• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.399-406
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• 2016

Early life neuronal exposure to environmental toxicants has been suggested to be an important etiology of neurodegenerative disease development. Perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), one of the major perfluoroalkyl compounds, is widely distributed environmental contaminants. We have reported that PFHxS induces neuronal apoptosis via ERK-mediated pathway. Imperatorin is a furanocoumarin found in various edible plants and has a wide range of pharmacological effects including neuroprotection. In this study, the effects of imperatorin on PFHxS-induced neuronal apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms are examined using cerebellar granule cells (CGC). CGC were isolated from seven-day old rats and were grown in culture for seven days. Caspase-3 activity and TUNEL staining were used to determine neuronal apoptosis. PFHxS-induced apoptosis of CGC was significantly reduced by imperatorin and PD98059, an ERK pathway inhibitor. PFHxS induced a persistent increase in intracellular calcium, which was significantly blocked by imperatorin, NMDA receptor antagonist, MK801 and the L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel blockers, diltiazem and nifedipine. The activation of caspase-3 by PFHxS was also inhibited by MK801, diltiazem and nifedipine. PFHxS-increased ERK activation was inhibited by imperatorin, MK801, diltiazem and nifedipine. Taken together, imperatorin protects CGC against PFHxS-induced apoptosis via inhibition of NMDA receptor/intracellular calcium-mediated ERK pathway.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.5-12
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• 2017

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) as environmental pollutants are an important environmental issue. However, little is known on the PFCs monitoring of sea waters around estuaries on the East and West Coasts of Korea. This study shows the monitoring results of PFCs in sea waters in these Coasts. Among 10 PFCs selected in this study, concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) in the East Coast were 9.6-50.7 ng/L (total mean${\pm}$standard deviation: $26.14{\pm}12.66ng/L$), 13.79-44.58 ng/L ($27.95{\pm}11.41ng/L$), limit of quantification (LOQ)-2.6 ng/L ($0.96{\pm}1.15ng/L$), and 2.95-11.05 ng/L ($4.25{\pm}2.57ng/L$), respectively. In the West Coast, concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, PFBS, and PFHxS were 27.66-51.71 ng/L ($36.27{\pm}7.79ng/L$), 8.97-22.53 ng/L ($14.47{\pm}4.25ng/L$), LOQ-2.27 ng/L ($1.63{\pm}0.93ng/L$), and 3.0-7.66 ng/L ($4.27{\pm}1.49ng/L$), respectly. Other PFCs were below LOQ. The result of this study provides the distribution pattern of PFCs for assessing environmental pollution in two coastal areas of Korea.