Pharmacokinetics of gemcitabine in Chinese patients with non-small-cell lung cancer

INTRODUCTION Gemcitabine (2′,2′-difluorodeoxycytidine) is asynthetic pyrimidine nucleoside analogue with cyto-toxic activity in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)(Anderson et al., 1994; Abratt et al., 1994; Lund et al.,1994). Gemcitabine is a prodrug which, through de-oxycytidine kinase and other nucleotide kinases, ex-erts its cytotoxic effects through its active intracellu-lar metabolites, gemcitabine diphosphate andtriphosphate (Guchelaar et al., 1996;…     

A pilot field-scale study on biotrickling filter treatment of NH3-containing odorous gases from organic waste composting plants

The use of a biotrickling filter was investigated for a pilot field-scale elimination of NH3 gas and other odorous gases from a composting plant in Tongzhou District, Beijing. The inlet gas flow rate was 3500 m3/h and NH3 concentration fluctuated between 2.76–27.84 mg/m3, while the average outlet concentration was 1.06 mg/m3 with an average of 94.9% removal. Critical volumetric loading (removal efficiency=100%) was 11.22 g-N/(m3·h). The odor concentration removal was 86.7%. NH3 removal efficiency decreased as the free ammonia (FA) in the trickling liquid increased. The pressure drop was maintained at about 50 Pa/m and was never more than 55 Pa/m. During the experiment, there was neither backflushing required nor any indication of clogging. Overall, the biotrickling filter was highly efficient and cost-effective for the simultaneous biodegradation of NH3 and other odorous gases from composting, suggesting the possibility of treating odorous gases at the industrial level.     

用表面活性剂提高生物滴滤床净化废气中氯苯的性能

A laboratory-scale trickling biofilter column,filled with Raschig rings and inoculated with Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 1785)was used to purify chlorobenzene contained waste gases.Sodium dodecyl sulfonate(SDS)was used to enhance the performance of trickling biofllter.Purification performance of the trickling biofilter was examined for chlorobenzene inlet concentration of 1.20～5.04 g/m~3 at different EBRTs between 76～153 s.Without SDS addition,with simultaneous increase in chlorobenzene inlet loading rate and gas flow rate,100% removal efficiency was achieved at EBRT of 109 s and inlet loadings below 5120 mg/m~3.Addition of SDS to nutrient solution led to improvement of trickling biofilter purification performance. By introducing 25 mg/L SDS,the removal efficiency was increased by 21% and elimination capacity up to 234 g/(m~3.h)was achieved at chlorobenzene inlet loading of 241 g/(m~3.h).Although SDS concentration experienced a low rate reduction after continuous nutrient solution recirculation,this result has little influence on trickling biofilter's removal efficiency in monitoring period.     

A pilot scale trickling filter with pebble gravel as media and its performance to remove chemical oxygen demand from synthetic brewery wastewater

Evaluating the performance of a biotrickling filter for the treatment of wastewaters produced by a company manufacturing beer was the aim of this study. A pilot scale trickling filter filled with gravel was used as the experimental biofilter. Pilot scale plant experiments were made to evaluate the performance of the trickling filter aerobic and anaerobic biofilm systems for removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrients from synthetic brewery wastewater. Performance evaluation data of the trickling filter were generated under different experimental conditions. The trickling filter had an average efficiency of (86.81±6.95)% as the hydraulic loading rate increased from 4.0 to 6.4 m³/(m²·d). Various COD concentrations were used to adjust organic loading rates from 1.5 to 4.5 kg COD/(m³·d). An average COD removal efficiency of (85.10±6.40)% was achieved in all wastewater concentrations at a hydraulic loading of 6.4 m³/(m²·d). The results lead to a design organic load of 1.5 kg COD/(m³·d) to reach an effluent COD in the range of 50–120 mg/L. As can be concluded from the results of this study, organic substances in brewery wastewater can be handled in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner using the gravel-filled trickling filter.     

