Bioactivity-Based Molecular Networking-Guided Isolation of Epicolidines A-C from the Endophytic Fungus Epicoccum sp. 1-042.

Bioactivity-based molecular networking-guided fractionation enabled the isolation of three new polycyclic tetramic acids bearing cis-decalin, epicolidines A-C (1-3), along with one known compound, PF 1052 (4), from the endophytic fungus Epicoccum sp. 1-042 collected in Tibet, China. Their structures were assigned on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data, partial hydrolysis, advanced Marfey's method, quantum chemistry calculations, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 2-4 displayed promising activities against Gram-positive bacteria in vitro. Particularly, compound 4 displayed remarkable potential against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) with an MIC value of 0.25 µg/mL, lower than the MIC (0.5 µg/mL) of the antibiotic combination quinupristin/dalfopristin (Q/D). In a further in vivo study, compound 4 increased the survival rate to 100% in the VRE-G. mellonella infection model at a concentration of 10 mg/kg.

Electrostatic deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles on porous wood veneer for improved membrane filtration performance and antifouling properties.

Wood has been a promising water purifier material on account of its abundant natural transport channels, easy processing, and renewability, which is mainly focused on its utilization in growth direction for effective separation.Wood veneer manufacured from raw wood block has a reversed-tree pore structure, and possesses advantages of low cost, easy fabrication, material saving, and abundant sources. To realize its functionalization and practicable application for membrane separation, modification of wood veneer is prerequisite. Herein, thin wood veneer with disparate utilization direction of wood was developed to design filter membrane loading TiO2 nanoparticles for treatment of dye wastewater. Wood veneer with reversed-tree transport pathways exhibits unique porous structure, and filtering direction and wood growth direction is almost orthogonal generated numerous sinuous channels. Thereout, sufficient area for loading TiO2 nanoparticles and contacting pollutants as well as appropriate water transport pathways at significantly shrinking thickness of wood (the thickness of 0.2 mm) can be provide by these sinuous channels. TiO2 nanoparticles was first modified by (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane with high positive charge, and immobilized on negatively charged wood surface through atmospheric impregnation via strong electrostatic attractive interaction. Vast quantities of exposed TiO2 nanoparticles on wood cell lumens significantly enhance the adsorption ability for dye contaminants, resulting in a high membrane separation performance. The flux of TiO2/wood veneer membrane can achieve high level of 636.94 L/(m2h) with considerable methylene blue removal of 99.9% at 0.01 MPa. Meanwhile, it shows good cycling stability as well as decent flexibility and excellent mechanical strength. Moreover, the designed membrane with photocatalytic function of TiO2 also displays impressive decontaminated and recycling ability. The flux can recover its pre-recession level after 10 h light irradiation. The designed TiO2/wood veneer with simple preparation process and excellent water treatment capacity exhibits promising results for practical wastewater treatment.

Molecular Networking-Based Screening Led to the Discovery of a Cyclic Heptadepsipeptide from an Endolichenic Xylaria sp.

MS/MS-based molecular networking strain prioritization led to the discovery of a group of cyclic depsipeptides from an endolichenic Xylaria sp. The main component, xylaroamide A (1), was obtained by LC-MS-guided isolation. The planar structure of compound 1 was elucidated via 1D and 2D NMR, as well as MS/MS data. The configurations were fully determined by the combination of advanced Marfey's analysis, partial hydrolysis, Mosher's reaction, and GIAO NMR calculation based on a restricted conformational search. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for xylaroamide A (1) involving a rare trans-acting N-methyltransferase is proposed based on bioinformatics analysis. Xylaroamide A (1) exhibited inhibitory activity against cancer cell lines BT-549 and RKO with IC50 values of 2.5 and 9.5 µM, respectively.

Tannin-Derived Hard Carbon for Stable Lithium-Ion Anode.

Graphite anodes are well established for commercial use in lithium-ion battery systems. However, the limited capacity of graphite limits the further development of lithium-ion batteries. Hard carbon obtained from biomass is a highly promising anode material, with the advantage of enriched microcrystalline structure characteristics for better lithium storage. Tannin, a secondary product of metabolism during plant growth, has a rich source on earth. But the mechanism of hard carbon obtained from its derivation in lithium-ion batteries has been little studied. This paper successfully applied the hard carbon obtained from tannin as anode and illustrated the relationship between its structure and lithium storage performance. Meanwhile, to further enhance the performance, graphene oxide is skillfully compounded. The contact with the electrolyte and the charge transfer capability are effectively enhanced, then the capacity of PVP-HC is 255.5 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 400 mA g-1, with a capacity retention rate of 91.25%. The present work lays the foundation and opens up ideas for the application of biomass-derived hard carbon in lithium anodes.

