Systemic inflammation is involved in vascular calcification and cardiovascular disease which is the leading cause of mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A high level of serum interleukin (IL)-6 plays a key role in local and systemic inflammation in RA. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We established a human umbilical artery smooth muscle cell (HUASMC) culturing method to i...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants found in tobacco smoke, air pollution, and grilled foods. Prenatal exposure to BaP causes premature reproductive senescence in mice, and other PAHs are transplacental ovarian carcinogens. Glutathione (GSH) is critical for detoxification of the reactive metabolites of PAHs. Therefore, we h...

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), is one of the major environmental pollutants that causes mutagenesis and cancer. BaP has been shown to accumulate in phytoplankton and zooplankton. We have studied the localization and aggregation of BaP in Chlorella sp., a microalga that is one of the primary producers in the food chain, using fluorescence confocal microscopy and f...

The tinman (tin) and bagpipe (bap) genes are members of the NK homeobox gene family of Drosophila, so that tin occupies a higher position than bap in the regulatory hierarchy. Little is known about the level and pattern of genetic polymorphism in homeobox genes. We have analyzed nucleotide polymorphism in 27 strains of Drosophila melanogaster and one each of D. simulans and D. sechellia, within...

A modifying influence of ortho-cresol (o-cresol) on the carcinogenic effect of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) with combined oral administration to CC57Br mice had been found. During simultaneous administration of o-cresol (1 mg) and BaP (1 mg), the incidence of tumors, the multiplicity of tumors, and the degree of malignancy all increased, but the latency was shortened. When o-cresol was administered bef...

Knowledge of the ability of the female reproductive system to metabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is critical to the diagnosis and management of female infertility and for risk assessment purposes. The PAHs are a family of widespread pollutants that are released into the environment from automobile exhausts, cigarette smoke, burning of refuse, industrial emissions, and hazardous ...

BACKGROUND Parents of children with autism have higher rates of broad autism phenotype (BAP) features than parents of typically developing children (TDC) in Western countries. This study was designed to examine the rate of BAP features in parents of children with autism and the relationship between parental BAP and the social impairment of their children in a Chinese sample. METHODS A total o...

The objective of this work was to optimize in vitro plant regeneration via organogenesis from tissues of adult 'Hamlin', 'Pêra', and 'Valência' sweet orange plants. Explants were grown in EME culture medium with different concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), at 27oC in the absence of light for 50 days, followed by a 16-hour photoperiod for 20 days. Regen...

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a ubiquitously distributed environmental pollutant. BaP is a known carcinogen and can induce malignant transformation of rodent and human cells. Many evidences suggest that inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) is potent anticancer drug candidate. However, the effect of PARG on BaP carcinogenesis remains unclear. We explored this question in a PARG-deficien...