ABSTRACT
Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used to produce epoxy resin and polycarbonate plastic products. In severe cases, these plastics may release BPA, which then infiltrates into the environment. Various concentrations of BPA have been found in most biological fluid. Its presence has been well shown to be closely related to many chronic diseases, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, little is known regarding the adverse effects of BPA exposure and its succedent cellular events on CKD. Hence, in the current in vivo study, we aimed to assess the effects of chronic exposure to BPA on animal nephrotoxicity through investigating oxidative stress and apoptosis. Upon exposure to BPA at 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/L via drinking water for four weeks, the mated and pregnant females were continuously exposed to BPA until weaning. Subsequently, three weeks old F1-male neonates were also orally challenged with the same three doses of BPA for ten weeks. The results showed that the kidneys of 0.1 and 1 mg/L BPA-treated mice were seriously damaged; the contents of serum renal function indexes and lipid peroxidation products were significantly increased, including urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances; the morphological structure of mouse kidneys was impaired; the expressions of antioxidant-related genes at mRNA and protein levels from mouse kidneys were markedly diminished, including glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase; the expressions of genes and proteins related to apoptosis index (ratio of Bax/Bcl-1 and Caspase-3) were significantly enhanced. The data manifested that cumulative oxidative stress and apoptosis might play an essential role in the animal nephrotoxicity induced by chronic exposure to BPA.
Subject(s)
Female , Male , Mice , Animals , Oxidative Stress , Antioxidants , Apoptosis , Renal Insufficiency, ChronicABSTRACT
Protein Engineering is a core compulsory course of biotechnology major, which is the first-class undergraduate major being constructed in Shanxi Province. In view of the problems of single teaching mode of Protein Engineering, such as insufficient students' participation, short teaching time, and expensive experiment cost, the course team carried out the reform and practice of teaching mode for this course, and put forward a new teaching strategy. Under the guidance of the "Golden Course" standard for advancement, innovation and challenge, the course team developed the materials for massive open online courses (MOOC), and carried out the online and offline mixed teaching of Protein Engineering based on BOPPPS+flipped classroom by using the Chao-Xing Fan-Ya network teaching platform. Through this, a comprehensive, systematic and dynamic new teaching system of Protein Engineering was developed. Using the teaching mode based on BOPPPS+flipped classroom, the offline classroom teaching was combined with students' online self-study and homework completion, chapter test and discussion, and this mixed teaching mode was fully integrated into the flipped classroom. After three rounds of teaching practice, the course team had developed a complete, reproducible, scientific and reasonable online and offline mixed teaching mode, which included course materials preparation, exploring experiment guidance, classroom discussion design and course performance evaluation. The online and offline mixed teaching mode of Protein Engineering based on BOPPPS+flipped classroom was helpful for students to improve their autonomous learning ability, to be deeply engaged in the whole teaching process, and to develop a comprehensive and profound understanding of Protein Engineering. This teaching mode improved the teaching quality of Protein Engineering, and facilitated students to learn other follow-up professional courses. Moreover, it provides a reference for the course teaching reform.
Subject(s)
Humans , Learning , StudentsABSTRACT
The theories of pathophysiology come from experimental research,and experimental teaching is an important part of pathophysiology course.Experimental teaching can cultivate the abilities of independent thinking and comprehensive analysis in students,improve their practical skills,and enhance their understanding and application of theoretical knowledge.However,teaching reform should be carried out due to the drawbacks of current pathophysiological experimental teaching.With the teaching idea centered on learning,the quality of pathophysiological experimental teaching can be enhanced by rational arrangement of experimental courses,optimization of teaching contents,and comprehensive application of various teaching models,so as to effectively improve the level of theoretical knowledge and comprehensive practical ability among students.
ABSTRACT
To assess the presence of genetically modified (GM) maize and soybean in a range of commercialized feed in Shanxi province of China in 2015, improved hexadecyltrimethy ammonium bromide (CTAB) method was used to extract DNA. The screening of packed feeds was carried out by qualitative PCR. Then positive feeds were unpacked and detected by the CaMV 35S promoter, NOS terminator, zSSIIb, Lectin and CryIA (b) genes. The identified maize and soybean events were confirmed by event-specific MON810 and GTS40-3-2. Results showed that 83.3% of the feeds was tested positive for GMOs, in which positive rates of maize, soybean, pig and layer feeds were 6.67%, 100%, 93.3% and 73.3%, respectively. The results of real-time PCR were consistent with qualitative PCR. These results indicated that commercialized GM feed had a wide positive product scope in Shanxi province of China. Further studies are necessary to study effects of feeding livestock and poultry with feed containing GM ingredients on animals and their products.