• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1221-1232
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• 2011

We investigated the toxic effects of difenoconazole on the development in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. To test the toxic effects, frog embryo teratogenesis assays using Xenopus were performed. Embryos were exposed to various concentrations of difenoconazole (0-30 ${\mu}M$). $LC_{100}$ for difenoconazole was 30 ${\mu}M$, and the $LC_{50}$ determined by probit analysis was 27.19 ${\mu}M$. Exposure to difenoconazole concentrations ${\geq}$5 ${\mu}M$ resulted in 10 different types of severe external malformation. Histological examinations revealed dysplasia of the eye, heart, liver, somatic muscle, and swelling of the pronephric ducts. The tissue-specific toxic effects were investigated with an animal cap assay. Blood cells were normally induced at a high frequency by mSCF and activin A. However, the induction of blood cells was strongly inhibited by the addition of difenoconazole. Electron micrographs of tested embryos showed the degeneration of somatic muscle and the shrinkage of microvilli on pronephric duct. The gene expression of cultivated animal cap explants was investigated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). It revealed that the expression of the blood-specific marker(${\beta}$-globin II) and muscle-specific marker (XMA) were more strongly inhibited than the neural-specific marker(XEn2) by the addition of difenoconazole.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1001-1012
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• 2010

We investigated the toxic effects of tebuconazole on development in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. To test the toxic effects, frog embryo teratogenesis assays using Xenopus were performed. Embryos were exposed to various concentrations of tebuconazole($0-100\;{\mu}M$). $LC_{100}$ for tebuconazole was $100\;{\mu}M$, and the $LC_{50}$ determined by probit analysis was $82.35\;{\mu}M$. The exposure to tebuconazole concentrations ${\geq}40\;{\mu}M$ resulted in 11 different types of severe external malformations including gut dysplasia. Histological examinations revealed various dysplasia in the eye, heart, liver, intestine, somatic muscle, and in the pronephric ducts. The tissue-specific toxic effects were investigated with an animal cap assay. Blood cells are generally induced at a high frequency by the combination of mSCF and activin A, however, the induction of blood cells was strongly inhibited by the addition of tebuconazole. Electron micrographs of tested embryos showed many of multivesicular bodies and dysplasia of photo-receptive cell, however, the somatic muscle degeneration was not severe. The gene expression of cultivated animal cap explants was investigated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and revealed that expression of the blood-specific marker, $\beta$ globin II and muscle-specific marker, muscle actin were more strongly inhibited than the neural-specific marker, XEn2.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2005

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has long been used as an adjuvant or first choice of therapy for liver disease. Commonly, UDCA has been reported to play a role in improving hyperbilirubinemia and disorder of bromsulphalein. More commonly, UDCA has been used in reducing the rate of cholesterol level in bile juice that can cause cholesterol stone. The effects on the promotion of bile acid release that leads an excretion of toxic materials and wastes produced in liver cells as well as various arrays of liver disease such as hepatitis. Other than already reported in clinical use, immunosuppressive effect has been studied, especially in transplantation. In the study, we hypothesized that UDCA might have a certain role in anti-inflammation through a preventive effect of pro-inflammatory potentials in the brain macrophages, microglia. We found that the treatment of $200\;{\mu}g/ml$ UDCA effectively suppressed the pro-inflammatory mediators (i.e. nitric oxide and interleukin-$1{\beta}$) in rat microglia compared to comparators. Interestingly, RT-PCR analysis suggested that UDCA strongly attenuated the expression of $IL-1{\beta}$ that was comparable with cyclosporine A at 48 h incubation. Conclusively, we found that UDCA may playa cytoprotective role in microglial cells through direct or indirect pathways by scavenging a toxic compound or an anti-inflammatory effect, which are known as major causes of neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.119-128
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• 2004

Environmental impact of waste tires as gound-reinforcing material is studied. Analysis for chemical compounds and toxic effect were performed on effluents from twelve lysimeters in which waste tires were mixed with sand and three initially different environmental solutions of acidic, neutral, and basic circulated through the mixture. The test results of effluents collected from the lysimeters provided that the contaminant concentrations were lower than those of Korean drinking water standards for all the selected and tested metal elements. While iron concentration increased slightly with the exposure period, other metal concentrations decreased with the number of circulation times. From the comparison with previous investigations, the contaminant concentration decreased with the increase of tire size, i.e. increases with the increase of the exposed surface of tire metals. From the toxicity tests, no deteriorative effect was observed and it could be concluded that waste tires are not biologically hostile materials.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.165-174
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• 1999

This study was conducted to analyze the priority of environmental problems in Korea by investigating the environmental professionals' perception. The delphi technique was applied to identify their risk perception towards some specific items related with pollution. A standardized questionnaire on environmental problems and their priorities was used to 74 subjects. In the questionnaire, the environmental problems were divided into the general ones,9 items, and the specific ones,30 items. Also, the perception was associated with two points of view which were the risk on general human health or ecosystem, and on the present situation in Korea. The priority of risk from general environmental problems on human health or ecosystem was analyzed in the order of 'water pollution', 'air pollution', 'soil contamination', 'waste', 'toxic chemical pollutants', 'food contamination', 'ocean contamination', 'odor pollution', and 'noise pollution'. The priority of risk on the present situation in Korea was analyzed in the order of 'water pollution','air pollution','waste','toxic chemical pollutants','food contamination','soil contamination','ocean contamination','odor pollution', and 'noise pollution'. And these priorities were significantly related with the characteristics of respondents such as sex, age, and major concerned area. However, for the first five priorities of risk from the specific environmental problems on human health or ecosystem, the environmental professionals agreed with 'automotive vehicle exhaust', 'domestic and industrial source pollutants to surface water', '$CO_2$nd g1oba1 warming effect','toxic air pollutant' and 'industrial source air pollution'. The priorities of risk on the present situation in Korea were similar to these results.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2003

