Abnormal phosphorylation / dephosphorylation and Ca2+ dysfunction in heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) can be caused by a variety of causes characterized by abnormal myocardial systole and diastole. Ca2+ current through the L-type calcium channel (LTCC) on the membrane is the initial trigger signal for a cardiac cycle. Declined systole and diastole in HF are associated with dysfunction of myocardial Ca2+ function. This disorder can be correlated with unbalanced levels of phosphorylation / dephosphorylation of LTCC, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and myofilament. Kinase and phosphatase activity changes along with HF progress, resulting in phased changes in the degree of phosphorylation / dephosphorylation. It is important to realize the phosphorylation / dephosphorylation differences between a normal and a failing heart. This review focuses on phosphorylation / dephosphorylation changes in the progression of HF and summarizes the effects of phosphorylation / dephosphorylation of LTCC, ER function, and myofilament function in normal conditions and HF based on previous experiments and clinical research. Also, we summarize current therapeutic methods based on abnormal phosphorylation / dephosphorylation and clarify potential therapeutic directions.

Effect of humus on photodegradation of quinclorac under different fertilization modes.

Humus is a specific kind of organic matter widely distributed in soils. The characteristics of humus have significant impacts on the fate of pollutants in the environment. In this study, we examined the effects of fertilization modes from rice rotation systems on the contents, spectral properties, photochemical activity, and photosensitization of quinclorac (QNC) of humic (HA) and fulvic acids (FA). The results showed that under the rice-vegetable rotation system, organic fertilizer treatment decreased the humification degree and molecular weight of HA, but increased the number of oxygen-containing functional groups and the abilities of photoproducing hydroxyl radical (HO·), singlet oxygen (1O2) and photosensitizing QNC, compared with chemical fertilizer treatment. Under organic fertilization mode, the molecular weight of FA was increased, but the number of redox functional groups and the abilities of photoinducing HO· and 1O2 and photosensitizing QNC were decreased. Under rice-shrimp cultivation system, organic-inorganic fertilizer treatment increased the humification degree, molecular weight, number of redox functional groups and oxygen-containing functional groups, and 1O2 photogeneration of HA, but decreased the abilities of photoproducing HO· and photosensitizing QNC, as compared with chemical fertilizer treatment. The humification degree and molecular weight of FA under organic-inorganic fertilization mode were increased, while the abilities of photoproducing HO· and 1O2 and photosensitizing QNC were decreased. In conclusion, organic fertilization could enhance the photochemical activity and photosensitizing efficiency of humus, and further promote the photodegradation of QNC in the environment.

[Preliminary Study on the Structural Characteristics of Residue from Rice Straw Burning in Field].

Because of their special structural characteristics, straw burning residues (biochar) have important impacts on the soil carbon sequestration and the transport and transformation behavior of pollutants. In this paper, a series of qualitative and quantitative analysis methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) , X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) have been used to study the basic physical and chemical properties and structural features of rice straw burning residues generating at different incineration intensity in field. The results show that: the basic physical and chemical properties of straw burning residues from field were closely associated with the burning intensity. The higher the burning intensity, the lower the TOC content. Meanwhile, the order degree of carbon atoms in the resulting residue increased. Wherein the fatty component of rice straw burning residues is gradually reduced with the burning intensity while the aromaticity of rice straw burning residues is gradually increased. In addition, the organic components in the straw burning residues from field have more significant contribution to the surface area.

[Structural changes of aged biochar and the influence on phenanthrene adsorption].

Biochars prepared by pyrolysis of rice husk at 350 degrees C and 550 degrees C were incubated in the lucifugal thermostat for 300 d. Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques were applied to explore the structural change before and after incubation. It was found that the oxygen content was increased after incubation, suggesting the formation of oxygen-containing functional groups. Incubation of the biochars also enhanced their nonlinear adsorption of phenanthrene. Structural change subjected to incubation was in fact affected by the pyrolysis temperatures at which the biochars were synthesized. Increase of polarity and decrease of aromaticity were found for biochars prepared at 350 degrees C. In contrast, incubation of biochars prepared at 550 degrees C resulted in increased aliphatic contents and aromaticity, as well as decrease of carboxyl group. The adsorption capacity of phenanthrene predicted by Langmuir model was 3.57 and 2.35 mg x g(-1) for new and aged biochar with lower pyrolysis temperature, respectively. It was assumed that change of the surface structure of the biochars due to aging inhibited the adsorption. On the contrary, aging of biochares prepared at 550 degrees C resulted in enhanced adsorption capacity of phenanthrene from 0.42 to 4.17 mg x (-1), which was probably correlated to the partition effect due to enhanced aromaticity. The data obtained in this research suggested that aging of biochars potentially affected the fate of the pollutants in environment.

[Mechanism of copper and zinc on tanshinones of cultivated Salvia miltiorrhiza].

