Adolescent ; Adolescent Development ; Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Obesity ; Puberty

To observe the chelation of GRP78 with lead (Pb) and its localization changes, astroglial cells from Wistar rat brain were primarily cultured in medium with acetate Pb. The processes were terminated at different time points. The immunoprecipitation (IP) and Western blotting were used for GRP78 purification and expression and the Pb concentration was determined by employing atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The localization change of GRP78 was observed with colloid gold immunoelectron microscopy. The results showed that the expression of GRP78 was increased significantly in the cells treated with 1.0 mumol/L acetate Pb for 24 h and peaked at 96-192 h (P<0.01), and at the 12th day, the expression of GRP78 began to decrease but was still higher than normal (P<0.05). Pb content started to increase when cells were treated by acetate Pb for 24 h, and the peak appeared at 8 day (P<0.01), and then Pb content decreased gradually, but was still higher than normal (P<0.05). GRP78 protein expression began to remarkably increase when it transferred from ER to the cytosol around the nuclei 24 h after treatment with Pb. It is concluded that GRP78 in astroglia could strongly chelate with Pb ions and it might be a target protein of Pb.

Objective To explore whether obese adolescents had neurochemical abnormalities in frontal lobe and hippocampus.Methods Anthropometric indicators were measured in all participants.Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy(1H-MRS)were performed in 9 obese adolescents and 9 non-obese children as controls.Spectral peaks of N-acetylaspartate(NAA),creatine(Cr),choline(Cho)of 2 cortexes were measured and their ratios were computed and compared.Results Values of NAA and Cho in frontal lobe in obese group were significantly lo-wer than those of controls.There was no significant difference of Cr,NAA/Cr,Cho/Cr in frontal lobe and hippocampus between 2 groups.Conclusion The reduced NAA and Cho on 1H-MRS suggests that amount of neural nerve and myelination of white matter may be harmed in frontal lobe of obese adolescents.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of suicide ideation, suicide plan and suicide attempts in middle school students in Hefei, Anhui province, and to determine correlated factors.

METHODSThe investigation was administered to 3127 middle school students from 7 schools in Hefei, Anhui province. All participants completed an anonymous questionnaire concerning their experiences with specific suicide behaviors during the 12 months preceding the survey. School life satisfaction, coping style were evaluated by School Life Satisfaction Rating Questionnaire for Adolescent and Trait Coping Style Questionnaire, respectively. Chi-squared test was used to assess gender difference of suicide ideation, suicide plan and suicide attempt. Logistic regression analyses were applied to identify factors associated with adolescent suicide behaviors.

RESULTSOf the subjects investigated, 28.0 percent had thought seriously about attempting suicide, 11.9 percent had made a specific plan to attempt suicide, and 4.0 percent actually had attempted suicide. It was found that main risk factors among three specific suicide behaviors were related to negative coping style. School life satisfaction was protecting factor of suicide ideation and suicide attempt.

CONCLUSIONIt was suggested that focusing on these psychosocial factors would help enhance suicide assessment and prevention efforts with adolescents.

Adaptation, Psychological ; Adolescent ; Adolescent Behavior ; psychology ; Chi-Square Distribution ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Personal Satisfaction ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Schools ; Social Environment ; Students ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Suicide ; statistics & numerical data ; Suicide, Attempted ; statistics & numerical data ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Nickel ; toxicity ; Oxidative Stress ; physiology ; Testis ; drug effects ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the polymorphism of human cytomegalovirus（HCMV）UL146 gene in clinical strains,and to evaluate its clinical diagnostic and therapeutic value of gene.Methods The UL146 gene of clinical strains was examined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Q-PCR）or general polymerase chain reaction（PCR）.Positive samples of PCR amplification were sequenced and analyzed.Results High variability of UL146 gene was found among 28 HCMV strains.According to phylogenetic analysis,all sequences of UL146 in clinical strains could be divided into three types and four subtypes.Chemokine ELRCXC region was highly conserved in all sequences.Conclusion HCMV-UL146 genes showed a high degree of polymorphism,and its encoded chemokine ELRCXC region was highly con-served.The relationship between HCMV-UL146 gene′s polymorphism and different clinical symptoms of HCMV infection was unclear.

