The effect of size and age on depuration rates of diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DST) in mussels (Mytilus edulis L.)

Depuration or elimination of diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DST) was followed for 73 days in 1- and 2-year-old mussels. The age groups also differed in size, providing a broad approach to studying the effect of the differences in physiology accompanying the differences in size. Content of DST was analysed both on groups and individual mussels. Environmental variables were measured to evaluate their effect on depuration.We found no significant differences in elimination rate of DST between 1- and 2-year-old mussels under natural conditions. This suggests that size and age do not affect the elimination rate of the DST. The present study is the first study on the effect of age and size on the elimination rate of algal toxins in bivalves. The natural variations in food levels and temperature were not found to affect the elimination rate of DST.The digestive gland weights in the 1-year-old mussels increased four times while the DST content per individual decreased eight times. This demonstrated that dilution of toxins due to tissue growth could have an important contribution to declines in toxin concentrations. Changes in tissue mass are affected by environmental variables via growth or starvation, and when such changes lead to concentration or dilution of toxins this does not reflect the accumulation or removal of toxins from the tissues. We hence suggest that when evaluating the actual elimination capacity of the mussels, as in the present study, the total content of toxins per individual should be used, rather than toxin concentrations.The 1-year-old mussels had faster growth compared to the 2-year-old mussels in both total soft tissue and digestive glands. The mechanism of DST elimination is still unknown. If this process involves metabolism of the toxins, one could expect the rates of elimination to follow overall metabolic rates. However, the results from the present study suggest that large differences in growth rates, which also include difference in feeding and metabolic rates, do not affect the elimination rate of DST. Our results support the assumption that the depuration rates cannot be accelerated, even in artificial systems, as a cost-effective way to solve the problem with toxic mussels for the industry.     

Induction of Haploid Durum Wheat Plants Through Pollination of Maize Pollen

When tetraploid wheat (Triticum durum Desf. ) variety DR147 was crossed with maize (Zea mays L. ) variety suppersweet ss 7700, pollen readily germinated on the stigma and one or more pollen tubes reached the embryo sac in 83.4% of wheat florets. The frequency of fertilization and embryo formation was 44.5% and 42. 6% respectively. The hybrids were karyotypically unstable and the maize chromosomes were eliminated early in the development. Thus haploid wheat embryos were form. Although the double fertilization frequency of durum wheat X maize was high (32.7%) to form embryos and endosperms, yet the endosperms were highly abnormal. It was very difficult to produce viable mature seeds from the mother durum wheat plants. The survival of hybrid embryos produced by durum wheat X maize could be improved or prolonged by treatment with 100 ppm 2, 4-D (either by dipping inflorescences in solution or injecting 0.3 to 0.5 mL 2, 4-D solution into the uppermost internodes of the wheat stem). 9 to 13 days after pollination, caryopsis were excised from the pollinated spikes and surface sterilized for peeling of the embryos in different developing stages. The embryos were plated on MS solid medium containing 3% sucrose, 200 mg/L casein hydrolysate for embryo rescue. The experimental results revealed that the well developed embryos (larger than 0. 5 mm with scutellum structure) were easy to produce calli by callus induction or produce haploid wheat plants by embryo rescue, whereas the poorly developed embryos (globular, pear or torpedo-shaped embryos smaller than 0.3 mm) responsed very poorly. The germination frequencies of well and poorly developed embryos were 83.3 % and 12.5 %, respectively. Chromosome counts of root tip cells of the rescued plants proved their haploid nature (2n= 2x= 14).     

Composite model of time-varying appearance and disappearance of neurohormone pulse signals in blood

