Effect of nickel on red blood cell parameters and on serum vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy with and without anemia

BackgroundResearch to date suggests that nickel affects not only the metabolism of vitamin B12 but also folates and thus may affect hematopoiesis processes.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine the relationship of nickel (Ni) status to red blood cell (RBC) parameters and serum vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations in the course of normal pregnancy and in pregnant women with anemia.MethodsThe study included fifty-three pregnant women recruited to the study from the Lower Silesia region of Poland, 17 % of whom developed anemia. Nickel concentration was determined in urine, whole blood and food samples by atomic absorption spectrometry. At the same time as the food and urine samples were taken, blood was also collected for the determination of RBC parameters and serum vitamin B12, homocysteine and folate concentrations.ResultsThe median reported Ni intake, and the urinary and whole blood nickel contents for the studied pregnant women for the first trimester were respectively – 162.46 μg/day, 3.98 μg/L and 3.32 μg/L; for the second trimester – 110.48 μg/day, 6.86 μg/L and 1.04 μg/L; and for the third trimester – 132.20 μg/day, 3.41 μg/L and 0.70 μg/L. With regard to Ni concentration in whole blood (p = 0.0204) and in urine (p = 0.0003), the differences in the values for individual trimesters were statistically significant. The whole blood Ni level was significantly higher (9.28 vs 3.62 μg/L, p = 0.0114), while the concentration of homosysteine was significantly lower (4.09 vs 5.04 μmol/L, p = 0.0165) in pregnant women with anemia compared to those without anemia. The whole blood Ni concentration was negatively correlated with almost all RBC parameters in non-anemic pregnant women.ConclusionsNi status changes with the development of normal pregnancy, and in the case of anemia, an increase in Ni concentration in whole blood is observed. The demonstrated correlations between the Ni status in pregnant women and RBC parameters as well as serum vitamin B12 and folate concentrations suggest that nickel is associated with the methionine–folate cycle, iron homeostasis and bacterial synthesis of vitamin B12 in humans.     

Red/ET 同源重组介导细菌人工染色体的快速修饰

随着基因组测序工程的实施与完成,如何对包含完整基因信息的特定细菌人工染色体 (BAC) 进行有目的修饰,已成为功能基因组学研究的一个重要环节 . 应用新近优化的 Red/ET 同源重组技术对目标 BAC 进行修饰,以 pSC101-BAD-gbaA 为依托质粒,采用 rpsL-neo 为正 / 反向筛选系统,可以快速、高效地对 BAC 进行剪切、插入、替换等操作,其中能够进行抗性筛选的一步 BAC 修饰只需一周时间,以插入非抗性标记基因 Cre 为代表的两步 BAC 修饰在两周内即可完成 . 通过阿拉伯多糖诱导调控和简单地变化培养温度,能使 pSC101-BAD-gbaA 依托质粒在发挥完 Red/ET 同源重组作用后自然消失,最终获得完整而纯净的修饰后 BAC ,为加快功能基因组学研究提供了一个可靠的实验平台 .     

肠疗与贝飞达合用治疗急性黄疸型肝炎的研究

目的 对90例急性黄疸型肝炎患者分别测定应用肠疗和贝飞达治疗前、后肠道菌群数量和红细胞粘附率、红细胞CR1分子数量及临床疗效评价指标,并进行比较。方法 将患者随机分成常规治疗、常规治疗加肠疗、常规治疗加肠疗与贝飞达3个治疗组（各30例）。分析患者治疗前后血液生化指标和肠道菌群数量及红细胞粘附率、红细胞CR1分子数量,并观察临床症状的改善情况。结果 急性黄疸型肝炎患者存在肠道菌群失调,红细胞粘附肿瘤功能及红细胞CR1分子数量明显下降（P〈0．01）;应用微生态调节剂组患者的肝功能恢复程度及临床症状的改善好于常规治疗组和常规治疗加肠疗组,差异有显著性（P〈0．01）。结论 结肠治疗机治疗联合微生态调节剂贝飞达可以有效改善急性黄疸型肝炎患者肠道菌群失调,提高患者红细胞粘附率及红细胞CR1分子数量,提高临床治疗有效率。     

High toxicity of the novel bloom-forming species Chattonella ovata (Raphidophyceae) to cultured fish

