Bioaccessibility of microplastic-associated heavy metals using an in vitro digestion model and its implications for human health risk assessment.

Microplastics can act as carriers of heavy metals and may enter humans through ingestion and threaten human health. However, the bioaccessibility of heavy metals associated with microplastics and its implications for human health risk assessments are poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, four typical heavy metals (As(V), Cr(VI), Cd(II), and Pb(II)) and one typical microplastic (polyvinyl chloride, PVC) were chosen to estimate the human health risk of microplastic-associated heavy metals by incorporating bioaccessibility.

Incorporating bioaccessibility and source apportionment into human health risk assessment of heavy metals in urban dust of Xiamen, China.

Heavy metals in urban dust could pose noticeable human health risks, but there are few studies focusing on comprehensive human health risk assessment with the incorporation of both bioaccessibility and source apportionment in urban dust. Thus, fifty-eight urban dust samples were collected from kindergartens in Xiamen to analyze the bioaccessibility-based, source-specific health risk of heavy metals (V, Co, Ni, As, Mo, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Pb). Most heavy metals, except for V and Mn, were significantly enriched in urban dust based on their values of geoaccumulation index (I) and may be influenced by human activities.

Prevalence of strabismus among preschool children in eastern China and comparison at a 5-year interval: a population-based cross-sectional study.

Objective: To update data on strabismus and evaluate the changes in prevalence and patterns among preschoolers in eastern China over a period of 5 years.

Design: Nanjing Eye Study, a longitudinal population-based study.

Setting: Recruitment and testing in kindergartens in Yuhuatai District, Nanjing.

Long noncoding RNA ATB promotes ovarian cancer tumorigenesis by mediating histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation through binding to EZH2.

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies. The unfavourable prognosis is mainly due to the lack of early-stage diagnosis, drug resistance and recurrence. Therefore, it needs to investigate the mechanism of OC tumorigenesis and identify effective biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis.

Norcantharidin combined with diamminedichloroplatinum inhibits tumor growth and cancerometastasis of hepatic carcinoma in murine.

Aim: Norcantharidin (NCTD) has been used as a clinical antineoplastic drug in China for several years, and diamminedichloroplatinum is a valuable clinical cancer chemotherapy agent. Here, we tried to investigate the effects of NCTD plus diamminedichloroplatinum on hepatic carcinoma in murine.

Materials And Methods: In vivo and in vitro investigations on anticancer effects of the two drugs were individually made.

[Effects of glycyrrhizin on the expression of hepatitis B virus and Toll like receptors 2,4 in HepG2.2.15 cells expressing low HBsAg].

Objective: To investigate the effects of glycyrrhizin (GL) on the expression of hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg), HBV DNA, Toll-like receptors 2,4 (TLR2,4) and proliferation of cells in HepG2.2.15 cell line.

Optimization of competitively differentiated polymerase chain reaction in detection of HBV basal core promoter mutation.

Aim: To improve competitively differentiated polymerase chain reaction (CD-PCR) in detection of HBV basal core promoter mutation.

Methods: Recombinant plasmid of double point mutation A1762T/G1764A in basal core promoter of HBV constructed by site-directed mutagenesis was used as mutant control. To reveal the deficiency mechanism of CD-PCR, relationship between the circle number of PCR and the increased speed of products of each competitive primer was comparatively studied.

Effects of c-myb antisense RNA on TGF-beta1 and beta1-I collagen expression in cultured hepatic stellate cells.

Aim: To investigate the effects of c-myb antisense RNA on cell proliferation and the expression of c-myb, TGF-beta1 and beta1-I collagen in cultured hepatic stellate cells (HSC) from rats.

Methods: Recombinant retroviral vector of c-myb antisense gene (pDOR-myb) was constructed, and then transfected into retroviral package cell line PA317 by means of DOTAP. The pseudoviruses produced from the resistant PA317 cells were selected with G418 to infect HSCs isolated from rat livers.

Novel assay of competitively differentiated polymerase chain reaction for screening point mutation of hepatitis B virus.

Aim: Point mutation, one of the commonest gene mutations, is the most important molecular pathogenesis of cancer and chronic infection. The commonest methods for detection of point mutation are based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These techniques, however, cannot be used in large scale screening since they are neither accurate nor simple.

Codon 249 mutations of p53 gene in non-neoplastic liver tissues.

AIM:To study the significance of p53 gene in hepatocarcinogenesis through analyzing codon 249 mutations of p53 gene in non-neoplastic liver tissues.METHODS:Codon 249 mutation was detected using single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis and allele-specific PCR in liver tissues from 10 cases of chronic hepatitis, 5 cases of cirrhosis and 20 cases of HCCs.RESULTS:The detection rate of codon 249 mutation in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and pericancerous tissues was 70% (7/10), 100% (5/5) and 70% (14/20), respectively by AS-PCR.