Prediction of Methyl Mercury Uptake by Rice Plants (Oryza sativa L.) Using the Diffusive Gradient in Thin Films Technique

Rice consumption is the primary pathway for methyl mercury (MeHg) exposure at inland mercury (Hg) mining areas of SW China. Mechanistic information on MeHg accumulation in rice is, however, limited. The process of MeHg exchange between paddy soil and rice plants predominantly occurs in pore water. The detection of bioavailable MeHg in pore water is therefore important to predict MeHg uptake by rice plants (Oryza sativa L.). This study investigated MeHg dynamics and spatial MeHg trends in pore water during the rice growing season using the diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) technique and tested the ability of DGT to predict MeHg uptake by rice. The MeHg uptake flux from soil to rice plants via roots was significantly correlated with the DGT-measured MeHg flux (<i>R</i> = 0.853, <i>p</i> < 0.01). Our study implies that DGT can predict the bioavailability of MeHg in rice paddy soil and that the DGT method can provide quantitative description of the rate of uptake of this bioavailable MeHg. The DGT technique is demonstrated as a useful indicator of the likely ecotoxicological risk that might be apparent where paddy rice is grown in MeHg contaminated soil

Selenium in Soil Inhibits Mercury Uptake and Translocation in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.)

A great number of studies have confirmed that mercury–selenium (Hg–Se) antagonism is a widespread phenomenon in microorganisms, fish, poultry, humans, and other mammals. However, by comparison, little attention has been paid to plants. To investigate the influence of Se on the uptake and translocation of methylHg/inorganic Hg (MeHg/IHg) in the rice–soil system, we determined the levels of Se, IHg, and MeHg in different parts of rice plants (including the root, stem, leaf, husk, and grain (brown rice)) and corresponding soils of root zones collected from a Hg mined area, where Hg and Se co-occur due to historic Hg mining and retorting activities. The results showed that, in general, the Se levels were inversely related to the levels of both IHg and MeHg in the grains. In addition, a consistent reduction in translocation of both IHg and MeHg in the aerial shoots (i.e., the stem, leaf, husk, and grain) with increasing Se levels in the soils was observed. Furthermore, the Se levels were positively correlated with the IHg levels in the soils and the roots. These results suggest that Se may play an important role in limiting the bioaccessibility, absorption, and translocation/bioaccumulation of both IHg and MeHg in the aerial rice plant, which may be related to the formation of an Hg–Se insoluble complex in the rhizospheres and/or roots

Additional file 1 of Thrombospondin 1 enhances systemic inflammation and disease severity in acute-on-chronic liver failure

Additional file 1: Table S1. Clinical characteristics of enrolled subjects from the COSSH prospective multicenter cohort. Table S2. Clinical characteristics of ACLF patients in the ELISA validation group from the COSSH prospective multicenter cohort. Table S3. Primers used for real-time PCR. Table S4. Antibodies used for immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Table S5. Clinical characteristics of ACLF patients with different THBS1 relative expression in the validation group. Table S6. Clinical characteristics of ACLF patients in the low-risk group and high-risk group of the ELISA validation cohort. Table S7. The enriched biological processes for the top 200 genes which were both differentially expressed in the comparisons of ACLF vs. LC and ACLF vs. NC. Table S8. The immune-related biological processes for top 200 DEGs which were both differentially expressed in the comparisons of ACLF vs. LC and ACLF vs. NC. Table S9. The apoptosis-related biological processes for top 200 DEGs which were both differentially expressed in the comparisons of ACLF vs. LC and ACLF vs. NC