Physiological and ultrastructural responses of the brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida to triphenyltin chloride (TPTCL) stress.

Triphenyltin chloride (TPTCL) is a well-known marine pollutant that may constitute major environmental threats to seaweed mariculture. In the present study, the toxic effects of TPTCL on physiology and ultrastructure of cultivated sporophytes of Undaria pinnatifida were investigated under different TPTCL concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 μg L. Significant negative effects of increased TPTCL concentration were detected in the relative growth rates, survival percentages and chlorophyll a contents of young and adult sporophytes.

[Effects of grass cover combined with different fertilization regimes on soil nutrients and enzyme activities in apple orchard in Weibei dryland, China.].

The split-plot design was adopted in this experiment, with main treatments of grass cover and control and sub-treatments included four fertilization regimes: no fertilization, CK; manure, M; N,P and K fertilizer, NPK; and NPK fertilizer combined with manure, MNPK. Microplate fluorimetry was used to study the effects of grass cover combined with different fertilization regimes on the enzyme activities in apple orchard. The results showed that after mowing the grass (the residues were left on the soil surface as mulch), the soil water content, available P, nitrite nitrogen and the activities of βX, NAG, βG, CBH were increased compared to the control, with no significant differences for total nitrogen, soil organic carbon, and AKP activity.

Differences in the melanosome distribution within the epidermal melanin units and its association with the impairing background of leukoderma in vitiligo and halo nevi: a retrospective study.

Skin color is determined by the number of melanin granules produced by melanocytes that are transferred to keratinocytes. Melanin synthesis and the distribution of melanosomes to keratinocytes within the epidermal melanin unit (EMU) within the skin of vitiligo patients have been poorly studied. The ultrastructure and distribution of melanosomes in melanocytes and surrounding keratinocytes in perilesional vitiligo and normal skin were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

A comparative study of mitochondrial ultrastructure in melanocytes from perilesional vitiligo skin and perilesional halo nevi skin.

Vitiligo and halo nevi are both pigmentary disorders of the skin characterized by the acquired loss of functional epidermal melanocytes manifesting as white macules and patches. The cellular mechanism(s) and biochemical changes that result in the appearance of these two types of achromic lesions are still uncertain; and the relationship between vitiligo and halo nevi has been in dispute. In this study, we investigated the ultrastructure of mitochondria in melanocytes and in keratinocytes from perilesional vitiligo skin and from perilesional halo nevi skin using Transmission Electron Microscopy.

rhCSF3 accelerates the proliferation of human melanocytes in culture through binding CSF3R and the expression of CSF3R transcripts.

Melanogenic paracrine and autocrine cytokine networks have recently been discovered in vitro between melanocytes and other types of skin cells. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (CSF3R) controls the survival, proliferation and differentiation of many kinds of cells, including neutrophils. To understand the function of CSF3R and recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhCSF3) on melanocyte proliferation, this study compared the expression of CSF3R and the effects of rhCSF3 in primary human melanocytes, neutrophils and HEL 92.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: a multi-aspect comparative 7-year study from the People's Republic of China.

Background: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare but severe cutaneous drug reactions. They are differentiated based on the fraction of the body surface area affected. Optimal therapy for SJS and TEN is a controversial issue.

Transcript expression profiles of Takifugu rubripes spermatozoa and eggs by expressed sequence tag analysis.

Two cDNA libraries from Takifugu rubripes spermatozoa and eggs were constructed and a total of 620 expressed sequence tag (EST) clones were generated from the two libraries: 300 clones are from the spermatozoa library and 320 clones are from the eggs library. The most abundant cDNA clones in the two libraries were identified. A total of 207 'contigs' (or single) EST clones were found to share significant sequence identity with known sequences in the GenBank database, representing at least 51 different genes.