Escherichia coli inactivation mechanism by pressurized CO2

The effects of pressurized CO2 on the survival of Escherichia coli and the mechanism of cell inactivation were studied. Bacterial cultures were inoculated in nutrient broth and incubated at 30 degrees C for 18 h. Exposure of the cells to CO2 under pressures ranging from 2.5 to 25 MPa and at temperatures between 8 and 40 degrees C was performed in a double-walled reactor with a 1 L capacity. The effect of the treatment on the cells was evaluated by plating and by transmission and scanning electron microscopy observation. Vapour CO2 generated a bacteriostatic effect. In liquid or supercritical state, CO2 provided a bactericidal effect. The bactericidal effect increased with pressure and temperature. The mechanism of cell inactivation by liquid CO2 involved two stages. First, cell stress caused by the CO2 penetration provoked cell wall collapse and cellular content precipitation. Second, the cell death caused by supercritical extraction of intracellular substances and cell envelope perforation resulted in leaking of intracellular constituents. In supercritical conditions, the cell inactivation process had one single phase: cellular death.     

Determination of extracellular and intracellular pH of Bacillus subtilis suspension under CO2 treatment

In this study, we consider the effect of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) on the intracellular and extracellular pH of a saline solution of a test-microorganisms Bacillus subtilis. The cytoplasmatic pH was determined by means of a flow cytometry with the fluorescent probe 5(and 6-)-carboxyfluorescein ester (cFSE). The physiological suspension of cells with the addition of the probe was first exposed to high pressure CO(2) for 5 min at different temperatures. The flow cytometry analysis indicated an intracellular depletion inside the cell caused by the action of CO(2), down to 3, the depletion being dependent on inactivation ratio. In addition, the extracellular pH was determined theoretically by means of the statistical associated fluid theory equation of state (SAFT EOS): it was demonstrated that CO(2) under pressure dissolves into liquid phase and acidifies the medium down to 3 at 80 bar and 303.15K. The results show a strong influence between extracellular and intracellular pH, and lead to the conclusion that a strong reduction of the pH homeostasis of the cell can be claimed as one of the most probable cause of inactivation of CO(2) pasteurization.     

Cellular recovery of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and thiol status after exposure to hydroperoxides

The activity of the thiol-dependent enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD), in vertebrate cells, was modulated by a change in the intracellular thiol:disulfide redox status. Human lung carcinoma cells (A549) were incubated with 1-120 mM H2O2, 1-120 mM t-butyl hydroperoxide, 1-6 mM ethacrynic acid, or 0.1-10 mM N-ethylmaleimide for 5 min. Loss of reduced protein thiols, as measured by binding of the thiol reagent iodoacetic acid to GPD, and loss of GPD enzymatic activity occurred in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation of the cells, following oxidative treatment, in saline for 30 min or with 20 mM dithiothreitol (DTT) partially reversed both changes in GPD. The enzymatic recovery of GPD activity was observed either without addition of thiols to the medium or by incubation of a sonicated cell mixture with 2 mM cysteine, cystine, cysteamine, or glutathione (GSH); GSSG had no effect. Treatment of cells with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) to decrease cellular GSH by varying amounts caused a dose-related increase in sensitivity of GPD activity to inactivation by H2O2 and decreased cellular ability for subsequent recovery. GPD responded in a similar fashion with oxidative treatment of another lung carcinoma cell line (A427) as well as normal lung tissue from human and rat. These findings indicate that the cellular thiol redox status can be important in determining GPD enzymatic activity.     

Location of Acid Phosphatase and β-Fructofuranosidase Within Yeast Cell Envelopes

After 16 hr of incubation in a low-phosphate, aerated medium, bakers' yeast was obtained with a high titer of acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) and beta-fructofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.26). All of the beta-fructofuranosidase and 75% of the acid phosphatase were easily released by mechanical disruption in a French pressure cell. The cell wall suffered a limited number of cracks, but this was sufficient for the co-release of these enzymes. Both enzymes were subject to autolytic release, although correlation was inconclusive because of the relative instability of acid phosphatase. The data are consistent with the bulk of the two enzymes being located in the periplasmic space. Ethylacetate treatments yielded ghosts with high beta-fructofuranosidase but low acid phosphatase activities. The surviving acid phosphatase was not representative of that in live cells. It was resistant to release by mechanical disruption and showed a high susceptibility to heat inactivation. The beta-fructofuranosidase in live cells and in ethylacetatetreated cells exhibited polydispersity in heat inactivation susceptibility; but the kinetics were indistinguishable, and facile release by mechanical disruption was shown in both cases.     