To evaluate influence of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk extract on rat, Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk extract was diluted with 0.9% saline (100 mg/ml/kg, 10 mg/ml/kg, and 1 mg/ml/kg, respectively), and each of diluted test material extract was daily treated subcutaneously for 4 weeks and single-treated subcutaneously for 2 weeks. There were no significances in body weight analysis, urinary analysis, and ophthalmological test. However, in serum biochemical analysis and hematological analysis, we found some significances in high and middle dose group compared with control group. These significances in serum biochemical analysis and hematological analysis may be not induced by test material, because it was not found to be significant from control group in histopathological examination. Therefore, it was concluded that NOEL (No Observed Effect Level) of test material extract may be higher than all treatment doses used in this study, and Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk extract may be a non-toxic material.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.1069-1074
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• 2002

The growth and heavy metal experiments revealed oppositive interactions between toxic metals(Zn and Cd) and Mn when the coastal diatom T. pseudonana were used. Cd and Zn inhibited the algal growth rate only at low Mn ion concentrations and this effect could be accounted for an inhibition of cellular Mn take by the toxic metals. Mn and Zn inhibited cellular Cd take and this indicated a reciprocal effects among the metals with respect to metal take. Saturation kinetics modeling of the take data was consistent with two metals competing with each other for binding to the Mn take system and with both Cd and Mn being transported into the cell by that system. Mathematical modeling of Mn and Cd take data revealed evidence fur a Cd efflux system.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.165-181
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• 2024

Objectives: This study was aimed to review the global status of adverse event (AE) reports and the characteristics of the reported AEs of plants managed as herbal medicines (HMs) with toxic precautions in Korea. Methods: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study that analyzed information available through VigiAccess, a website that provides summarized statistical information from the WHO's global AE database to the public. VigiAccess was searched in 8 Jan, 2024. Information on the total number of reports, number of reports by year and continent, and the age and gender of patients were obtained, and the types of frequently reported AEs were also reviewed. Results: Data on the status of report submissions were obtained for a total of 9 HMs including Aconitum ciliare, Aconitum carmichaeli, Arisaema japonicum, Pinellia ternata, Euphorbiae Lathyridis, Croton tiglium, Strychni Ignatii, Strychnons nux-vomica, and Linum usitatissimum. The number of reports per HM was from 1 to 137. The most commonly reported type of AEs were gastrointestinal disorders in most of the HMs, followed by neurological disorders. Serious adverse events were reported only in Strychni Ignatii, Strychnons nux-vomica, and Linum usitatissimum, including one case of death. Conclusions: This study shows the status of reported AEs of botanicals considered as HMs with toxic precautions in Korea based on real world data. However, when interpreting the findings of this study, readers should consider the significant limitations of this study mainly because of the characteristics of the data source.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.116-123
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• 2016

The ecotoxicity tests for metal plating wastewater were conducted using Daphnia magna (D. magna) and Euglena agilis (E. agilis). Evaluation for sources of toxicity was performed by 1) Correlation analysis between the concentration of individual metals in the metal plating wastewater and the toxic effects on D. magna, 2) Toxicant identification evaluation methods including graduated pH method, EDTA procedure and sodium thiosulfate procedure, 3) Comparison of toxic effect value ($EC_{50}$ or $LC_{50}$) of individual metal on D. magna and it's concentration in the metal plating wastewater. To evaluate the possibility of E. agilis, a Korean domestic organism, as a test model organism for metal plating waste water, E. agilis toxicity test was also assessed using on-line euglena ecotoxicity system (E-Tox system). Based on toxicant characterization test using D. magna, it was expected that SS, oxidants and heavy metals are responsible for toxicity of metal plating waste water. Especially Cu, Hg, and Ag were the major cationic metals that caused toxicity. E. agilis is less sensitive than D. magna based on the $EC_{50}$ value however it shows prompt response to toxic test substances. E. agilis shows even a significant effect on the cell swimming velocity within 2 min to toxic metal plating wastewater. Our study demonstrates that E. agilis test can be a putative ecotoxicity test for assessing the quality of metal plating waste water.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2012

Despite of a long history of the sulfur on the disease healing effect, there were limited ways of applying sulfur to animal and human. We have developed the detoxified sulfur (non toxic sulfur) method to make it practical and mass production possible through laboring for many years. This study practiced scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis to investigate the physicochemical aspect of detoxified sulfur. We also performed the oral toxicity experiment to mice, and anti-bacterial test of the detoxified sulfur. Based on the SEM, EDS and SIMS results, the united particles in the mass form with the similar component intensity with the raw sulfur were observed, and hydrogen sulfide ion (HS-) component which is regarded as a toxic matter, was decreased after detoxification. Indeed, toxicity test on the mice (10 males, 10 females) showed no clinical, histopathological changes with the 5 times amount (2,500 mg/kg) of the actual doses. However, the male-mice showed decreased in body weight by 23.6%, 24.3% in the 7th, 14th day, respectively, after detoxified sulfur. Moreover, the female-mice administered the detoxified sulfur showed decreased in body weight by 28.7% (P<0.05) than that in the control group on the 14th day. The result of antibacterial test on the detoxified sulfur showed antibacterial effect (27%) to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. It is shown that detoxified sulfur can be used as feed additive and has an affect on the farm perfomance.