• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.373-380
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• 2004

Objectives : There has been gradually increasing concern about the adverse health effects of electromagnetic radiation originating from cell phones which are widely used in modern life. Cell phone radiation may affect human health by increasing free radicals of human blood cells. This study has been designed to identify DNA damage of blood cells by electromagnetic radiation caused by cell phone use. Methods : This study investigated the health effect of acute exposure to commercially available cell phones on certain parameters such as an indicator of DNA damage for 14 healthy adult volunteers. Each volunteer during the experiment talked over the cell phone with the keypad facing the right side of the face for 4 hours. The single cell gel electrophoresis assay (Comet assay), which is very sensitive in detecting the presence of DNA strand-breaks and alkali-labile damage in individual cells, was used to assess peripheral blood cells (T-cells, B-cells, granulocytes) from volunteers before and after exposure to cell phone radiation. The parameters of Comet assay measured were Olive Tail Moment and Tail DNA %. Results : The Olive Tail Moment of B-cells and granulocytes and Tail DNA % of B-cells and granulocytes were increased by a statistically significant extent after 4-hour use of a cell phone compared with controls. Conclusion : It is concluded that cell phone radiation caused the DNA damage during the 4 hours of experimental condition. Nonetheless, this study suggested that cell phone use may increase DNA damage by electromagnetic radiation and other contributing factors.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2002

Objectives : To evaluate the DNA damage by hair dyeing in human lymphocytes Methods : Comet assays were carried out to evaluate the DNA damage in lymphocytes by hair dyeing. Twenty subjects were selected from women volunteers whose age ranged from 55 to 67 year old. All subjects had no smoking history. Blood samples were collected before and 6 hours after hair dyeing. DNA damage was evaluated by means of the tail moments, which were quantified by a KOMET 4.0 image analysis system. Results : The tail moments before hair dyeing showed no significant differences among subjects except for the high frequency group. The mean values of the tail moments in subjects with low and high frequencies of hair dyeing were 1.39 and 1.77, respectively (p<0.05). The tail moments after hair dyeing increased significantly, The mean values of tail moments in subjects before and after hair dyeing were 1.45 and 1.79, respectively (p<0.01). However, the difference levels of DNA damage in lymphocytes before and after hair dyeing were found to be slightly lower in both the dietary supplement taking group and high frequency group. Conclusions : The high frequency group appears to have a higher level of DNA damage than the low frequency group before hair dyeing. DNA damage in lymphocytes was found to be significantly higher in the volunteers after hair dyeing. In this study, the related factors such as high frequency and taking dietary supplements appeard to reduce DNA damage in lymphocytes after hair dyeing.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.183-187
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• 2003

Pseudomonas aerugionsa is a commonly isolated nosocomial pathogen. DNA fingerprinting of P. aerugionsa is examined by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). In this study, P. aeruginosa were isolated from environmental and clinical specimens and the molecular typing of the microorganisms was investigated by RAPD. Thirty strains of P. aeruginosa were selected from the strains isolated formerly and submitted for type identification to the University Hospital. 15 strains of P. aeruginosa were received from Chungnam University Hospital and 14 strains from Gyeongsang University Hospital. DNA of P. aeruginosa was extracted by Qiagen genomic DNA kit. PCR mixtures were set up and incubated, Reactions mixtures were made to be optimal for P. aeruginosa. RAPD typing analysis was carried out by the multivariate statistical program (MVSP) V3.0. RAPD type I was the most common pattern and included 23 strains. Most of strains from Gyeongsang University Hospital belonged to RAPD type lb and 15 strains from Chungnam University Hospital to RAPD type I or II. RAPD typing of P. aeruginosa isolated from the environmental and clinical specimens was very simple and reproducible.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 1990

본 연구는 Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-KI) 배양세포에서 S-15분획에 의해 활성화된 bezo(a) pyrene (BP)과 3-methylcholanthrene(MC)에 의해 유발된 DNA단사절단과 DNA복제억제 및 그 회복과정에 미치는 한국산 인삼추출물 saponin의 영향을 조사하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. S-15분획으로 활성화된 10-5 M의 BP 또는 MC를 1.0-10ng/ml의 saponin과 함께 처리할 경우 BP와 MC단독처리군에 비해 DNA 단사절단률이 감소하였다. DNA 합성률은 활성화된 10-5M의 BP와 10-6 M의 MC에 의해 각각 50% 및 75% 억제되었으나, 0.1-10ng/ml의 saponin을 동시에 처리할 경우 DNA 합성억제률이 약 10% 이상 둔화되었다.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2003

고혈압은 다양한 유전적 요인과 환경적 요인이 상호작용하는 다인자성 질환으로 알려져 있으며, 최근의 연구에 의하면 사립체 DNA에 존재하는 유전적 다형성이 고혈압과 유의한 관련성을 나타낸다는 보고가 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 한국인 집단을 대상으로 하여 사립체 DNA의 5178번째 위치의 염기서열에 존재하는 A/C 다형성이 고혈압과 관련성을 나타내는 지를 분석하였다. 환자-대조군 연구를 수행한 결과, 사립체 DNA의 5178번째 위치에 존재하는 다형성의 대립 유전자 빈도는 한국인에서 고혈압군과 정상 혈압군 사이에 유의한 차이를 나타내지 않았다. 따라서, 이 다형성은 적어도 한국인에 대해서는 고혈압에 유의하게 영향을 미치는 유전적 소인은 아닌 것으로 사료된다.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 1989

