• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2015

Environmental pesticides used for insect control can be transferred from plants to animals even to livestock animals through food chain. Human beings also can be exposed to pesticides by consuming polluted dairy products, including meats, eggs and other milk products. Therefore, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) established Standard for Pesticide Residue Limits in dairy products. The QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) methods for detecting residual pesticides are relatively well established for fruits and vegetables, however, the methods for meat have not been appropriately studied yet. In the present work, pyraclofos was used as an organophosphate pesticide to examine its tissue residue in experimental animals by QuEChERS methods. For this, pyraclofos (150 mg/kg body weight) was orally administered to male rats once a day for 2 days. After 6, 12, and 24 hr of the treatment, the tissue residues in liver and femoral muscle of the rats were determined using QuEChERS methods followed by HPLC analyses. In preliminary studies, the recovery rates of spiking samples of pyraclofos demonstrated approximately 109~110% from the tissues. In previous study, pyraclofos tissue residues were observed with significantly high levels in livers and muscles at 6 hr of oral treatment. Then, they were almost completely disappeared after 24 hr of the administration, indicating the orally exposed pyraclofos is rapidly absorbed and distributed to body organs, then quickly excreted from the body with a negligible level of tissue residue. The alterations in blood chemistry as well as the histopathology of heart, lung, liver, spleen and kidney have also been investigated in the experimental animals for assessing acute toxic effects of pyraclofos. The obtained blood chemistry indexes (ALT and AST) showed maximum peak values at 12 hr after the oral administration and decreased to the normal levels at 24 hr of the treatment. Histopathologic observation exhibited acute hepatic damages at 24 hr of the treatment. In conclusion, we suggest that QuEChERS method can be adequately optimized for the analysis of pyraclofos residues in animal tissues.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.340-360
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• 1982

Because of the continuing rapid increase in pesticide usage in Taiwan, much attention has been focus on pesticide contamination of food and effect of pesticides on human and environmental health. The Plant Protection Center (PPC) conducts safety evaluation of pesticides usee! in Taiwan. The pesticides are classified into different groups based on their acute toxicities. Pesticides which are classified into extremely toxic group are not allow to used on short term crops or the continuously harvest crops. The acute toxicity of pesticides to the beneficial insects are also studied, special attention has been paid to the two predators of rice brown planthopper. 60% of cultivated land in Taiwan are paddy field; therefore, acute fish toxicity was taken into consideration when a pesticide was applied for registration to be used in the paddy. Fish toxicities were evaluated by the dangerous rating value which is the amount of pesticide residue in the field water over the TLM value. Mutagenicity of pesticides was continuously evaluated by using Arne's microbial testing method. Island wide survey of residual levels of pesticides of known pollutants such as chlorinated hydrocarbon . insecticides, mercurial compounds in soil, water and biological samples were carried out constantly. The potential of a new1y Imported esticides to pollute the environment were studied by using model ecosystem. Ecological magnification (EM) of a chemical was calculated from model ecosystem. A chemical was considered as a pollutant when its EM value over 5000. In order to ensure the levels of pesticides residue of the crop within the safety limit. The 'tolerance' of pesticides on different crop groupings were established base on 1) acceptable daily intake value of individual pesticides, 2) average daily consumption of each crop groupings by Chinese person, 3) Actual residues of pesticides. on different crops obtained from supervised trials. Total about 79 pesticides for which the tolerances have been established on different crop groupings. Because the intensive agricultural system was adopted in Taiwan. The phytotoxicity of pesticides to the non-target crops was therefore become one of the important factor in the safety evaluation of pesticide usage. These will include 1) direct injury, 2) injury caused by pesticide polluted irrigation water, 3) injury caused by the pesticide polluted soil, 4) reduction of growth caused by the effect of pesticide on the soil microorganisms. This paper will reviewed all the aspects mentioned in the previous .paragraphs. Most the works have done in Taiwan by the PPC.y the PPC.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.92-97
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• 2012

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important components of living organisms acting against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial and fungal pathogens. Cathelicidin human peptides have a variety of biological activities that can be used in clinical applications. AMPs are not produced naturally in large quantities, and chemical synthesis is also economically impractical, especially for long peptides. Therefore, as an alternative, heterologous expression of AMPs by recombinant techniques has been studied as a means to reduce production costs. E. coli is an excellent host for the expression of AMPs, as well as other recombinant proteins, because of the low cost involved and its easy manipulation. However, overexpression of AMPs in E. coli has been shown to cause difficulties resulting from the toxicity of the subsequently produced AMPs. Therefore, fusion expression was theorized to be a solution to this problem. In this study, AMPs were expressed as fused proteins with the glutathione S-transferase (GST) binding protein to protect against the toxicity of AMPs when expressed in E. coli. The LL37, and hybrid gaegurin and LL37 (GGN4(1-16)-LL37(17-32), which we designated as GL32, peptides were expressed as GST-fusion proteins in E. coli and the fusion proteins were then purified by affinity columns. The purified peptides were obtained by removal of GST and were confirmed by western blot analysis. The purified antimicrobial peptides then demonstrated antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.28
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• pp.7.1-7.9
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• 2013