A novel protein AXIN1-295aa encoded by circAXIN1 activates the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway to promote gastric cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNA (circRNA), a subclass of non-coding RNA, plays a critical role in cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis. It has been suggested that circRNA acts as a microRNA sponge or a scaffold to interact with protein complexes; however, its full range of functions remains elusive. Recently, some circRNAs have been found to have coding potential. METHODS: To investigate the role of circRNAs in gastric cancer (GC), parallel sequencing was performed using five paired GC samples. Differentially expressed circAXIN1 was proposed to encode a novel protein. FLAG-tagged circRNA overexpression plasmid construction, immunoblotting, mass spectrometry, and luciferase reporter analyses were applied to confirm the coding potential of circAXIN1. Gain- and loss-of-function studies were conducted to study the oncogenic role of circAXIN1 and AXIN1-295aa on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of GC cells in vitro and in vivo. The competitive interaction between AXIN1-295aa and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) was investigated by immunoprecipitation analyses. Wnt signaling activity was observed using a Top/Fopflash assay, real-time quantitative RT-PCR, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence staining, and chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: CircAXIN1 is highly expressed in GC tissues compared with its expression in paired adjacent normal gastric tissues. CircAXIN1 encodes a 295 amino acid (aa) novel protein, which was named AXIN1-295aa. CircAXIN1 overexpression enhances the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells, while the knockdown of circAXIN1 inhibits the malignant behaviors of GC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, AXIN1-295aa competitively interacts with APC, leading to dysfunction of the "destruction complex" of the Wnt pathway. Released ß-catenin translocates to the nucleus and binds to the TCF consensus site on the promoter, inducing downstream gene expression. CONCLUSION: CircAXIN1 encodes a novel protein, AXIN1-295aa. AXIN1-295aa functions as an oncogenic protein, activating the Wnt signaling pathway to promote GC tumorigenesis and progression, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for GC.

Surface Plasmonic Sensors: Sensing Mechanism and Recent Applications.

Surface plasmonic sensors have been widely used in biology, chemistry, and environment monitoring. These sensors exhibit extraordinary sensitivity based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) or localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effects, and they have found commercial applications. In this review, we present recent progress in the field of surface plasmonic sensors, mainly in the configurations of planar metastructures and optical-fiber waveguides. In the metastructure platform, the optical sensors based on LSPR, hyperbolic dispersion, Fano resonance, and two-dimensional (2D) materials integration are introduced. The optical-fiber sensors integrated with LSPR/SPR structures and 2D materials are summarized. We also introduce the recent advances in quantum plasmonic sensing beyond the classical shot noise limit. The challenges and opportunities in this field are discussed.

Fusapyrone A, a γ-pyrone derived from a desert Fusarium sp.

In this work, we isolated and characterized fusapyrone A (1), a new γ-pyrone derivative, along with six previously described compounds from the rice fermentation of Fusarium sp. CPCC 401218, a fungus collected from the desert. The structure of 1 was characterized using various spectroscopic analyses, such as MS, IR, 1D, and 2D NMR. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined through the use of 13C NMR chemical shifts, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and optical rotation (OR) calculations. Compound 1 was found to have weak antiproliferative activity for Hela cells, with an IC50 of 50.6 µM.[Formula: see text].

[A new benzamide derivative from rice fermentation of Streptomyces sp. CPCC 202950].

Eight compounds were isolated from the rice fermentation of Streptomyces sp. CPCC 202950 by a combination of various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography over silica, Sephadex LH-20, flash C18, and reversed-phase HPLC. Their structures were identified as 3-[(3'-amino-3'-oxoprop-1'-en-2'-yl)oxy]benzamide (1), m-hydroxybenzamide (2), leptosphaepin (3), 5-methyluracil (4), feruloylamide (5), p-hydroxyphenylacetoamide (6), vanillamide (7), cyclo (L-val-L-ala) (8). Among them, 1 was a new benzamide analogue, and 2 was a new natural product. In the preliminary assays, none of the compounds 1-8 exhibited obvious inhibition of HIV-1 protease activity, and toxic with the Hela, HepG2, and U2OS cells. (IC50 > 10 µmol•L⁻¹).

