• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2004

Objectives : Iron (Fe) is an essential element in biological processes; however excessive Fe is harmful to human health. Some air pollutants contain a high level of Fe, and the human lung could therefore be over-exposed to Fe through inhaled air pollutants. This study was performed to investigate the role of metal transporters (divalent metal transporter 1, DMT1, and metal transporter protein 1, MTP1) in the lung under the environments of Fe deficiency in the body and Fe over-exposure in the lung. Methods : Rats were fed Fe deficient (FeD, 2-6 mg Fe/kg) or Fe supplemented (FeS, 120 mg Fe/kg) diet for 4 weeks, followed by a single intratracheal instillation of ferrous sulfate at low (10 mg/kg) or high (20 mg/kg) dose. Fe concentration was analyzed in the serum, lung and liver, and histopathological findings were observed in the lung at 24 hours after Fe administration. The level of DMT1 and MTP1 expression in the lung was analyzed by RT-PCR. Also, the effect of Fe deficiency in the body was evaluated on the level of Fe concentration and metal transporters compared to FeS-diet fed rats at the end of 4-week FeD or FeS diet. Results : The 4-week FeD diet in rats induced an Fe deficiency anemia with decreased serum total Fe, increased unsaturated Fe binding capacity and hypochromic microcytic red blood cells. The concentration of Fe in the lung and liver was lower in the FeD-diet fed rats than in the FeS-diet fed rats. The level of metal transporters mRNA expression was higher in the FeD-diet fed rats than in the FeS-diet. The concentration of Fe in the lung was increased in a dose-dependent pattern after intratracheal instillation of Fe into the rats, while the level of Fe in the serum and liver was not increased in the low-dose Fe administered rats. Therefore, DMT1 and MTP1 mRNA was highly expressed in both FeD-diet and FeS-diet fed rats, after intratracheal instillation of Fe. Conclusions : DMT1 and MTP1 mRNA were more highly expressed in FeD-diet fed rats than in FeS-diet fed rats. The over-exposure of Fe intratracheally induced high expression of metal transporters and increased Fe deposition in the lung in both FeD-diet and FeS-diet fed rats, but did not increase the Fe level of the serum and liver in low-dose Fe administered rats. These results suggest that the role of metal transporters in the lung might be different in a part from the duodenum under the environment of over-exposure to Fe.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.151-161
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• 2007

Dental caries is the most common disease in the oral cavity However, the mechanism and treatment of dental caries is not completely understood since many complex factors are involved. Especially the effect of pH on remineralization of early stage of dental caries is still controversial In this study, dental caries in dentin was induced by using lactic acidulated buffering solutions and the loss or inorganic substance was measured. Also decalcified specimens were remineralized by three groups of solution with different pH (group of pH 4.3, 5.0, and 5.5). Then, the amount and the area of inorganic substance precipitation was quantitatively analyzed with microradiograph. Also a qualitative comparison of the normal phase the demineralized phase, and the remineralized phase of hydroxyapatite crystal was made under SEM. The results were as follows, 1. In microradiograghic analysis, as the pH increased, the amount of remineralization in decalcified dentin tended to increase significantly As the pH decreaced, deeper decalcification, however, occurred along with remineralization. The group of pH 5.5 had a tendency to be remineralized without demineralization (p<0.05). 2. In SEM view, the remineralization in dentine caries occurred from the hydroxyapatite crystal surface surrounding the mesh of organic matrix, and eventually filled up the demineralized area. 3. 5 days after remineralization, hydroxyapatite crystal grew bigger with deposition of inorganic substance in pH 4.3 and 5.0 group, and the crystal in the remineralized area appeared to return to normal. After 10 days, the crystals in group of pH 4.3 and 5.0, which grew bigger after 5 days of remineralization, turned back to their normal size, but in group of pH 5.5, some crystals were found to double their size. In according to the results of this experiment, the decalcifying and remineralizing process of dentine is neither simple nor independent, but a dynamic process in which decalcification and remineralization occur simultaneously. The remineralization process occurred from the hydroxyapatite crystal surface.