Objectives We investigated the particle mass size distribution and chemical properties of air pollution particulate matter (PM) in the urban area and its capacity to induce cytotoxicity in human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells. Methods To characterize the mass size distributions and chemical concentrations associated with urban PM, PM samples were collected by a 10-stage Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor close to nearby traffic in an urban area from December 2007 to December 2009. PM samples for in vitro cytotoxicity testing were collected by a mini-volume air sampler with $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ inlets. Results The PM size distributions were bi-modal, peaking at 0.18 to 0.32 and 1.8 to $3.2{\mu}m$. The mass concentrations of the metals in fine particles (0.1 to $1.8{\mu}m$) accounted for 45.6 to 80.4% of the mass concentrations of metals in $PM_{10}$. The mass proportions of fine particles of the pollutants related to traffic emission, lead (80.4%), cadmium (69.0%), and chromium (63.8%) were higher than those of other metals. Iron was the dominant transition metal in the particles, accounting for 64.3% of the $PM_{10}$ mass in all the samples. We observed PM concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects on BEAS-2B cells. Conclusions We found that exposure to $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$ from a nearby traffic area induced significant increases in protein expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8). The cell death rate and release of cytokines in response to the $PM_{2.5}$ treatment were higher than those with $PM_{10}$. The combined results support the hypothesis that ultrafine particles from vehicular sources can induce inflammatory responses related to environmental respiratory injury.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.325-331
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• 2003

3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NP) inhibits electron transport in mitochondria, leading to a metabolic failure. In order to elucidate the mechanism underlying this toxicity, we examined a few biochemical changes possibly involved in the process, such as metabolic inhibition, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA strand breakage, and activation of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Exposure of SK-N-BE(2)C neuroblastoma cells to 3-NP for 48 h caused actual cell death, while inhibition of mitochondrial function was readily observed when exposed for 24 h to low concentrations (0.2${\sim}$2 mM) of 3-NP. The earliest biochemical change detected with low concentration of 3-NP was an accumulation of ROS (4 h after 3-NP exposure) followed by degradation of DNA. PARP activation by damaged DNA was also detectable, but at a later time. The accumulation of ROS and DNA strand breakage were suppressed by the addition of glutathione or N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), which also partially restored mitochondrial function and cell viability. In addition, inhibition of PARP also reduced the 3-NP-induced DNA strand breakage and cytotoxicity. These results suggest that oxidative stress and activation of PARP are the major factors in 3-NP-induced cytotoxicity, and that the inhibition of these factors may be useful in protecting neuroblastoma cells from 3-NP-induced toxicity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.10
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• pp.569-574
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• 2014

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) degrades heme to carbon dioxide, biliverdin, and $Fe^{2+}$, which play important roles in various biochemical processes. In this study, we examined the protective function of HO-1 against oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells and in a Parkinson's disease mouse model. Western blot and fluorescence microscopy analysis demonstrated that PEP-1-HO-1, fused with a PEP-1 peptide can cross the cellular membranes of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, the transduced PEP-1-HO-1 inhibited generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death caused by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion ($MPP^+$). In contrast, HO-1, which has no ability to transduce into SH-SY5Y cells, failed to reduce $MPP^+$-induced cellular toxicity and ROS production. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injected PEP-1-HO-1 crossed the blood-brain barrier in mouse brains. In a PD mouse model, PEP-1-HO-1 significantly protected against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced toxicity and dopaminergic neuronal death. Therefore, PEP-1-HO-1 could be a useful agent in treating oxidative stress induced ailments including PD.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.149-157
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• 2004

1. All the male students and female students who had taken these herb medicines showed a strong increase in immunity (P<0.01) and they were more effective to the male students (P<0.01) rather than the female students (P<0.05) (figure 1). Generally, immunity may be reduced at the time of fatigue and overwork but as these herb medicines have the effect of increasing immunity. Therefore, it is considered that they not only reduce the fatigue of human body but also heighten immunity against disease. 2. The students who had taken these herb medicines showed some reduction in Cortisol concentration in blood, which didn't show the difference of concentration up to statistical meaning compared to before taking the medicines (figure 2). Accordingly, it is regarded that these herb medicine drink restrained stress slightly. 3. The students who had taken these herb medicines showed some reduction in BUN concentration in blood, which didn't show the difference of concentration up to statistical meaning compared to before taking the medicines (figure 3). For the women, they restrained the toxicity of the kidneys just a little. Accordingly, it shows that these medicines are safe herb medicines without the toxicity of the kidneys. 4. The students who had taken these herb medicines didn't show the difference of concentration up to statistical meaning in sFOT and sGPT concentration in blood compared to taking them (figure $4{\sim}5$). Accordingly, it is suggested that these medicines are safe stuffs without the toxity of the liver. 5. Seven members of the university students answered to the questionaire that they were pleasant while taking the medicines and didn't feel fatigue. They answered very positively that they had better effects than before taking the medicines in many things (Refer to the Questionaire). However, one male student and two female students of them complained of temporary headache and indigestion for 2 days after taking these herb medicines but they said they had been taking cold medicines due to cold symptom before taking the medicines. Accordingly, it turns out that such temporary symptom is not irrelevant to these medicines. In conclusion, it is considered that these herb medicines have the effects of increasing immunity, restraining fatigue and stress through this clinical study carried out in simple way and that they are valuable as herb medicines without the toxity of the liver and kidneys.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.157-163
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• 2015