Effects of different drying methods including sun drying, steamed, boiled, constant temperature drying (at 40, 50, 60 °C) on appearance, hardness, rehydration ratio, dry rate, moisture, total ash, extractive and polysaccharides contents were studied to provide the basis of standard processing method for Tulipa edulis bulbus. The results showed that the treatments of sun drying and 40 °C drying showed higher rehydration ratios, but lower dry rate, higher hardness, worse color, longer time and obvious distortion and shrinkage in comparison with other drying methods. The treatments of 60 °C constant temperature drying resulted in shorter drying time, lower water and higher polysaccharides content. Drying time is shorter and appearance quality is better in the treatment of steaming and boiling compared with other treatments, but the content of extractive and polysaccharides decreased significantly. The treatments of 50 °C constant temperature drying led to similar appearance quality of bulb to commercial bulb, and it resulted in lowest hardness and highest dry rate as well as higher rehydration ratio, extractive and polysaccharides content, moderate moisture and total ash contents among these treatments. Based on the results obtained, 50 °C constant temperature drying is the better way for the processing of T. edulis bulbus.
Color ; Desiccation ; methods ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; analysis ; Quality Control ; Tulipa ; chemistry ; Water ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of the genital system damage by nickel sulfate in male rats in order to provide the laboratory theoretical evidence for the prevention and cure of nickel genital toxicity.

METHODSThree groups of rats were injected intraperitoneally with nickel sulfate at dose of 1.25, 2.50, 5.00 mg/kg respectively for two weeks. The content of testicle nickel and blood serum testosterone (T), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) were assessed with atomic absorption spectrum and radioimmuno-assay, meanwhile the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and the content of nitric oxide (NO) were measured by enzyme method.

RESULTSThe contents of testicle nickel [(0.22 +/- 0.03), (0.34 +/- 0.04), (0.41 +/- 0.02) micro g/g respectively] were increased, but the content of T, TSH, LH in blood serum were reduced; the activities of NOS in testicle tissue [(33.65 +/- 2.93), (26.53 +/- 9.52), (10.20 +/- 2.74) U/g respectively] were inhibited by nickel sulfate and the contents of NO [(0.26 +/- 0.03), (0.18 +/- 0.05), (0.15 +/- 0.02) mmol/g respectively] were decreased (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONNickel-induced genital system injury of male rats may be related to the decrease in the contents of T, TSH, LH, and the inhibition on NOS, as well as the fall of NO content.

Animals ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Genitalia, Male ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Nickel ; toxicity ; Nitric Oxide ; analysis ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; analysis ; Radioimmunoassay ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Testosterone ; blood

remarkably increase when it transferred from ER to the cytosol around the nuclei 24 h after treatment with Pb. It is concluded that GRP78 in astroglia could strongly chelate with Pb ions and it might be a target protein of Pb.

Heavy metal wastewater poses a serious threat to the environment. In comparison to the existing methods of chemical precipitation, ion exchange and carbon adsorption, biosorption is an attractive alternative for the recovery of heavy metals from industrial effluents. However, nickel ion, different from other heavy metal ions, is a more recalcitrant pollutant and has low affinity to many metal tolerant microorganisms. In this study, Escherichia coli JM109 was genetically engineered to simultaneously express a Ni2+ transport system (the product of nixA gene) andoverexpress metallothionein (MT). NixA protein has a high affinity for Ni2+, and metallothioneins (MTs) are capable of binding a variety of heavy metals including Ni2+ . The Ni2+ bioaccumulation performance of the genetically engineered E. coli JM109 was evaluated. Time-course test showed that the bioaccumulation rate was rapid, and 95% of the accumulation was achieved within the first 10 minutes. The maximum Ni2+ bioaccumulation by genetically engineered E. coli cells was dramatically increased from 1.54 mg/g to 10.11mg/g, a more than five-fold increase than that of the original E. coli strain. The isotherm was of Langmuir type. Within the tested pH range (pH 4-10), the engineered cells displayed more resistance to pH variation, retaining up to 80% of the Ni2+ binding capacity at pH 4, while the original E. coli host cells lost 80% of Ni2+ binding capacity at pH 4. The presence of Na+ and Ca2+ affected Ni2+ bioaccumulation, but the effects were not serious, as 71% and 66% of the Ni2+ binding capacities were retained respectively at the concentrations of 1000 mg/L Na+ and 1000 mg/L Ca2+ . However, Mg2+ exerted a severe adverse effect on Ni2+ bioaccumulation, 83% of Ni2+ accumulating capacity was lost when Mg2+ concentration reached 200 mg/L. The effects of different kinds of heavy metals on Ni2+ accumulating were different. The genetically engineered E. coli cell lost less than 45% of its Ni2+ bioaccumulation activity in the presence of 50 mg/L lead or cadmium, 66% in the presence of 25mg/L mercury and 84% in the presence of 40 mg/L copper. The presence of glucose did not improve Ni2+ uptake. Our study suggests that the genetically engineered E. coli JM109 has potential application for effective and efficient recovery of nickel from aqueous solutions.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Cation Transport Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Metallothionein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nickel ; metabolism ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; metabolism