In vivo epigenetic effects induced by engineered nanomaterials: A case study of copper oxide and laser printer-emitted engineered nanoparticles

Evidence continues to grow on potential environmental health hazards associated with engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). While the geno- and cytotoxic effects of ENMs have been investigated, their potential to target the epigenome remains largely unknown. The aim of this study is two-fold: 1) determining whether or not industry relevant ENMs can affect the epigenome in vivo and 2) validating a recently developed in vitro epigenetic screening platform for inhaled ENMs. Laser printer-emitted engineered nanoparticles (PEPs) released from nano-enabled toners during consumer use and copper oxide (CuO) were chosen since these particles induced significant epigenetic changes in a recent in vitro companion study. In this study, the epigenetic alterations in lung tissue, alveolar macrophages and peripheral blood from intratracheally instilled mice were evaluated. The methylation of global DNA and transposable elements (TEs), the expression of the DNA methylation machinery and TEs, in addition to general toxicological effects in the lung were assessed. CuO exhibited higher cell-damaging potential to the lung, while PEPs showed a greater ability to target the epigenome. Alterations in the methylation status of global DNA and TEs, and expression of TEs and DNA machinery in mouse lung were observed after exposure to CuO and PEPs. Additionally, epigenetic changes were detected in the peripheral blood after PEPs exposure. Altogether, CuO and PEPs can induce epigenetic alterations in a mouse experimental model, which in turn confirms that the recently developed in vitro epigenetic platform using macrophage and epithelial cell lines can be successfully utilized in the epigenetic screening of ENMs.     

Manganese is associated with increased plasma interleukin-1β during pregnancy,within a mixtures analysis framework of urinary trace metals

Exposure to trace metals may impact reproductive health outcomes through perturbations in maternal immune signaling molecules. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 390 pregnant women from the LIFECODES birth cohort and investigated the associations between 17 urinary metals and five immune biomarkers measured in the 3rd trimester (median 26 weeks gestation). We used linear regression to estimate pair-wise associations and applied elastic net and Bayesian kernel machine regression to identify important contributing exposures analytes as well as non-linear effects. Maternal urinary manganese, nickel, and barium were positively associated with maternal plasma interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Elastic net and Bayesian kernel machine regression identified manganese as the dominant trace metal in association with IL-1β. An interquartile range difference in manganese (0.6 μg/L) was associated with a 29 % increase in IL-1β (95 % CI: 12.4–48.2). In conclusion, trace metal exposures were associated with biomarkers of immune perturbations, and this warrants further investigation.     

基于证候要素的中风辨证论治

中风病是临床的常见病、多发病。本病病因较多,病情变化迅速,证型繁杂,不同的文献中证候分类差异较大。证候分类的繁杂给临床工作者治疗中风病带来极大不便。本文对以证候要素(内风、内火、痰湿、瘀血、气虚、阴虚)为切入点论治中风病的理论进行探讨,并举例论证其临床疗效。     

糖尿病前期中医证型及证素特点分析＊

目的 探讨糖尿病前期的中医证型及证素分布特点。方法 检索中国知网、万方及维普三大数据库中收录的自建库以来有关糖尿病前期证型的临床研究文献，对中医证型进行规范整理，建立数据库，提取证素，运用数据挖掘技术中的关联分析、聚类分析探究证素分布规律。结果 共纳入10篇文献，总有效病例1620例，证型经规范处理后整理为18个，主要证型为脾虚痰湿证。共提取证素13个，主要病位证素为脾，主要病性证素为气虚、湿和痰，关联分析显示脾—湿支持度和置信度最高，聚类分析结果可得到3个聚类组。结论 糖尿病前期病位在脾，气虚、脾、痰、湿是常见证素，临床诊治糖尿病前期应注重从脾论治，需辨证施治。     

90岁以上长寿老人听力与发中微量元素的观察

作者对30名90岁以上老人作纯音测听、高频测听和发中微量元素检测,与<60岁组人进行比较。结果:老年组纯音全频率听阈与对照组相比差异非常显著(P<0.01),高频测听,90岁组随着频率提高,听到耳数越来越少。并观察到90岁组发中锌、镁微量元素均低于<60岁组,两组间有显著差异(P<0.01)。对90岁组老人听力的特点,发中锌、镁微量元素含量减少对老年性耳聋的影响进行探讨。     

Neuronal regeneration after application of radiofrequency energy to collagenous tissue is affected by limb immobilization: an in vivo animal study.

