Development of human health damage factors for PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript> based on a global chemical transport model

Purpose

Health damage from ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) shows large regional variations and can have an impact on a global scale due to its transboundary movement. However, existing damage factors (DFs) for human health in life cycle assessments (LCA) are calculated only for a few limited regions based on various regional chemical transport models (CTMs). The aim of this research is to estimate the human health DFs of PM_2.5 originating from ten different regions of the world by using one global CTM.

Methods

The DFs express changes in worldwide disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to unit emission of black carbon and organic carbon (BCOC), nitrogen oxides (NO _x ), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). DFs for ten regions were calculated as follows. Firstly, we divided the whole world into ten regions. With a global CTM (MIROC-ESM-CHEM), we estimated the concentration change of PM_2.5 on the world caused by changes in the emission of a targeted precursor substance from a specific region. Secondly, we used population data and epidemiological concentration response functions (CRFs) of mortality and morbidity to estimate changes in the word’s DALYs occurring due to changes in the concentration of PM_2.5. Finally, the above calculations were done for all ten regions.

Results and discussion

DFs of BCOC, NO _x , and SO₂ for ten regions were estimated. The range of DFs could be up to one order of magnitude among the ten regions in each of the target substances. While population density was an important parameter, variation in transport of PM_2.5 on a continental level occurring due to different emission regions was found to have a significant influence on DFs. Especially for regions of Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, the amount of damage which occurred outside of the emitted region was estimated at a quarter, a quarter, and a third of their DFs, respectively. It was disclosed that the DFs will be underestimated if the transboundary of PM_2.5 is not taken into account in those regions.

Conclusions

The human health damage factors of PM_2.5 produced by BCOC, NO _x , and SO₂ are estimated for ten regions by using one global chemical transport model. It became clear that the variation of transport for PM_2.5 on a continental level greatly influences the regionality in DFs. For further research to quantify regional differences, it is important to consider the regional values of concentration response function (CRF) and DALY loss per case of disease or death.

     

Novel autophagy modulators: Design and synthesis of (+)-epogymnolactam analogues and structure-activity relationship

(+)-Epogymnolactam (1) was discovered as a novel autophagy inducer from a culture of Gymnopus sp. in our laboratory. To determine structure-activity relationships among (+)-epogymnolactam analogues comparing with cerulenin (2), we synthesized 5 analogues including (?)-epogymnolactam (3) having each different functional group, and 3 analogues with different side-chain lengths. Five analogues, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 did not significantly increase the ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I as an autophagy marker in NIH3T3 cells. These results suggest that presence and stereochemistry of (2R,3S)-epoxy group and cyclic syn-form (1b) of 1 are important for the activity as autophagy inducer. Hexyl analogue (8) as well as 1 having butyl side-chain dose-dependently increased the ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I, whereas octyl analogue (9) and 2 rather decreased the ratio. Decyl analogue (10) did not give a change in the ratio. Although 8 seemed to be an excellent autophagy inducer, it dose-dependently increased SQSTM1 (p62) as in the case of 2, whereas 1 showed a slight dose-dependent decrease of p62 as an index of autophagic protein degradation. These observations suggest that 8 is an autophagy modulator with different molecular target from 1 or 2.     

Epitope Analysis Using Anti-Oligosaccharide (G4) Monoclonal Antibody

A murine monoclonal antibody recognizing (1→6)-β-d -glucopyranosyl laminaritriose (G4) was prepared by immunizing BALB/c mice with G4-bovine serum albumin conjugate and fusing the splenocytes with mouse myeloma cells. The monoclonal antibody (IgM) provoked by the cloned cells showed low reactivity with schizophyllan, an antitumor polysaccharide, but notable reactivity with some low-molecular-weight schizophyllans. This antibody was useful for determination of the epitope of several polysaccharides. The extent of reactivity of this monoclonal antibody was related only to the molecular weight of schizophyllan.     

Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase encoded by the newly isolated gene GGPS6 from Arabidopsis thaliana is localized in mitochondria

We have cloned a new geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) synthase gene, designated GGPS6/, from Arabidopsis thaliana genomic DNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the GGPS6 gene contains an open reading frame coding for a protein of 343 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 37 507 Da. Also, the gene is not interrupted by an intron. The predicted amino acid sequence of the GGPS6 gene shows significant homology (34.0–57.7%) with other GGPP synthases from Arabidopsis. The GGPS6 protein contains a N-terminal signal peptide which is thought to function as an organelle targeting sequence. In fact, the GGPS6-GFP fusion protein was found to be localized exclusively in mitochondria when expressed in tobacco BY-2 cells. In vitro analysis of the enzyme activity as well as genetic complementation analysis with Erwinia uredovora crt gene cluster expressed in Escherichia coli showed that the GGPS6 gene most certainly encodes a GGPP synthase catalyzing the conversion of farnesyl pyrophosphate to GGPP.     

Circulating Omega-6, But Not Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids,Are Associated with Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

BackgroundCirculating polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels are associated with clinical outcomes in cardiovascular diseases including coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure (HF). However, their clinical implications in acute decompensated HF (ADHF) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical roles of circulating PUFAs in patients with ADHF.MethodsCirculating levels of PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (AA) and dihomo-gamma linoleic acid (DGLA), were measured on admission in 685 consecutive ADHF patients. Adverse events were defined as all-cause death and worsening HF.ResultsDuring a median follow-up period of 560 days, 262 (38.2%) patients had adverse events. Although patients with adverse events had lower n-6 PUFA (AA + DGLA) level than those without, n-3 PUFA (EPA + DHA) level was comparable between the groups. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that lower n-6 PUFA level on admission was significantly associated with the composite of all-cause death and worsening HF, all-cause death, cardiovascular death and worsening HF (p < 0.001, p = 0.005, p = 0.021, p = 0.019, respectively). In a multivariate Cox model, lower n-6 PUFA level was independently associated with increased risk of adverse events (HR 0.996, 95% CI: 0.993–0.999, p = 0.027).ConclusionsLower n-6 but not n-3 PUFA level on admission was significantly related to worse clinical outcomes in ADHF patients. Measurement of circulating n-6 PUFA levels on admission might provide information for identifying high risk ADHF patients.     

Refolding of lactate dehydrogenase by zeolite beta

We used zeolite beta as an adsorbing matrix to refold recombinant lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) protein collected as an insoluble aggregate from a bacterial expression system. The adsorption isotherm revealed that 1 g of zeolite adsorbed 200 mg of denatured LDH solubilized with a buffer containing 6 M of guanidine hydrochloride. The pH of the buffer had little effect on the adsorption, but this property was abolished by preincubation of the zeolite with polyethylene glycol (PEG) in a weight ratio of 1:10. These data suggest that the adsorption of LDH depends on the hydrophobicity of the zeolite surface, and that the adsorption of PEG to zeolite is sufficient to release LDH from its surface. LDH was thus released by refolding buffer containing PEG and arginine, and soluble LDH was obtained in its active enzymatic form. The addition of arginine dramatically increased the yield of LDH in a dose‐dependent manner. The overall refolding efficiency was optimized to 35%. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009     

Neurodegenerative Evidence in Mice Brains with Cecal Ligation and Puncture-Induced Sepsis: Preventive Effect of the Free Radical Scavenger Edaravone

Sepsis is a major clinical challenge and septic encephalopathy is its nasty complication. The pathogenesis and underlying mechanisms of septic encephalopathy are not well understood. This study sought to fully characterize sepsis-associated biochemical and histopathological changes in brains of mice after cecal ligation and puncture, regarded as a highly clinically relevant animal model of polymicrobial sepsis. Real-time PCR analysis showed that gene expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β, were significantly up-regulated in brain tissues from septic mice, but to a much lesser extent when compared with those in peripheral tissues such as lungs. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability was significantly increased in septic mice, as determined by the measurement of sodium fluorescein and Evans blue content. Sepsis resulted in increases in NADPH oxidase activity and expression of p47^phox and p67^phox and up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase in brains, indicating that superoxide, produced by NADPH oxidase, reacts with NO to form peroxynitrite, that maybe lead to the loss of BBB integrity. Light and electron microscopic examination of septic mouse brain showed serious neuronal degeneration, as indicated by hyperchromatic, shrunken, pyknotic, and electron-dense neurons. These histopathogical changes were prevented by treatment with the free radical scavenger edaravone. Together, these results suggest that sepsis can lead to rapid neurodegenerative changes in brains via free radical species production and possibly subsequent injury to the BBB. We may also provide a potentially useful therapeutic tool for treating septic encephalopathy.