Synthesis of Schiff bases of naphtha[1,2-d]thiazol-2-amine and metal complexes of 2-(2''''-hydroxy)benzylideneaminonaphthothiazole as potential antimicrobial agents

Objective: A series of 2-benzylideneaminonaphthothiazoles were designed and synthesized incorporating the lipo- philic naphthalene ring to render them more capable of penetrating various biomembranes. Methods: Schiff bases were synthe- sized by the reaction of naphtha[1,2-d]thiazol-2-amine with various substituted aromatic aldehydes. 2-(2'-Hydroxy)ben- zylideneaminonaphthothiazole was converted to its Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) metal complexes upon treatment with metal salts in ethanol. All the compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activities by paper disc diffusion method with Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis and Gram negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bac- teria. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of all the Schiff bases and metal complexes were determined by agar streak dilution method. Results: All the compounds moderately inhibited the growth of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. In the present study among all Schiff bases 2-(2'-hydroxy)benzylideneaminonaphthothiazole showed maximum inhibitory activity and among metal complexes Cu(II) metal complex was found to be most potent. Conclusion: The results obtained validate the hypothesis that Schiff bases having substitution with halogens, hydroxyl group and nitro group at phenyl ring are required for the antibacterial activity while methoxy group at different positions in the aromatic ring has minimal role in the inhibitory activity. The results also indicated that the metal complexes are better antibacterial agents as compared to the Schiff bases.     

Synthesis of thiadiazole-based Schiff base metal complexes and their inhibition rate to superoxide anion free radical

A new series of Schiff base ligands were synthesized by the condensation of 2-amino-5-mercaptan-l,3,4-thiadiazole and salicylaldehyde or 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde and their derivatives with choroacetic acid, and further reaction with corresponding metal acetate to form metal complexes. The compositions and structures of the ligands and their complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivities, electronic absorption spectra and infra-red spectra. Their inhibition rates to free radical, such as O2, were also tested. The results show that all of the obtained complexes display significant activities, among which the copper（Ⅱ） complexes have the best inhibitive effects.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis, anticonvulsant activity and quantum mechanical modelling of N-（4-bromo-3-methylphenyl） semicarbazones

Objective： To study the effect of halo substitution on disubstituted aryl semicarbazones on the anticonvulsant potential and model the activity based on quantum mechanics. Methods： A series of twenty-six compounds of N^4-（4-bromo-3-methylphenyl） semicarbazones were synthesized and evaluated for the anticonvulsant activity in the maximal electroshock seizure （MES） and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole （scPTZ） seizure threshold tests. Some potential compounds were also tested in the subcutaneous strychnine （scSTY） and subcutaneous picrotoxin （scPIC） seizure threshold tests. The synthesized compounds were tested for behavioral impairment and CNS （central nervous system） depression in mice. Quantum mechanical modelling was carried out on these compounds to gain understanding on the structural features essential for activity. Results： Some compounds possessed broad spectrum anticonvulsant activity as indicated by their effect in pentylenetetrazole, strychnine, picrotoxin and maximal electroshock seizures models in resemblance to other aryl semicarbazone derivatives reported earlier. The higher the difference in HOMO （highest occupied molecular orbital） and LUMO （lowest unoccupied molecular orbital） energy levels was, the greater was the activity profile. Conclusion： The pharmacophoric requirements for compounds to exhibit anticonvulsant activity that includes one aryl unit in proximity to a hydrogen donor-acceptor domain and an electron donor have been justified with the molecular orbital surface analysis of the synthesized compounds.     

Characterization of predominant bacteria isolates from clean rooms in a pharmaceutical production unit

Aims： To screen for the predominant bacteria strains distributed in clean rooms and to analyze their phylogenetic relationships. Methods and Results： The bacteria distributed in air, surfaces and personnel in clean rooms were routinely monitored using agar plates. Five isolates frequently isolated from the clean rooms of an aseptic pharmaceutical production workshop were selected based on their colony and cell morphology characteristics. Their physiological and biochemical properties, as well as partial 16S rDNA sequences, were analyzed. Results showed that all the five isolates belong to Gram positive bacteria, of which three were Staphylococcus, one Microbacterium and one Bacillus species. Sensitivity tests for these bacteria isolates to 3 disinfectants showed that isolate F03 was obtuse, and had low susceptivity to UV irradiation, while isolates F02, F01 and F04 were not sensitive to phenol treatment. Isolates F04, F01 and F05 were resistant to chlorhexidine gluconate. Conclusion： Bacteria widely distributed in clean rooms are mainly a group of Gram positive strains, showing high resistance to selected disinfectants. Significance and impact of the study： Clean rooms are essential in aseptic pharmaceutical and food production. Screening bacteria isolates and identifying them is part of good manufacturing practices, and will aid in finding a more effective disinfection method.     