본 연구는 알킬화제를 처리한 CHO-K1 세포에서 DNA 복제억제와 그 회복과정의 분자론적 기작을 규명할 목적으로 방사선 이중 표지에 의한 DNA 합성율의 측정, 알칼리 자당 농도구배 초원심분리법에 의한 DNA 분자량과 후복제 회복율을 측정하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. (1) 1mM methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)와 1nM N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) 이하의 낮은 농도의 처리군에서는 DNA 합성율이 급격히 감소하였으나, 2 mM MMS, 2mM MNNG이상의 농도에서는 그 감소양상이 둔화되었다, (2) DNA 합성율은 알킬화제의 처리 직후 감소하였다가 시간경과에 따라 회복되어 처리후 4시간 째에는 대조군 수준 또는 그 이상으로 회복되었다.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.279-284
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• 1999

To investigate soil bacterial diversity according to vegetation types, directly extracted DNA from 5 different soils were cross-hybridized with each other as a probe and target. Pinus densiflora soil was shown the highest value then agricultured soil＞naked soil＞grass soil＞Quercus mongolicas soil in the order of diversity. Cluster analysis by similarity showed that soil microbial communities were categorized into three groups.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2002

We have used cDNA microarray hybridization to identify gene regulated in response to gamma-irradiation in U-937 cell. The cDNA-chip was composed entirely of 1,000 human cancer related gene including apoptosis and angiogenesis etc. In gamma-irradiated U-937 cell, highly charged protein, ribosomal protein L32, four and a half LIM domains 3, lipocalin 2 (oncogene 24p3) and interleukin 15, ataxia telangiectasia mutated (includes complementation groups A, C and D) genes showed increased level of its transcription, and cell division cycle 25A, dihydrofolate reductase, topoisomerase (DNA) II beta(180kD), kinase suppressor of ras and strarigin genes showed reduced level of its transcription compared to untreated U-937 cell. The significant change of level of transcription was not found in well-known ionizing radiation(IR)-responsive gene, such as transcription factor TP53 and p53 related gene, except ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.488-497
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• 2012

A DNA barcode based on 648 bp of cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene aims to build species-specific libraries for animal groups. However, it is hard to recover full-length (648 bp) barcode gene from environmental fecal samples due to DNA degradation. In this study, we designed a new primer set (K_Bird), which amplifies a 226 bp fragment targeted an inner position of full-length COI barcode based on 102 species of Korean birds to improve amplification success, and we attempted to identify bird species from 39 avian fecal samples collected during 4 months from Jinan, South Korea. Simultaneously, we conducted a dietary analysis using a universal DNA mini-barcode (Uni_Minibar) from same fecal samples. In silico analysis on newly designed mini-barcode represented that genetic distances were 0.5% in species and 9.1% in genera. Intraspecific variations of 149 species out of 174 species (86%) between Korea and North America were within the threshold (5.3% threshold in this study). From environmental fecal samples collected in Jinan, we identified seven avian species, which have high similarity (99-100%) with registered COI sequences in GenBank. Eight kinds of prey species, such as moth, spider, fly, and dragonfly, were identified in dietary analysis. We suppose that our strategy applying mini-barcode for environmental fecal samples, might be a useful and convenient tool for species identification and dietary analysis for birds.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.236-240
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• 2011

Mercury known as quicksilver, is the most common cause of heavy metal toxicity. Toxicity caused by excessive mercury exposure is now being recognized as a widespread environmental problem and is continuing to attract a great deal of public concerns. The mercury genotoxicity could be its effect on DNA repair mechanisms, which constitute the defense system designated to protect genome integrity. The objective of this study is to confirm that mercuric chloride inhibits the repair of gamma ray-induced DNA damage. The earthworm of Eisenia fetida was chosen for this study because it is an internationally accepted model species for toxicity testing with a cosmopolitan distribution. Experiments were done to identify the levels of DNA damage and the repair kinetics in the coelomocytes of E. fetida irradiated with 20 Gy gamma rays alone or with gamma rays after 40 mg $kg^{-1}$ $HgCl_2$ treatment by means of the single cell gel electrophoresis assay. The Olive tail moments were measured during 0~96 hours after irradiation. The repair time in the animals treated with the combination of $HgCl_2$ and ionizing radiation was nearly five times longer than that in the animals treated with ionizing radiation alone. Also, E. fetida exposed to mercury showed a statistically lower repair efficiency of gamma ray-induced DNA damage. The results suggest that the mercury could even have deleterious effects on the DNA repair system. Influence of mercury on the DNA repair mechanisms has been confirmed by this study.