Background: Plastic cutting boards are commonly used in food preparation, increasing human exposure to microplastics (MPs). However, the health implications are still not well understood.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of long-term exposure to MPs released from cutting boards on intestinal inflammation and gut microbiota.
Soil contamination by chromium (Cr) has attracted much public attention due to its ubiquity in the environment and toxicity to humans, with hexavalent CrVI being more toxic and mobile than trivalent CrIII. In this study, 16 soils contaminated from different sources were chosen to determine their Cr accumulation in mouse tissues and changes in Cr speciation in soils, and mouse intestinal contents, organs and excreta based on a steady-state mouse model. The Cr accumulation in mouse organs after exposing to CrVI was 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
February 2025
Under changing climates, engineering drought-resistant crops is critical for reducing food insecurity. Here, we leverage plant "stress memory" and ROS-generating silica nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance the drought tolerance of cucumber plants. Under PEG-mimicking drought conditions, cucumber seeds primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h) exhibited an increased seed germination rate (from 66.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobally, humans face gut microbiota dysbiosis; however, its impact on the bioavailability of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) from rice consumption─a major source of human exposure to these metals─remains unclear. In this study, we compared Cd and As accumulation in the liver and kidneys of mice with disrupted gut microbiota (administered cefoperazone sodium), restored microbiota (administered probiotics and prebiotics following antibiotic exposure), and normal microbiota, all after consuming cocontaminated rice. Compared to normal mice, microbiota-disrupted mice exhibited 30.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCadmium (Cd) is efficiently transferred from soil to food crops, notably rice. Research indicates that indica rice grains may accumulate more Cd than japonica cultivars; however, differences in Cd bioavailability (the fraction of ingested rice Cd absorbed into the systemic circulation) and toxicity remain unexplored, thus hindering a comprehensive understanding of exposure and health risks. To address this, a mouse bioassay was conducted to evaluate the relative bioavailability (RBA) of Cd in 35 samples each of japonica and indica rice, determining which type exhibits lower Cd bioavailability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRevealing the characteristics of vegetation coverage change and the effects of topography on vegetation coverage change in rural areas since the reform and opening up has direct implications for further understanding of human-land coupling processes and resource and environmental changes and provides a reference for ecological environment protection in rural revitalization. Using the Taihua Town in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, as a rural case study, we revealed the basic features of rural vegetation coverage change from 1986 to 2020. Furthermore, using 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCadmium (Cd) in rice constitutes a global health risk. It is crucial to develop strategies that not only reduce the bioavailability of Cd in rice but also confer additional health benefits. One potential approach involves the consumption of probiotics, which can bind Cd in the intestines and enhance gut health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeaweeds, despite being rich in beneficial substances, also contain toxic metals such as cadmium (Cd), leading to ongoing debates about their health impacts. This study assessed the risk of Cd exposure from consuming nori and kelp, as well as the potential benefits of these seaweeds in mitigating Cd exposure from rice, using mouse bioassays. The results indicated that all test nori samples (n = 35) had Cd concentration exceeding 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe controversy surrounding whether serum total cholesterol is a risk factor for the graded progression of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) has prompted this study to develop an authentic prediction model using a machine learning (ML) algorithm. The objective was to investigate whether serum total cholesterol plays a significant role in the progression of KOA. This cross-sectional study utilized data from the public database DRYAD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEdible offal of farmed animals can accumulate cadmium (Cd). However, no studies have investigated Cd bioavailability and its health effects. Here, based on mouse models, market pork kidney samples exhibited high Cd relative bioavailability of 74.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLappanolides A-N (1-14), 14 undescribed sesquiterpenoids, along with 23 known ones (15-37), were isolated from the roots of Saussurea costus, which were primarily categorized into eudesmane, guaiane, and germacrane types. Lappanolide A (1) possessed an unprecedented pseudo-disesquiterpenoids. Their structures and absolute configurations were established using physical data analyses (HRESIMS, IR, 1D and 2D NMR) and ECD calculations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThymol has efficient bactericidal activity against a variety of pathogenic bacteria, but the bactericidal mechanism against () has rarely been reported. In the current study, we investigated the bactericidal mechanism of thymol against . The Results revealed that 150 μg/mL of thymol had 99.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFine particulates in city air significantly impact human health, but the hazardous compositional mechanisms are still unclear. Besides the toxicity of environmental PM to in vitro human lung epithelial cells (A549), the independent cytotoxicity of PM-bound water-soluble (WS-PM) and water-insoluble (WIS-PM) fractions were also compared by cell viability, oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species, ROS), and inflammatory injury (IL-6 and TNF-α). The cytotoxicity of PM varied significantly by sampling season and place, with degrees greater in winter and spring than in summer and autumn, related to corresponding trend of air PM level, and also higher in industrial than urban site, although their PM pollution levels were comparable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe widespread use of copper and tetracycline as growth promoters in the breeding industry poses a potential threat to environmental health. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, the potential adverse effects of copper and tetracycline on the gut microbiota remain unknown. Herein, mice were fed different concentrations of copper and/or tetracycline for 6 weeks to simulate real life-like exposure in the breeding industry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeveloping highly sensitive and selective methods that incorporate specific recognition elements is crucial for detecting small molecules because of the limited availability of small molecule antibodies and the challenges in obtaining sensitive signals. In this study, a generalizable photoelectrochemical-colorimetric dual-mode sensing platform was constructed based on the synergistic effects of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-aptamer sandwich structure and nanoenzymes. The MIP functionalized peroxidase-like FeO (FeO@MIPs) and alkaline phosphatase mimic Zr-MOF labeled aptamer (Zr-mof@Apt) were used as the recognition elements.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrebiotics may stimulate beneficial gut microorganisms. However, it remains unclear whether they can lower the oral bioavailability of early life arsenic (As) exposure via regulating gut microbiota and altering As biotransformation along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In this study, weanling mice were exposed to arsenate (iAs) via diet (7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMyofibroblastic sarcoma (MS) is a malignant tumor of soft tissue or bone that can occur in children or adults, with a high rate of recurrence and metastasis. We report a case of low-grade malignant MS of the left shoulder, diagnosed based on pathological examination and immunohistochemical staining. However, the patient had unexplained pleural maculopathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArsenic (As) exposure has been related to many diseases, including cancers. Given the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, the dietary supplementation of polyphenols may alleviate As toxicity. Based on a mouse bioassay, this study investigated the effects of chlorogenic acid (CA), quercetin (QC), tannic acid (TA), resveratrol (Res), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on As bioavailability, biotransformation, and toxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProvisioning can significantly affect the ranging patterns, foraging strategies, and time budget of wild primates. In this study, we document for the first time, the effects of provisioning on the activity budget and foraging effort in an Asian colobine. Over 3-years, we used an instantaneous scanning method at 10-min intervals to collect data on the activity budget of a semiprovisioned breeding band (SPB) of black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) (42-70 individuals) at Xiangguqing (Tacheng), Yunnan, China.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Summarizing the treatment experience of primary cardiac tumors in children.
Methods: The date of 24 children with primary cardiac tumors who underwent surgery in our department from July 2003 to September 2022 was collected and analyzed treatment efficacy.
Results: All patients completed the surgery successfully, including 21 cases of complete tumor resection, 2 cases of partial tumor resection, and 1 case of tumor biopsy.