The Genetic Basis for Variation in Sensitivity to Lead Toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster

Background:

Lead toxicity presents a worldwide health problem, especially due to its adverse effects on cognitive development in children. However, identifying genes that give rise to individual variation in susceptibility to lead toxicity is challenging in human populations.

Objectives:

Our goal was to use Drosophila melanogaster to identify evolutionarily conserved candidate genes associated with individual variation in susceptibility to lead exposure.

Methods:

To identify candidate genes associated with variation in susceptibility to lead toxicity, we measured effects of lead exposure on development time, viability and adult activity in the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and performed genome-wide association analyses to identify candidate genes. We used mutants to assess functional causality of candidate genes and constructed a genetic network associated with variation in sensitivity to lead exposure, on which we could superimpose human orthologs.

Results:

We found substantial heritabilities for all three traits and identified candidate genes associated with variation in susceptibility to lead exposure for each phenotype. The genetic architectures that determine variation in sensitivity to lead exposure are highly polygenic. Gene ontology and network analyses showed enrichment of genes associated with early development and function of the nervous system.

Conclusions:

Drosophila melanogaster presents an advantageous model to study the genetic underpinnings of variation in susceptibility to lead toxicity. Evolutionary conservation of cellular pathways that respond to toxic exposure allows predictions regarding orthologous genes and pathways across phyla. Thus, studies in the D. melanogaster model system can identify candidate susceptibility genes to guide subsequent studies in human populations.

Citation:

Zhou S, Morozova TV, Hussain YN, Luoma SE, McCoy L, Yamamoto A, Mackay TF, Anholt RR. 2016. The genetic basis for variation in sensitivity to lead toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster. Environ Health Perspect 124:1062–1070; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510513     

Opisthorchiasis in Chernigov Province (the situation and control and prevention measures)

The results of planned population surveys for opisthorchiasis performed by teams of epidemiologists in 11 districts of Chernigov Province have been reviewed. 130,067 individuals in 156 communities have been examined. All the communities were situated not more than 5 km from the main water artery of the area--the Desna River and its main tributaries--the Seim, the Ubed', the Doch', the Borzna. 713 cases of opisthorchiasis have been identified in 96 villages. 1.0 +/- 0.2% (out of 3,180) of mollusks C. inflata and 0.9 +/- 0.4% of carps from the river basins in 8 districts of the region proved to be invaded with Opisthorchis larvae.     

浙江省4个地区60岁以上老人生活满意度的调查

目的:了解浙江省农村老年人生活满意度的现状及其有关影响因素。方法:于2005-07/10随机抽取浙江省乐清市北白象镇、白石镇、大荆镇,建德市的莲花镇及杭州下沙区和余杭区内能回答调查问卷的各项内容,同意参与该项调查的60岁以上老年人430名为调查对象。应用WHO推荐的生活满意度指数A量表,一般状况调查表,最满意和最不满意的事情调查表进行入户问卷调查。生活满意度指数A量表,包括20个项目,其中12个条目反映正性情感,8个条目反映负性情感。每项最高分为2分,总分最高分为40分。评分越高,生活质量越佳。一般状况调查表包括姓名、年龄、性别、职业、文化程度、婚姻、健康状况、医疗费用来源、住址和联系电话。结果:共发放问卷430份,收回有效问卷389份。①389名老年人生活满意度评分为25.8±7.2,与正常值(12.4±4.4)比较,差异有显著性意义(P<0.05)。②经多个独立样本的非参数检验,老年人的生活满意度评分性别差异无显著性(P>0.05),而在年龄、婚姻、文化程度、健康状况、职业、医疗费用来源和所在地区维度差异有显著性(P≤0.05)。③313人对“最满意和最不满意的事情”项目进行了回答,老年人最满意的事是“生活条件改善”和“家庭关系和睦”,有195人,占62.3%,最不满意的事主要是“家庭不和睦”(17.4%)、“社会发展不佳”(14.8%)、“身体状况差”(14.2%)、“生活条件差”(10.3%)。结论:浙江省农村老年人生活满意度较高,年龄、婚姻、文化程度、健康状况、职业、医疗费用来源、地区差异对老年人生活满意度有重要影响。     

Comparison of autosurge versus surge protocols for discontinuous-flow centrifugation plateletapheresis

Autosurge is a new, highly automated protocol for collecting platelets by centrifugation plateletapheresis. It was developed to allow optimal cell collections with less operator effort than was required with the earlier, standard Surge protocol. The authors compared the cellular content of 201 platelet concentrates prepared by Surge with that of 120 concentrates prepared by Autosurge by the same group of operators, using the same cell separator. Platelet yields were similar (p = 0.775) for both protocols (mean X 10(-11) were 3.54 and 3.57 for Surge and Autosurge, respectively) and when subdivided according to preapheresis donor blood platelet counts, hematocrits, and leukocyte counts. Although platelet yields were comparable in concentrates prepared by either protocol, high donor hematocrit had less adverse effect on platelet yield when the Autosurge protocol was used. The composition of concentrates differed between protocols in that leukocytes contamination was significantly less (p less than 0.001) in units collected by Autosurge (3.4 X 10(8)) than in those collected by Surge (5.8 X 10(8)). Operator involvement can be less intense with Autosurge because the protocol includes automatic adjustment of cell separator settings for optimal plateletapheresis. The results of the direct comparison study were confirmed by data from 509 additional plateletapheresis procedures performed during routine blood center operation. Autosurge should replace Surge because the former easily produces platelet concentrates that contain fewer leukocytes without compromising platelet yields.     

Stimulation-produced analgesia under repeated morphine treatment in rats

Components of complex emotional reaction to nociceptive stimulation as well as antinociceptive effect of periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) electrical stimulation were determined in rats. Animals were treated with morphine hydrochloride or saline for 10 days. Morphine analgesic effect during subchronic dosage (50 mg/kg a day) was gradually decreased. The same was true for stimulation-produced analgesia (SPA). Naloxone (2 mg/kg) exerted a partially antagonistic effect in relation to SPA in saline-treated and failed to abolish SPA in morphine-treated rats. It is concluded that the opiate component of the antinociceptive system is of importance for the tolerance development to morphine-like drugs.     

结肠冗长症手术治疗及自拟爽府汤预防复发的疗效观察

目的探讨结肠冗长症手术治疗方法以及自拟爽府汤在其术后的应用效果。方法将我院结肠冗长症患者40例随机分为观察组和对照组,对照组给予常规外科手术治疗,在此基础上观察组术后联合自拟爽府汤联合西药治疗,随访评估两者远期治疗效果。结果术后6个月观察组总有效率为100%,对照组为100%,两组比较差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。术后随访2年,观察组总有效率仍为100%,复发率为0%;对照组总有效率为68.42%,复发率为31.58%;两组比较差异具有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论单纯外科治疗结肠冗长症远期复发率高,联合自拟爽府汤可有效降低复发率。