Antibacterial potency of methanol extracts of lower plants

Antibacterial potency of methanol extracts of three green lower plants, Pneumatopteris afra, Platycerium bifurcatum and Nephrolepsis bisserata was determined using agar dilution method on clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp. and Salmomelia typhi. Antibacterial activities were observed at concentrations of 12.5, 25.0, 50.0 and 100.0 μg/ml. Their minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 12.5~100 μg/ml. Extracts of P. afra and P. bifurcatum were most active. Antibacterial activities observed with N. bisserata were less pronounced with no detectable activity at extract con-centrations of 12.5 and 25.0 μg/ml. E. coli, together with S. aureus appeared to be the most susceptible of the test bacteria while Klebsiella spp. was least sensitive. The significance of our findings is discussed.     

Emissions of volatile organic compounds and carbonyl compounds from residential coal combustion in China

Emissions of volatile organic compounds （VOCs） and carbonyls from residential coal combustion of five coals with different maturities were studied in a simulated room.The coals were burned in form of honeycomb briquettes in a domestic coal stove,one of the most common fuel/stove combinations in China.Through a dilution system,VOCs and carbonyls samples were collected by canisters and silica-gel cartridges and analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrum （GC/MS） and high performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet （HPLC/UV）,respectively.The results show that the bituminous coals with medium volatile matter content produce the highest emissions while the anthracite yields the lowest.Among the identified carbonyls from the coal smoke,the aromatic compounds （benzaldehyde,2,5-dimethylbenzaldehyde and p-tolualdehyde,m/o-tolualdehyde,benzene,m,p-xylene and trimethyl-benzene） were relatively abundant,which might be due to the molecular structure of the coal.For formaldehyde,aromatic carbonyls and aliphatic alkanes,their concentrations increase up to the maximum values and then decrease with increasing coal maturity.The total carbonyls and VOCs have the same tendency,which was observed for the emission factors of organic carbon （OC）,elemental carbon （EC）,particulate matter （PM） and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） detected in the series study.     

Effect of basic fibroblast growth factor （bFGF） on the treatment of exposure of the orbital implants

Objective： To evaluate the efficacy and the indication of basic fibroblast growth factor （bFGF） in the treatment of exposure of orbital implants. Design： Retrospective and observational case series. Methods： We reviewed 41 patients （41 eyes） suffering exposure of orbital implants from Jan. 2000 to June 2006. The study group patients with mild exposure received combined treatment with bFGF and antibiotic drops, and while the control group patients with mild exposure were treated with antibiotic drops only. The study group patients with moderate and severe exposure received combined treatment with bFGF and antibiotic drops, and after 2 months they were subjected to amniotic membrane transplantation, while the control group patients with moderate and severe exposure underwent amniotic membrane transplantation after using antibiotic drops. Observation of the growth of conjunctival epithelium and comparison of the healing rate of the two groups. Results： The healing rates of the mild, moderate and severe exposure study group were 100% and 92.3%. The healing rates of the mild, moderate and severe exposure control group were 55.6% and 66.7% respectively. The difference of the healing rates of the mild exposure study group and the control group was significant （P=-0.033）. And the difference of the healing rates of the moderate and severe exposure study group and the control group was not significant （P=-0.167）. Conclusion： bFGF may promote obviously the healing of orbital implant exposure, particularly it can be the first choice for the treatment of mild degree exposure. For the moderate and severe cases, it can be administered before surgical repair to enhance neovascularization and will tend to increase the success rate of surgical repair.     

