocytes for virological studies, and provides a valuable approach to long-term maintenance of primary human hepatocytes for studies of HBV infection for prolonged periods.

Objective To determine the effects of longer term modest salt reduction on blood pressure, hormones, and lipids. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Medline, Embase, Cochrane Hypertension Group Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and reference list of relevant articles. Inclusion criteria Randomised trials with a modest reduction in salt intake and duration of at least four weeks. Data extraction and analysis Data were extracted independently by two reviewers. Random effects meta-analyses, subgroup analyses, and meta-regression were performed. Results Thirty four trials (3230 participants) were included. Meta-analysis showed that the mean change in urinary sodium (reduced salt v usual salt) was −75 mmol/24 h (equivalent to a reduction of 4.4 g/day salt), and with this reduction in salt intake, the mean change in blood pressure was −4.18 mm Hg (95% confidence interval −5.18 to −3.18, I 2 =75%) for systolic blood pressure and −2.06 mm Hg (−2.67 to −1.45, I 2 =68%) for diastolic blood pressure. Meta-regression showed that age, ethnic group, blood pressure status (hypertensive or normotensive), and the change in 24 hour urinary sodium were all significantly associated with the fall in systolic blood pressure, explaining 68% of the variance between studies. A 100 mmol reduction in 24 hour urinary sodium (6 g/day salt) was associated with a fall in systolic blood pressure of 5.8 mm Hg (2.5 to 9.2, P=0.001) after adjustment for age, ethnic group, and blood pressure status. For diastolic blood pressure, age, ethnic group, blood pressure status, and the change in 24 hour urinary sodium explained 41% of the variance between studies. Meta-analysis by subgroup showed that in people with hypertension the mean effect was −5.39 mm Hg (−6.62 to −4.15, I 2 =61%) for systolic blood pressure and −2.82 mm Hg (−3.54 to −2.11, I 2 =52%) for diastolic blood pressure. In normotensive people, the figures were −2.42 mm Hg (−3.56 to −1.29, I 2 =66%) and −1.00 mm Hg (−1.85 to −0.15, I 2 =66%), respectively. Further subgroup analysis showed that the decrease in systolic blood pressure was significant in both white and black people and in men and women. Meta-analysis of data on hormones and lipids showed that the mean change was 0.26 ng/mL/h (0.17 to 0.36, I 2 =70%) for plasma renin activity, 73.20 pmol/L (44.92 to 101.48, I 2 =62%) for aldosterone, 187 pmol/L (39 to 336, I 2 =5%) for noradrenaline (norepinephrine), 37 pmol/L (−1 to 74, I 2 =12%) for adrenaline (epinephrine), 0.05 mmol/L (−0.02 to 0.11, I 2 =0%) for total cholesterol, 0.05 mmol/L (−0.01 to 0.12, I 2 =0%) for low density lipoprotein cholesterol, −0.02 mmol/L (−0.06 to 0.01, I 2 =16%) for high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 0.04 mmol/L (−0.02 to 0.09, I 2 =0%) for triglycerides. Conclusions A modest reduction in salt intake for four or more weeks causes significant and, from a population viewpoint, important falls in blood pressure in both hypertensive and normotensive individuals, irrespective of sex and ethnic group. Salt reduction is associated with a small physiological increase in plasma renin activity, aldosterone, and noradrenaline and no significant change in lipid concentrations. These results support a reduction in population salt intake, which will lower population blood pressure and thereby reduce cardiovascular disease. The observed significant association between the reduction in 24 hour urinary sodium and the fall in systolic blood pressure, indicates that larger reductions in salt intake will lead to larger falls in systolic blood pressure. The current recommendations to reduce salt intake from 9-12 to 5-6 g/day will have a major effect on blood pressure, but a further reduction to 3 g/day will have a greater effect and should become the long term target for population salt intake.