Developing a rat model of dilated cardiomyopathy with improved survival

To compare the continuous infusion and intermittent bolus injection administration protocols of doxorubicin (Dox) under the same cumulative dose (12 mg/kg), and establish a rat dilated cardiomyopathy model with improved survival, a total of 150 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups: a control group, administered with normal saline; a Dox 1 group, administration twice a week at 1 mg/kg; a Dox 2, administration once a week at 2 mg/kg. Mortality rates in the Dox 1 and Dox 2 groups were 22% and 48%, respectively (P<0.05). As shown by echocardiography, both Dox groups exhibited significant chamber dilatation and reduced cardiac function (all P<0.05 vs. control). Plasma brain natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein concentrations were significantly increased (P<0.05) with both Dox regimens. The concentrations of Caspase-3 in myocardial tissues of rats significantly increased in both doxorubicin regimens. Myocardial metabolism imaging by histology and ¹⁸F-fluoro-deoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (¹⁸FDG-PET) both revealed decreased myocardial viability and necrosis, and even interstitial fibrosis, in left ventricles (LVs) in both Dox groups. Serum creatinine and aspartate aminotransferase concentrations were significantly higher in the Dox 2 model than in the Dox 1 model. Doxorubicin given at both regimens induced dilated cardiomyopathy, while its administration at lower doses with more frequent infusions reduced the mortality rate.     

Effects of body mass index on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization in Chinese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a retrospective cohort study

Objective

To investigate the effects of body mass index (BMI) on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Chinese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods

In the retrospective cohort study, a total of 1074 patients with PCOS undergoing IVF between April 2010 and May 2017 in two reproductive medicine centers, respectively in eastern China (Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province) and in southern China (Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Liuzhou, Guangxi Province), were included. The patients were divided into four groups according to the recommended Chinese BMI cut-off points: underweight (BMI< 18.5 kg/m²), normal weight (18.5 kg/m²≤BMI<24.0 kg/m²), overweight (24.0 kg/m²≤BMI<28.0 kg/m²), and obese (BMI≥ 28.0 kg/m²). The basic characteristics of the PCOS patients, the details of IVF treatment, and the pregnancy outcomes were collected.

Main results

There were no significant differences among the normal weight, overweight, and obese PCOS patients undergoing IVF on the biochemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, live birth rate, or term delivery rate (P>0.05), although the overweight and obese PCOS patients required more gonadotropin (Gn) (P<0.001) as well as longer stimulation period (P<0.001), and got less retrieved oocytes (P<0.05) and fertilized oocytes (P<0.05). The underweight PCOS patients required less Gn (P<0.05) and achieved higher live birth rate and term delivery rate (P<0.05), compared with the normal weight PCOS patients.

Conclusions

High BMI had no negative effects on the outcomes of IVF in Chinese patients with PCOS; however, the conclusion may seem a little limited due to the retrospective design and the potential bias.

     

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism predicts response and time to progression to gemcitabine-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer in a Chinese Han population

Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR) C677T excision repair cross-complementation group 1(ERCC1) genetic polymorphisms and the clinical efficacy of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods:A total of 135 chemonaive patients with unresectable advanced NSCLC were treated with gemcitabine/platinum regimens.The polymorphisms of MTHFR C677T,ERCC1 C8092A,and ERCC1 C118T were genotyped using the TaqMan methods.Results:The overall response rate was 28.9%.Patients with MTHFR CC genotype had a higher rate of objective response than patients with variant genotype(TT or CT)(41.2% versus 19.1%,P=0.01).Median time to progression(TTP) of patients with MTHFR CC genotype was longer than that of patients with variant genotype(7.6 months versus 5.0 months,P=0.003).No significant associations were obtained between ERCC1 C118T and C8092A polymorphisms and both response and survival.Conclusions:Our data suggest the value of MTHFR C677T polymorphism as a possible predictive marker of response and TTP in advanced NSCLC patients treated with gemcitabine/platinum.     

