• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2012

Lead poisoning is one of the earliest identified and most known occupational disease. Its acute effects have been recognized from antiquity when this condition principally afflicted manual workers and slaves, actually scarcely considered by the medicine of that time. The Industrial Revolution caused an epidemic of metal intoxication, urging scientists and physician of that period to study and identify specific symptoms and organ alterations related to chronic lead poisoning. During the 20th century, the acknowledgment of occupational and environmental toxicity of lead fostered public awareness and legislation to protect health. More recently, the identification of sub-clinical effects have greatly modified the concept of lead poisoning and the approaches of medicine towards this condition. Nowadays, lead poisoning is rarely seen in developed countries, but it still represents a major environmental problem in certain areas. Consequently, it may appear as a paradigm of "occupational and environmental disease," and the history of this condition seems to parallel the historical development of modern "Occupational and Environmental Health" as a more complete medical discipline.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2001

We have previously demonstrated that sodium molybdate(Mo) improved lead-intoxicated status by enhancing the metabolism of mao-inositol-related phospholipids in sciatic nerves isolated from rats. In this study, in order to address the reduction mechanism of Mo for lead toxicity, effects of Mo on cystidine-diglyceride transferase, phosphatidylinositol kinase, and phosphatidyl inositol-4-phosphate kinase, involved in mao-inositol metabolism of nerve, were investigated in vivo and in vitro. Mo significantly increased the activities of cystidine- diglyceride transferase and phosphatidylinositol kinase in lead-intoxicated rat, and the pattern of increase was dose-dependent manner. However, Mo did not affect the activity of phosp- hatidylinositiol-4-phosphate kinase in normal and lead-intoxicated rats. We also found that Mo affected the activities of phopholipid metabolism-related enzymes not by the indirect manner such as activation of another metabolic pathway but by the direct manner. These results suggest that the improvement mechanism of Mo for lead-intoxicated status might be a normalization of the activities of phospholipid metabolism-related enzymes in sciatic nerve.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

This study was performed to evaluate the remediation efficiency by Helianthus annuus, Brassica juncea and Brassica campestris on the soil contaminated with nickel, zinc and lead, respectively. The growth rates fell down under 60% in the condition of over 700 mg/kg of zinc for Brassica campestris, 300 mg/kg of lead for Helianthus annuus, and 150 mg/kg of nickel for Brassica juncea on the basis of heavy metal concentration in the soil, because of its toxicity. Also, the hyperaccumulators showed the maximum heavy metal contents in their biomass after 90 days of cultivation. The accumulated heavy metal content per kilogram of hyperaccumulator was 0.65 mg of nickel in Brassica juncea, 0.14 mg of zinc in Brassica campestris, and 0.06 mg of lead in Helianthus annuus, respectively. Additionally, 73.2% of nickel accumulated in Brassica juncea and 95.1% of zinc accumulated in Brassica campestris were concentrated in the upper site of crop like stem and leaves. However, in the case of Helianthus annuus, 83.7% of lead was accumulated in the root.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.323-332
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• 1986

This study was performed to see the effects of lead poisoning and dietary protein levels(6, 15 and 40 % casein diets) on growth, protein and lipid metabolisms in growing rats. It was also investigated whether the high protein intake would alleviate lead toxicity by decreasing Pb absorption and/or increasing Pb excretion. The results obtained were summarized as follows ; 1) Weight gain, F.E.R liver weight, weight and length of bone in Pb-administered groups were lower than in Pb-free groups. However, these values in the 40% casein diet group with Pb were increased to the level in 15% casein diet group without Pb. 2) Hematocrt and hemoglobin content in blood were lower in Pb -adminstered groups than in Pb free groups. Especially, these levels were lower in 6% casein diet group with Pb than in any other group. 3) Plasma protein level in th e 40% casein casein diet group was the highest of all groups and those of Pb-administered groups tended to be lower than those of Pb-free groups. Plasma lipid and cholesterol levels were increased with decreasing dietary protein level, and these levels were higher in the animals exposed to Pb than in free groups.4) Total liver protein, lipid and cholesterol contents were increased with increasing dietary protein level, and these contents were lower in Pb-administered groups than in Pb free groups. 5) Fecal Pb excretion was not different between 6 and 40% casein diet groups. However, urinary Pb excretion was higher in the 40% casein diet group than in the 6% casein diet group. Above results suggest that, in exposing to the Pb pollution, sufficient protien intake must be recommended. High protein intake seemed to alleviate lead toxicity by increasing urinary Pb excretion.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2011

The aim of this study was 1,4-dioxane's degradation efficiency and toxicity test applying E-beam. The experiments were shows that the degradation efficiency in the initial concentration of 1,4-dioxane and the irradiation capacity of E-beam and the degree of mineralization based on a change of scavenger gas. The biological toxicity test by using on of green algae, Pseudokirchneriella Subcapitata was conducted to lead the reducing toxicity. Degradation efficiency of 1,4-dioxane was improved when E-beam irradiation intensity was higher and the efficiency of TOC removal using Radical scavenger gas was increased by $N_2O$, $O_2$ and $N_2$ in order. In 4 days(96hrs), toxicity test results indicated that toxicity effect was decreased by increase of E-beam irradiation intensity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1158-1163
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• 2006

