Exposure to mercuric chloride induces developmental damage, oxidative stress and immunotoxicity in zebrafish embryos-larvae.

Mercury (Hg) is a widespread environmental pollutant that can produce severe negative effects on fish even at very low concentrations. However, the mechanisms underlying inorganic Hg-induced oxidative stress and immunotoxicity in the early development stage of fish still need to be clarified. In the present study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to different concentrations of Hg (0, 1, 4 and 16μg/L; added as mercuric chloride, HgCl) from 2h post-fertilization (hpf) to 168hpf.

Reproductive toxicity of inorganic mercury exposure in adult zebrafish: Histological damage, oxidative stress, and alterations of sex hormone and gene expression in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

Mercury (Hg) is a prominent environmental contaminant that causes a variety of adverse effects on aquatic organisms. However, the mechanisms underlying inorganic Hg-induced reproductive impairment in fish remains largely unknown. In this study, adult zebrafish were exposed to 0 (control), 15 and 30μg Hg/l (added as mercuric chloride, HgCl2) for 30days, and the effects on histological structure, antioxidant status and sex hormone levels in the ovary and testis, as well as the mRNA expression of genes involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis were analyzed.

Reversibly acetylated lysine residues play important roles in the enzymatic activity of Escherichia coli N-hydroxyarylamine O-acetyltransferase.

CobB is a bacterial NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylase. Although progress has been made in functional studies of this protein in recent years, its substrates and biological functions are still largely unclear. Using proteome microarray technology, potential substrates of Escherichia coli CobB were screened and nine proteins were identified, including N-hydroxyarylamine O-acetyltransferase (NhoA).

[Improvement of disintegration and anaerobic digestion for sewage sludge with ultrasonic generator].

Ultrasonic generating trough was applied to study the impact of ultrasonic on conditioning of sewage sludge. There are few ultrasonic generators for sludge treatment specifically, so we designed a double-frequency ultrasonic generating trough which could adjust frequency, energy density and treating time flexibly. In the research characteristics of sewage sludge treated by single-frequency and double-frequency ultrasonic were compared.

[Expression of matrix metalloproteinases-9 and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases-1 in connective tissue of vaginal wall of women with stress urinary incontinence].

Objective: To study semi-quantitatively mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and its inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), in vaginal wall connective tissue in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) compared to continent controls, and to explore the relationship between MMP-9, TIMP-1 and SUI.

Methods: Vaginal wall tissues were obtained from 24 women with SUI who were followed-up (12 cases are > 60 years old and 12 cases < or = 60 years old). Seven patients undergoing total hysterectomy for carcinoma in situ of cervix without urinary incontinence served as control group.

Investigation of the frequency of chromosomal aneuploidy using triple fluorescence in situ hybridization in 12 Chinese infertile men.

Background: Chromosomal aberrations are the major cause of pre- and post-implantation embryo wastage and some studies suggest that half of all human conceptions have a chromosomal abnormality. A chromosomal aberration in human sperms is also one of the causes of failure of in vitro fertilization. This study was designed to ascertain whether chromosomal aneuploidy in spermatozoa is a risk factor for male infertility.

[Chromosomal analysis of human sperm using multiple fluorescence in situ hybridization].

Now severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT) patients could have offsprings because of the development of technique of intracytoplasmic sperm injection. But some researchers found these patients have increasing frequency of the aneuploid on the chromosome in their sperm. If the spermatozoa with chromosomal aneuploid were fertilized, it would be resulted in a higher rate of recurrent abortion, fetal abnormal and dead birth, so the analysis of the number of sperm chromosome will play an important role in detection on infertile men.