Urine metabolomics of women from small villages exposed to high environmental cadmium levels.

The present study aimed to identify urine metabolites in women exposed to high cadmium (Cd) levels. Twenty-one women exposed to environmental Cd and 12 age-matched controls were categorized as high exposure (urine Cd ≥ 15 µg/g creatinine; n = 9) or low exposure (15 µg/g creatinine > urine Cd > 5 µg/g creatinine; n = 12). Low-molecular weight metabolites in urine were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry after derivatization. An orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis model was constructed, and metabolites from the dimensional model were selected according to the variable importance in projection (>1). Metabolites differing significantly in abundance between different exposure groups were identified by searching mass spectral databases, and related pathways were analyzed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Approximately 110 significantly different metabolites were detected with variable importance in projection > 1, and 48 of them were found to differ markedly in abundance among the 3 groups. Twenty-seven matched with known metabolites, including 22 significantly increased and 5 markedly decreased in the high-exposure group (p < 0.01). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes results indicated that carbohydrate, amino acid, bone, and intestinal flora metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were affected by Cd exposure. The present study identified metabolites that differed in abundance in response to Cd exposure. Further studies may connect these biomarkers to early damage caused by Cd.

A past Haff disease outbreak associated with eating freshwater pomfret in South China.

BACKGROUND: Haff disease is unexplained rhabdomyolysis caused by consumption of fishery products in the previous 24 h. It was first identified in Europe in 1924 but the condition is extremely rare in China. Here we describe a past outbreak of acute food borne muscle poisoning that occurred in Guangdong Province (South China) in 2009. METHODS: The first full outbreak of Haff disease reported in Jiangsu Province (East China) in 2010, indicated that the incidence of the disease may be increasing in China. We, therefore first retrospectively reviewed epidemiologic, trace-back, environmental studies, and laboratory analyses, including oral toxicity testing to ascertain risk and chemical analysis to identify toxin(s), from the 2009 Guangdong outbreak. Then we compared data from the 2009 outbreak with data from all other Haff disease outbreaks that were available. RESULTS: Clinical symptoms and laboratory findings indicated that the 2009 Guangdong outbreak disease was consistent with rhabdomyolysis. Epidemiologic, trace-back, environmental studies and laboratory analyses implied that the disease was caused by freshwater Pomfrets consumed prior to the onset of symptoms. We also identified common factors between the 2009 Guangdong outbreak and previous Haff disease outbreaks reported around the world, while as with other similar outbreaks, the exact etiological factor(s) of the disease remains unknown. CONCLUSIONS: The 2009 Guangdong outbreak of 'muscle poisoning' was retrospectively identified as an outbreak of Haff disease. This comprised the highest number of cases reported in China thus far. Food borne diseases emerging in this unusual form and the irregular pattern of outbreaks present an ongoing public health risk, highlighting the need for improved surveillance and diagnostic methodology.

Synthesis of mercaptoethylamine-coated CdSe/CdS nanocrystals and their use for DNA probe.

CdSe/CdS nanocrystals (NCs) have been synthesized in aqueous solution by using mercaptoethylamine as a stabilizer. The results of TEM, UV-Vis and FL spectra show that the product is of excellent crystal structure, uniform in radius, with extraordinary fluorescence characters. These CdSe/CdS NCs allow the ultrasensitive quantitative detection of DNA. Under the optimum conditions, linear relationships have been found between the relative fluorescence intensity and the DNA concentration in the ranges 0 - 10 and 10 - 100 microg mL(-1); the linear equations are DeltaF = 210 + 80.91 C and DeltaF = 946 + 10.57 C (C, microg mL(-1)), respectively. The detection limits are 0.251 and 1.920 microg mL(-1), correspondingly. The proposed method has been applied to the determination of DNA in pig liver. It is indicated that these NCs could become a newly kind of DNA probe. In addition, the mechanism of the binding reaction has also been explored. It is considered that the binding reaction is mainly due to static electricity forces.

Synthesis of functionalized CdTe/CdS QDs for spectrofluorimetric detection of BSA.

Luminescent quantum dots (QDs)-semiconductor nanocrystals are a promising alternative to organic dyes for fluorescence-based applications. We have developed procedures to use CdS to encapsulate CdTe and synthesize a new kind of functionalized CdTe/CdS QDs for the quantitative and selective determination of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Maximum fluorescence intensity was produced at pH 6.83, with excitation and emission wavelengths at 336 and 524 nm, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the straight line equation: DeltaF=6.84+62.29C (10(-6) mol dm(-3)) was found between the relative fluorescence intensity and the concentration of BSA in the range of 0-1.2 x 10(-6) mol dm(-3), and the limit of detection was 5.4 x 10(-8) mol dm(-3). Based on this approach, a novel quantitative method for the determination of BSA is presented in this paper.

Preparation and application of functionalized nanoparticles of CdSe capped with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid as a fluorescence probe.

A new fluorescence probe, CdSe nanocrystal has been prepared and modified with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid [HS-(CH(2))(10)-COOH]. The functionalized nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that CdSe is dispersed homogeneously in aqueous solution and well protected from the environmental oxygen. They can be used as a new fluorescence probe for lysozyme, which was simple, rapid and specific. Under the optimum condition, the response is linearly proportional to the amount of lysozyme from 0.20 to 26.0mugml(-1), and the limit of detection is 0.115mugml(-1). The proposed method has been applied to the determination of lysozyme in egg white, with the recovery of 96-105%.

[Study on analysis of thioglycolic acid in cosmetics by ion chromatography].

OBJECTIVE: An analytical method of determinating thioglycolic acid in cosmetics by ion-exchange chromatography suppressed conductivity detection has been developed. METHODS: A high capacity anion exchange column, IonPacAS11-HC column was used. 25mmol/L NaOH + 1% methanol was used as eluent, and the flow rate was set up at 0.85ml/min. Samples were pretreated by extraction with CHCl3 to remove some organic substance, and then upper clean liquid was injected. RESULTS: The influence of samples' pH, coexist anion and the concentration of methanol in eluent on determination was discussed. The method enjoyed a wide linear range and good precision. The detection limit was 2.3mg/kg. The average recoveries were 91.5% - 10.0%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD%) was less 0.941. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the method was simple, accurate and might be good for application.