• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2009

Concentrations of industrial, agricultural and natural chemicals have been increasing in secondary effluents without their combined sub-lethal effects having been elucidated. In this study, two assays (the comet and acetylcholinesterase assays) were combined to evaluate the genotoxic and neurotoxic effects of effluent from the Noksan wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on two local marine fish species (flounder and sea eel). The fish were exposed to WWTP secondary effluent that had been diluted with filtered seawater to final concentrations of 1%, 10% and 50%. Analysis of fish samples collected 3 and 5 days after exposure showed that DNA damage occurred in flounder exposed to 50% effluent and in sea eels exposed to 10% or 50% effluent. Furthermore, it was found that acetylcholinesterase (EC:3.1.1.7, AChE) activity decreased in both species when exposed to 10% effluent, indicating the presence of large amounts of genotoxic and neurotoxic chemicals in the effluent. Our results indicate that the comet and AChE assays are promising tools for biomonitoring of secondary effluents.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2004.12a
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• pp.45-50
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• 2004

Indoor air quality can be affected by indoor sources, ventilation, decay and outdoor levels. Alt hough technologies exist to measure these factors, direct measurements are often difficult. The purpose of this study was to develop an alternative method to characterize indoor environmental factors by multiple indoor and outdoor measurements. Daily indoor and outdoor NO2 concentrations were measured for 30 consecutive days in 28 houses in Brisbane, Australia, and for 21 consecutive days in 37 houses in Seoul, Korea. Using a mass balance model and regression analysis, penetration factor (ventilation rate divided by the sum of ventilation rate and deposition constant) and source strength factor (source strength divided by the sum of ventilation rate and deposition constant) were calculated using multiple indoor and outdoor measurements. Subsequently, the ventilation rate and NO2 source strength were estimated. Geometric means of ventilation rate were 1.44 ACH in Brisbane, assuming a residential NO2 deposition constant of 1.05 hr-1, and 1.36 ACH in Seoul, with the measured residential NO2 deposition constant of 0.94 hr-1. Source strengths of N02 were 15.8 ${\pm}$ 18.2 ${\mu}$g/m3${\cdot}$hr and 44.7 ${\pm}$ 38.1 ${\mu}$g/m3${\cdot}$hr in Brisbane and Seoul, respectively. In conclusion, indoor environmental factors were effectively characterized by this method using multiple indoor and outdoor measurements.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.63-66
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• 2014

The effects of a newly developed flower thinning formulation (FTF) on the vitality of the honey bee Apis mellifera were examined by measuring the activities of various digestive enzymes in adult worker bees. First, direct spraying of the FTF solution did not cause any behavioral changes or lethal effects for the honey bees based on 24 h observation. Second, oral ingestion of a sugar solution containing the FTF did not produce any significant change in the activities of amylase, proteinases, lipase, or acetylcholine esterase (AChE) in the worker bees 6 h or 24 h after treatment. Meanwhile, a commercial formulation containing sulfur compounds showed slightly reduced activities for several digestive enzymes and AChE, although no behavioral disturbance. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that the FTF is not toxic for honey bees, in terms of contact and ingestion. Therefore, this newly developed FTF can be used for flower thinning without any detrimental effects on pollinating insects.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.895-904
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• 2006

Objectives : In the present study, the author intended to investigate whether two oriental medical prescriptions named Socheongryongtang-ga-seoggo (SCTS) and Prescription D (P-D) significantly affect mucin release from cultured hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cells. Materials and Methods : Confluent HTSE cells were metabolically radiolabeled with 3H-glucosamine for 24 hrs and chased for 30 min in the presence of SCTS or P-D to assess the effect of each agent on 3H-mucin release. Possible cytotoxicities of each agent were assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Also, the effects of SCTS and P-D on contractility of isolated tracheal smooth muscle were investigated. Results : SCTS did not affect mucin release from cultured HTSE cells, without cytotoxicity. However, P-D significantly increased mucin release from cultured HTSE cells. with significant cytotoxicity. SCTS inhibited Ach-induced contraction of isolated tracheal smooth muscle. P-D also inhibited Ach-induced contraction of isolated tracheal smooth muscle. Conclusions : The author suggests that the effects of SCTS and P-D with their components should be further investigated and it is valuable to find, from oriental medical prescriptions, novel agents which might regulate mucin secretion from airway goblet cells.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.553-559
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• 2003

In order to make the efficient prescription and cope with various senile dementia, learning and memory functions of Sprague-Dawley model rats were tested with Morris water maze at first. And to evaluate the effects of the sample drug(GM) on choline acetyltranferase and acetylcholine esterase, immunoreactive measurement and enzymatic activity measuring were carried out. Rats were injected with ibotenic acid through hippocampus CA1 and CA3 area. The results are as following. GM improves the learning ability in tile acquisition test and memory function in the retention test significantly. And GM increases the level of ChAT which is synthesizing acetylcholine in CA3 area, and at the same time it increases the level of AChE which is resolving acetylcholine. These results show that GM improve the cholinergic catabolism and anabolism, and the increment of metabolic activity of cholinergic system contributes to the recovery of damaged learning and memory function by ibotenic acid. So it can be concluded that GM will be helpful to cholinergic brain disease induced by primary or senile reduction of acetylcholine secretive activity.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.65-75
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• 2008