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of microelement including Cu and Zn on the accumulation of three danshinones in Salviae miltiorrhizae root and build a theory basis for its good quality and high yield. METHOD: Sand culture experiments were conducted to study the effect of Cu and Zn on the accumulation of three danshinones and oxidase including peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity in the plant root. The correlation between available Cu and Zn contents in matrix and oxidase activity in the plant root and, the correlation between available Cu and Zn contents in matrix and contents of tanshinones in the root were discussed. RESULT: Contents of danshinones in the root increased with the increasing of Cu and Zn concentration. Dynamic monitoring on contents of dan-shinones of the plant roots growing in the pots with different Cu and Zn concentration in the whole growing season showed that the contents of danshinones for 60 days were the lowest, for 120 days the highest and then dropped for 150 days. In addition, among available Cu and Zn contents of matrix, oxidase including peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity and contents of tanshinones in the root,the correlation between two factors were significant difference (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The mechanism of Cu and Zn on the accumulation of danshinones may be that Cu and Zn improve the activity of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase, which promote transformation of phenolic compounds to terpenes and therefore to increase contents of danshinones.

[Effects of dissolved organic matter on phenanthrene adsorption by soil].

This paper studied the effects of exotic and native dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the phenanthrene adsorption by three soils differed in soil organic carbon content (foc). The exotic DOM came from decayed rice straw, while the native DOM was extracted from the test soils. In all cases, the adsorption of phenanthrene by treated soils could be well described with linear-type model, and there was a positive correlation between adsorption coefficient (Kd) and foc Compared with the control, the Kd value of test soils after native DOM removed was increased by 7. 08% -21. 4% , and the increment (deltaKd) was positively correlated with fo,, indicating that the presence of soil native DOM impeded the phenanthrene adsorption by soil. The effects of exotic DOM on phenanthrene adsorption had a close relation with its added concentration in soil-water system. Within the range of 0-106 mg DOC x L(-1) , the K, value increased first, and then decreased with the increase of added exotic DOM concentration. Lower concentrations of added exotic DOM promoted the phenanthrene adsorption by soil, while higher concentrations ( I> or =52 mg DOC x L(-1)) of it obviously impeded this adsorption. These effects of exotic and native DOM on soil phenanthrene adsorption were considered to be related to the association of phenanthrene with DOM in solution, and the ' cumulative adsorption effect' between soil solid and aqueous phases.

[Aliphatic characteristics of the fractions isolated from the soil fulvic acid using XAD-8 column].

In order to truly understand the character and structure of fulvic acid, which contains many substances, the authors isolated fulvic acid detailedly according to its definite character and its characteristic of similar structure. Fulvic acid with H+ can be adsorbed by the XAD-8 column balanced by the usual buffer(pH 2). The hydrophilic fraction in fulvic acid can be divided into three groups using the buffer with various pH (4.8, 7.0 and 11.0), while the hydrophobic fraction can be classified into two groups by the distilled water and alcohol separately. For FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) and NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy analysis, three paddy soils were used. It may be concluded that the content of oxygen and carboxyl group dissolved at low pH is more than that dissolved in the water and alcohol, but the content of aliphatic fraction is less and has short side chain.

[Fractionation and spectroscopic property of dissolved organic matters in soils].

Based on a modified Leenheer DOM fractionation sche me, fractionation of DOM from paddy soils was conducted byusing XAD-8 resin into hydrophobic bases (HOB), hydrophobic acids (HOA), acid-insoluble matter (AIM), hydrophobic neutrals (HON) and hydrophillic matter (HIM), and their structural characteristics were studied by means of elemental composition, FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The fractionation scheme used here provided a preferable separation of the fractions in terms of hydrophobicity and a high recovery. Of the DOC extracted from the soils, the HOB was the least fraction, accounting for 0.73%-3.83%, and the HIM fraction was the largest, accounting for 36%-42%. The HON fraction represented 7%-15%. The relative content of the HOA plus AIM was about 50%. Separated by this technique, the large-chain alkylate and the major portion of the N components mainly characterized HON, while the HOA fraction contained a large amount of carboxyl groups but less amount of aromatic groups with a higher quantity of carbohydrates compared to that of FA. AIM fraction was dominated by high branched (n value) polyphenols and humus bound carbohydrates. HIM was characterized by considerable amount of carboxyl and carbohydrates.

Binding of pyrene to dissolved organic matters: fractionation and characterization.

Based on a modified Leenheer DOM fractionation scheme, fractionation of DOM from the paddy soil was conducted by using XAD-8 resin into hydrophobic bases (HOB), hydrophobic acids(HOA), acid-insoluble matter (AIM), hydrophobic neutrals (HON) and hydrophilic matter (HIM). In total carbon content of DOM, 35.32% were the HIM and only 0.73% the HOB. However, HOA and AIM altogether occupied 53.45%, while the HON fraction represented 10%. The sorption experiments were conducted to determine the sorption capacity of pyrene on unfractionated DOM and its fractions. Elemental analysis, 1H-NMR and FTIR spectra were carried out on unfractionated DOM and its fractions to examine the relationship between the structure of DOM and partition coefficients (K(oc)). The results showed that HON had a greater affinity for binding pyrene than other fractions. While HON was characterized by large long-chain alkylate (aliphatic structure). AIM exhibited relative higher K(oc) values than HOA and HIM, due to much aromatic structure in AIM, while the high content of carboxylic groups of HOA and HIM depressed their binding capacity. This study demonstrated HON is a key subcomponents of DOM in binding of pyrene, in other words, aliphalic structure in DOM play an important role in binding of pyrene.