Lead (Pb(2+)) exposure is related to increased blood pressure or hypertension of human or animals. Abnormal vascular relaxant responses of low level Pb(2+) exposed animals were reported by several studies. However, it is difficult to tell whether these effects were induced directly by Pb(2+) or not. In this study we hypothesized that Pb(2+) can directly affect the relaxation of vessels. Male Wi...

We have developed intelligent polymerized crystalline colloidal array (IPCCA) chemical-sensing materials for detection of Pb(2+) in high ionic-strength environments such as body fluids with a detection limit of <500 nmol L(-1) Pb(2+) (100 ppb). This IPCCA lead sensor consists of a mesoscopically periodic array of colloidal particles polymerized into an acrylamide hydrogel. The array Bragg-diffr...

DNA sequences with guanine repeats can form G-quartets that adopt G-quadruplex structures in the presence of specific metal ions. Using circular dichroism (CD) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, we determined the spectral characteristics and the overall conformation of a G-quadruplex of PS2.M with an oligonucleotide sequence, d(GTG(3)TAG(3)CG(3)TTG(2)). UV-melting curves demonstrate...

Phenobarbital (PB), a classical rodent hepatopromoter, remarkably enhances hepatocarcinogenesis initiated by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in adult B6C3F1 mice. However, it is also known to strongly inhibit liver tumor development in the B6C3F1 mice initiated with DEN in their infancy. The present study aimed to elucidate the unknown biological mechanisms for this paradoxical, inhibitory effect of P...

OBJECTIVES Oxidative stress is considered as a possible molecular mechanism involved in lead (Pb(2+)) neurotoxicity. Very few studies have been investigated on the occurrence of oxidative stress in developing animals due to Pb(2+) exposure. Considering the vulnerability of the developing brain to Pb(2+), this study was carried out to investigate the effects of Pb(2+) exposure in brain regions e...

Single crystals of the title compound, trilead(II) bis-[tellurate(IV)] dibromide, have been grown under hydro-thermal conditions. The structure is isotypic with that of the chloride analogue, Pb(3)Te(2)O(6)Cl(2), and consists of three Pb, two Te, two Br and four O atoms in the asymmetric unit. Except for two of the O atoms, all atoms are located on mirror planes. The Pb(3)Te(2)O(6)Br(2) structu...

Four new lead(II) or bismuth(III) selenites and a tellurite, namely, Pb(3)(TeO(3))Cl(4), Pb(3)(SeO(3))(2)Br(2), Pb(2)Cd(3)(SeO(3))(4)I(2)(H(2)O), Pb(2)Ge(SeO(3))(4) and BiFe(SeO(3))(3), have been prepared and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. These compounds exhibit five different types of structures. The structure of Pb(3)(TeO(3))Cl(4) features a th...

BACKGROUND Respiratory gas exchange measurements in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) at rest and during exercise commonly reveal prominent slow oscillations in ventilation (V(E)), measured oxygen uptake (VO(2)), and carbon dioxide production (VCO(2)), whose origin is not clear. Voluntary simulation of periodic breathing (PB) in normals has been reported to generate a different pattern ...

Nucleic acid quadruplexes are composed of guanine quartets stabilized by specific metal ions. X-ray diffraction can provide high-resolution information on the structure and metal binding properties of quadruplexes, but only if they can be crystallized. NMR can provide detailed information on the solution structure of such quadruplexes but little quantitative data concerning the metal binding si...

This study investigated the relationship between Pb relative bioavailability (RBA) and bioaccessibility, and their relationships with Pb in different pools in soils. Twelve Pb-contaminated soils representing different contamination sources from China were analyzed for Pb bioaccessibility using four in vitro methods (UBM, SBRC, IVG, and PBET), Pb-RBA using a mouse blood model, and Pb fractionati...