The neurotransmitter level changes of ducks exposed 8-month in a mercury-polluted site(Wanshan, China) and a reference site(Shanghai, China) were examined. Chemical analyses showed both higher mercury and selenium con...The neurotransmitter level changes of ducks exposed 8-month in a mercury-polluted site(Wanshan, China) and a reference site(Shanghai, China) were examined. Chemical analyses showed both higher mercury and selenium concentrations in the organ of Wanshan ducks. An increased content of acetylcholine(ACh) in brain and blood and a decreased activity of acetylcholinesterase(AChE) in blood were observed. Moreover, there was an increasing trend for nitric oxide synthase(NOS) activity and nitric oxide(NO) production in duck brain, but a reduction of NOS activity in duck serum. The possible explanations were due to the interactive effect of selenium accumulation and the sublethal exposure level of mercury in Wanshan area. The present study showed that AChE and NOS were sensitive to mercury contamination of real circumstance, suggesting that these two indexes have the potential to be biomarkers in assessment of health effects by mercury contamination.展开更多
Wanshan mercury mine is the largest mercury deposit in Guizhou Province of China, but there were few reports on mercury toxic＂ effect in the mining area. In order to study the neurotoxicity of food from Wanshan mercu...Wanshan mercury mine is the largest mercury deposit in Guizhou Province of China, but there were few reports on mercury toxic＂ effect in the mining area. In order to study the neurotoxicity of food from Wanshan mercury mine area and probe into the effect of food from Wanshan mercury miner area on the changes of brain oxidative damage and expression of c-fos gene. The rats were exposed to mercury contaminated food for 20 d. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA）, superoxide dismutase （SOD）, GSH-peroxidase （GSH-px） and Glutathione （GSH） in rat brain was measured, and the effect of mercury contaminated rice on the expression of c-los mRNA in rat brain and the expression of c-FOS protein in cortex, hippocampus were observed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and immunocytochemical methods. The results showed the levels of GSH, MDA, SOD and of GSH-dependent enzymes in the rat brain changed between exposure groups and control group; The mercury polluted rice induced significantly the expression of c-los mRNA; the c-FOS positive cells in hippocampus and cortex of exposure groups were significant different from control group （P〈0.01）. It could be concluded that oxidative stress signals could contribute to the induction of immediate early genes （IEGs）; free radicals and their by-products might not only cause oxidative damage, but also influenced gene expression; IEGs c-fos participated in the toxicity process of brain injury by mercury polluted food.展开更多
文摘The neurotransmitter level changes of ducks exposed 8-month in a mercury-polluted site(Wanshan, China) and a reference site(Shanghai, China) were examined. Chemical analyses showed both higher mercury and selenium concentrations in the organ of Wanshan ducks. An increased content of acetylcholine(ACh) in brain and blood and a decreased activity of acetylcholinesterase(AChE) in blood were observed. Moreover, there was an increasing trend for nitric oxide synthase(NOS) activity and nitric oxide(NO) production in duck brain, but a reduction of NOS activity in duck serum. The possible explanations were due to the interactive effect of selenium accumulation and the sublethal exposure level of mercury in Wanshan area. The present study showed that AChE and NOS were sensitive to mercury contamination of real circumstance, suggesting that these two indexes have the potential to be biomarkers in assessment of health effects by mercury contamination.
文摘Wanshan mercury mine is the largest mercury deposit in Guizhou Province of China, but there were few reports on mercury toxic＂ effect in the mining area. In order to study the neurotoxicity of food from Wanshan mercury mine area and probe into the effect of food from Wanshan mercury miner area on the changes of brain oxidative damage and expression of c-fos gene. The rats were exposed to mercury contaminated food for 20 d. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA）, superoxide dismutase （SOD）, GSH-peroxidase （GSH-px） and Glutathione （GSH） in rat brain was measured, and the effect of mercury contaminated rice on the expression of c-los mRNA in rat brain and the expression of c-FOS protein in cortex, hippocampus were observed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and immunocytochemical methods. The results showed the levels of GSH, MDA, SOD and of GSH-dependent enzymes in the rat brain changed between exposure groups and control group; The mercury polluted rice induced significantly the expression of c-los mRNA; the c-FOS positive cells in hippocampus and cortex of exposure groups were significant different from control group （P〈0.01）. It could be concluded that oxidative stress signals could contribute to the induction of immediate early genes （IEGs）; free radicals and their by-products might not only cause oxidative damage, but also influenced gene expression; IEGs c-fos participated in the toxicity process of brain injury by mercury polluted food.