Morphological and physiological characterization of Listeria monocytogenes subjected to high hydrostatic pressure

High hydrostatic pressure is a new food preservation technology known for its capacity to inactivate spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. That inactivation is usually assessed by the number of colonies growing on solid media after treatment. Under normal conditions the method does not permit recovery of damaged cells and may underestimate the number of cells that will remain viable and grow after a few days in high-pressure-processed foodstuffs. This study investigated the damage inflicted on Listeria monocytogenes cells treated by high pressure for 10 min at 400 MPa in pH 5.6 citrate buffer. Under these conditions, no cell growth occurred after 48 h on plate count agar. Scanning electron microscopy, light scattering by flow cytometry, and cell volume measurements were compared to evaluate the morphological changes in cells after pressurization. All these methods revealed that cellular morphology was not really affected. Esterase activity, as assessed either by enzymatic activity assays or by carboxy fluorescein diacetate fluorescence monitored by flow cytometry, was dramatically lowered, but not totally obliterated, under the effects of treatment. The measurement of propidium iodide uptake followed by flow cytometry demonstrated that membrane integrity was preserved in a small part of the population, although the membrane potential measured by analytical methods or evaluated by oxonol uptake was reduced from -86 to -5 mV. These results showed that such combined methods as fluorescent dyes monitored by flow cytometry and physiological activity measurements provide valuable indications of cellular viability.     

Inactivation of bacteria and spores by pulse electric field and high pressure CO2 at low temperature

The common methods for inactivation of bacteria involve heating or exposure to toxic chemicals. These methods are not suitable for heat-sensitive materials, food, and pharmaceutical products. Recently, a complete inactivation of many microorganisms was achieved with high-pressure carbon dioxide at ambient temperature and in the absence of organic solvent and irradiation. The inactivation of spores with CO(2) required long residence time and high temperatures, such as 60 degrees C. In this study the synergistic effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) in combination with high-pressure CO(2) for inactivation was investigated. The bacteria Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus were suspended in glycerol solution and treated in the first step with PEF (up to 25 KV/cm) and then with high-pressure CO(2) not higher than 40 degrees C and 200 bar. The inactivation efficiency was determined by counting the colony formation units of control and sample. Samples of the cells subjected to PEF treatment alone and in combination with CO(2) treatment were examined by scanning electron microscopy to determine the effect of the processes on the cell wall. Experimental results indicate that the viability decreased with increasing electrical field strength and number of pulses. A further batch treatment with supercritical CO(2) lead to complete inactivation of bacterial species and decreased the count of the spores by at least three orders of magnitude, the inactivation being enhanced by an increase of contact time between CO(2) and the sample. A synergistic effect between the pulsed electric field and the high-pressure CO(2) was evident in all the species treated. The new low temperature process is an alternative for pasteurization of thermally labile compounds such as protein and plasma and minimizes denaturation of important nutrient compounds in the liquid media.     

A HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF PHAGOCYTIC AND ENZYMATIC FUNCTIONS OF RABBIT MONONUCLEAR AND POLYMORPHONUCLEAR EXUDATE CELLS AND ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES : I. Survey and Quantitation of Enzymes, and States of Cellular Activation