Objective : This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of the KBHT and PMCMT extract on protecting microglia and inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and oxidants. Method : The effects of the KBHT and PMCMT extract on cell death of BV2 microglial cell line treated by ${\gamma}$ ; expression of NO, ROS in BV2 microglial cell line treated by lipopolysaccharide(LPS) ; AChE activity in PC-12 cell treated by NGF were investigated, respectively. Result : The KBHT and PMCMT extract significantly increased cell viability in BV2 microglial cell line treated with ${\gamma}$. The KBHT and PMCMT extract suppressed the NO and ROS production in BV2 microglial cell line treated by LPS. The KBHT and PMCMT extract groups also showed inhibition of AChE activity in PC-12 cell line. Conclusion : According to the above result, it is suggested that the KBHT and PMCMT extract might be usefully applied for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer' s disease.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.1276-1282
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• 2008

This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of the ODTCMT and DDTCMT extract on protecting microglia and inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and oxidants. The effects of the ODTCMT and DDTCMT extract on cell death of BV2 microglial cell line treated by $IFN-{\gamma}$ ; expression of NO, ROS in BV2 microglial cell line treated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ; AChE activity in PC-12 cell treated by NGF were investigated, respectively. The ODTCMT and DDTCMT extract significantly increased cell viability in BV2 microglial cell line treated with $IFN-\nu$. The ODTCMT and DDTCMT extract suppressed the NO and RDS production in BV2 microglial cell line treated by LPS. The ODTCMT and DDTCMT extract groups also showed inhibition of AChE activity in PC-12 cell line. According to the above result, it is suggested that the ODTCMT and DDTCMT extract might be usefully applied for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. OnDam-TanghapChongMyoung-Tang (ODTCMT), DoDam-TanghapChongMyoung-Tang (DDTCMT), Microglia, acetylcholinesterase, ROS

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.120-125
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• 2008

This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of the CBD and SJT extract on protecting microglia and inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and oxidants. The effects of the CBD and SJT extract on cell death of BV2 microglial cell line treated by $IFN-{\gamma}$ ; expression of NO, ROS in BV2 microglial cell line treated by lipopolysaccharide(LPS) ; AChE activity in PC-12 cell treated by NGF were investigated, respectively. The CBD and SJT extract significantly increased cell viability in BV2 microglial cell line treated with $IFN-{\gamma}$. The CBD and SJT extract suppressed the NO and ROS production in BV2 microglial cell line treated by LPS. The CBD and SJT extract groups also showed inhibition of AChE activity in PC-12 cell line. According to the above result, it is suggested that the CBD and SJT extract might be usefully applied for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2008

In the present investigation, we studied the effect of alcoholic extract of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) seed kernels on various experimental models of bronchial asthma. Significant (P < 0. 05) increase in preconvulsion time was observed due to pretreatment with M. oleifera when the guinea pigs were exposed to either acetylcholine (Ach) or histamine aerosol. This bronchodilating effect of M. oleifera was comparable to ketotifen fumarate. Spasmolytic effect of M. oleifera was also observed by dose dependent inhibition of ideal contractions induced by Ach, 5HT, histamine and $BaCl_2$. Alcoholic extract of M. oleifera produced significant dose dependent protection by egg albumin and compound 48/80 induced mast cell degranulation. Pretreatment with alcoholic extract of M. oleifera also decreased carrageenan induced rat paw edema, which was comparable to that of standard diclofenac sodium. Minimum inhibitory concentration for alcoholic extract of M. oleifera was low as compared to cold-water extract and hot water extract when antimicrobial activity was tested against various respiratory pathogens like Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococus aureus (S. aureus) and pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Our data suggest that antiasthmatic activity of M. oleifera seed kernels may be due to its bronchodilator, anti-inflammatory, mast cell stabilization and antimicrobial activity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.184-191
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• 1986

Membrane potential of cells in the isolated rabbit coronary sinus was measured by conventional glass microelectrode and investigated the effect of $[K^+]_0$ variation in control, 20 mM and Ach-containing Tyrode solution. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The resting membrane potential exposed to normal Tyrode solution containing 3 mM $K^+\;was\;about\;-60{\sim}\;-65mV$. At extracellular $K^+$ concentrations from 1 to 30 mM the resting Potential was reasonably well described by Goldman -Hodgkin -Katz equation on the assumption that $[K^+]_1$ was 150 mM and that the ratio of membrane permeability coefficient for $Na^+\;and\;K^+,\;P_{Na}/P_K\;({\alpha})$ was 0.07. 2) In 20 mM Na-Tyrode solution (replacing by equimolar Tris) the resting membrane potential was hyperpolarized by 15 to 20 mV and showed slightly deviated to depolarized direction compared to the predicted value by Goldman-Hodgkin -Katz equation. 3) In the presence of $10^{-6}M$ Ach, the resting potentials at $[K^+]_0$ levels from 1 to 30 mM were well fitted with the predicted value on the assumption that $P_{Na}/P_K$ was 0.0144. It could be concluded that the low resting membrane potential of coronary sinus cells reflects a relatively high ratio $P_{Na}/P_K$ of about 0.07.