• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2006

Two ciliates of suborder Euplotina collected from the two habitats (estuarine littoral and sewage treatment plant) in Ulsan, Korea were Euplotes charon ($M\ddot{u}ller$, 1773) and Diophrys oligothrix Borror, 1965. These two species are reported for the first time from Korea. The description was based on the observation of living and silver impregnated specimens. Diagnostic characteristics of these species are as follows. E. charon: size in vivo about $90-130\times65-80{\mu}m$, adoral zone of membranelles over 79.5% of cell length with 54-80 adoral membranelles; right margin of the peristome shaped sinusoidal form and passed through adoral zone of membranelles; buccal cavity wide anteriorly; 10 frontoventral, 5 transverse, 4 caudal cirri, 12 dorsal kineties, mid-dorsal kinety with 21 -25 dorsal bristles; silver-line system double-eurystomus type. D. oligothrix: size in vivo about $80-90\times30-70{\mu}m$; body shape ovoid with prominent right concave posterio-lateral end, two irregular elongated macronuclei with one micronucleus, respectively; 7 fronto-ventral, 5 transverse, 2 left marginal and 2 caudal cirri, 4 dorsal kineties with prominent bristles about $9-14{\mu}m$ long in vivo.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 1998

We have examined in vitro and in vivo radioprotective effect of a Chinese medicinal plants prescription, Lifukang. Micronucleus assay was employed to evaluate in vitro radioprotective effect of Lifukang. In the presence of Lifukang, the frequencies of miconuclei were greatly reduced from 7.2 to 2.9, 1.6 and 1.6% at the concentrations of Lifukang from 0 to 2, 10 and $50{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. For in vivo assay, we monitored the incidences of apoptotic cells in mouse small intestine crypts and endogeneous spleen colonies. When Lifukang was administered to mice P.O. Or I.P. at doses of 1 mg/ml in drinking water for 7 days or 0.3 mg/mouse 24 hrs prior to irradiations, respectively, the average numbers of apoptotic cells were reduced to 3.1 or 2.3, respectively, as compared to 4.4 acquired from untreated control experiments. In addition, in spleen colony assay, Lifukang increased the number of hematopoietic spleen colonies. When samples were administered after irradiation, better results were obtained. The numbers of spleen colonies were increased from 14 colonies to 18.3 or 19.6 colonies when Lifukang was given through P.O. (1 mg/ml in drinking water for 11 days) or I.P. (0.3 mg/ mouse) after irradiation, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.14-24
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of smoking conditions on the in vitro toxicological activity of mainstream smoke. The 2R4F reference cigarette was machine-smoked by International Organization for Standardization(ISO) and Canadian Intense(CI) conditions. Smoke was analysed for chemical composition and in vitro toxicity. The cytotoxic potencies of both the total particulate matter(TPM), which were collected in Cambridge filter pad, and gas/vapor phase(GVP), which was bubbled through in phosphate-buffer saline in a gas-washing bottle, were assessed neutral red up take assay with chinese hamster ovary(CHO) cells. The assessment for genotoxicity of TPMs generated under ISO and CI conditions was determined using Salmonella mutagenicity assay and in vitro micronucleus assay. When calculated on an equal TPM basis, in vitro toxicity of TPM obtained under CI condition was decreased compared to TPM generated under ISO condition. The results of chemical composition analyses revealed that the lower toxicological activity under CI condition than that of ISO condition could be explained by the decreased in the contents of phenols, N-nitrosoamines and aromatic amines of TPM on an equal TPM basis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.281-290
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• 2018