Catalytic conversion of CHx and CO2 on non-noble metallic impurities in graphene.

Density functional theory (DFT) was applied to investigate the geometric, electronic, and magnetic properties of CHx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) species on non-noble metal embedded graphene (NNM-graphene). It was found that the different stabilities of CHx species can modify the electronic structures and magnetic properties of NNM-graphene systems. The carbonaceous reforming reactions include conversion of CHx (x = 0, 1, 2 and 3) species by hydrogen molecules (H2) to form CHx+2 species or oxidation of C atoms by oxygen molecules to form CO2. In the hydrogenation reactions, deposited C atoms can be converted easily into CHx species overcoming small energy barriers. In comparison, coadsorption of C and O2 to generate CO2 encounters relatively larger energy barriers on the NNM-graphene. Hence, the coadsorption of CHx and H2 as the starting state is energetically more favorable and formation of CHx species can reduce amounts of carbon deposition. Among the NNM-graphene substrates studied, moderate adsorption energies and low reaction barriers of CHx species are more likely to occur on the Co-graphene surface, thus the hydrogenation reaction is able to inhibit carbon deposition on the NNM-graphene surface while maintaining high activity.

Band structure engineering in a MoS2/PbI2 van der Waals heterostructure via an external electric field.

Band structure engineering in a MoS2/PbI2 van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure under an external electric field (Efield) is investigated using density functional theory (DFT). It is demonstrated that the MoS2/PbI2 vdW heterostructure has a type-II heterojunction with a direct bandgap, and thus the lowest energy electron-hole pairs are spatially separated. Meanwhile, the band structure could be effectively modulated under an Efield and the bandgap shows linear variations with the Efield, indicating a giant Stark effect. This gets further support from the band edges of MoS2 and PbI2 in the heterostructure. Moreover, the MoS2/PbI2 vdW heterostructure experiences transitions from type-II to type-I and then to type-II under various Efields. Our calculated results pave the way for experimental research and provide a new perspective for the application of the vdW heterostructure in electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Highly Active Gold(I)-Silver(I) Oxo Cluster Activating sp³ C-H Bonds of Methyl Ketones under Mild Conditions.

The activation of C(sp(3))-H bonds is challenging, due to their high bond dissociation energy, low proton acidity, and highly nonpolar character. Herein we report a unique gold(I)-silver(I) oxo cluster protected by hemilabile phosphine ligands [OAu3Ag3(PPhpy2)3](BF4)4 (1), which can activate C(sp(3))-H bonds under mild conditions for a broad scope of methyl ketones (RCOCH3, R = methyl, phenyl, 2-methylphenyl, 2-aminophenyl, 2-hydroxylphenyl, 2-pyridyl, 2-thiazolyl, tert-butyl, ethyl, isopropyl). Activation happens via triple deprotonation of the methyl group, leading to formation of heterometallic Au(I)-Ag(I) clusters with formula RCOCAu4Ag4(PPhpy2)4(BF4)5 (PPhpy2 = bis(2-pyridyl)phenylphosphine). Cluster 1 can be generated in situ via the reaction of [OAu3Ag(PPhpy2)3](BF4)2 with 2 equiv of AgBF4. The oxo ion and the metal centers are found to be essential in the cleavage of sp(3) C-H bonds of methyl ketones. Interestingly, cluster 1 selectively activates the C-H bonds in -CH3 rather than the N-H bonds in -NH2 or the O-H bond in -OH which is traditionally thought to be more reactive than C-H bonds. Control experiments with butanone, 3-methylbutanone, and cyclopentanone as substrates show that the auration of the C-H bond of the terminal methyl group is preferred over secondary or tertiary sp(3) C-H bonds; in other words, the C-H bond activation is influenced by steric effect. This work highlights the powerful reactivity of metal clusters toward C-H activation and sheds new light on gold(I)-mediated catalysis.

Mesoporosity changes from cambium to mature tension wood: a new step toward the understanding of maturation stress generation in trees.