Despite widespread use of radiofrequency (RF)-shrinkage, there have been no studies on the influence of RF-energy on neural elements of collagenous tissue. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of RF-shrinkage on neural structures of capsuloligamentous tissue and the recovery of neural elements under different postoperative treatment protocols. One patellar tendon of 46 New-Zealand-White rabbits was shrunk. Six rabbits were sacrificed immediately postoperative. Twenty rabbits were not immobilized, 10 were immobilized for 3 and 10 were immobilized for 6 weeks. A monoclonal antibody, specific against a neurofilament protein, was used to detect nerves and neural structures. Staining pattern of nerve fibres was significantly altered immediately postoperative. After 3 weeks the number of nerve fibres and bundles decreased significantly in immobilized and non-immobilized limbs. The loss of nerve fibres was significantly less in immobilized limbs. At 6 weeks the number of neural elements in immobilized limbs increased to the level of untreated control tissue. In non-immobilized limbs we found no recovery of neural elements 9 weeks postoperatively. At this time the number of nerve fibres and bundles was still significantly less compared to the untreated control limbs. RF-shrinkage causes significant alteration of neural elements. Under immobilization nerve fibres and bundles reach the level of normal untreated tissue. Careful rehabilitation is important after RF-shrinkage. Not only for biomechanical reasons, but also to allow the neural elements to recover, thermally modified tissue should be protected from normal physiologic loads.     

克氏螫虾与中国对虾微量元素与氨基酸含量的比较

对克氏螯虾和中国对虾的不同部位所含游离氨基酸和重要微量元素进行了比较。结果表明,克氏螯虾某些部位中游离氨基酸和微量元素的含量高于中国对虾。提示克氏螯虾可能具有与中国对虾相似的药用价值。     

冠心病患者血糖与微量元素的相关性研究

为探讨冠心病患者血糖与微量元素的关系，用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定了７８例冠心病患者的６种微量元素变化，并与血糖做相关分析．结果冠心病患者高血糖组与正常血糖组相比，血清铁、铅、镉显著增高，锌和铬显著降低，Ｐ＜００５或００１，铜无显著性差异；血糖与血清铁、铅呈显著性正相关，与血清铬、锌呈显著负相关，而与铜、镉相关不显著．表明部分微量元素的不平衡构成对冠心病的危险因子———高血糖的促发作用，调整人群中微量元素的不平衡状态，对减少冠心病及糖尿病的发生可能有利     

新疆拜城县重病区与中病区内外环境无机元素含量的调查

本文于１９９３年４月调查了新疆拜城县重病区查尔齐农场中与中病区赛里木乡的饮水，土壤，粮食，学龄儿童头发中Ｚｎ，Ｃｕ，Ｍｎ，Ｃａ，Ｌｉ，Ｓｅ６种元素无机元素的含量。结果表明，重病区小麦中Ｃａ的含量显著高于中病区（Ｐ〈０．０５），重病区饮水及小麦中Ｍｎ的含量显著低于中病区（Ｐ〈０．０５）。这些结果揭示重病区查尔齐与中病区赛里木乡的病情相比较，除缺碘较为严重这一主要原因之外，高Ｃａ，低Ｍｎ也可能与查尔齐     

特发性甲状旁腺功能低下（附13例分析）

本文观察分析了13例特发性甲状旁腺功能低下患者、查PTH6例。患者血清中除有本病低血钙、高血磷的固有特征外，其它微量元素也有改变，如血清镁值减低。这与文献[1]的报道相符。碱性磷酸酶2例明显升高。磷廓清率S例降低。肾小管磷重吸收率5例升高。放免甲功：抗甲状腺微粒体2例升高。T细胞亚群1例低于正常值。本病有家族性，与遗传有关。