The cytochrome oxidase (CO), aminopeptidase (AMP), succinic dehydrogenase (SD), acid phosphatase, esterase, and alkaline phosphatase of rabbit mononuclear (MN) and polymorphonuclear (PMN) peritoneal exudate cells and pulmonary alveolar macrophages (AM) - air dried on Mylar strips - were characterized by histochemical techniques with respect to stability, activators, inhibitors, and pH optima. A granule count method was established for the quantitation of these enzymes. For the acid phosphatase of MN, in which the most precise results were obtained, time, pH, substrate, and inhibitor curves resembled those commonly obtained biochemically. Five of these enzymes were usually more active in AM than MN, whereas the sixth, alkaline phosphatase, was not present in either cell type. AM also tended to consume more oxygen than MN and to divide more frequently. Since the most active cells in the population would be first involved in the host's defense against microbial agents, a comparison was made of the 10 per cent of the AM and MN with the highest enzymatic activities. No differences were found in the granule counts that were not reflected by the means. However, within a given AM population, cells containing ingested dust particles seemed to have higher enzymatic activities than those without particles. MN had greater acid phosphatase and SD activities than PMN and consumed more oxygen, but the CO, AMP, and esterase activites of both types of cells were of similar magnitude. PMN showed high alkaline phosphatase activity; MN showed none. A survey of the histochemical literature indicates that a positive correlation between the enzymatic and phagocytic activities of both MN and PMN exists in vivo.     

CO_2浓度升高对粘虫幼虫体内酶活性的影响

【目的】阐明大气CO_2浓度升高对粘虫Mythimna separata(Walker)幼虫不同龄期体内酶活性的影响机制。【方法】测定分析了人工气候箱内不同CO_2浓度(800mL/L和400mL/L)条件下,粘虫幼虫体内4种解毒酶[羧酸酯酶(Car E)、乙酰胆碱酯酶(Ach E)、微粒体多功能氧化酶(MFO)和谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶(GST)]、3种保护酶[超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)]和4种蛋白酶(总蛋白酶、强碱性类胰蛋白酶、弱碱性类胰蛋白酶和类胰凝乳蛋白酶)活性的变化。【结果】(1)粘虫不同龄期幼虫体内4种解毒酶的活力均随着CO_2浓度升高而显著上升(P<0.05);(2)粘虫幼虫体内的保护酶中SOD酶活性在CO_2浓度为800mL/L条件下低于对照(CO_2浓度为400mL/L)条件下的酶活性,其中4至6龄幼虫的下降趋势较为显著(P<0.05),而POD、CAT酶活性均呈上升趋势,800mL/L浓度下的CAT活力均显著高于对照(P<0.05);(3)高CO_2浓度条件下粘虫总蛋白酶的酶活性随着龄期的增加呈现先上升后下降的趋势,强碱/弱碱性类胰蛋白和类胰凝乳蛋白3种酶的比活力均低于400mL/L CO_2浓度下的比活力,其中类胰凝乳蛋白酶比活力显著低于对照条件下的比活力(P<0.05)。【结论】在高CO_2浓度条件下,粘虫幼虫体内的大多数酶系活力呈现下降趋势,大部分解毒酶和蛋白酶活性受到抑制,SOD、CAT和POD 3种保护酶的动态平衡受到干扰而影响其正常的生理代谢,机体受损伤并随龄期的增加而加重。     

Effects of sodium butyrate on human colonic adenocarcinoma cells. Induction of placental-like alkaline phosphatase

We have examined the effects of the "differentiating agent," sodium butyrate, on the induction of alkaline phosphatase in human colonic tumor cell line LS174T. Culture of these cells in the presence of 2 mM butyrate caused this activity to increase from less than 0.0001 unit/mg of protein to greater than 0.7 unit/mg of protein over an 8-day period. This induction proceeded in a nonlinear fashion with a lag time of 2-3 days occurring before enzymatic activity began to rise. These increases in activity were accompanied by elevations in the content of a placental-like isozyme of alkaline phosphatase as demonstrated by "Western" immunoblots. Dome formation, indicative of differentiation in cultured cells, also required 3 days treatment with butyrate before becoming evident. The rate of biosynthesis of the enzyme, examined using metabolic labeling with L-[35S]methionine and immunoprecipitation, was found to increase continuously between days 2 and 6 of butyrate treatment. "Northern" blot analysis indicated that treatment of these cells with butyrate caused greater than 20-fold induction of a 2700-base mRNA that hybridized to a cDNA probe for placental alkaline phosphatase. The mRNA for alkaline phosphatase produced by these cells upon butyrate treatment was approximately 300-400 bases smaller than the mRNA for alkaline phosphatase found in placenta. Human small intestine also contained two mRNAs that hybridized relatively weakly with the placental alkaline phosphatase probe. These results indicate that a placental alkaline phosphatase-like protein and mRNA are induced by butyrate in LS174T cells with a time course consistent with cellular differentiation preceding induction.     