Exposure to chemical agents is an inevitable consequence of modern society; some of these agents are hazardous to human health. The effects of chemical carcinogens are of great concern in many countries, and international organizations, such as the World Health Organization, have established guidelines for the regulation of these chemicals. Carcinogens are currently categorized into two classes, genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens, which are subject to different regulatory policies. Genotoxic carcinogens are chemicals that exert carcinogenicity via the induction of mutations. Owing to their DNA interaction properties, there is thought to be no safe exposure threshold or dose. Genotoxic carcinogens are regulated under the assumption that they pose a cancer risk for humans, even at very low doses. In contrast, non-genotoxic carcinogens, which induce cancer through mechanisms other than mutations, such as hormonal effects, cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, or epigenetic changes, are thought to have a safe exposure threshold or dose; thus, their use in society is permitted unless the exposure or intake level would exceed the threshold. Genotoxicity assays are an important method to distinguish the two classes of carcinogens. However, some carcinogens have negative results in in vitro bacterial mutation assays, but yield positive results in the in vivo transgenic rodent gene mutation assay. Non-DNA damage, such as spindle poison or topoisomerase inhibition, often leads to positive results in cytogenetic genotoxicity assays such as the chromosome aberration assay or the micronucleus assay. Therefore, mechanistic considerations of tumor induction, based on the results of the genotoxicity assays, are necessary to distinguish genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens. In this review, the concept of threshold of toxicological concern is introduced and the potential risk from multiple exposures to low doses of genotoxic carcinogens is also discussed.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2011

Objectives: The antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles has resulted in their widespread use in many consumer products. Yet, despite their many advantages, it is also important to determine whether silver nanoparticles may represent a hazard to the environment and human health. Methods: Thus, to evaluate the genotoxic potential of silver nanoparticles, in vivo genotoxicity testing (OECD 474, in vivo micronuclei test) was conducted after exposing male and female Sprague-Dawley rats to silver nanoparticles by inhalation for 90 days according to OECD test guideline 413 (Subchronic Inhalation Toxicity: 90 Day Study) with a good laboratory practice system. The rats were exposed to silver nanoparticles (18 nm diameter) at concentrations of $0.7\;{\times}\;10^6$ particles/$cm^3$ (low dose), $1.4\;{\times}\;10^6$ particles/$cm^3$ (middle dose), and $2.9\;{\times}\;10^6$ particles/$cm^3$ (high dose) for 6 hr/day in an inhalation chamber for 90 days. The rats were killed 24 hr after the last administration, then the femurs were removed and the bone marrow collected and evaluated for micronucleus induction. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes or in the ratio of polychromatic erythrocytes among the total erythrocytes after silver nanoparticle exposure when compared with the control. Conclusion: The present results suggest that exposure to silver nanoparticles by inhalation for 90 days does not induce genetic toxicity in male and female rat bone marrow in vivo.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.451-457
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• 2002

The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate the micronuclei (MN) frequency in cytokinesis-blocked (CB) cells after various doses of gamma-rays in two species (fish and fowl) and so to contribute to the clarification of the question whether these species are suitable as a target organism in the test system. The frequencies of binucleated cells, and gamma-ray-induced MN in CB cells at several doses were measured in three donors of two species. No binucleated cell was noted in erythrocyte. The peaks of binucleated lymphocyte formation were found at a concentration of 2% phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and $3{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ cytochalasin B (Cyt-B) in fish at 144 hours after incubation and 2% PHA and $6{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ Cyt-B in fowl at 72 hours after incubation. But the micronucleus counts failed to show any evidence of radiation damage. Measurements performed after irradiation showed a dose-related decrease in the formation of binucleated cells in each of the donors studied. Results indicated that the assays were not suitable for this due to blastization inhibition (binucleation failure) after irradiation. We concluded that the use of CB cell from fish and fowl for detecting the results of mdiation exposure was highly questionable.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2011

Purpose: If the tooth structure is damaged, then it is impossible to regenerate the tooth. The materials used to restore the tooth structure are not related to the composition of the tooth. The materials used to restore the structure can't replace the natural tooth because they just fill the defective structure. Calcium phosphate cement remineralizes the dentin and almost replaces the natural tooth, but there are some disadvantages. We conducted basic tests with Biomimetic CPC (Bio-CPC) to make sure of the possibility of the biomaterial to remineralize the defective tooth structure. Methods: In this study, the bioactivity and biocompatibility of Bio-CPC were evaluated for its potential value as the bio-material for regeneration of damaged tooth structure by conducting a cell toxicity assay (WST-1 assay), a cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay, a chromosomal aberration test, total RNA extraction and RT-PCR on MDPC-23 mouse odontoblast-like cells. Results: The in vitro cytotoxicity test showed that the Bio-CPC was fairly cytocompatible for the MDPC-23 mouse odontoblast-like cells. Conclusion: Bio-CPC has a possibility to be a new biomaterial and further study of Bio-CPC is needed.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.6-12
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• 1996