Synthesis and gel properties of sorbitol derivative gelators

1, 3：2, 4-di-p-methylbenzylidene-D-sorbitol （MDBS） is known to be an efficient sorbitol derivative gelator. Two new sorbitol derivative gelators were designed and synthesized in contrast to MDBS in order to study the gel properties of gelators with different structures. Their gelation behavior to 30 solvents was investigated. It was found that the gelation behavior was related to the molecular structure of gelators. Compared with MDBS, the gelator with more hydroxyl in the molecular structure could gel water and that with more aromatic ring could gel aromatic solvent. The fibrous and three-dimensional network of the gels was obtained by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Ultraviolet-visible （UV-Vis） spectroscopy revealed that π-π interaction was one of the main driving forces for the formation of gels. The π-π stacking of gelation increases with the number of aromatic rings in the molecular structure of gelator. Fourier transform infrared （FT-IR） spectroscopy revealed that the hydrogen bonding was also the main driving force for the formation of gels. The layered structure of the gels was studied by X-ray diffraction （XRD）.     

Preparation and adsorption behaviors of Cu(II) ion-imprinted polymers

Imprinted polymers were prepared for selective removal of Cu（Ⅱ） ions from metal solutions. Three ion-imprinted polymers were synthesized with methacrylic acid （MAA）, acrylamide （AA） and N,N＇-methylenebisacrylamide （MBAA） respectively as the functional monomers, ethleneglycoldimethacrylate （EGDMA） as the cross-linking agent, 2,2＇- azobisisobutyronitrile （AIBN） as the initiator and Cu （Ⅱ） ion as the imprint ion. The template Cu （Ⅱ） ion was removed from the polymer by leaching with a liquid of a 1：1 volumetric ratio of HCl to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid （EDTA）. The capacity and selectivity of Cu（Ⅱ） ion adsorption were investigated with the three imprinted polymers and their non-imprinted counterparts. The polymers have a maximum adsorption capacity at pH 7.0. The isotherm of their batch adsorption of Cu（Ⅱ） ions shows a Langmuir adsorption pattern. Imprinted polymers all have a much higher capacity and higher selectivity of Cu（Ⅱ） adsorption than nonimprinted ones. MAA polymer benefits the most from imprinting. Imprinted MAA polymer has the highest selectivity when used to rebind Cu （Ⅱ） ion from an aqueous solution in the presence of other metal ions. Ion imprinting can be a promising technique of preparing selective adsorbents to separate and preconcentrate metal in a medium of multiple competitive metal ions through solid phase extraction （SPE）.     

Research on the protection effect of pioglitazone for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） in rats

Objective： The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） has markedly increased. Insulin resistance has been implicated in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. This study was aimed at observing the relationship between insulin resistance and NAFLD, and evaluating the role of pioglitazone （PGZ） acting as insulin-sensitizing agents in the prevention and treatment of rat fatty liver induced by high fat feeding. Methods： The rats were separated randomly into 6 groups： model group Ⅰ were fed high fat diet for 8 weeks, PGZ prevention group were given PGZ 4 mg/（kg.d） simultaneously, while control group Ⅰ were fed normal food for 8 weeks; model group Ⅱ were fed high fat diet for 16 weeks, PGZ treatment group were given PGZ 4 mg/（kg.d） orally simultaneous with high fat diet for 8 weeks after high fat feeding for 8 weeks, control group Ⅱ were fed normal food for 16 weeks. The rats were sacrificed after 8 weeks and 16 weeks respectively. Liver weight, body weight, serum activities of alanine aminotransferase （ALT）, aspartate aminotransferase （AST）, alkaline phosphatase （ALP）, tumor necrosis factor alpha （TNF-α）, fasting blood glucose （FBG）, fasting plasma insulin （FINS）, HOMA （homeostasis model assessment） insulin resistance index （HOMA-IR）, and the liver histology of rats of all groups were assayed. Results： After 8 weeks, the liver in model group Ⅰ showed typical steatosis, accompanied with mild to moderate lobular inflammatory cell infiltration, liver indexes and serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, TNF-α were significantly increased （P〈0.05） compared with control group Ⅰ. Whereas, the degree of hepatic injury was attenuated in PGZ prevention group, liver indexes and serum levels of ALT, ALP were significantly decreased （P〈0.05） compared with model group Ⅰ. After 16 weeks, notable steatosis, and lobular inflammation were observed in model group Ⅱ rat liver, while the degree of hepatic injury was attenuated in the PGZ treatment group. Liver index, serum levels ofALT, AST, ALP, FINS and HOMA-IR were significantly increased （P〈0.05） in model group Ⅱ compared with control group Ⅱ. Whereas, in PGZ treatment group, serum levels of AST and FINS showed decreasing tendency, liver indexes, serum levels of ALT, ALP, TNF-α and HOMA-IR were significantly decreased compared with model group Ⅱ. Conclusion： Insulin resistance plays a role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD in rats. Pioglitazone can attenuate insulin resistance and biochemical and histological injury in high fat-induced fatty liver in rats.     