Catabolism of 4-hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal by THP1 monocytes/macrophages and inactivation of carboxylesterases by this lipid electrophile

Oxidative stress in cells and tissues leads to the formation of an assortment of lipid electrophiles, such as the quantitatively important 4-hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal (HNE). Although this cytotoxic aldehyde is atherogenic the mechanisms involved are unclear. We hypothesize that elevated HNE levels can directly inactivate esterase and lipase activities in macrophages via protein adduction, thus generating a biochemical lesion that accelerates foam cell formation and subsequent atherosclerosis. In the present study we examined the effects of HNE treatment on esterase and lipase activities in human THP1 monocytes/macrophages at various physiological scales (i.e., pure recombinant enzymes, cell lysate, and intact living cells). The hydrolytic activities of bacterial and human carboxylesterase enzymes (pnbCE and CES1, respectively) were inactivated by HNE in vitro in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In addition, so were the hydrolytic activities of THP1 cell lysates and intact THP1 monocytes and macrophages. A single lysine residue (Lys105) in recombinant CES1 was modified by HNE via a Michael addition reaction, whereas the lone reduced cysteine residue (Cys389) was found unmodified. The lipolytic activity of cell lysates and intact cells was more sensitive to the inhibitory effects of HNE than the esterolytic activity. Moreover, immunoblotting analysis using HNE antibodies confirmed that several cellular proteins were adducted by HNE following treatment of intact THP1 monocytes, albeit at relatively high HNE concentrations (>50 μM). Unexpectedly, in contrast to CES1, the treatment of a recombinant human CES2 with HNE enhanced its enzymatic activity ∼3-fold compared to untreated enzyme. In addition, THP1 monocytes/macrophages can efficiently metabolize HNE, and glutathione conjugation of HNE is responsible for ∼43% of its catabolism. The functional importance of HNE-mediated inactivation of cellular hydrolytic enzymes with respect to atherogenesis remains obscure, although this study has taken a first step toward addressing this important issue by examining the potential of HNE to inhibit this biochemical activity in a human monocyte/macrophage cell line.     

Morphological and Physiological Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes Subjected to High Hydrostatic Pressure

High hydrostatic pressure is a new food preservation technology known for its capacity to inactivate spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. That inactivation is usually assessed by the number of colonies growing on solid media after treatment. Under normal conditions the method does not permit recovery of damaged cells and may underestimate the number of cells that will remain viable and grow after a few days in high-pressure-processed foodstuffs. This study investigated the damage inflicted on Listeria monocytogenes cells treated by high pressure for 10 min at 400 MPa in pH 5.6 citrate buffer. Under these conditions, no cell growth occurred after 48 h on plate count agar. Scanning electron microscopy, light scattering by flow cytometry, and cell volume measurements were compared to evaluate the morphological changes in cells after pressurization. All these methods revealed that cellular morphology was not really affected. Esterase activity, as assessed either by enzymatic activity assays or by carboxy fluorescein diacetate fluorescence monitored by flow cytometry, was dramatically lowered, but not totally obliterated, under the effects of treatment. The measurement of propidium iodide uptake followed by flow cytometry demonstrated that membrane integrity was preserved in a small part of the population, although the membrane potential measured by analytical methods or evaluated by oxonol uptake was reduced from −86 to −5 mV. These results showed that such combined methods as fluorescent dyes monitored by flow cytometry and physiological activity measurements provide valuable indications of cellular viability.     

Effects of prednisolone on the distribution and activity of two phosphoesterases in membrane preparations from HeLa cells

Activities of two membrane associated enzymes, viz. 5′-nucleo-tidase (EC 3.1.3.5) and alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) are known to be altered by glucocorticoid treatment of cells in culture. In certain HeLa cell lines, their activity is elevated, while in others, it is decreased. In order to confirm the data obtained previously with cell homogenates, cells were fractionated essentially as described by Bosmann, Hagopian and Eylar ('68) after 96 hours exposure to 0.5 μg/ml prednisolone. This treatment resulted in changes both in the specific activity and in the distribution of the two enzymes among the isolated membrane fractions. The alterations in specific activity in the individual membrane fractions reflected changes previously observed in preparations from whole cells. A shift in distribution of total enzymatic activity to fractions of higher density occurred in both cell lines in response to the steroid. These results may be indicative of cellular membrane alterations as a consequence of steroid treatment.     

