[Pollution Assessment and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals in the Surrounding Soil of Typical Mining Areas in Tongling, Anhui Province].

To study the level of heavy metal pollution and ecological risks in the soil around typical mining areas in Tongling, a total of 150 soil samples were collected from the study area. The content characteristics of 10 elements, namely, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Fe, and Zn, in the soils were analyzed. Methods including enrichment factor, the geo-accumulation index, single-factor pollution index, Nemero comprehensive pollution index, and potential ecological risk index were used to evaluate the pollution status of heavy metals in the soil of the study area. The pollution sources of heavy metals in the soil were also analyzed using correlation analysis, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis. The results showed that except for Cr and Fe, the average contents of the other eight heavy metal elements were higher than the soil background values in the study area. Pb, Zn, As, Cu, and Cd had a high degree of variation and were significantly affected by external interference. The spatial distribution showed that both Cr and Ni showed a decreasing trend from the edge to the central region, whereas the other eight heavy metals showed a decreasing trend from the central region to the surrounding areas. The pollution level of Cd and Cu in the soil of the research area was relatively severe. The overall ecological risk was at a medium to low level. Cd and Hg were the main contributing factors. As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn mainly came from agricultural, industrial, and transportation sources, whereas Cr and Ni were mainly from natural sources. However, the sources of Hg were relatively complex. The research results can provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of soil heavy metal pollution in metal mining areas, as well as the remediation of mine pollution.

Hydrochemical characteristics and quality assessment of deep groundwater from the coal-bearing aquifer of the Linhuan coal-mining district, Northern Anhui Province, China.

There is little information available about the hydrochemical characteristics of deep groundwater in the Linhuan coal-mining district, Northern Anhui Province, China. In this study, we report information about the physicochemical parameters, major ions, and heavy metals of 17 groundwater samples that were collected from the coal-bearing aquifer. The results show that the concentrations of total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, and potassium and sodium (K(+) + Na(+)) in most of the groundwater samples exceeded the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Chinese National Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB 5749-2006). The groundwater from the coal-bearing aquifer was dominated by the HCO3·Cl-K + Na and HCO3·SO4-K + Na types. Analysis with a Gibbs plot suggested that the major ion chemistry of the groundwater was primarily controlled by weathering of rocks and that the coal-bearing aquifer in the Linhuan coal-mining district was a relatively closed system. K(+) and Na(+) originated from halite and silicate weathering reactions, while Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) originated from the dissolution of calcite, dolomite, and gypsum or anhydrite. Ion exchange reactions also had an influence on the formation of major ions in groundwater. The concentrations of selected heavy metals decreased in the order Mn > Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Pb. In general, the heavy metal concentrations were low; however, the Cr, Mn, and Ni concentrations in some of the groundwater samples exceeded the standards outlined by the WHO, the GB 5749-2006, and the Chinese National Standards for Groundwater (GB/T 14848-93). Analysis by various indices (% Na, SAR, and EC), a USSL diagram, and a Wilcox diagram showed that both the salinity and alkalinity of the groundwater were high, such that the groundwater could not be used for irrigating agricultural land without treatment. These results will be significant for water resource exploiting and utilization in coal mine area.

Anti-inflammatory role of microRNA let-7c in LPS treated alveolar macrophages by targeting STAT3

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the expression of microRNA (miRNA) let-7c and its function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and alveolar macrophage cells.@*METHODS@#Real time PCR was performed to detect the expression of miRNA let-7c in the lung tissue of COPD patients and COPD model in mice. MiRNA let-7c was overexpressed in alveolar macrophages isolated from mice and its effect was measured by the production of pro-inflammation cytokines and the protein level of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) as well as phosphorylation level of STAT3 after LPS stimulation. Luciferase assay was used to detect the binding of miRNA let-7c and 3'UTR of STAT3.@*RESULTS@#MiRNA let-7c expression was significantly lower in patients with COPD compared with control group, and the similar result was found in COPD mice and LPS stimulated alveolar macrophages. Overexpression of miRNA let-7c in alveolar macrophages inhibited LPS-induced increasing of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β. Luciferase assay showed STAT3 was a targeting of miRNA let-7c in alveolar macrophages.@*CONCLUSIONS@#MiRNA let-7c low expression in COPD can regulate inflammatory responses by targeting STAT3 in alveolar macrophage, which may provide a new target for COPD treatment strategies.

Anti-inflammatory role of microRNA let-7c in LPS treated alveolar macrophages by targeting STAT3

Objective: To explore the expression of microRNA (miRNA) let-7c and its function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and alveolar macrophage cells. Methods: Real time PCR was performed to detect the expression of miRNA let-7c in the lung tissue of COPD patients and COPD model in mice. MiRNA let-7c was overexpressed in alveolar macrophages isolated from mice and its effect was measured by the production of pro-inflammation cytokines and the protein level of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) as well as phosphorylation level of STAT3 after LPS stimulation. Luciferase assay was used to detect the binding of miRNA let-7c and 3'UTR of STAT3. Results: MiRNA let-7c expression was significantly lower in patients with COPD compared with control group, and the similar result was found in COPD mice and LPS stimulated alveolar macrophages. Overexpression of miRNA let-7c in alveolar macrophages inhibited LPS-induced increasing of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β. Luciferase assay showed STAT3 was a targeting of miRNA let-7c in alveolar macrophages. Conclusions: MiRNA let-7c low expression in COPD can regulate inflammatory responses by targeting STAT3 in alveolar macrophage, which may provide a new target for COPD treatment strategies.