Purification and Biochemical Characterization of D-hydantoinase and D-N-carbamoylase from Burkholderia cepecia, njut01

Hydantoinase and N-carbamoylase play important roles in the production of optically pure amino acids from racemic 5-monosubstituted hydantoins. In this report, hydantoinase and the N-carbamoylase from Burkholderia cepecia, njut01 were purified to homogeneity by chromatography (Pharmacia Explorer 100 system). The substrate specificity, enantioselectivity, pH dependence of activity and temperature stability of the activity were characterized. The results show that the hydantoinase and N-carbamoylase induced from Burkholderia cepecia, njut01 are both strict D-stereo selective enzymes. They both hydrolyze substrates with side chains containing aliphatic and aromatic residues with higher activity and affinity toward aromatic than aliphatic substituted substrates. The hydantoinase is a homotetramer with subtmit molecular weight near 52,000 and is active between pH 6.5 and 10 with an optimum near pH 9.0. The enzyme is active at temperatures up to 60~C, however, it appears instable at higher temperatures. The subunit molecular weight of N-carbamoylase is about 35KD. The N-carbamoylase is active in the pH range from 6.0 to 9.5. The optira-pH is 7.2 and the optinfizing bioconversion temperature of the N-carbamyolase is 52℃.     

Effects of Hg and Cu on the activities of soil acid phosphatase

Comparative study on the activity and kinectic properties of acid phosphatase (ACPase) of three soils amended with Hg and Cu at constant temperature and humidity was carried out. The results indicated that the inhibition on ACPase of the three sample soils by Hg and Cu varied with the content of soil organic matter and pH, where, Soil 1 was the most seriously contami- nated due to its lowest content of organic matter and the lowest pH among three samples, Soil 2 took the second place, and Soil 3 was the least contaminated. Except Soil 3, the activity of soil ACPase tended to increase along with the contact time under the same type and the same concentration of heavy metal. In particular the Vmax values of ACPase in all three samples decreased with increasing Hg and Cu concentration, whereas the Km values were affected weakly. According to the change of Vmax and Km values, Cu and Hg had the same inhibition effect on soil ACPase. Both of them may be a type of compound of non-competitive and anti-competitive inhibition. Statistic analyses indicated that activities of soil ACPase and Vmax values could serve as bioindicator to partially denote the heavy metal Hg and Cu contamination degree.     

In-situ nitrogen removal from the eutrophic water by microbial-plant integrated system

Objective： This study was to assess the influence of interaction of combination of immobilized nitrogen cycling bacteria （INCB） with aquatic macrophytes on nitrogen removal from the eutrophic waterbody, and to get insight into different mechanisms involved in nitrogen removal. Methods： The aquatic macrophytes used include Eichhornia crassipes （summer-autumn floating macrophyte）, Elodea nuttallii （winter-growing submerged macrophyte）, and nitrogen cycling bacteria including ammonifying, nitrosating, nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria isolated from Taihu Lake. The immobilization carriers materials were made from hydrophilic monomers 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate （HEA） and hydrophobic 2-hydroxyethyl methylacrylate （HEMA）. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the roles of macrophytes combined with INCB on nitrogen removal from eutrophic water during different seasons. Results： Eichhornia crassipes and Elodea nuttallii had different potentials in purification of eutrophic water. Floating macrophyte＋bacteria （INCB） performed best in improving water quality （during the first experiment） and decreased total nitrogen （TN） by 70.2%, nitrite and ammonium by 92.2% and 50.9%, respectively, during the experimental period, when water transparency increased from 0.5 m to 1.8 m. When INCB was inoculated into the floating macrophyte system, the populations of nitrosating, nitrifying, and denitrifying bacteria increased by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude compared to the un-inoculated treatments, but ammonifying bacteria showed no obvious difference between different treatments. Lower values of chlorophyll a, CODMn, and pH were found in the microbial-plant integrated system, as compared to the control. Highest reduction in N was noted during the treatment with submerged macrophyte＋INCB, being 26.1% for TN, 85.2% for nitrite, and 85.2% for ammonium at the end of 2nd experiment. And in the treatment, the populations of ammonifying, nitrosating, nitrifying, and denitrifying bacteria increased by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude, as compared to the un-inoculated treatments. Similar to the first experiment, higher water transparency and lower values of chlorophyll a, CODMn and pH were observed in the plant＋ INCB integrated system, as compared to other treatments. These results indicated that plant-microbe interaction showed beneficial effects on N removal from the eutrophic waterbody.     

