稀土神经毒性研究

稀土是我国特有的优势资源,在工农业和医药等行业有着广泛的应用,随之带来了稀土的环境和药物毒性等问题.其中一个受到公众广泛关注的是＂稀土是否具有神经毒性＂的问题.在过去的十年内,人们在稀土神经效应及其机制上的研究上取得了重大的进步.本文总结了在稀土能否透过血脑屏障、稀土对神经系统的生物效应、稀土对神经细胞的作用及其分子机制等方面的进展,对如何进一步研究确认稀土的神经作用进行了讨论.     

Quantification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Avian Dried Blood Spots by Ultra-performance Liquid Chromatography with Simple Liquid Extraction and Phospholipid Solid-phase Extraction Preparation

Here, a simple, reliable method for the quantification of the 16 EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in dried blood spots is outlined using liquid extraction and phospholipid solid-phase sample cleanup coupled with analysis by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet–visible detection. Whole blood spotted on Whatman FTA cards was efficiently quantified by extraction into acidified methanol and passed through a phospholipid solid-phase extraction well plate before injection into a liquid chromatography under reverse-phase conditions. The analyte recoveries in quality control samples ranged from 63.4 to 104.1%, with relative standard deviations from 0.48 to 2.04%. These figures of merit are comparable with measurements in whole blood or serum using similar techniques. The method detection limits were from 45.0?ng·g^?1 for benzo[g,h,i]perylene to 118.7?ng·g^?1 for chrysene, with matrix spike recoveries from 64.3 to 99.4%, demonstrating acceptable sensitivity and low matrix interference. With a simple liquid extraction approach and short 16-min liquid chromatography, the dried blood spots were effectively and rapidly analyzed.     

Element assessment in whole blood, serum and urine of three Italian healthy sub-populations by INAA

This research, that is a framework of a big project regarding the knowledge of human metabolism in patients affected by renal disease, is aimed to assess the levels of some selected essential (Co, Fe, K, Na, Rb, Se and Zn) and non-essential elements (Br Cr, Cs, Hg, Ni and Sb) in different biological matrices such as whole blood, serum and urine, of three Italian sub-populations.The analytical methodology involved is the Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), a primary analytical technique: the samples (totally 144) were irradiated in the Triga nuclear reactor at the R.C.-Casaccia ENEA for 12 h at a neutron flux of 2.6 × 10¹² n × cm^{− 2} × s^{− 1}.The results show a similar distribution for essential elements whereas quite different for non-essential elements. The statistical treatment has evidenced no differences among the samples grouping the subpopulations into unique one. In this way, the levels found can be considered “reference values” in the investigated matrices.     

Numerical analysis of stress distribution in the upper arm tissues under an inflatable cuff: Implications for noninvasive blood pressure measurement

An inflatable cuff wrapped around the upper arm is widely used in noninvasive blood pressure measurement. However, the mechanical interaction between cuff and arm tissues, a factor that potentially affects the accuracy of noninvasive blood pressure measurement, remains rarely addressed. In the present study, finite element (FE) mod-els were constructed to quantify intra-arm stresses generated by cuff compression, aiming to provide some theoretical evi-dence for identifying factors of importance for blood pressure measurement or explaining clinical observations. Obtained results showed that the simulated tissue stresses were highly sensitive to the distribution of cuff pressure on the arm sur-face and the contact condition between muscle and bone. In contrast, the magnitude of cuff pressure and small variations in elastic properties of arm soft tissues had little influence on the efficiency of pressure transmission in arm tissues. In par-ticular, it was found that a thickened subcutaneous fat layer in obese subjects significantly reduced the effective pres-sure transmitted to the brachial artery, which may explain why blood pressure overestimation occurs more frequently in obese subjects in noninvasive blood pressure measurement.     

Influence of Low-Intensity Laser Radiation on the Rheological Characteristics of Human Blood

The influence of low-intensity laser radiation (LLR) on the rheological characteristics of human blood has been investigated. The results of the investigation of the blood velocity in the human skin capillaries, the erythrocyte aggregation time, and the spectral width of scattering intensity fluctuations depending on the irradiation time are presented. It has been shown that laser irradiation leads to a decrease in the degree of aggregation of erythrocytes and, accordingly, to an increase in the velocity of blood microcirculation, which can be used for laser therapy and diagnostics and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). To explain the results obtained, a method of the LLR–biotissue interaction is proposed.     

