Bisphenol S induces oxidative stress-mediated impairment of testosterone synthesis by inhibiting the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

Bisphenol S (BPS) is an environmental endocrine disruptor widely used in industrial production. BPS induces oxidative stress and exhibits male reproductive toxicity in mice, but the mechanisms by which BPS impairs steroid hormone synthesis are not fully understood. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/HO-1 signaling is a key pathway in improving cellular antioxidant defense capacities. Therefore, this study explored the effects of exposure to BPS on testosterone synthesis in adult male mice and its mechanisms with regard to the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were orally exposed to BPS (2, 20, and 200 mg/kg BW) with sesame oil as a vehicle (0.1 ml/10 g BW) per day for 28 consecutive days. The results showed that compared with the control group, serum testosterone levels were substantially reduced in the 20 and 200 mg/kg BPS treatment groups, and testicular testosterone levels were reduced in all BPS treatment groups. These changes were accompanied by a prominent decrease in the expression levels of testosterone synthesis-related enzymes (STAR, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, HSD3B1, and HSD17B3) in the mouse testis. In addition, BPS induced oxidative stress in the testis by upregulating the messenger RNA and protein levels of Keap1 and downregulating the levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and downstream antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD1, and Gpx4). In summary, our results indicate that exposure of adult male mice to BPS can inhibit Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and antioxidant enzyme activity, which induces oxidative stress and thereby may impair testosterone synthesis in testicular tissues, leading to reproductive damage.     

Dominant role of local dipoles in stabilizing uncompensated charges on a sulfate sequestered in a periplasmic active transport protein.

Electrostatic interactions are among the key factors determining the structure and function of proteins. Here we report experimental results that illuminate the functional importance of local dipoles to these interactions. The refined 1.7-A X-ray structure of the liganded form of the sulfate-binding protein, a primary sulfate active transport receptor of Salmonella typhimurium, shows that the sulfate dianion is completely buried and bound by hydrogen bonds (mostly main-chain peptide NH groups) and van der Waals forces. The sulfate is also closely linked, via one of these peptide units, to a His residue. It is also adjacent to the N-termini of three alpha-helices, of which the two shortest have their C-termini "capped" by Arg residues. Site-directed mutagenesis of the recombinant Escherichia coli sulfate receptor had no effect on sulfate-binding activity when an Asn residue was substituted for the positively charged His and the two Arg (changed singly and together) residues. These results, combined with other observations, further solidify the idea that stabilization of uncompensated charges in a protein is a highly localized process that involves a collection of local dipoles, including those of peptide units confined to the first turns of helices. The contribution of helix macrodipoles appears insignificant.     

Terpenoids and Their Possible Role in Defense Against a Fungal Pathogen Alternaria tenuissima in Chrysanthemum morifolium Cultivars

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Terpenoids are a class of structurally diverse natural products involved in various plant biological processes. Their primary function is believed to provide...     

青天葵的人工栽培技术研究

本文报道青天葵的栽培研究结果。采用较大的种苗种植可获得较大的种茎;选用大中种茎,适当密植,在60—70%的荫蔽度条件下产量较高;适当推迟收获期,不但产量高,而且形成的球茎较大,有利于青天蔡的繁殖和生长。     

THE DISCOVERY OF THE GENUS SHELFORDIA CAMERON (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONTOAE: BRACONINAE) IN CHINA, WITH DESCRIPTION OF ONE NEW SPECIES

The genus Shelfordia is discovered in China for the first time, and one new species of this genus (S. chinensis sp. nov.) is fully described and illustrated in the present paper. The type specimen is deposited in the Parasitic Hymenoptera Collection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.     

脏器微血管对荧光素钠通透性的实验方法

大鼠颈动脉注射１％ＦｌＮａ,荧光显微镜下活体观察肠系膜微血管血流状态及ＦｌＮａ的渗出情况,并在不同时间点经股动脉采血,测定血浆内ＦｌＮａ浓度随时间的变化,利用组织匀浆测定不同脏器中ＦｌＮａ的分布,再辅以冰冻切片进行观察。活体观察发现,ＦｌＮａ注入体内后,经微血管迅速向周围组织渗出,最后汇集于淋巴管,血浆及组织匀浆ＦｌＮａ浓度的测定表明,ＦｌＮａ浓度随时间的变化呈指数衰减,各脏器ＦｌＮａ的分布极不相同。冰冻切片也显示了同样的分布差别。这些结果表明,我们所建立的方法可直观、定量地反映ＦｌＮａ在微血管的通透情况。     

湖北、河南、安徽三省大别山区地理新分布植物

湖北、河南、安徽三省大别山区地理新分布植物何家庆（安徽大学生物系合肥２３００３９）关键词大别山区,种子植物,地理新分布ＴＨＥＮＥＷＧＥＯＧＲＡＰＨＩＣＡＬＤＩＳＴＲＩＢＵＴＩＯＮＯＦＳＰＥＲＭＡＴＯＰＨＹＴＥＩＮＤＡＢＩＥＳＨＡＮＴＨＥＲＥＧＩＯＮＳ...     

人乳腺癌cAMP结合蛋白

建立了测定人乳腺癌胞浆ｃＡＭＰ结合蛋白（ｃＡＭＰｂ．ｐ．）方法。综合研究了其温度、保温时间、配体浓度、稳定性等条件。ｃＡＭＰｂ．ｐ．的Ｋ_Ｄ值为２．９０×１０~（－８）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ．并测定了６０例雌激素受体（ＥＲ）Ｆｕ性乳腺癌标本的ｃＡＭＰｂ．ｐ．含量。此组病人术后均接受系统的内分泌治疗,ＥＲ／ｃＡＭＰｂｐ,比值范围为７．７～３６２×１０~（－３）,ＥＲ／ｃＡＭＰｂ．ｐ．比值≥４０×１０~（－３）的五年生存率明显高于比值＜４０×１０~（－３）组,（ｐ＜０．００５）．表明测定ＥＲ／ｃＡＭＰｂ．ｐ．比值对预测患者内分泌治疗疗效,优于单独测定ＥＲ．