Blood-borne neurohormonal signals reflect the intermittent burst-like release of peptides and steroids from neurons, glands and target tissues. Hormones control basic physiological processes, such as growth, metabolism, reproduction and stress-related adaptations. Secreted molecules undergo combined diffusion, advection and irreversible elimination from the circulation. Quantification of these interdependent processes by a structurally relevant model embodying discrete event times, continuous rates of secretion and elimination, and stochastic variations poses a formidable challenge. In an experimental setting, one observes only the hormone concentrations, which comprise a time-varying composite of secretion and elimination. The number, shape and location of underlying bursts (pulses) and attendant secretion and kinetic parameters are unobserved. The ability to estimate the properties of these processes from the observed data is fundamental to an understanding of regulated hormonal dynamics. The present formulation allows objective simultaneous appraisal of discrete (pulse times) and continuous (secretion/elimination) properties of neuroglandular activity in the presence of random variability. A probability distribution is constructed for the structural parameters (secretion/elimination, pulsing), and an algorithm is developed by which one can, based upon observed hormone concentration data, make probabilistic statements about the underlying structure: pulse frequency per day, total basal (constitutive) and pulsatile secretion per day, and half-lives of elimination. The algorithm consists of the following steps: first, explicit construction of a family of sequentially decreasing putative pulse-time sets for a given neurohormone concentration time series; and then, recursive iteration between the following two: (a) for a given pulse-time set, generate a sample from the probability distribution of unknown underlying hormone secretion and elimination rates; and (b) determine whether or not a probability-based transition from one pulse-time set to another is merited (i.e., add/remove a pulse-time or stay the same). We apply this procedure illustratively to joint estimation of pulse times, secretion rates and elimination kinetics of selected pituitary hormones (ACTH, LH and GH).     

Keeping the soma free of transposons: programmed DNA elimination in ciliates

Many transposon-related sequences are removed from the somatic macronucleus of ciliates during sexual reproduction. In the ciliate Tetrahymena, an RNAi-related mechanism produces small noncoding RNAs that induce heterochromatin formation, which is followed by DNA elimination. Because RNAi-related mechanisms repress transposon activities in a variety of eukaryotes, the DNA elimination mechanism of ciliates might have evolved from these types of transposon-silencing mechanisms. Nuclear dimorphism allows ciliates to identify any DNA that has invaded the germ-line micronucleus using small RNAs and a whole genome comparison of the micronucleus and the somatic macronucleus.     

Absorption,tissue distribution,metabolism and elimination of taurine given orally to rats

Summary. Three biodisposition studies with taurine were performed in male and female adult rats at dosages of 30 and 300 mg/kg. A single oral dose of ¹⁴C-taurine was rapidly absorbed, distributed to tissues and excreted unchanged in urine. Elimination of radioactivity from intracellular pools was slow. Pre-treatment of animals for 14 days with unlabelled taurine did not significantly affect the fate of ¹⁴C-taurine. At the higher dose there was more extensive excretion combined with a lower percentage of the dose in the carcass, indicating the possibility of saturation of the tubular reabsorption mechanism for taurine. Daily administration of unlabelled taurine for 14 days did not result in an increase in total taurine in the brain. The data indicate that exogenous taurine rapidly equilibrates with endogenous body pools and that any excess is rapidly eliminated by the kidneys.     

Comparative study of the bioaccumulation and elimination of trace metals (Cd,Pb, Zn,Mn and Fe) in the digestive gland,gills and muscle of bivalve Pinna nobilis during a field transplant experiment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term bioaccumulation and elimination of Cd, Pb, Mn, Zn and Fe by Pinna nobilis tissues after their 90 day-transplantation period at Téboulba fishing harbor. During the transplantation period, the Cd, Pb, Mn, Zn and Fe concentrations in the different tissues of the mussels were measured before and after exposure period. Metal (Cd, Pb, Mn, Zn and Fe) accumulation in P. nobilis mussels varied depending on the analyzed tissue and the caging times. Notable differences in Cd, Pb, Mn, Zn and Fe accumulation patterns within the digestive gland, gills and muscle were found and may be due to the ability of each tissue to accumulate metals. During the depuration phase, the elimination of Cd, Pb, Mn, Zn and Fe depended on the target tissue and the metal speciation. Cd, Pb, Mn and Fe were eliminated rapidly from one organ and increased in other when compared to those of 90 day transplanted mussels. The increase of metal loads during the elimination phase is not clear and particularly what kind of processes is responsible for such response. However, it is reasonable to assume that metals increase is related to the existence of an accumulation/detoxification mechanism, which involves the transport of metals from an organ to another. The data obtained indicate that because of the significantly high quantities of Cd, Pb, Mn, Zn and Fe accumulated during the exposure phase, the transplanted mussels are suitable bioindicators for monitoring trace metals in marine ecosystem.     

Prevention of avian influenza epidemic: what policy should we choose?

