Toxic Effects and Possible Mechanisms of Deoxynivalenol Exposure on Sperm and Testicular Damage in BALB/c Mice.

Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin) is the most common mycotoxin in cereals and grains. DON contamination can cause a serious health threat to humans and farm animals. DON has been reported to exert significant toxicity effects on the male reproductive system. However, the causes and mechanisms underlying efforts of DON on sperm and testicular damage remain largely unclear. In the present study, we thoroughly investigated this issue. Eighty male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a control group ( n = 40) and DON treatment group (2.4 mg/kg of body weight, n = 40). The ratio of testes and seminal vesicle to body, sperm survival and motility, and morphology of sperm and testis were observed in DON-treated and control mice. In addition, the concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH), and also the expression levels of JNK/c-Jun signaling and apoptotic factors such as caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, Bim, and Bid were analyzed and compared between the two groups. The results demonstrated that a single topical application of DON significantly increased the percentage of abnormal sperm and decreased the motility of sperm, indicating the sperms are damaged by DON. Additionally, the reduced relative body weight of testis and severe destruction of testicular morphology were observed. Moreover, the increased levels of ROS and MDA levels and decreased activities of SOD and GSH were found in testicular tissues, suggesting that oxidative stress is induced by DON treatment. Furthermore, DON upregulated the expression of stress-induced JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway proteins as well as JNK/c-Jun phosphorylation proteins. In addition, DON could enhance testicular apoptosis by increasing expression levels of apoptotic genes including Bim, cytochrome c, caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9. These results suggest that DON exposure can cause sperm damage, oxidative stress, testicular apoptosis, and phosphorylation of JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway. The underlying mechanisms may be that DON induces sperm damage by exacerbating oxidative stress-mediated testicular apoptosis via JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway.

[Rapid elimination of surface organophosphorous pollutants using hydroxyl radical].

According to the frequency of contamination accident for organic compounds in recent years, two kinds of organophosphorus pesticides dichlorvos and omethoate, as the simulated organic pollutants, were rapidly eliminated using spraying hydroxyl radical produced by strong electric-field ionization discharge method on an aluminium flat plate about 160 cm2. The high concentration aqueous *OH solution was produced from H2O(gas) and O2 with plasma reaction. In a condition, where pH is 6 and the initial densities of dichlorvos and omethoate on the simulation plane are both 60 microg x cm(-2), when the spray density of *OH reaches 3.9 microg x cm-2, removal efficiencies of dichlorvos and omethoate are 90%, and mineralization rates are 64% and 72%, respectively. The effect of pH for removal efficiency was also investigated. The results found that the removal efficiency of organophosphorus pollutants first decreased slowly and then increased fast with the increase of pH from 2 to 12 and the lowest removal rate appeared when pH close to neutral. The degradation rates of dichlorvos and omethoate both ascend by 21% and 26% respectively with pH 12 than that of pH 6. Four factors and three levels orthogonal test indicated that the degradation by *OH played a major role at the surface oxidation removal rapid of organophosphorus pollutants in a short period of time.

[Study on the degradation of phenol wastewater using hydroxyl radical produced by plasma and the course by UV spectra].

The phenol wastewater with high concentration was treated by hydroxyl radical produced by a strong ionization discharge plasma in the present article. Salicylic acid used as molecular probe to determine the concentration of hydroxyl radical. The phenol elimination efficiency of wastewater whose initial concentration was 1 21 5 mg x L(-1) could reach 99.11% when the concentration of hydroxyl radical was 1 037 mg x L(-1); while the initial concentration of 8 853 mg x L(-1) of phenol wastewater dropped to 6 250 mg x L(-1) under the same conditions, that is, 1 mg hydroxyl radicals could oxidize 2.5 mg of phenol. The smaller the initial phenol concentration, the higher the removal. However, the higher the initial concentration, the greater the absolute quantity of treatment. And the relation between the changes including pH value and the conductivity and the concentration of hydroxyl radical was stated and explained. With the concentration of hydroxyl radicals increasing, the pH value of wastewater changed from close to neutral to acidity gradually. The higher the concentration of hydroxyl radical, the stronger the acidity of wastewater. When continuing the increase in the concentration of hydroxyl radical, the change began to smooth. With the addition of hydroxyl radical, as is different from other phenomena, there was a tiny descending stage before ascending as shown on the conductivity curve, indicating that phenol had been oxidized and generated the organic acids continuously. Catechol, hydroquinone and benzoquinone are the important compounds of the intermediate products as shown by the analysis of UV spectra and chromatography. The final UV spectra curve indicated that there were little organic compounds containing conjugated structure in the treated wastewater.