• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.28
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• pp.13.1-13.5
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• 2013

Objectives: Potential environmental risks caused by chemicals that could be released from a recycled plastic product were assessed using a screening risk assessment procedure for chemicals in recycled products. Methods: Plastic slope protection blocks manufactured from recycled plastics were chosen as model recycled products. Ecological risks caused by four model chemicals - di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb)-were assessed. Two exposure models were built for soil below the block and a hypothetic stream receiving runoff water. Based on the predicted no-effect concentrations for the selected chemicals and exposure scenarios, the allowable leaching rates from and the allowable contents in the recycled plastic blocks were also derived. Results: Environmental risks posed by slope protection blocks were much higher in the soil compartment than in the hypothetic stream. The allowable concentrations in leachate were $1.0{\times}10^{-4}$, $1.2{\times}10^{-5}$, $9.5{\times}10^{-3}$, and $5.3{\times}10^{-3}mg/L$ for DEHP, DINP, Cd, and Pb, respectively. The allowable contents in the recycled products were $5.2{\times}10^{-3}$, $6.0{\times}10^{-4}$, $5.0{\times}10^{-1}$, and $2.7{\times}10^{-1}mg/kg$ for DEHP, DINP, Cd, and Pb, respectively. Conclusions: A systematic ecological risk assessment approach for slope protection blocks would be useful for regulatory decisions for setting the allowable emission rates of chemical contaminants, although the method needs refinement.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2007

The purpose of the present study was to determine the preventive effects of the two antioxidant vitamin E and catechin on DEHP-induced disturbance of spermatogenesis in male rats. Rats at 4 weeks of age were randomly allocated into five groups with 20 animals per group. The first group was not any administrated as control. The second group was administrated DEHP (2 g/kg) daily for 14 days. The third group was administrated vitamin E (500 IU/kg) following DEHP treatment by the same method (daily for 14 days). The fourth group was administrated catechin (200 mg/kg) following DEHP treatment by the same method. The fifth group was co-administrated vitamin E (500 IU/kg) and catechin (200 mg/kg) following DEHP treatment by the same method. In order to determine the preventive effects, we examined pathological changes of testis with apoptotic index, and characteristics of sperm with computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA). Vitamin E and catechin supplementation were significantly prevented the testicular atrophy, apoptosis of germ cells in the seminiferous tubules and abnormal rate of sperm. Moreover, sperm concentration, viability and motility was significantly recovered in groups of alone and along with vitamin E and catechin. The results suggest that preventive effects of alone and along administration of vitamin E and catechin on DEHP-induced testicular atrophy damages have been demonstrated.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.141-144
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• 2002

Environmental estrogens are natural or synthetic substances present in the aquatic environment, especially in effluent from sewage treatment. However, the adverse effects of these estrogenic substances on fish reproduction are unknown. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is the most common phthalate, which Ps used as a plasticizer in polyvinylchloride (PVC), and it is widespread in the environment and has been found in aquatic organisms and sediments. Therefore, juvenile common carps (Cyprinus carpio) were exposed to nominal concentrations of 17$\beta$-estradiol (E2) (0.5, 5, 50 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L) and DEHP (10, 100, 500 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L) for 21 days, to determine the adverse reproductive effects of these compounds on plasma vitellogenin (VTG) induction, sex steroid level, and gonad weight. Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that much of VTG was induced in fish exposed to 5 and 50 E$_2$ $\mu\textrm{g}$/L, but none of DEHP exposure showed induction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that VTG was significantly induced in fish exposed to 5 and 50 E$_2$ $\mu\textrm{g}$/L, and combination of 50 E$_2$ $\mu\textrm{g}$/L with 10 and 500 DEHP $\mu\textrm{g}$/L, but none of DEHP exposure showed induction. Analysis of sex steroid levels in some fish revealed that testosterone (T) was detected in both male and female fish of the control and DEHP exposures, but none of fish exposed to 22 concentrations had detectable testosterone level. On the other hand, E$_2$ exposure induced 17$\beta$-estradiol in plasma of male fish, but there was no induction of 17$\beta$-estradiol in plasma of male fish exposed to DEHP. Comparison of gonadosomatic index (GSI) revealed that maximal E$_2$ exposure inhibited ovarian growth, but maximal DEHP exposure stimulated testicular growth. The results indicated that those comparisons can be a useful bio-indicator for determining adverse reproductive effect of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.881-885
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• 2006

The product formation and changes in color of glucose/glutamine model system were investigated in relation to heating temperature and time. The mixtures of glucose and glutamine in equal molar ratio were heated at 125, 150 and $175^{\circ}C$ for 10, 20 and 30 minute, respectively. Acetic acid, butanoic acid, 2-butenoic acid, di-(2-cthylhexyl)phthalate, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methly-4H-pyran-4-one and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were identified as a major compounds, and 1,3-dimethylbenzene, 2-ethylhexanol, furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 2-pyrrolidinone, and 2,6-di(t-butyl)-4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2.5-cyclohexadien-1-one as 6 minor compounds by using GC/MS. The contents of acetic acid, 2-ehylhexanol and 2-pyrrolidinone increased with increased heating temperature and time, whereas the formation of the other 9 compounds increased up th heating conditions of $150^{\circ}C$ for 10 or 20 min or $175^{\circ}C$ for 10 min, and decreased dramatically with heating above those conditions. Color parameter $L^*$ decreased with increasing heating conition, resulting in dark brown color in final products. Changes of redness parameter $a^*$ and yellowness $b^*$ showed similar to those of the contents of 9 compounds mentioned as above.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.207-213
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• 2010