More than 95% of lead, a environmental heavy metal, entering into blood accumulates in erythrocytes suggesting erythrocytes as an important target of lead toxicity. Recent studies reported that erythrocytes could contribute to blood coagulation via phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure in erythrocytes. However, in vivo effects of chronic lead exposure especially by drink-ing water on procoagulant activity of erythrocytes have not been studied yet. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic exposure of lead by drinking water on erythrocytes in rats. Groups of 40 male rats were provided with drinking water containing various concentrations of lead for 4 weeks and complete blood cell count, procoagulant activities of erythrocytes and platelets were evaluated with basic inspections on body weight and food/water consumption. The administration of lead containing drinking water increased the blood lead level (BLL) in a dose-dependent manner up to $22.39{\pm}2.26\;{\mu}g/dL$. Water consumption was significantly decreased while food consumption or body weight gain was not affected. In contrast to the previous findings with acute lead exposure, chronic lead exposure failed to increase PS exposure in erythrocytes with statistical significance although some trends of enhancement were observed. It implies that a certain adaptation might have happened in body during repeated exposure to lead, resulting in attenuation of PS exposure. With this study, we believe that a valuable information was provided for the study on the toxicological significance and the risk assessment of lead contaminated drinking water.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.860-866
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• 2019

The lead element or its salts are good radiation shielding materials. However, their toxic effects are high. Due to less toxicity of bismuth salts, the radiation shielding properties of the bismuth salts have been investigated and compared to that of lead salts to establish them as a better alternative to radiation shielding material to the lead element or its salts. The transmission geometry was utilized to measure the mass attenuation coefficient (${\mu}/{\rho}$) of different salts containing lead and bismuth using a high-resolution HPGe detector and different energies (between 81 and 1333 keV) emitted from point sources of $^{133}Ba$, $^{57}Co$, $^{22}Na$, $^{54}Mn$, $^{137}Cs$, and $^{60}Co$. The experimental ${\mu}/{\rho}$ results are compared with the theoretical values obtained through WinXCOM program. The theoretical calculations are in good agreement with their experimental ones. The radiation protection efficiencies, mean free paths, effective atomic numbers and electron densities for the present compounds were determined. The bismuth fluoride ($BiF_3$) is found to have maximum radiation protection efficiency among the selected salts. The results showed that present salts are more effective for reducing the intensity of gamma photons at low energy region.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.179-183
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• 2012

Acute toxicity on the water extract of Mori Fructus was examined in male and female mice. The water extract of Mori Fructus was orally administered at a dose of 5 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 2,000 mg/kg and had been observed for two weeks. No mortality and abnormal clinical signs were shown for the observation period. At the terminal sacrifice, there were no difference in net body weight gain, organ weight and gross pathological findings among the groups treated with different doses of the water extract of Mori Fructus. The results suggested that under the condition employed in this study $LD_{50}$ would be more than 2,000 mg/kg. All the data obtained the experiments lead to the water extract of Mori Fructus should have very low acute toxicity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.157-164
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• 2022

Disulfiram (DSF) is an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor. DSF has potent anti-cancer activity for solid and hematological malignancies. Although the effects on cancer cells have been proven, there have been few studies on DSF toxicity in bone marrow cells (BMs). DSF reduces the metabolic activity and the mitochondrial membrane potential of BMs. In subset analyses, we confirmed that DSF does not affect the proportion of BMs. In addition, DSF significantly impaired the metabolic activity and differentiation of BMs treated with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, an essential growth and differentiation factor for BMs. To measure DSF toxicity in BMs in vivo, mice were injected with 50 mg/kg, a dose used for anti-cancer effects. DSF did not significantly induce BM toxicity in mice and may be tolerated by antioxidant defense mechanisms. This is the first study on the effects of DSF on BMs in vitro and in vivo. DSF has been widely studied as an anti-cancer drug candidate, and many anti-cancer drugs lead to myelosuppression. In this regard, this study can provide useful information to basic science and clinical researchers.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.699-707
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• 1996

This study was designed to examine the involvement of lead in function of target organ, and the protective effect of selenium in lead-treated guinea pigs for 8 weeks. The effects of exposure to 0.5% lead acetate(lead) and/or 4ppm sodium selenite(selenium) in feed on serveral aspects were evaluated by measuring thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH), triiodothyronine($T_3$), thyroxine($T_4$), serum biochemical activities, organ weights, and serum and organ lead concentrations in growing animals. The many indicators of endocrine function(TSH, $T_3$, and $T_4$ in serum), enzyme and biochemical activities(${\alpha}$-glutamyltranspeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, triglyceride, creatinine, $Ca^{2+}$ in serum), and organ weights(kidney, spleen and testis) were correlated with lead exposure or showed significantly different mean values between the exposed and controls. These changes on some aspects were reversed by combination-fed of selenium, but did not statistically significant. The organ(kidney, liver, spleen, testis and brain) and serum lead concentrations of lead-fed group were clearly higher than that of controls. Selenium supplementation resulted in a significant protection against lead accumulation in liver and testis. These results suggest that lead can cause a toxic effect on several organ and that selenium seems to has a protective effect on specific reaction by lead-induced organic function toxicity.