In order to progress in the understanding of mechanical stress generation, the mesoporosity of the cell wall and its changes during maturation of poplar (Populus deltoides × P. nigra) tension wood (TW) and opposite wood (OW) were measured by nitrogen adsorption-desorption. Variations in the thickness of the gelatinous layer (G-layer) were also measured to clarify whether the mesoporosity change simultaneously with the deposition of the G-layer in TW. Results show that mesoporous structures of TW and OW were very similar in early development stages before the deposition of G-layers. With the formation of the S2 layer in OW and the G-layer in TW, the mesopore volume decreased steeply before lignification. However, in TW only, the decrease in mesopore volume occurred together with the pore shape change and a progressive increase in pore size. The different patterns observed in TW revealed that pores from G-layers appear with a different shape compared to those of the compound middle lamella, and their size increases during the maturation process until stabilising in mature wood. This observation strongly supports the hypothesis of the swelling of the G-layer matrix during maturation as the origin of maturation stress in poplar tension wood.

[Relationship between HSP70 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to lung function injury of cock-oven workers].

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigate the relationship between HSP70 and lung function injury. To study on the feasibility of HSP70 genes polymorphisms as biological marker of the damage of pulmonary dysfunction susceptibility. METHODS: 183 cock-oven workers were selected as exposure groups and 143 workers unexposed workers were selected as control groups. We investigated their general information with uniform questionnaire. Pulmonary dysfunction indicators were determined using portable spirometer. HSP70-1 G190C, HSP70-2 A1267G, HSP70- hom T2437C genotypes were analyzed by using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The haplotypes were calculated using PHASE 2.0 software. RESULTS: VC%, FVC%, MVV%, FEV(1.0%) in exposed group were lower than in non-exposure group, the difference were significantly (P < 0.05). VC%, FVC%, MVV%, FEV1.0% in exposed group with HSP70-1, HSP70-2, HSP70-hom genotypes were lower than in non-exposure group (P < 0.05); FVC% in exposed group with HSP70-hom T/C genotypes were lower than that with HSP70-hom T/T genotypes, MVV% were lower than that with HSP70-hom T/T, C/C genotypes. There's no difference in pulmonary dysfunction index of HSP70-1, HSP70-2 genotypes (P>0.05), but significant difference between the exposed group with HSP70-1, HSP70-hom genotypes; The adjust OR (95%CI) of exposed group with HSP70-1 G/C genotypes and HSP70-homT/C genotypes were 2.516 (1.012 ∼6.252) and 2.284 (1.033∼5.053). Exposed group with CGT haplotype pulmonary dysfunction were significantly higher than in non-exposure group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Coke oven exposure may increase pulmonary dysfunction injury, Coke oven workers who have the HSP70-1 G/C genotypes, HSP70-hom T/C genotypes and CGT haplotypes may increase the susceptibility of pulmonary dysfunction. There must be some relationship between HSP70-1, HSP70-hom gene polymorphisms and lung function injury of Cock-oven Workers.

Deposition and organisation of cell wall polymers during maturation of poplar tension wood by FTIR microspectroscopy.

To advance our understanding of the formation of tension wood, we investigated the macromolecular arrangement in cell walls by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR) during maturation of tension wood in poplar (Populus tremula x P. alba, clone INRA 717-1B4). The relation between changes in composition and the deposition of the G-layer in tension wood was analysed. Polarised FTIR measurements indicated that in tension wood, already before G-layer formation, a more ordered structure of carbohydrates at an angle more parallel to the fibre axis exists. This was clearly different from the behaviour of opposite wood. With the formation of the S2 layer in opposite wood and the G-layer in tension wood, the orientation signals from the amorphous carbohydrates like hemicelluloses and pectins were different between opposite wood and tension wood. For tension wood, the orientation for these bands remains the same all along the cell wall maturation process, probably reflecting a continued deposition of xyloglucan or xylan, with an orientation different to that in the S2 wall throughout the whole process. In tension wood, the lignin was more highly oriented in the S2 layer than in opposite wood.

Removal of Plastics from Micron Size to Nanoscale Using Wood Filter.