Thousands of new chemicals have been introduced to environment during last decades. Many of them and common consumer products have been shown to be the endocrine disrupting chemicals. One such chemical group is the phthalates, used in soft poly vinyl chloride (PVC) material and in a huge number of consumer products. The prevalence of these modem chemicals have a remarkable increase. Approximately 3.5 million tons of the main phthalate, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), are produced annually worldwide and indeed, DEHP is considered a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. It has been demonstrated that high doses of phthalate can adversely affect adult and developing animals. In this review, we critically discuss the conclusions of recently original research papers and provide an overview of studies on reproductive disrupting effects of phthalates. In addition, we review the reproductive toxicity data of phthalates in some in vitro research and in both male and female reproductive systems in experimental and domestic animals. Finally, we point out some critical issues that should be addressed in order to clarify the implication of phthalates for human reproduction.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2000

Many methods have been developed for screening chemicals with hormonal activity. Using recombinant yeasts expressing either human estrogen receptor [Saccharomyces cerevisiae ER + LYS 8127 (YER)] or androgen receptor [S. cerevisiae AR + 8320 (YAR)], we evaluated the hormonal activities of several chemicals by induction of ${\beta}-galactosidase$ activity. The chemicals were $17{\beta}-estradiol$ (E2), testosterone (T), ${\rho}-nonylphenol$ (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), genistein (GEN), 2-bromopropane (2-BP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and butylparaben (BP). To assess the estrogenicity of NP, the result of the in vitro recombinant yeast assay was compared with an E-screen assay using MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and an uterotrophid assay using ovariectomized mice. In the YER yeast cells, E2, NP, BPA, GEN, and BP exhibited estrogenicity in a doseresponse manner, while TCDD did not. All the chemicals tested, except T, did not show androgenicity in the YAR yeast cell. The sensitivity of the yeast (YER) assay system to the estrogenic effect of NP was similar to that of the E-screen assay. NP was also estrogenic in the uterotrophic assay. However, in terms of convenience and costs, the yeast assay was superior to the E-screen assay or uterotrophic assay. These results suggest that the recombinant yeast assay can be used as a rapid tool for detecting chemicals with hormonal activities.

• 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.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.299-305
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• 2007

The endocrine disrupting chemical, di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer used in polyvinyl chloride products ubiquitous in our daily lives. DEHP has potentially adverse effects on the liver, kidney, lung, heart, reproductive organs and endocrine systems. Many toxicological data on the DEHP toxicity have been stated, but complete protein profiles have not yet been reported. In this study, DEHP-induced oxidative DNA damage in rat lymphocyte was evaluated by Comet assay (single-cell gel electrophoresis) for the first time. Moreover, DEHP-induced protein profile alterations were examined in rat liver by using toxicoproteomic tools. 34 protein spots in the liver were identified to be significantly deregulated by DEHP on the 2-dimensional gel. Among them, 20 spots were up-regulated and 14 spots down-regulated by DEHP.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.211-218
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• 1989

Twenty-six injectable drug products, many of which are administered by i.v. infusion, were studied for loss from aqueous solutions stored in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) infusion bags for various periods of time. The PVC infusion bags were stored in the dark room at room temperature for up to one month. Drugs stored in glass bottle served as controls. The solutions were assayed Spectrophotometrically at regular intervals. The effect of drug concentration and pH on the loss of drug from solution were studied. Octanol-water partition coefficients were used as a guage of lipid solubility of drugs. The elution of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate(DEHT) from PVC infusion bags was studied. For most of the drug studied, minimal loss from the aqueous solutions were observed over periods of storage time. Six of the drug products - Thiopental sodium, Hydralazine HCl, Thioridazine HCl, Trifluoperazine 2HCl, Metronidazole, Chlorpromazine HCl - were found to be lost a substantial extent. DEHP was found to be migrating from PVC infusion bags.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 2001

The key targets of endocrine disruptors are nuclear hormone receptors, which bind to steroid hormones and regulate their gene transcription. A yeast-based steroid hormone receptor gene trascription assay was previously developed for the evaluation of chemicals with endocrine modulating activity. The yeast transformants used in this assay contain the human estrogen receptor along with the appropriate steroid response elements upstream of the $\beta$-galactosidase reporter gene. We tried to evaluate several natural and synthetic steroids of their potential to interact directly with the steroid receptor. Some putative endocrine disruptors, including nonylphenol, are weakly estrogenic. But the combined treatment oj these chemicals with di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) significantly increased the $\beta$-galactosidase activity in the yeast transformant. These results suggest that we also have to consider the synergistic effects of endocrine disruptors. In this study, we showed that yeast-based bioassay is a valuable tool for screening potential endocrine disruptors and quantitative determination of estrogenicity. And the possibility that the estrogen receptor binds multiple environmental chemicals adds another level of complexity to the interaction between the endocrine disruptors and the human hormone system.