Inhibition of expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors in pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell by TNP-470 in combination with gemcitabine

Angiogenesis is required for solid tumor growth and facilitates tumor progression and metastasis. The inhibition effects of O-（chloroacetyl-carbamoyl） fumagillol （TNP-470）, an angiogenesis inhibitor, and gemcitabine, a chemotherapeutic agent, on expression of growth factors were investigated using human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line, A549. The A549 cells were divided into four groups： control group, 10^-6 mg/ml gemcitabine treated group, 10^-4 mg/ml TNP-470 treated group and gemcitabine＋TNP-470 treated group. The mRNA and protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and its receptors, FMS-like tyrosine kinase-l （FLT-1） and kinase insert domain-containing receptor （KDR）, in different groups were measured. The growth of A549 cell cultured with gemcitabine or TNP-470 was inhibited in an almost dose-dependent manner. Although gemcitabine （10^-6 mg/ml） alone and TNP-470 （10^-4 mg/ml） alone had no effect on the mRNA and protein expression of VEGF and its receptors （FLT-1, KDR） in A549 cells compared to the control （P〉0.05）, 10^-6 mg/ml gemcitabine in combination with 10^-4 mg/ml TNP-470 had significant effect （P〈0.01）. Moreover, combination of the two drugs significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of VEGF, FLT-1 and KDR compared to either drug alone （P〈0.05）. This study suggests that combined treatment with TNP-470 plus gemcitabine may augment the antiangiogenic and antineoplastic effects in lung cancer cells in vitro.     

纳米银对黄瓜和小麦的毒性效应研究

研究目的：研究纳米银对黄瓜和小麦的毒性及在植物中的转运和分布,探讨其毒性机制,为纳米银的环境风险评估提供科学依据。创新要点：1.选取单子叶和双子叶植物为对象,比较研究纳米银对其萌发阶段和生长阶段的毒性效应及其影响因素;2.多数研究中的纳米银均有表面修饰,本研究选择无表面修饰的纳米银材料,排除表面活性剂的干扰因素;3.以络合剂半胱氨酸掩蔽解离出的银离子,探讨纳米银颗粒对植物毒性的贡献。研究方法：通过植物根长（图2）和生物量（图3）分别评价萌发和生长阶段纳米银的植物毒性。利用电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS）测定植物组织银元素的含量（图7）。通过组织切片,利用透射电镜（TEM）观察植物根中银的微观分布（图6）。通过在暴露介质中添加半胱氨酸掩蔽银离子来评价纳米银颗粒对植物毒性的贡献（图3和5）。重要结论：在较高暴露浓度情况下,纳米银和银离子对小麦和黄瓜都具有明显的毒性。但当纳米银浓度低于200 mg/L,银离子浓度低于5 mg/L时,两者均能促进黄瓜根系的生长。两种植物在营养生长阶段比萌发阶段对纳米银的毒性更敏感。纳米银暴露后,银首先积聚于植物的根,然后被转移到地上部。为评价纳米银释放的银离子的作用,我们测定了暴露后介质中银离子的浓度。在种子萌发阶段,黄瓜和小麦的暴露液中约0.03%和0.01%的纳米银溶解,而在营养生长阶段,溶解的纳米银达到0.17%和0.06%。半胱氨酸作为银离子的强络合剂,能够彻底消除纳米银对黄瓜和小麦的作用,说明纳米银的植物效应可能来自于其释放的银离子。     

RRM1 gene expression in peripheral blood is predictive of shorter survival in Chinese patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated by gemcitabine and platinum

Objective  

To evaluate the predictive values of gene expressions of ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1) and breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) in peripheral blood from Chinese patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with gemcitabine plus platinum.     

CANON process for nitrogen removal from effluents of municipal sewage treatment plants

The feasibility and performance of nitrogen removal from municipal sewage were investigated through the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process in a continuous reactor. CANON process was successfully started up with the transformation of nitrogen into gas by mass-balance analysis. For the synthetic waste-water (up to 480 mg NH4+-N/(L·d)), removal rates of the ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen (TN) were about 80% and 55%, respectively, at 1.25 h hydraulic retention time (HRT). For the secondary effluent of municipal sewage, the effluent concentrations of NH4+-N and TN were below 5 mg/L and 9 mg/L, respectively. It is in accordance with the water quality standard for scenic environment with the reuse of urban recycling water (GB/T 18921-2002).     

