Effects of 4PU-30 on leaf senescence and degration of protein and nucleic acid in rice

4PU—30[N—phenyl—’N—(2—chloro—4—pyridyl) urea] is a new type of plant growth regulator with cytokinin properties. It has been confirmed to delay rice leaf senescence effectively. In order to elucidate the physiological role of 4PU—30 in delaying senescence, the changes of protein, nucleic acid contents, and the related activities of degradative enzymes were studied. Shanyou 63, an indica hybrid rice was used for this experiment. In the in vitro experiment, two full—developed leaves from the top during heading stage were collected and cut into 5.0cm segments, They were floated on the surface of distilled water containing 0.1mg/14PU—30 and incubated in darkness at 30 C. The leaves floated on distilled water were used as control.It was observed that chlorophyll content in controlled leaves declined rapidly started from the second day and dropped by 93.4% on the 6th day while that in leaves treated with 4PU—30 declined by 41.4% only. During senescence, specific activities of hemoglobin—digesting

Herbal compound 861 regulates mRNA expression of collagen synthesis- and degradation-related genes in human hepatic stellate cells

AIM： To identify the role of herbal compound 861 （Cpd 861） in the regulation of mRNA expression of collagen synthesis- and degradation-related genes in human hepatic stellate cells （HSCs）. METHODS： mRNA levels of collagen types I and III, matrix metalloproteinase 1 （MMP-1）, matrix metalloproteinase 2 （MMP-2）, membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase （MT1-MMP）, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 （TIMP-1）, and transforming growth factor β1 （TGF-β1） in cultured-activated HSCs treated with Cpd 861 or interferon-γ, （IFN-γ,） were determined by real-time PCR. RESULTS： Both Cpd 861 and IFN-γ reduced the mRNA levels of collagen type Ⅲ, MMP-2 and TGF-β1. Moreover, Cpd 861 significantly enhanced the MMP-1 mRNA levels while down-regulated the TIMP-1 mRNA expression, increasing the ratio of MMP-1 to TIMP-1 to （6.3 ＋ 0.3）- fold compared to the control group. CONCLUSION： The anti-fibrosis function of Cpd 861 may be mediated by both decreased interstitial collagen sythesis by inhibiting the transcription of collagen type Ⅲ and TGF-β1 and increased degradation of these collagens by up-regulating MMP-1 and down-regulating TIMP-1 mRNA levels.

Occurrence and Fate of Antibiotics in the Aqueous Environment and Their Removal by Constructed Wetlands in China： A review

Overuse of antibiotics has become a serious ecological problem worldwide. There is growing concern that antibiotics are losing their effectiveness due to an increased antibiotic resistance in bacteria. During the last twenty years, consumption of antibiotics has increased rapidly in China, which has been cited as one of the world＇s worst abusers of antibiotics. This review summarizes the current state of antibiotic contamination in China＇s three major rivers （the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Pearl River） and illustrates the occurrence and fate of antibiotics in conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants （VC-VVTPs）. The analytical data indicate that traditional W-WTPs cannot completely remove these concerned pharmaceuticals, as seen in the large difference between the distribution coefficient （Kd） and the uneven removal efficiency of various types of antibiotics. Although constructed wetlands （CWs） offer a potential way to remove these antibiotics from water supplies, knowledge of their mechanisms is limited. There are four main factors affecting the performance of CWs used for the treatment of antibiotics in water supplies, the types and configurations of CWs, hydraulic load rates, substrates, and plants and microorganisms. Further researches focusing on these factors are needed to improve the removal efficiency of antibiotics in CWs.