Resonant frequencies of a piezoelectric drum transducer

This paper presents a piezoelectric-metal structure called a drum transducer. An equation for calculating the resonance frequency of the drum transducer is obtained based on thin plate elastic theory of piezoelectric and metal material combined with the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The finite element method （FEM） was used to predict the excitation frequency of the drum transducer. To verify the theoretical analysis, the input impedance characteristic of the drum transducer was measured using an experimental method. The results obtained from theoretical analysis were in very good agreement with those from the FEM and experimental results. The effect of geometrical changes to the thick-walled steel ring of the drum transducer at the first resonance frequency is also described. The calculated results were found to be in good agreement with the FEM results. The results indicate that the first resonance frequency of the drum decreases with the increasing inner diameter of the thick-walled steel ring.     

Effect of pipe material and low level disinfectants on biofilm development in a simulated drinking water distribution system

The efficiency of chlorine and chloramines disinfection on biofilm development in a simulated drinking water distribution system was investigated by using heterotrophic bacterial spread plate technique. The experiments were carried out with four annular reactors （ARs） with stainless steel （SS） or copper （Cu） material slides. The results showed that there were fewer bacteria attached to Cu slides without a disinfectant compared with those attached to SS slides. When the water was disinfected with chloramines, the heterotrophic plate counts （HPCs） on the biofilm attached to the Cu slides were significantly lower （by 3.46 log CFU/cm^2） than those attached to the SS slides. Likewise, the biofilm HPC numbers on the Cu slides were slightly lower （by 1.19 log CFU/cm^2） than those on the SS slides disinfected with chlorine. In a quasi-steady state, the HPC levels on Cu slides can be reduced to 3.0 log CFU/cm^2 with chlorine and to about 0.9 log CFU/cm^2 with chloramines. The addition of chloramines resulted in a more efficient reduction of biofilm heterotrophic bacteria than did chlorine. We concluded that the chlorine and chloramines levels usually employed in water distribution system were not sufficient to prevent the growth and development of microbial biofilm. The combination of copper pipe slides and chloramines as the disinfectant was the most efficient combination to bring about diminished bacterial levels.     

Lipases in the castor bean seed of Chinese varieties：Activity comparison,purification and characterization

The lipase activities in the three main Chinese castor bean varieties [ZiBi 05 （ZB 5）,TongBi 06 （TB 6）,JinBi 02 （JB 2）] were investigated.Two lipases were found in extracts from the endosperms of all the three varieties.One lipase is located in the lipid bodies,showing higher activity at pH 4.5 and exhibiting the highest activity at day 1 of germination.The other lipase is located in the particulates,showing higher activity at pH 9.5 and particularly active at day 4 of germination.The lipid bodies from ZB 5 show the highest lipase activity at day 1 and pH 4.5 among the three varieties during the 8 d of germination.The acid lipase located in the lipid bodies of ZB 5 of germination 1 d was purified to homogeneity by DEAE-sepharose CL-6B and butyl-sepharose CL-4B chromatography after isolation,delipidation and solubilization,with a purification factor of 16.1 and overall activity recovery of 17.7%.The characterizations （such as optimum pH,pH stability,optimum temperature,thermal stability,effect of metal ions,organic solvents stability,substrate specificity） of the purified acid lipase were conducted in detail.A combination of the characterized properties may make this enzyme a useful biocatalyst for industrial application.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 4-substituted semicarbazones of levulinic acid for anticonvulsant activity

Objective: A series of 4-aryl substituted semicarbazones of levulinic acid (4-oxo pentanoic acid) was designed and synthesized to meet the structural requirements essential for anticonvulsant activity. Methods: All the compounds were evaluated for anticonvulsant activity. Anticonvulsant activity was determined after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration to mice by maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous metrazol (ScMet) induced seizure methods and minimal motor impairment was determined by rotorod test. Results: A majority of the compounds exhibited significant anticonvulsant activity after intraperitoneal administration. In the present study 4-(4'-fluoro phenyl) levulinic acid semicarbazone emerged as the most active molecule, showing broad spectrum of activity with low neurotoxicity. Unsubstituted levulinic acid semicarbazone was found to be inactive in all the screens. Conclusion: The results obtained validate the hypothesis that presence of an aryl group near the semicarbazone moiety is essential for anticonvulsant activity. The results also indicate that the hydrophilic-hydrophobic site can accommodate hydrophilic groups.     

