Heat-induced oxidative stress and inflammation involve in cadmium pollution history in the spleen of zebrafish.

Zebrafish were exposed to 0, 2.5 and 5 µg/L cadmium (Cd) for 10 weeks, and then each group was exposed to 26 °C(control) and 32 °C (high temperature) for 7 days. 22 indicators were compared between 26 °C and 32 °C in the spleen, including body weight, LPO and NO levels, activity levels of Cu/Zn-SOD, CAT and iNOS, MTs protein levels, and mRNA levels of Nrf2, Cu/Zn-SOD, CAT, HSF1, HSF2, HSP70, MTF-1, MTs, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1ß, TNF-α, iNOS and NF-κB. Most indicators were not significantly affected by heat in fish from no Cd pollution. However, almost all of indicators were responsive to heat in fish pre-exposed to Cd. Several indicators were sensitive to heat in fish pre-exposed to 2.5 µg/L Cd such as iNOS activities, and mRNA levels of iNOS and IL-10. Most other indicators were sensitive to heat in fish pre-exposed to 5 µg/L. The mRNA levels of HSP70 and MTF-1 were up-regulated by heat in fish pre-exposed to 0, 2.5 and 5 µg/L Cd. However, the magnitude of increase was the greatest in fish pre-exposed to 5 µg/L Cd. These differences between control and high temperature would serve as biomarkers to distinguish healthy from Cd-polluted group. The findings imply that metal pollution history should be carefully considered when screening heat biomarkers in fish.

Evolution of nutrient structure and phytoplankton composition in the Jiaozhou Bay ecosystem.

The inventories of nutrients in the surface water and large phytoplankton( > 69 microm) were analyzed from the data set of JERS ecological database about a typical coastal waters, the Jiaozhou Bay, China, from 1960s for N, P and from 1980s for Si. By examining long-term changes of nutrient concentration, calculating stoichiometric balance, and comparing diatom composition, Si limitation of diatom production was found to be more possible. The possibility of Si limitation was from 37% in 1980s to 50% in 1990s. Jiaozhou Bay ecosystem is becoming serious eutrophication, with notable increase of NO2-N, NO3-N and NH4-N from 0.1417 micromol/L, 0.5414 micromol/L, 1.7222 micromol/L in 1960s to 0.9551 micromol/L, 3.001 micromol/L, 8.0359 micromol/L in late 1990s respectively and prominent decrease of Si from 4.2614 micromol/L in 1980s to 1.5861 micromol/L in late 1990s; the nutrient structure is controlled by nitrogen; the main limiting nutrient is probably silicon; because of the Si limitation the phytoplankton community structure has changed drastically.