Nanotechnology has advanced at an extremely rapid pace over the past several years in numerous fields of research. However, the uptake of nanoparticles (NPs) into the body after administration through various routes may pose a risk to human health. In this study, we investigated the potential ocular toxicity of 20-nm, negatively- charged zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs in rats using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histopathological assessment. Animals were divided into four groups as control group, ZnO NPs treatment group (500 mg/kg/day), control recovery group, and ZnO NPs treatment and recovery group. Ocular samples were prepared from animals treated for 90 days (10 males and 10 females, respectively) and from recovery animals (5 males and 5 females, respectively) sacrificed at 14 days after final treatment and were compared to age-matched control animals. Micro-CT analyses represented the deposition and distribution of foreign materials in the eyes of rats treated with ZnO NPs, whereas control animals showed no such findings. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and energy dispersive spectrometry showed the intraocular foreign materials as zinc in treated rats, whereas control animals showed no zinc signal. Histopathological examination revealed the retinopathy in the eyes of rats treated with ZnO NPs. Neuronal nuclei expression was decreased in neurons of the ganglion cell layer of animals treated with ZnO NPs compared to the control group. Taken together, treatment with 20-nm, negatively-charged ZnO NPs increased retinopathy, associated with local distribution of them in ocular lesions.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.512-519
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• 2018

Phthalates widely used in the manufacture of plastics have deeply penetrated into our everyday lives. Recently, a concern over the toxicity of phthalates on thyroid, has been raised but in most of cases, the doses employed were unrealistically high. To investigate the effects of phthalates on thyroid, we investigated the effects of the repeated oral exposure to low to high doses (0.3, 3, 30 and 150 mg/kg) di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) from weaning to maturity for 90 days in juvenile rats on the thyroid. The histological examination revealed that DEHP significantly induced hyperplasia in the thyroid from the doses of 30 mg/kg, which was confirmed with Ki67 staining. In line with this finding, increased mRNA expression of thyrotropin releasing hormone (Trh) was observed in the thyroid of female at 0.3 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg as determined by RNAseq analysis. Moreover, significantly increased expression of parathyroid hormone (Pth) in the female at 0.3 mg/kg, and thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroid hormone responsive (Thrsp) in the male at 0.3 mg/kg were noted in the blood, of which changes were substantially attenuated at 150 m/kg, alluding the meaningful effects of low dose DEHP on the thyroid hormone regulation. Urinary excretion of mono-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (MEHP), a major metabolite of DEHP was determined to be 4.10 and 12.26 ppb in male, 6.65 and 324 ppb in female at 0.3 and 30 mg/kg DEHP, respectively, which fell within reported human urine levels. Collectively, these results suggest a potential adverse effects of low dose phthalates on the thyroid.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.168-172
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• 2003

Radiation synovectomy is one of the most useful methods for treating patients with refractory synovitis because of its convenience, long-term effects, repeatability and the avoidance of surgery. In this study, we investigated the toxicity, stability and biodistribution of a rhenium-188 ($^{188}$Re)-tin colloid to evaluate its suitability as a synovectomy agent. Twenty four hours after injecting the $^{188}$Re-tin colloids (74 KBq/0.1 mL) into the tail vein of ICR mice, most of the $^{188}$Retin colloidal particles was found in the lungs. In addition, there were no particle size changes at either room temperature or at $37^{\circ}C$ after injecting the $^{188}$Re-tin colloids in human plasma and synovial fluid. In vitro stability tests showed that the $^{188}$Re-tin colloid remained in a colloidal form without a critical size variation over a 2-day period. We investigated the leakage of $^{188}$Retin colloids from the intraarticular injection site with gamma counting in New Zealand white rabbits. The $^{188}$Re-tin colloids (55.5 MBq/0.15 mL) were injected at the cavum articular and the mean retention percentage of the $^{188}$Re-tin colloid was 98.7% for 1 day at the injection site, which suggests that there was neither change in the particle size nor leakage at the injection sites. In the biodistribution study with the SD rats, the liver showed the highest radioactivity (0.0427% ID/organ) except for the injected knees (99.49%). In the SD rats, mild toxicities including the skin or a synovium inflammation were observed as a result of a radioactivity of 15 mCi/kg at the intraarticular injection site. However, there was no systemic toxicity. In the Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced arthritic rabbits, the $^{188}$Re-tin colloid improved the macroscopic, the histological score and reduced the knee joint diameter when compared to the arthritic control. In conclusion, a $^{188}$Re-tin-colloid is considered as a strong candidate for radiation synovectomy with a superior efficacy and safety.