To investigate the clastogenicity of taxol and its precursor, 10-aleacetyl baccatin III, we performed chromosomal aberration assay with chinese hamster lung cells in vitro. The IC$_{50}$ values of taxol and 10-deacetyl baccatin III were determined as $1/16 \times 10^{-4}$ M (5.34 $\mu$g/ml) and $1 \times 10^{-2}$ M (560 $\mu$g/ml) in MTT assay, respectively. It means that the cytotoxicity of taxol revealed 100 times more cytotoxic than 10-deacetyl baccatin III in chinese hamster lung cell line. Nevertheless the strong positive genetic toxicity of taxol in the bone marrow micronucleus assay in vivo which was recently reported, we observed weak positive clastogenicity of taxoi only in the absence of metabolic activation system in the concentration ranges used in this experiment. Moreover, to clarify the involvement of metabolic fate of taxol because of its strong positive result in vivo, 10-deacetyl baccatin III which is a precursor in taxol synthesis, also subjected in chromosomal aberration assay in vitro. However, we observed no clastogenicity of 10-deacetyl baccatin III in this experiment. From above results, it was suggested that the esterification at C-13 appears to be relative for its genetic toxicity in chromosome aberration using chinese hamster lung cell in vitro.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.121-130
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• 2014

The larval form of Tenebrio molitor (T. molitor) has been eaten in many countries and provides benefits as a new food source of protein for humans. However, no information exists regarding its safety for humans. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the genotoxicity and repeated dose oral toxicity of the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae. The genotoxic potential was evaluated by a standard battery testing: bacterial reverse mutation test, in vitro chromosome aberration test, and in vivo micronucleus test. To assess the repeated dose toxicity, the powder was administered once daily by oral gavage to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at dose levels of 0, 300, 1000 and 3000 mg/kg/day for 28 days. The parameters which were applied to the study were mortality, clinical signs, body and organ weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum chemistry, gross findings and histopathologic examination. The freezedried powder of T. molitor larvae was not mutagenic or clastogenic based on results of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity assays. Furthermore, no treatment-related changes or findings were observed in any parameters in rats after 28 days oral administration. In conclusion, the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae was considered to be non-genotoxic and the NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) was determined to be 3000 mg/kg/day in both sexes of SD rats under our experimental conditions.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1079-1085
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety of chitosan oligosaccharide and the effects of chitosan oligosaccharide on mercury induced genotoxicity in mice using the micronuclei and chromosome aberration. The micronuclei test was performed by microscopic examination $(\times1,000,\;stained\;using\;a\;May-Grunwald\;solution)$ after administering 0.01, 0.1, and $1\%(10\;mg/mL)$ chitosan oligosaccharide for 7, 60, and 180 days ad libitum in mice. Total micronuclei of 1,000 polychromatic erythrocytes were recorded for each group. There was no difference between the untreated and experimental groups. The intake periods and concentrations of chitosan oligosaccharide did not affect the occurrence of micronuclei in bone marrow cells (P>0.05). The chromosomal aberration test was performed by microscopic examination $({\times}1,000,\;stained\;using\;a\;4\%\;Giemsa\;solution)$ after administering the same concentration of chitosan oligosaccharide to mice, in $F_1,\;F_2,\;F_3$ generations and parents. The frequency of chromosomal aberrations was defined as [Ydr=(D+R)/total number of counted lymphocytes]. Similar to the micronuclei test, there was no difference between the untreated and treated groups. These results showed that the intake periods and concentrations of chitosan oligosaccharide did not affect chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells (P>0.05). To investigate the effect of chitosan oligosaccharide on mercury-induced chromosome aberration, mice in each condition were supplied with $^{203}HgCl_2$ and chitosan oligosaccharide ad libitum. Chitosan oligosaccharide significantly inhibited $^{203}HgCl_2-induced$ chromosome aberration in mice. Based on the results of this study, it may be concluded that the chitosan oligosaccharide is a nontoxic material that could be used as a suppressor of heavy metal-induced genotoxicity.