Inhibitory role of RhoA on senescence-like growth arrest by a mechanism involving modulation of phosphatase activity

Recently, negative effects of phosphatase in tumorigenesis and metastasis have been suggested in various tumor types. In this study, we showed that RhoA activation modulated phosphatase during senescence-like arrest in human prostate cancer cells. Under senescence-inducing condition, decreased Erk phosphorylation was detected in caRhoA-transfected cells and inactivation of Erk, but not p38, prevented doxorubicin-induced cell senescence. Cells were induced to senescence by inhibition of phosphatase activity (VHR, MKP3, or PP2A) without additional cellular stress. Of interest, caRhoA prevented doxorubicin-induced decrease of phosphatase. Thus, we postulate that RhoA signaling may protect cells against cellular senescence by maintaining phosphatase activity and Erk dephosphorylation.     

Effect of DNA damage on the expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene after transfection into diploid human fibroblasts.

The activity of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat) gene after transfection into human fibroblasts has been measured following treatment of the plasmid pRSVcat with either restriction enzymes or ultraviolet light. Restriction enzymes producing single cuts in the plasmid inactivated the expression of the cat gene whether the enzymes cut the plasmid inside the coding region of the gene or several kilobases away from the gene. Ultraviolet light produced a dose-dependent inactivation of the gene. The inactivation curve was steeper if the recipient cell strain was derived from a patient with xeroderma pigmentosum. The findings with this transient expression system contrast with previously reported results of experiments using plasmids which transform cells stably by integrating into the cellular genomic DNA.     

The benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid, sanguinarine, is a selective, cell-active inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1

Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) is a dual specificity phosphatase that is overexpressed in many human tumors and can protect cells from apoptosis caused by DNA-damaging agents or cellular stress. Small molecule inhibitors of MKP-1 have not been reported, in part because of the lack of structural guidance for inhibitor design and definitive assays for MKP-1 inhibition in intact cells. Herein we have exploited a high content chemical complementation assay to analyze a diverse collection of pure natural products for cellular MKP-1 inhibition. Using two-dimensional Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistics, we identified sanguinarine, a plant alkaloid with known antibiotic and antitumor activity but no primary cellular target, as a potent and selective inhibitor of MKP-1. Sanguinarine inhibited cellular MKP-1 with an IC50 of 10 microM and showed selectivity for MKP-1 over MKP-3. Sanguinarine also inhibited MKP-1 and the MKP-1 like phosphatase, MKP-L, in vitro with IC50 values of 17.3 and 12.5 microM, respectively, and showed 5-10-fold selectivity for MKP-3 and MKP-1 over VH-1-related phosphatase, Cdc25B2, or protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B. In a human tumor cell line with high MKP-1 levels, sanguinarine caused enhanced ERK and JNK/SAPK phosphorylation. A close congener of sanguinarine, chelerythrine, also inhibited MKP-1 in vitro and in whole cells, and activated ERK and JNK/SAPK. In contrast, sanguinarine analogs lacking the benzophenanthridine scaffold did not inhibit MKP-1 in vitro or in cells nor did they cause ERK or JNK/SAPK phosphorylation. These data illustrate the utility of a chemical complementation assay linked with multiparameter high content cellular screening.     

Impacts of Elevated CO2 Concentration on Biochemical Composition,Carbonic Anhydrase, and Nitrate Reductase Activity of Freshwater Green Algae

To investigate the biochemical response of freshwater green algae to elevated CO2 concentrations,Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Dang cells were cultured at different CO2concentrations within the range 3-186 μmol/L and the biochemical composition, carbonic anhydrase (CA),and nitrate reductase activities of the cells were investigated. Chlorophylls (Chl), carotenoids, carbonhydrate,and protein contents were enhanced to varying extents with increasing CO2 concentration from 3-186μmol/L. The CO2 enrichment significantly increased the Chl a/Chl b ratio in Chlorella pyrenoidosa, but not in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The CO2 concentration had significant effects on CA and nitrate reductase activity. Elevating CO2 concentration to 186 μmol/L caused a decline in intracellular and extracellullar CA activity. Nitrate reductase activity, under either light or dark conditions, in C. reinhardtii and C. pyrenoidosa was also significantly decreased with CO2 enrichment. From this study, it can be concluded that CO2enrichment can affect biochemical composition, CA, and nitrate reductase activity, and that the biochemical response was species dependent.     