Effects of loading rate and hydraulic residence time on anoxic sulfide biooxidation

The optimal operation conditions in an anoxic sulfide oxidizing (ASO) bioreactor were investigated. The maximal removal rates for sulfide and nitrate were found to be 4.18 kg/(m3·d) and 1.73 kg/(m3·d), respectively. The volumetrical volumetric loading rates (LRs) observed through decreasing hydraulic retention time (HRT) at fixed substrate concentration are higher than those by increasing substrate concentration at fixed HRT. The sulfide oxidation in ASO reactor was partially producing both sulfate and sulfur; but the amount of sulfate produced was approximately one third that of sulfur. The process was able to tolerate high sulfide concentration, as the sulfide removal percentage always remained near 99% when influent concentration was up to 580 mg/L. It tolerated relatively lower nitrate concentration because the removal percentage dropped to 85% when influent con- centration was increased above 110 mg/L. The process can tolerate shorter HRT but careful operation is needed. Nitrate conversion was more sensitive to HRT than sulfide conversion since the process performance deteriorated abruptly when HRT was decreased from 3.12 h to 2.88 h. In order to avoid nitrite accumulation in the reactor, the influent sulfide and nitrate concentrations should be kept at 280 mg/L and 67.5 mg/L respectively. Present biotechnology is useful for removing sulfides from sewers and crude oil.     

Study on hydrogen sulfide removal based on bench-scale experiment by bio-trickling filter

A bench-scale experiment for control of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emissions was carried out continuously for nearly four months by using bio-trickling filter packed with ZX01 stuffing. The results suggested that the bio-trickling filter had proven excellent performance over substantial operational periods. Removal efficiency of H2S was nearly 100% when volumetric loading of the bio-trickling filter varied from 0.64 g/(m3·h) to 38.20 g/(m3·h) and metabolism products of H2S were mainly composed of SO42–. When inlet concentration of H2S was 250 mg/m3, the optimum gas retention time was 30 s and the optimum spray water flow rate was 0.005 9~0.012 L/(cm2·h). The bio-trickling filter had good ability to resist shock of high volumetric loading, and was not blocked during experiments for nearly four months during which resistance was maintained at relatively lower value, so that the bio-trickling filter need not carry out back washing frequently and can be operated steadily for long-term.     

Sap flow response of Eucaylyptus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus urophylla</Emphasis>) to environmental stress in South China

Sap flow and environmental conditions were monitored at two Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake) plantations at Hetou and Jijia, located in Leizhou, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province. It was found that daily sap flux density (SFD) of Eucalyptus was closely related to daily atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) (R ²=0.76, P=0.01 at Hetou and R ²=0.7021, P=0.01 at Jijia) at both sites. No significant relationship existed between daily SFD and mean daily air temperature at both sites. Daily SFD varied with wind speed Y=−17585X ³+15147X ²−1250.7X+2278.4 (R ²=0.68; P=0.01) at Hetou and Y=−101.67X ³−1.65X ²−376.4X+1914.8 (R ²=0.40, P=0.05) at Jijia, where Y was daily SFD, X was daily wind speed. Experimental observations yielded the following data: (1) the critical lower and upper daily VPD threshold were 0 and 2 kPa, within which daily SFD varied from 540±70 L/(m²·d) to 4739±115 L/(m²·d) at Hetou site, from 397±26 L/(m²·d) to 3414±191 L/(m²·d) at Jijia site; (2) Diurnal SFDs at Hetou site were much higher under low relative humidity (<30%) and slightly lower under high relative humidity (>80%) compared with those at the Jijia site; (3) The upper and lower threshold of daily and diurnal RAD for the optimal water use of E. urophylla plantations were 18±2.7 and 2±1 MJ/(m²·d), 669 and 0 J/(cm²·h) during the observation period. Project supported by Knowledge Innovation Funds from Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nos. KSCX2-SW-120, KZCX1-SW-01-01A3) and the Key Project of Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (No. 010567), China     

High-level soluble expression of the hemA gene from Rhodobacter capsulatus and comparative study of its enzymatic properties