Cytotoxicity of epigallocatechin-3-gallate to LNCaP cells in the presence of Cu^2＋

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has shown remarkably anti-cancer activity, with its bioactivity being related to reactive conditions, such as pH and metal ions. The present study investigated the degradation of EGCG and its effect on prostate cancer cell in the presence of Cu2 . EGCG was incubated with prostate cancer cells,     

Mycorrhizoremediation an enhanced form of phytoremediation

Study of plant roots and the diversity of soil micro biota, such as bacteria, fungi and microfauna associated with them, is important for understanding the ecological complexities between diverse plants, microbes, soil and climates and their role in phytoremediation of contaminated soils. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi （AMF） are universal and ubiquitous rhizosphere mi- croflora forming symbiosis with plant roots and acting as biofertilizers, bioprotactants, and biodegraders. In addition to AMF, soils also contain various antagonistic and beneficial bacteria such as root pathogens, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria including free-living and symbiotic N-fixers, and mycorrhiza helping bacteria. Their potential role in phytoremediation of heavy metal （HM） contaminated soils and water is becoming evident although there is need to completely understand the ecological complexities of the plant-microbe-soil interactions and their better exploitation as consortia in remediation strategies employed for contaminated soils. These multitrophic root microbial associations deserve multi-disciplinary investigations using molecular, biochemical, and physiological techniques. Ecosystem restoration of heavy metal contaminated soils practices need to incorporate microbial biotechnology research and development. This review highlights the ecological complexity and diversity of plant-microbe-soil combinations, particularly AM and provides an overview on the recent developments in this area. It also discusses the role AMF play in phytorestoration of HM contaminated soils, i.e. mycorrhizoremediation.     

Study on the neurotoxic effects of low-level lead exposure in rats

Objective: To investigate effects of developmental lead exposure on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in different brain regions and on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor mRNA expression in the hippocampus of rats. On the basis of these observations, we explored possible mechanisms by which lead exposure leads to impaired learning and memorizing abilities in children. Methods: A series of rat animal models exposed to low levels of lead during the developing period was established (drinking water containing 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.075% lead acetate). NOS activities in the hippocampus, the cerebral cortex, the cerebellum and the brain stem were determined with fluorescence measurement and levels of mRNA expression of the NMDA receptor 2A (NR2A) subunit and NMDA receptor 2B (NR2B) subunit in the rat hippocampus were measured with Retro-translation (RT-PCR). Results: There were no differences in the body weight of rat pups between any of the groups at any given time (P>0.05). The blood lead level of Pb-exposed rat pups showed a systematic pattern of change: at 14 d of age, it was lower than that at 7 d of age, then rising to the peak level at 21 d and finally falling to lower levels at 28 d. The hippocampal NOS activities of lead-exposed groups were all lower than that of the control group on the 21st and 28th day (P<0.01). NOS activities in the cerebellum of lead-exposed groups were all lower than that of the control group on the 21st and 28th day (P<0.001) and the NOS activity of the 0.025% group was significantly lower than that of the 0.05% and 0.075% groups on the 28th day (P<0.05). NOS activity in the cerebral cortex of the 0.075% group was significantly lower than that of the control, 0.025% and 0.05% groups on the four day spans (P<0.001). There was no significant difference of NOS activity in the brain stem between any lead-exposed group and the control group on the four day spans. In the 0.05% and the 0.075% groups, the level of NR2A mRNA expression was higher than that in the control group at 7 d and 14 d of age (P<0.05). In the 0.025% group, the level of NR2A was found to be higher than that in the control group at 7 d of age only (P<0.05). No significant differences were found for the levels of NR2B mRNA expression between any of the groups at any given time. Conclusions: NOS activity in the hippocampus, the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum are inhibited by lead exposure. The degree of the inhibitory effect depends on the time span of exposure and the lead concentration. Developmental low-level lead exposure was found to raise the level of NR2A mRNA expression in the hippocampus of rats. Developmental low-level lead exposure does not affect the level of NR2B mRNA expression in the hippocampus.