Effects of pressure-induced membrane phase transitions on inactivation of HorA, an ATP-dependent multidrug resistance transporter, in Lactobacillus plantarum

The effects of pressure on cultures of Lactobacillus plantarum were characterized by determination of the viability and activity of HorA, an ATP-binding cassette multidrug resistance transporter. Changes in the membrane composition of L. plantarum induced by different growth temperatures were determined. Furthermore, the effect of the growth temperature of a culture on pressure inactivation at 200 MPa was determined. Cells were characterized by plate counts on selective and nonselective agar after pressure treatment, and HorA activity was measured by ethidium bromide efflux. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and Laurdan fluorescence spectroscopy provided information about the thermodynamic phase state of the cytoplasmic membrane during pressure treatment. A pressure-temperature diagram for cell membranes was established. Cells grown at 37 degrees C and pressure treated at 15 degrees C lost >99% of HorA activity and viable cell counts within 36 and 120 min, respectively. The membranes of these cells were in the gel phase region at ambient pressure. In contrast, cells grown at 15 degrees C and pressure treated at 37 degrees C lost >99% of HorA activity and viable cell counts within 4 and 8 min, respectively. The membranes of these cells were in the liquid crystalline phase region at ambient pressure. The kinetic analysis of inactivation of L. plantarum provided further evidence that inactivation of HorA is a crucial step during pressure-induced cell death. Comparison of the biological findings and the membrane state during pressure treatment led to the conclusion that the inactivation of cells and membrane enzymes strongly depends on the thermodynamic properties of the membrane. Pressure treatment of cells with a liquid crystalline membrane at 0.1 MPa resulted in HorA inactivation and cell death more rapid than those of cells with a gel phase membrane at 0.1 MPa.     

CO2和1-MCP组合处理对磨盘柿贮藏效果的影响

以磨盘柿采后果实为材料,研究1-MCP的处理以及CO2脱涩与1-MCP组合处理对磨盘柿室温和0~1℃贮藏过程中果实硬度、可溶性单宁含量、总抗坏血酸(TAA)含量以及抗氧化活性的影响。结果显示:(1)贮藏过程中柿果实硬度随时间延长呈下降趋势,室温贮藏CO2处理5 d、CO2处理后进行1-MCP(CO2//1-MCP)处理10 d、1-MCP处理后进行CO2(1-MCP//CO2)处理15 d、CO2与1-MCP同时(CO2+1-MCP)处理30 d均完全软化,0~1℃贮藏75 d后硬度最高的是CO2+1-MCP处理(12.43 kg.cm-2),最低的是CO2//1-MCP处理(2.80 kg.cm-2),甚至低于CO2处理(5.71 kg.cm-2);(2)柿果实可溶性单宁和总抗坏血酸(TAA)含量与脱涩有关,CO2处理、CO2//1-MCP处理、1-MCP//CO2处理和CO2+1-MCP处理大幅低于CK和1-MCP处理,1-MCP处理抑制了可溶性单宁和TAA含量的下降;(3)室温贮藏中除CO2处理之外的处理柿果实总酚含量呈小幅上升趋势,0~1℃贮藏中CK、1-MCP处理、1-MCP//CO2处理和CO2+1-MCP处理的总酚含量稳定在9.91~12.38 mg.g-1FW之间,CO2处理和CO2//1-MCP处理于30 d之后迅速下降,至75 d时分别只有6.83和6.32 mg.g-1FW;(4)各组处理柿果实ABTS自由基清除能力和氧自由基清除能力值(ORAC)的变化趋势与总酚含量大致相当。研究发现,1-MCP能有效阻止磨盘柿果实贮藏期间的硬度、可溶性单宁含量、TAA含量以及抗氧化活性的下降,CO2脱涩与1-MCP处理的不同顺序对硬度和抗氧化活性影响巨大,但对可溶性单宁和TAA含量影响甚微;先CO2脱涩后1-MCP处理对磨盘柿贮藏效应影响不大,1-MCP处理和高浓度CO2脱涩同时进行是磨盘柿脱涩保鲜的最优方案。     