Plastic pollution, particularly microplastic (MP) and nanoplastic (NP) pollution, has become a significant concern. This study explores the use of porous wood for filtration to remove MPs and NPs and investigates their removal mechanisms. Undecorated fir wood with a thickness of 4 mm achieves a 91% removal rate for model polystyrene (PS) MPs (2.6 µm) at a water flux of 198 L/m2h. However, its separation performance for NPs (255.8 and 50.9 nm) is poor. It also shows that fir wood (coniferous wood) has a higher PS removal rate than poplar wood (hard wood). With poly dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (PDDA) modification, both MPs and NPs are effectively removed, with NPs' removal rate increasing from <10% to 90% for PDDA/wood. Characterization results reveal that size-exclusive interception dominates for micron-sized particles, and electrostatic interaction is crucial for nanosized particles. Additionally, intercepted NPs have been used as a strong binder for hot-pressed wood to remarkably enhance the mechanical properties of wood, suggesting a novel recycle utilization of discarded wood filters. Overall, this renewable wood material offers a simple solution for tackling MP/NP pollution.

Oriented Interpenetrating Capillary Network with Surface Engineering by Porous ZnO from Wood for Membrane Emulsification.

Membrane emulsification technology has garnered increasing interest in emulsion preparation due to controllable droplet size, narrower droplet size distribution, low energy consumption, simple process design and excellent reproducibility. Nevertheless, the pore structure and surface engineering in membrane materials design play a crucial role in achieving high-quality emulsions with high throughput simultaneously. In this work, an oriented interpenetrating capillary network composed of highly aligned and interconnected wood cell lumens has been utilized to fabricate an emulsion membrane. A novel honeycomb porous ZnO layer obtained by a seed prefabrication-hydrothermal growth method was designed to reconstruct wood channel surfaces for enhanced microfluid mixing. The results show that through the unique capillary mesh microstructure of wood, the emulsion droplets were smaller in size, had narrower pore-size distribution, and were easy to obtain under high throughput conditions. Meanwhile, a well-designed ZnO layer could further improve the emulsion quality of a wood membrane, while the emulsifying throughput is still maintained at a higher level. This demonstrates that the convection process of the microfluid in these wood capillary channels was intensified markedly. This study not only develops advanced membrane materials in emulsion preparation, but also introduces a brand-new field for functional applications of wood.

Unexpected Noremestrin with a Sulfur-Bearing 15-Membered Macrocyclic Lactone from Emericella sp. 1454.

Two previous unreported epipolythiodioxopiperazines of the emestrin family, namely, noremestrin A (1) and secoemestrin E (2), were successfully isolated from the fungal source Emericella sp. 1454. Employing comprehensive spectroscopic techniques, such as high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), along with NMR and electronic circular dichroism calculations, the chemical structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated. Particularly noteworthy is the distinctive nature of noremestrin A, representing the inaugural instance of a noremestrin variant incorporating a sulfur-bearing 15-membered macrocyclic lactone moiety. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited weak cytotoxic activities against the human chronic myelocytic leukemia cell lines MEG-01 and K562.

Electrical tuning of branched flow of light.

Branched flows occur ubiquitously in various wave systems, when the propagating waves encounter weak correlated scattering potentials. Here we report the experimental realization of electrical tuning of the branched flow of light using a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) system. We create the physical realization of the weakly correlated disordered potentials of light via the inhomogeneous orientations of the NLC. We demonstrate that the branched flow of light can be switched on and off as well as tuned continuously through the electro-optical properties of NLC film. We further show that the branched flow can be manipulated by the polarization of the incident light due to the optical anisotropy of the NLC film. The nature of the branched flow of light is revealed via the unconventional intensity statistics and the rapid fidelity decay along the light propagation. Our study unveils an excellent platform for the tuning of the branched flow of light which creates a testbed for fundamental physics and offers a new way for steering light.