Functional MRI using intravascular contrast agents: detrending of the relative cerebrovascular (rCBV) time course

In pharmacological fMRI experiments in animal models, blood pool contrast agents may be used to map cerebral blood volume change as a surrogate for neural activation. When the background signal drift due to contrast agent washout is non-negligible over the duration of the signal changes of interest, time-course detrending is essential for accurate interpretation of the experiment. Detrending approaches based on estimation of the background signal from a baseline period of the time course prior to pharmacological (or functional) challenge were evaluated with the aim of identifying a robust method of estimating the contrast agent washout contribution to the background signal drift. For fMRI studies in the rat, it was found that a constrained fit of a mono-exponential washout model was more accurate than a constant background approximation and unconstrained fits for experiments investigating the functional response to rapid pharmacological challenges such as cocaine and amphetamine. Moreover, the constrained fitting approach allows shorter baseline periods than unconstrained extrapolation, reducing the required duration of the experiment.     

Thermosensitivity of red blood cells from Down's syndrome individuals

Biochemical disturbances of the reactive oxygen species metabolism revealed in subjects with Down's syndrome (DS), and the findings indicating that heat-induced cell alterations have been, at least, partly mediated by reactive oxygen species, made the elucidation of the response of trisomic cells to elevated temperatures of special interest. Kinetic analysis of cell-survival curves, accompanied by the flow cytometry and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examinations, and their relationship with the cell membrane fluidity, were undertaken. At each temperature (48-54 degrees C), Dq parameters, representing the ability to accumulate sublethal damages, were similar for both cell groups. D0 parameters (inverse leakage rates; D0 = 1/k) were greater for DS cells at each temperature below 54 degrees C. The haemolysis sensitivity ratio (HSR) showed that DS erythrocytes were, in average, 1.60 times more resistant to heat injury than those from normal subjects. Activation energies of haemolysis, calculated according to the Arrhenius equation, were similar both for normal (290.8 +/- 6.5 [kJ/mol]) and DS erythrocytes (288.0 +/- 5.5 [kJ/mol]). Flow cytometry studies showed that the scattering properties of intact DS erythrocytes (reflecting size, volume, shape and cell membrane surface morphology) were different than those of normal cells. Scanning electron micrographs and scattering diagrams obtained for cells submitted to heat stress (51 degrees C) confirmed that DS erythrocytes were more resistant, to a certain extent, to heat-induced disruption than normal cells. The steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of TMA-DPH (1-(4-trimethyl-ammoniumphenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene) showed that untreated DS erythrocytes had substantially lower fluidity (r = 0.356 +/- 0.008) of the outer monolayer of cell membranes as compared to normal cells (r = 0.324 +/- 0.011). The increase of the cell membrane fluidity during exposure to heat was observed. The greatest elevation of cell membrane fluidity occurred during the preleakage period, immediately upon the heat treatment and was considered as a rate-limiting step of heat-induced haemolysis.     

Analysis of protective action of ischemic preconditioning from fluorescence spectra of blood serum and probes added to it

The protective effect of ischemic preconditioning on brain tissue during total ischemia is shown by using spectral-luminescence methods for estimating oxidative damage to blood components after ischemia. Fluorescence of blood serum and molecular probes added to it is investigated after producing brain ischemia with preconditioning. Lipid free-radical peroxide damage of low-density lipoproteins is found to decrease after producing ischemia with preconditioning rather than ischemia without preconditioning. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii Vol. 74, No. 3, pp. 378–381, May–June, 2007.     

A two-fluid model for pulsatile flow in catheterized blood vessels

The pulsatile flow of blood through a catheterized artery is analyzed, assuming the blood as a two-fluid model with the suspension of all the erythrocytes in the core region as a Casson fluid and the peripheral region of plasma as a Newtonian fluid. The resulting non-linear implicit system of partial differential equations is solved using perturbation method. The expressions for shear stress, velocity, flow rate, wall shear stress and longitudinal impedance are obtained. The variations of these flow quantities with yield stress, catheter radius ratio, amplitude, pulsatile Reynolds number ratio and peripheral layer thickness are discussed. It is observed that the velocity distribution and flow rate decrease, while, the wall shear, width of the plug flow region and longitudinal impedance increase when the yield stress increases. It is also found that the velocity increases, but, the longitudinal impedance decreases when the thickness of the peripheral layer increases. The wall shear stress decreases non-linearly, while, the longitudinal impedance increases non-linearly when the catheter radius ratio increases. The estimates of the increase in the longitudinal impedance are considerably lower for the present two-fluid model than those of the single-fluid model.     

聚硅氧烷/液晶复合膜的制备及其血液相容性研究

以含氢硅油和乙烯基硅油为基质,在氯铂酸催化下与胆甾醇油烯基碳酸酯液晶共混交联成一定强度的聚硅氧烷／液晶复合膜。借助偏光显微撞观察了不同液日含量在材料表面的状态,通过动态凝血实验、血小板粘附与变形实验、溶血实验等研究材料表面形态与血液相容性的关系。结果表明,含液晶２０％、３０％的液晶膜具有优良的抗凝血性能。