Objective Mercury (Hg), as one of the priority pollutants and also a hot topic of frontier environmental research in many countries, has been paid higher attention in the world since the middle of the last century. Gu...Objective Mercury (Hg), as one of the priority pollutants and also a hot topic of frontier environmental research in many countries, has been paid higher attention in the world since the middle of the last century. Guizhou Province (at N24°30′-29°13′, E103°1′-109°30′, 1 100 m above the sea level, with subtropical humid climate) in southwest China is an important mercury production center. It has been found that the mercury content in most media of aquatics, soil, atmosphere and in biomass of corns, plants and animals, is higher than the national standard.The present study aims to explore the influence of mercury pollution on the health of local citizens. Methods The effect of rice from two mercury polluted experimental plots of Guizhou Province on the expression of c-jun mRNA in rat brain and c-jun protein in cortex, hippocampus and ependyma was observed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemical methods. Results The results showed that the mercury polluted rice induced expression of c-jun mRNA and its protein significantly. Selenium can reduce Hg uptake, an antagonism between selenium and mercury on the expression of c-jun mRNA and c-jun protein. Conclusion c-jun participates in the toxicity process of brain injury by mercury polluted rice, the expression of c- jun mRNA in brain, and c-jun protein in rat cortex and hippocampus can predict neurotoxicity of mercury polluted rice. People should be advised to be cautious in eating any kind of Hg-polluted foods. To reveal the relationship between c-jun induction and apoptosis, further examinations are required.展开更多
Guizhou Province, located in the southwestern China, is an important mercury (Hg) production center. High levels of Hg were found in local environmental and biomass samples. The neurobiological disruptions induced in ...Guizhou Province, located in the southwestern China, is an important mercury (Hg) production center. High levels of Hg were found in local environmental and biomass samples. The neurobiological disruptions induced in brains of rats fed with Hg polluted rice collected from two experimental plots in Guizhou Province were studied. The plots are close to the Hg mine of Wanshang area and a chemical plant (where Hg is used as a catalyst for the pro-duction of acetaldehyde) of Qingzhen area. Rats were fed for 30 d before toxicological end points were tested. The results showed that the accumulations of Hg in rat’s brain of Qingzhen chemical plant group and Wanshang mine group were significantly higher than those of Shanghai group (con-trol group) (P<0.01). The neural transmitters, including ace-tylcholine (Ach), acetylcholine enzyme (AchE), nitric oxide and nitricoxide synthase (NOS), in rat’s brain were signifi-cantly affected. Oxidative stress was observed in the expo-sure groups. The expression levels of the immediately early gene (IEG), c-fos and c-FOS proteins were induced by the Hg polluted rice. It was noted that the IEG (c-fos) participated in the neurotoxic process induced by the Hg polluted rice. IEG response to Hg might be dependent on interactions between neural transmitter and oxidative damage. c-fos could be used as an effective index of detecting and assessing the neurotox-icity of Hg. The results suggested that it should be alert to mental health problem in human beings eating Hg-polluted food. More efforts are necessary to protect the local ecosys-tem and human health in the Hg polluted areas such as Wangshan and Qingzhen in Guizhou Province of China.展开更多
文摘Objective Mercury (Hg), as one of the priority pollutants and also a hot topic of frontier environmental research in many countries, has been paid higher attention in the world since the middle of the last century. Guizhou Province (at N24°30′-29°13′, E103°1′-109°30′, 1 100 m above the sea level, with subtropical humid climate) in southwest China is an important mercury production center. It has been found that the mercury content in most media of aquatics, soil, atmosphere and in biomass of corns, plants and animals, is higher than the national standard.The present study aims to explore the influence of mercury pollution on the health of local citizens. Methods The effect of rice from two mercury polluted experimental plots of Guizhou Province on the expression of c-jun mRNA in rat brain and c-jun protein in cortex, hippocampus and ependyma was observed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemical methods. Results The results showed that the mercury polluted rice induced expression of c-jun mRNA and its protein significantly. Selenium can reduce Hg uptake, an antagonism between selenium and mercury on the expression of c-jun mRNA and c-jun protein. Conclusion c-jun participates in the toxicity process of brain injury by mercury polluted rice, the expression of c- jun mRNA in brain, and c-jun protein in rat cortex and hippocampus can predict neurotoxicity of mercury polluted rice. People should be advised to be cautious in eating any kind of Hg-polluted foods. To reveal the relationship between c-jun induction and apoptosis, further examinations are required.
基金supported by the Key and Innova tion Projects of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.KZCX3-SW-437)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.20177013).
文摘Guizhou Province, located in the southwestern China, is an important mercury (Hg) production center. High levels of Hg were found in local environmental and biomass samples. The neurobiological disruptions induced in brains of rats fed with Hg polluted rice collected from two experimental plots in Guizhou Province were studied. The plots are close to the Hg mine of Wanshang area and a chemical plant (where Hg is used as a catalyst for the pro-duction of acetaldehyde) of Qingzhen area. Rats were fed for 30 d before toxicological end points were tested. The results showed that the accumulations of Hg in rat’s brain of Qingzhen chemical plant group and Wanshang mine group were significantly higher than those of Shanghai group (con-trol group) (P<0.01). The neural transmitters, including ace-tylcholine (Ach), acetylcholine enzyme (AchE), nitric oxide and nitricoxide synthase (NOS), in rat’s brain were signifi-cantly affected. Oxidative stress was observed in the expo-sure groups. The expression levels of the immediately early gene (IEG), c-fos and c-FOS proteins were induced by the Hg polluted rice. It was noted that the IEG (c-fos) participated in the neurotoxic process induced by the Hg polluted rice. IEG response to Hg might be dependent on interactions between neural transmitter and oxidative damage. c-fos could be used as an effective index of detecting and assessing the neurotox-icity of Hg. The results suggested that it should be alert to mental health problem in human beings eating Hg-polluted food. More efforts are necessary to protect the local ecosys-tem and human health in the Hg polluted areas such as Wangshan and Qingzhen in Guizhou Province of China.