Elevated CO2 alters belowground exoenzyme activities in tussock tundra

A three-year exposure to a CO2 concentration of 680 mol mol-1 altered the enzymic characteristics of root surfaces, associated ectomycorrhizae, and in soils surrounding roots in a tussock tundra ecosystem of north Alaska, USA. At elevated CO2, phosphatase activity was higher on Eriophorum vaginatum root surfaces, ectomycorrhizal rhizomorphs and mantles associated with Betula nana roots, and in Oe and Oi soil horizons associated with plant roots. Also, endocellulase and exocellulase activities at elevated CO2 were higher in ectomycorrhizal rhizomorphs and lower in Oe and Oi soil horizons associated with roots. These results suggest that arctic plants respond to raised CO2 by increasing activities associated with nutrient acquisition, e.g. higher phosphatase activities on surfaces of roots and ectomycorrhizae, and greater cellulase activity in ectomycorrhizae. Changes in enzyme activities of surrounding soils are consistent with an increase in carbon exudation from plant roots, which would be expected to inhibit cellulase activities and stimulate phosphatase activities of soil microflora. These data were used to modify existing simulation models describing tussock phosphatase activities and litter decay. Model projections suggest that observed increases in phosphatase activities at 680 mol mol-1 CO2 could augment total annual phosphorus release within tussocks by more than 40%, at present levels of root and ectomycorrhizae biomass. This includes a nearly three-fold increase in potential phosphatase activity of E. vaginatum roots, per unit of surface area. Observed reductions in cellulase activities could diminish cellulose turnover by 45% in soils within rooting zones, which could substantially increase mineral nitrogen availability in soils due to lowered microbial immobilization.     

Cyclosporine A-induced toxicity in two renal cell culture models (LLC-PK1 and MDCK)

Renal damage caused by therapeutic treatment with cyclosporine A has been well documented. Clinical experiences have shown that cyclosporine A nephrotoxicity is determined by interstitial fibrosis with tubular atrophy. However, the exact mechanism by which this drug causes nephrotoxicity has not yet been clarified. This study used an in vitro model in an attempt to identify the cellular mechanisms underlying kidney cyclosporine A damage. We used two cell lines with the characteristics of proximal and distal tubule cells (pig kidney proximal tubular epithelial cell line [LLC-PK1] and Madin–Darby canine kidney cell line [MDCK]. The cell lines were treated with cyclosporine A for 24h. After the treatment, the cells were stained with Trypan Blue to estimate cell viability and processed by histochemical reactions to evaluate their cellular metabolism. Four enzymes (acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase) were considered. The cell viability assay showed that the LLC-PK1 cell line was more sensitive to cyclosporine A than MDCK. Remarkably, the LLC-PK1 cells disappeared with cyclosporine A treatment. As for the hydrolytic enzymes, only acid phosphatases showed an increased positivity in the treated LLC-PK1 cells. Similarly, lactate dehydrogenase showed a different activity histochemically. No statistically significant alterations were observed in the succinate dehydrogenase reaction.The cyclosporine A-treated MDCK cell lines did not show any difference in either their hydrolytic or succinate dehydrogenase enzyme positivity with respect to the control line. In contrast, there was a significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase activity. This study allowed the possible mechanism of cyclosporine A-induced damage in renal tubular cells to be evaluated. The enzymatic changes happened rapidly (during the 24h of treatment), suggesting that this alteration was one of the steps by which cyclosporine A induced toxicity. Moreover, since acid phosphatase is a marker of protein catabolism, the variation in the activity of this enzyme, in the LLC-PK1 line only, showed that cyclosporine can induce alterations leading to cellular toxicity. The modifications in lactate dehydrogenase activity, in both lines, suggested that this drug caused cell stress, inducing the production of lactic acid from glucose in the presence of oxygen. In conclusion, cyclosporine A treatment may force LLC-PK1 and MDCK cells to use anaerobic glycolysis preferentially. Further, these enzyme alterations may represent an epiphenomenon or a consequence of cyclosporine A toxicity.