The Rhodobacter capsulatus hemA gene, which encodes 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALAS), was expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) and the enzymatic properties of the purified recombinant ALAS (RC-ALAS) were studied. Compared with ALASs encoded by hemA genes from Agrobacterium radiobacter (AR-ALAS) and Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RS-ALAS), the specific activity of RC-ALAS reached 198.2 U/mg, which was about 31.2% and 69.5% higher than those of AR-ALAS (151.1 U/mg) and RS-ALAS (116.9 U/mg), respectively. The optimum pH values and temperatures of the three above mentioned enzymes were all pH 7.5 and 37 °C, respectively. Moreover, RC-ALAS was more sensitive to pH, while the other two were sensitive to temperature. The effects of metals, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the three ALASs were also investigated. The results indicate that they had the same effects on the activities of the three ALASs. SDS and metal ions such as Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cu²⁺ strongly inhibited the activities of the ALASs, while Mn²⁺ exerted slight inhibition, and K⁺, Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺, Mg²⁺, or EDTA had no significant effect. The specificity constant of succinyl coenzyme A [(k _cat/K _m)_S-CoA] of RC-ALAS was 1.4989, which was higher than those of AR-ALAS (0.7456) and RS-ALAS (1.1699), showing its high catalytic efficiency. The fed-batch fermentation was conducted using the recombinant strain containing the R. capsulatus hemA gene, and the yield of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) achieved was 8.8 g/L (67 mmol/L) under the appropriate conditions.     

Femoral indicator injection for transpulmonary thermodilution using the EV1000/VolumeView®: do the same criteria apply as for the PiCCO®?

Objective

Comparison of global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI) obtained by femoral and jugular transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) indicator injections using the EV1000/VolumnView® device (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, USA).

Methods

In an 87-year-old woman with hypovolemic shock and equipped with both jugular and femoral vein access and monitored with the EV1000/VolumeView® device, we recorded 10 datasets, each comprising duplicate TPTD via femoral access and duplicate TPTD (20 ml cold saline) via jugular access.

Results

Mean femoral GEDVI ((674.6±52.3) ml/m²) was significantly higher than jugular GEDVI ((552.3±69.7) ml/m²), with P=0.003. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated a bias of (+122±61) ml/m², limits of agreement of ?16 and +260 ml/m², and a percentage error of 22%. Use of the correction-formula recently suggested for the PiCCO® device significantly reduced bias and percentage error. Similarly, mean values of parameters derived from GEDVI such as pulmonary vascular permeability index (PVPI; 1.244±0.101 vs. 1.522±0.139; P<0.001) and global ejection fraction (GEF; (24.7±1.6)% vs. (28.1±1.8)%; P<0.001) were significantly different in the case of femoral compared to jugular indicator injection. Furthermore, the mean cardiac index derived from femoral indicator injection ((4.50±0.36) L/(min·m²)) was significantly higher (P=0.02) than that derived from jugular indicator injection ((4.12±0.44) L/(min·m²)), resulting in a bias of (+0.38±0.37) L/(min·m²) and a percentage error of 19.4%.

Conclusions

Femoral access for indicator injection results in markedly altered values provided by the EV1000/VolumeView®, particularly for GEDVI, PVPI, and GEF.

     

水平与垂直PES中空纤维超滤膜组件分离性能的研究

1Introduction Generally,ultrafiltration(UF)asaseparationtech nologyofhighefficiencyandlowenergyconsumption haswidelybeenappliedinvariousindustries.Inin dustrialapplications,therearesixbasicUF modules[1]:(1)tubular,withinnerchannel diameters>4mm;(2)hollowfibers,withinnerdia metersof0.2-3mm;(3)plateunits;(4)spiral woundmodules;(5)pleated sheetcartridges;and(6)rotarymodules.However,hollowfiberUFmoduleis oneofmostimportantmodulesbecauseofitshigh areapackingdensity.Besides,UFtechnologyalsois us…     

Silicon＇s organic pool and biological cycle in moso bamboo community of Wuyishan Biosphere Reserve