Human-to-human transmission of the avian influenza has been extremely rarely reported, and is considered as limited, inefficient and unsustained. However, experts warn an occurrence of “mutant avian influenza”, which can easily spread among humans, because the avian influenza is already endemic, in particular in Asian poultry, and it is evolving in domestic and wild birds, pigs and humans. Outbreak of such mutant avian influenza in the human world may have devastating consequences, which are comparable with these for the 1918 “Spanish influenza”. In this paper we develop a mathematical model for the spread of the mutant avian influenza, and explore the effectivity of the prevention policies, namely the elimination policy which increases the effective additional death rate of the infected birds and the quarantine policy which reduces the number of infective contacts.     

强力霉素在斑点叉尾(鲴)体内药物动力学及残留消除规律研究

研究利用高效液相色谱法研究了强力霉素在斑点叉尾 (Ictalurus punctatus)体内的药物动力学与消除规律, 有助于制定合理用药方案和休药期, 为水产品质量安全提供理论依据。(1)单次口服剂量 20 mg/kg 强力霉素在斑点叉尾 体内的药时数据符合二室开放式模型。药-时曲线呈明显双峰现象: 第一次达峰时, 强力霉素在肾、血和肌肉中浓度迅速上升, 达峰时间 Tmax (1)出现在 30min, 强力霉素在肝脏中浓度上升缓慢, 出现在 1h; 肝、肾、血和肌肉第二次达峰的时间 Tmax (2)出现在 8h, 第二次达峰浓度 Cmax(2)大于第一次的浓度Cmax (1)。 药-时曲线下面积(AUC): 肾、肝、血和肌肉分别为 63.242、1282.077、142.379、62.348 μg·h /mL。消除半衰期[T1/2b]: 肾、肝、血和肌肉分别为 40.668、48.767、36.527、31.091h, 平均滞留时间(MRT): 肾、肝、血和肌肉分别为 46.585、56.989、48.859、42.428h; (2)连续口服剂量 20 mg/kg 的强力霉素 5d, 停药后强力霉素在斑点叉尾 肝脏中浓度最高, 肌肉+皮中浓度最低。在不同组织中强力霉素的消除速率不同(P<0.05), 药物消除速度由高到低依次为肌肉+皮、肾脏、肝脏。若以肝脏为靶组织, 最高残留限量 300 μg/kg,休药期不低于 30d; 若以可食组织肌肉+皮为靶组织, 最高残留限量 300 μg/kg, 休药期不低于 19d。     

不同温度下恩诺沙星及其代谢物在斑点叉尾鲖各组织中的残留及消除规律比较

分别在18℃和28℃水温下, 以20 mg/(kg·d)鱼体质量对斑点叉尾鲙给药恩诺沙星, 连续灌胃7d。给药后在不同的时间点取样, 用高效液相色谱荧光检测器检测, 研究恩诺沙星及其主要代谢产物环丙沙星在斑点叉尾鲙体内(血液、肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏)的残留消除规律。结果表明, 恩诺沙星在不同组织、不同水温消除速率不同: 水温为18℃, 皮肤、肝脏、肾脏和肌肉中的消除曲线方程分别为C=1022.1e–0.034t、C=2601.3e–0.046t、C=2903.6e–0.072t和C=1186.5e–0.036t, 消除半衰期分别为31.79d、45.29d、16.15d和35.54d; 水温为28℃, 皮肤、肝脏、肾脏和肌肉中的消除曲线方程分别为C=8805.5e–0.04t、C=3154e–0.08t、C=4145.1e–0.1t和C=1302.1e–0.068t, 消除半衰期分别为18.33d、6.26d、12.44d和10.34d。恩诺沙星在斑点叉尾鲙体内可代谢为环丙沙星, 恩诺沙星在斑点叉尾鲙体内的代谢速度较慢, 代谢物环丙沙星在斑点叉尾鲙体内的消除速度比恩诺沙星快; 在18℃水温下, 斑点叉尾鲙肉中的恩诺沙星和环丙沙星完全消除需要150d以上; 在28℃水温下, 斑点叉尾鲙肉中的恩诺沙星和环丙沙星完全消除需要120d。在实验条件下, 建议水温为18℃和28℃时, 休药期分别为3240℃·日和4200℃·日。     

太子参花叶病毒的检测与防治

1982年我们在国内外首次发现太子参花叶病毒,并对该病毒的形态结构、症状表现、宿主范围、血清学、生化特性等进行了研究,同时还对太子参病毒病进行了初步防治。在上述工作的基础上,我们又进一步应用ELISA技术,对太子参花叶病毒进行了田间检测,并确认了种子消毒方法,为太子参花叶病毒病的田间诊断与防治提出了科学措施。