In the present study, female Sprague-Dawley rats received CdCl2 (50 mg/L through drinking water) and/or N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 120 mg/kg/day, orally) to investigate the protective effect of NAC on Cd-induced renal damage. Renal toxicity was evaluated by measuring the contents of total protein, β2-microglobulin, and α1-microglobulin in the urine and urinary enzyme markers of tubular necrosis, as well as levels of serum urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. Activities of antioxidant enzymes and contents of glutathione, malondialdehyde, and trace elements in the kidney were also measured. Animals that received both Cd and NAC showed a better renal function than those receiving Cd alone. In addition, NAC significantly reduced the levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the kidney of cadmium-treated rats. The enzymic and nonenzymatic antioxidants levels are not restored, but their further decrease is prevented by NAC. Also NAC administration does not modify the urinary excretion of cadmium or contents of cadmium in the serum and kidney. In conclusion, NAC exerts its protective effect by decreased LPO and improving antioxidants status to prevent renal tubular damage induced by chronic Cd administration, most probably through its antioxidant properties.

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a nonsteroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species. The exposure risk to humans and animals is the consumption of contaminated food and animal feeds. The aim of this study was to investigate ZEA-induced effects and its tumorigenic mechanism in TM3 cells (mouse Leydig cells). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) were assessed in this study. Results showed that low concentrations of ZEA could significantly promote the growth of TM3 cells. The percentage of cell distribution was decreased significantly in G1/G0 phase and was increased significantly in S phase with 10 and 20 μg/L of ZEA for 72 h ( p < 0.05, p < 0.01). The expressions of cyclin D1 and Cdk4 were significantly increased in the exposure groups compared with the control group ( p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Compared with the control group, the apoptosis was significantly decreased in 10 and 20 μg/L groups ( p < 0.01), and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 protein level was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner. The protein levels of proto-oncogene c-Myc, c-Jun, and c-Fos were significantly elevated and the protein levels of anti-oncogene p53 and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were decreased obviously compared with the control group ( p < 0.05, p < 0.01). ZEA affected the expressions of connexins and inhibited the activity of GJIC. These results demonstrated that ZEA can disturb the dynamic balance between proliferation and apoptosis and causes abnormal regulation of oncogenes, GJIC, and connexins in TM3 cells, which may easily induce the translation of normal cells into tumor cells.

ABSTRACT. Varroa destructor is the greatest threat to the honeybee Apis mellifera worldwide, while it rarely causes serious harm to its native host, the Eastern honeybee Apis cerana. The genetic mechanisms underlying the resistance of A. cerana to Varroa remain unclear. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanism of resistance to Varroa may provide useful insights for reducing this disease in other organisms. In this study, the transcriptomes of two A. cerana colonies were sequenced using the Illumina Solexa sequencing method. One colony was highly affected by mites, whereas the other colony displayed strong resistance to V. destructor. We determined differences in gene expression in the two colonies after challenging the colonies with V. destructor. After de novo transcriptome assembly, we obtained 91,172 unigenes for A. cerana and found that 288 differentially expressed genes varied by more than 15-fold. A total of 277 unigenes were present at higher levels in the non-affected colony. Genes involved in resistance to Varroa included unigenes related to skeletal muscle movement, olfactory sensitivity, and transcription factors. This suggests that hygienic behavior and grooming behavior