A toxicological study of an axenic cell line of novel species Chattonella ovata Y. Hara et Chihara (Raphidophyceae) revealed that cultured species of sea bream (Pagrus major), horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus), and yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata) were killed by 4.1–6.8 × 10³, 5.4 × 10³, and 2.8 × 10³ cells/mL, respectively. The sensitivity of the gill lamellae to C. ovata differed among the fish species tested. This finding revealed that C. ovata was highly toxic to the cultured fish. Histological examination showed that edema and hyperplasia of the secondary gill lamellae of red sea bream and horse mackerel occurred when exposed to, or killed by C. ovata, whereas severe damage in the gill lamellae was not observed in yellowtail. Chattonella produced high amounts of superoxide anion radicals and hydrogen peroxide, possibly responsible for the fish death observed. Based on the results of this study and occurrence of a red tide by this organism in China in 2001, we consider this organism to be one of the harmful algae in coastal waters. This is the first report demonstrating that C. ovata is highly toxic to fish, and that it produces superoxide and hydrogen peroxide.     

A new dwarf Coffea (Rubiaceae) from southern Cameroon

A distinctive new species of dwarf monocaulous Coffea (Rubiaceae) from Cameroon is described and illustrated. Coffea mapiana is the second dwarf monocaulous known from Cameroon. Its diagnostic characters are elucidated and its taxonomic affinities are discussed; a conservation assessment is provided.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 151 , 425–430.     

N、P营养盐对塔玛亚历山大藻（Alexandrium tamarense）生长的影响

模拟自然海水营养盐浓度状况,在N、P浓度分别为10-500μg L-1 N和0.74-74μg L-1 P时,研究N、P双因子限制(N、P浓度同时降低,N:P固定为15:1)及单因子限制(保持N或P为最高浓度,只降低一种营养盐浓度)对有毒赤潮藻塔玛亚历山大藻(Alexandrium tamarense)生长的影响。结果表明,塔玛亚历山大藻细胞能较快进入对数生长期,但N、P双因子限制能明显影响其生长,在N、P浓度分别低于100μg L-1 N和15μg L-1 P时,细胞密度无明显增长;而N或P分别受限时,生长态势明显优于N、P同时受到限制的试验组,而且N、P单因子中度限制对生长影响较小。结果说明塔玛亚历山大藻对单因子营养元素限制较强的适应能力,可使其在常常出现单营养因子限制的自然水体中维持一定生长速率和细胞密度,并有助于滤食该藻的贝类体内麻痹性贝类毒素的积累。     

弗氏2a志贺氏菌2457T株yciD基因缺失突变株的构建

目的:构建弗氏2a志贺氏菌2457T株yciD基因缺失突变体,以研究yciD基因的功能。方法:根据弗氏2a志贺氏菌2457T株基因组全序列,采用Red重组系统对yciD基因进行缺失,并经PCR和SDS-PAGE证实;对野生株和突变株的生长状态及生化反应进行比较研究。结果:构建了弗氏2a志贺氏菌2457T株的yciD基因缺失突变株2457TΔyciD,该突变株外膜蛋白样品中缺失了一条相对分子质量与从yciD基因推导的蛋白相当(约22000)的蛋白带。该突变株比野生株生长快,利用葡萄糖和甘露醇的能力也比野生株大为增强。结论:获得了弗氏2a志贺氏菌2457T株的yciD基因缺失突变株。     

暗腹雪鸡与海兰褐鸡血液生理生化指标的比较

为了解暗腹雪鸡（Tetraogallus himalayensis）正常血液生理生化特性,本文对暗腹雪鸡21项血液生理生化指标进行了测定,并与海兰褐鸡（Gallus gallus domesticus var. Hyline）进行了比较。测定结果,暗腹雪鸡的红细胞纵径及横纵径乘积、平均红细胞容积及平均红细胞血红蛋白含量极显著大于海兰褐鸡（P<0.01）;暗腹雪鸡天冬氨酸氨基转移酶和胆固醇含量均极显著高于海兰褐鸡（P<0.01）。其他各项血液生理生化指标两禽种间之间差异不显著。实验结果表明,暗腹雪鸡血液生理生化指标与家养蛋鸡之间有一定差异,暗腹雪鸡对高原低氧环境有较强的适应性可能与其红细胞体积较大、平均红细胞容积及平均红细胞血红蛋白含量较高有一定关系。