[Effects of subchronic benzo[a]pyrene exposure on hippocampal cholinergic system in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of subchronic benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) exposure on the neurobehavior and hippocampal acetylcholine (Ach) level, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and mRNA and protein expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subtype (nAChR α7) in rats, and to investigate the neurotoxic mechanism of B[a]P. METHODS: Sixty healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group, solvent control group, and B [a]P exposure groups. Each rat in the exposure groups was intraperitoneally injected with B[a]P at 1.0, 2.5, or 6.25 mg/kg once every other day for 90 days. The learning and memory ability of the rats was examined by Morris water maze test and step-down test; the hippocampal Ach level was measured by alkaline hydroxylamine method; the AChE activity was measured by DNTB method; the mRNA and protein expression levels of hippocampal nAChR α7 were measured by quantitative PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: The 2.5 and 6.25 mg/kg B[a]P exposure groups showed significantly lower learning and memory abilities than the blank control group and solvent control group (P < 0.05); also, the two groups had significantly lower hippocampal Ach levels than the blank control group, solvent control group, and 1.0 mg/kg B[a]P exposure group (P < 0.05). The 6.25 mg/kg B[a]P exposure group showed significantly lower hippocampal AChE activity than the blank control group, solvent control group, and 1.0 mg/kg B[a]P exposure group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the mRNA and protein expression levels of nAChR α7 among all groups (P > 0.05). The hippocampal Ach level was negatively correlated with the mean escape latency period and total distance travelled (r = -0.567, P < 0.01; r = -0.503, P < 0.01) but positively correlated with the time in platform quadrant (r = 0.800, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Subchronic B[a]P exposure may impair the learning and memory ability in rats, which is related to the downregulation of hippocampal Ach level.

[The modification of apoptosis correlated gene, protein and protein activity in rat hippocampus induced by benzo[a] pyrene sub-chronic exposure].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of subchronic exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) on the mRNA and protein expression levels of apoptosis-related genes (bax, bcl-2, caspase-3, caspase-6, and caspase-9) and the activities of Caspase-3, Caspase-6, and Caspase-9 in the hippocampal neurons of rats and to investigate the neurotoxic mechanism by which B[a]P induces the apoptosis of neurons. METHODS: Fifty-two healthy SD rat were randomly divided into five groups according to preliminary neurobehavioral test results: blank control group, solvent control group, and 1.0, 2.5, and 6.25 mg/kg B[a]P exposure groups; the rats in exposure groups were intraperitoneally injected with B[a]P every other day for 90 days. The Morris water maze was used to test the learning and memory ability of rats; flow cytometry was used to measure the apoptosis ratio of hippocampal neurons; real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of apoptosis-related genes; spectrophotometry was used to measure the activities of their en-coded proteins. RESULTS: Compared with the blank control group, solvent control group, and 1.0 mg/kg B[a]P exposure group, the 2.5 and 6.25 mg/kg B[a]P exposure groups hada significantly longer mean escape latency period (P < 0.05) and a significantly increased number of times of platform crossing (P < 0.05), and the 6.25 mg/kg B[a]P exposure group had significantly lower length and percentage of time spent in the platform quadrant (P < 0.05). The early apoptosis ratio rose as the dose of B[a]P increased (P trend < 0.05); the early apoptosis ratios of 1.0, 2.5, and 6.25 mg/kg B[a]P exposure groups were significantly higher than those of blank control group and solvent control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the blank control group, solvent control group, and 1.0 and 2.5 mg/kg B[a]P exposure groups, the 6.25 mg/kg B[a]P exposure group had significantly increased Bax expression (P < 0.05) and significantly decreased Bcl-2 expression and Bcl-2/Bax ratio (P < 0.05). The 2.5 and 6.25 mg/kg B[a]P exposure groups had significantly higher expression levels of Caspase-3 and Caspase-6 than the blank control group, solvent control group, and 1.0 mg/kg B[a]P exposure group (P < 0.05). The activities of Caspase-3, Caspase-6, and Caspase-9 were significantly higher in the 2.5 and 6.25 mg/kg B[a]P exposure groups than in the blank control group and solvent control group (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the activities of Caspase-3, Caspase-6, and Caspase-9 and early apoptosis ratio of hippocampal neurons in rats (r = 0.793, P = 0.019; r = 0.886, P = 0.006; r = 0.773, P = 0.025). There were no significant differences in the mRNA expression of Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, Caspase-6, and Caspase-9 among these groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Subchronic exposure to B[a]P can induce apoptosis of hippocampal neurons; its mechanism may be related to the fact that B[a]P can induce upregulated expression of Bax, inhibit expression of Bcl-2, lead to decrease in Bcl-2/Bax ratio, induce upregulated expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-6, and cause increase in the activities of Caspase-3, Caspase-6, and Caspase-9.