Biomineralization of Si by plants into phytolith formation and precipitation of Si into clays during weathering are two important processes of silicon’s biogeochemical cycle. As a silicon-accumulating plant, the widely distributed and woody Phyllostachys heterocycla var. pubescens (moso bamboo) contributes to storing silicon by biomineralization and, thus, prevents eutrophication of nearby waterbodies through silicon’s erosion of soil particles. A study on the organic pool and biological cycle of silicon (Si) of the moso bamboo community was conducted in Wuyishan Biosphere Reserve, China. The results showed that: (1) the standing crop of the moso bamboo community was 13355.4 g/m², of which 53.61%, 45.82% and 0.56% are represented by the aboveground and belowground parts of moso bamboos, and the understory plants, respectively; (2) the annual net primary production of the community was 2887.1 g/(m²·a), among which the aboveground part, belowground part, litterfalls, and other fractions, accounted for 55.86%, 35.30%, 4.50% and 4.34%, respectively; (3) silicon concentration in stem, branch, leaf, base of stem, root, whip of bamboos, and other plants was 0.15%, 0.79%, 3.10%, 4.40%, 7.32%, 1.52% and 1.01%, respectively; (4) the total Si accumulated in the standing crop of moso bamboo community was 448.91 g/m², with 99.83% of Si of the total community stored in moso bamboo populations; (5) within moso bamboo community, the annual uptake, retention, and return of Si were 95.75, 68.43, 27.32 g/(m²·a), respectively; (6) the turnover time of Si, which is the time an average atom of Si remains in the soil before it is recycled into the trees or shrubs, was 16.4 years; (7) the enrichment ratio of Si in the moso bamboo community, which is the ratio of the mean concentration of nutrients in the net primary production to the mean concentration of nutrients in the biomass of a community, was 0.64; and lastly, (8) moso bamboo plants stored about 1.26×10¹⁰ kg of silicon in the organic pool made up by the moso bamboo forests in the subtropical area of China. Project (No. 30370275) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Numerical study on viscosity reduction in mining heavy oil by circulating hot water

Viscosity reduction is an important process in mining heavy oil.To predict the temperature variation and viscosity variation of heavy oil in flow direction,computational fluid dynamics(CFD) was adopted to simulate the process of heat transfer and flow in this paper.Moreover,an objective function,namely viscosity reduction efficiency,was established to analyze the effect of viscosity reduction.The results indicate that circulating hot water can reduce viscosity significantly,and that the effect of viscosity reduction depends on the inlet temperature and inlet volumetric flow rate of hot water.There is a maximum temperature of heavy oil in flow direction.With the inlet volumetric flow rate of 2.0m3/h and the inlet temperatures of 60,℃,70,℃ and 80,℃,viscosity reduction efficiencies are 94.6%,96.7% and 97.3%,respectively.With the inlet temperature of 70,℃ and the volumetric flow rates of 1.5m3 /h,2.0 m3/h and 2.5m3/h,viscosity reduction efficiencies are 94.4%,96.7% and 97.2%,respectively.     

Purification and some properties of a β-glucanase from a strain,Trichoderma reesei GXC

β-glucanase was purified from a solid-state culture ofTrichoderma reesei on wheat bran in three steps which comprised ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sephadex G-100 chromatography, and DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography. The molecular mass was determined to be 35.21 kilodaltons by sodium dodecyl sulfate-12.5% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The β-glucanase at low pHs was more stable than that at high pHs, and optimum pH was 5.0. The optimum temperature was 60°C, and β-glucanase was relatively stable at below 40°C for 60 min. TheK _m of the enzyme on β-glucan was 10.86 mg/ml, and theV _max on β-glucan was 14286 μmol of glucose equivalents per mg of the pure enzyme per min. The β-glucanase activity was significantly inhibited by Fe³⁺ ions, and was reduced in the presence of Cu²⁺ ions, Mn²⁺ ions and Mg²⁺ ions at 5 mmol/L and 10 mmol/L, respectively. The β-glucanase activity was stimulated by Co²⁺ ions, Ca²⁺ ions, Zn²⁺ ions, and Fe²⁺ ions at 1 mmol/L and 5 mmol/L, respectively. Project supported by Foundation for University Key Teacher of the State Ministry of Education, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30000118) and Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 399409).