• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.113-117
• /
• 2001

The screening of various molecular descriptors for predicting carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic activities of chlorinated aliphatic compounds as drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs) has been investigated for the application of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR). The present work embodies the study of relationship between molecular descriptors and toxicity parameters of the genotoxicity endpoints for the screening of relevant molecular descriptors. The toxicity Indices for 29 compounds constituting the testing set were computed by the PASS program and active values were chosen. We investigate feasibility of screening descriptors and of their applications among different genotoxic endpoints. The correlation to teratogenicity of all 29 compounds was significantly improved when the same analysis was done with 20 alkanes only without alkene compounds. The HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) energy and number of Cl parameters were dominantly contributed.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.87-90
• /
• 2013

The potential role of topical valproate (VPA) in hair regrowth has been recently suggested. However, safety reports of VPA as a topical formulation are lacking. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated whether VPA causes skin irritation in humans. We first performed a cell viability test and showed that VPA did not exhibit toxicity toward HaCaT keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and RBL-3H mast cells. We then performed clinical patch test and skin irritation test through transdermal drug delivery with the help of microneedle rollers. No significant findings were obtained in the clinical patch test. In the skin irritation test, only 1 patient showed erythema at 1 hr, but the irritation reaction faded away within a few hours. Erythema and edema were not observed at 24 hr. We concluded that VPA has minimal potential to elicit skin irritation. Therefore, we consider that VPA can safely be applied to human skin.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.227-232
• /
• 1985

Gardenia jasminodes has been medically used for anti-inflammation, sedation and anti-diarrhea; The extract of this plant has been traditionally used as food colorant and referred as crocin dyes. In the present study, the possible hepatic toxicity of this dye has been evaluated on the basis of its alteration on the marker enzymes, namely, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyltransferase. Crocin dyes did not affect hepatic function when they were orally administered to rats in a daily dose of 50 mg/kg for 8 days, but could induce acute hepatic discoloration. A high dose of 100 mg/kg for 2 weeks could induce both hepatic damage and black pigmentation, but a lower dose of 10 mg/kg for 40 days did not The induced black pigmentation and the acute hepatic damage were completely reversible. In conclusion, the crocin dyes have a very low hepatic toxicity in rats, even in high experimental dosages which could hardly happen in human practice. It is therefore suggested that the crocin dyes are safe for coloring foods.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.501-504
• /
• 1998

The role of iron as a possible pathogenic factor in the Infection of V. vulnificus was examined in thins paper The effects of iron and $CCl_4$ on the growth of V. vulnificus in human and rabbit sera were also done. Injection of iron to mice resulted in a lowering of the 50% lethal dose and in a reduction in the time of death postinfection. Serum iron levels were also elevated by damaged livers with infections of $CCl_4$- The inoculum size required to kill these mice was directly correlated with serum iron Irvels. Iron appeared to be the limiting factor In the ability of thins organism to survive or grow in mammalian sera. These results, both in vitro and In vivo, provided strong evidence that iron may play a major role In the pathogenesis of V. vulnificus.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.170-180
• /
• 1998

This study presents a method for calculating the concentration of hydrocarbon releases in enclosed areas using empirical equations of evaporation rate. The approach of the method is to estimate the hydrocarbon exposure concentration in the air under conditions assumed. A methodology for assessing risk was suggested to individual risk assessment to exposed workers or others by probit expressions. The toxicity criteria and available human exposure data were examined and guidelines for risk assessment suggested for benzene-air and toluene-air systems. The value of probit constants with mole fractions of lethal concentrations in a mixture of hydrocarbons and a non-toxic substance was predicted. The probit values calculated with mole fractions can be used to estimate guidelines to prevent toxicity within enclosed working areas.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.284-290
• /
• 2016

Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology can be used to assess impacts on the environment that might be generated during treatment of wastewater and sludge treatment. In this work, LCA methodology was suggested to evaluate monthly environmental impact of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Two field scale WWTPs, A2/O process and conventional activated sludge process (CAS), were selected as target plants and the operational data were collected from those plants. As the function units, the unit volume of treated wastewater of $1m^3$ and 1 kg T-N eq. removed were selected. The environmental effect of target WWTPs operation were assessed as impact categories such as global warming potential, eutrophication potential, and so on. From monthly profiles of each index, it was shown that the environmental impact of WWTPs has seasonal patterns influenced by the influent flow rate variation causing higher impacts in winter than summer. This is due to the fact that there were no significant increase in the electricity consumption and chemical usage during the summer while the treated volume of wastewater was increased.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.409-412
• /
• 2013

Curcumin (Cum) has been reported to have potential chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic activity through influencing various processes, inducing cell cycle arrest, differentiation and apoptosis in a series of cancers. However, the poor solubility of Cum limits its further applications in the treatment of cancer. We have previously reported Cum-loaded nanoparticles (Cum-NPs) prepared with amphilic methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-polycaprolactone (mPEG-PCL) block copolymers. The current study demonstrated superior antitumor efficacy of Cum-NPs over free Cum in the treatment of lung cancer. In vivo evaluation further demonstrated superior anticancer effects of Cum-NPs by delaying tumor growth compared to free Cum in an established A549 transplanted mice model. Moreover, Cum-NPs showed little toxicity to normal tissues including bone marrow, liver and kidney at a therapeutic dose. These results suggest that Cum-NPs are effective to inhibit the growth of human lung cancer with little toxicity to normal tissues, and could provide a clinically useful therapeutic regimen. They thus merit more research to evaluate the feasibility of clinical application.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.65-70
• /
• 2014

Recent episodes of severe air pollution in eastern Asia have been reported in the scientific literature and news media. Therefore, there is growing concern about the systemic effects of air pollution on human health. Along with the other well-known harmful effects of air pollution, recently, several animal models have provided strong evidence that air pollutants can induce liver toxicity and act to accelerate liver inflammation and steatosis. This review briefly describes examples where exposure to air pollutants was involved in liver toxicity, focusing on how particulate matter (PM) or carbon black (CB) may be translocated from lung to liver and what liver diseases are closely associated with these air pollutants.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.74-83
• /
• 2014

Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury or mercury compounds resulting in various toxic effects depend on its chemical form and route of exposure. The major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is largely through eating contaminated fish, seafood, and wildlife which have been exposed to mercury through ingestion of contaminated lower organisms. MeHg toxicity is associated with nervous system damage in adults and impaired neurological development in infants and children. Ingested mercury may undergo bioaccumulation leading to progressive increases in body burdens. This review addresses the systemic pathophysiology of individual organ systems associated with mercury poisoning. Mercury has profound cellular, cardiovascular, hematological, pulmonary, renal, immunological, neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and embryonic toxicological effects.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.27-32
• /
• 2001

Korean ginseng products have been fumigated with ethylene oxide (EO) for sterilization and prolongation of storage periods. However, there had been controversies indicating that consumption of EO treated foods might cause harmful effects in human. In Korea, the use EO gas for food treatment was banned in 1991. Since then, irradiation technique has been developed as an alternative. This study was carried out to evaluate the safety of irradiated ginseng on embryo and fetal developmental toxicity effects in rats. Either EO gas fumigated or $\gamma$-irradiated ginseng was administered to pregnant Wistar rats by oral gavage from gestational day 7 to 17. The amount of irradiation used in this study was 5, 10 and 30 kGy, respectively. There were no treatment related changes of dams in deaths, clinical signs, food consumption and body/organ weight. No treatment related changes in implantation ratio, litter size, sex ratio and body/organ weight of fetuses were observed. Also, no F1fetuses with external, visceral, head and skeletal mal-formation were observed. The results of this study showed that $\gamma$-irradiated ginseng, up to 30 kGy, has no adverse effects on fetal development of rats.