• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.25-30
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• 1973

In 30 rats divided into salt, ethanol and salt plus ethanol groups, the effect of ethanol on the course of hypertension induction with the salt ingestion was studied. The results obtained from the present study are as follows. 1) In salt group mean arterial blood pressure elevated to plateau (about 140 mmHg) in two weeks and the increased blood pressure was well maintained throughout entire experimental period. 2) By four weeks after ethanol ingestion, mean arterial blood pressure of ethanol group was slightly decreased followed thereafter by slow restoration to control value. And it was believed that decline of blood pressure observed in this case probably was not resulted from cardiac depression. 3) As mean arterial pressure in salt plus ethanol group remained rather low compared with that of salt group, it was suggested that ethanol may have a dose reduction effect in the course of hypertension induction by excessive salt ingestion. It was, however, not possible from the result of present study to decide that low blood Pressure in this group was resulted whether from enhanced sodium excretion activity of ethanol or from effect on blood pressure of ethanol itself.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.204-213
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• 2022

Background: The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant increased the level of anxiety related to the radioactive contamination of various foods sourced in Japan. Particularly, after the accident, the detection of artificial radionuclides in locally produced foods raised food safety concerns. In this study, the radioactivity concentrations and annual ingestions of ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs in food products commonly and frequently consumed by the general public were investigated, and the annual effective dose of each was evaluated. Materials and Methods: The 2016-2018 data from the Radiation Safety Management Report released by the Korea Nuclear Safety Technology Center was referenced for the evaluation of the amounts of ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs contained in food. Using the food-ingestion survey mentioned above as a reference, we selected 62 foods to include in our radioactivity concentration and dose assessment. We also developed a questionnaire and evaluated the responses from the subjects who answered the questionnaire. Results and Discussion: The radioactivity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs was found to be close to or below the level of minimum detectable activity. Additionally, the annual ingestion of 62 foods was 294.77 kg/yr, the effective doses from ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs were 136.4 and 0.163 μSv/yr, respectively. Conclusion: Thus, the findings confirmed that the effective dose from ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs in food tends to be lower than the effective dose limit of 1 mSv/yr suggested by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 60. The questionnaire developed in this study is expected to be useful for estimating the annual effective dose status of Korean adults who consume foods containing ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.355-364
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• 2009

Objectives : Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common diseases among elderly men. Though medicines such as 5${\alpha}$-reductase inhibitor (finasteride) have recently been developed for treating BPH, their adverse effects and low efficacy should not be overlooked. Curcuma longa has a long history of use in traditional medicines of Asian countries. Many reports conclude the component curcumin in Curcuma lonfa, has the potential to treat various diseases including prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects and action mechanism of Curcuma longa with a BPH rat model. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were used with subcutaneous injection of testosterone after castration, which were histologically similar to human BPH. A total of 30 rats were equally divided into five groups: Group 1 served as control (sham-operated group): Group 2 was the model group: Group 3 and Group 4 animals were administered Curcuma longa at dose levels of 0.5g/kg and 1.0g/kg: Group 5 served as a positive control group and was treated with finasteride at a dose of 1 mg/kg. The drugs were administered orally once a day for 30 days consecutively. After 31 days, the prostates were removed, and analyzed for their prostatic weight and histological examination. Results : The oral Curcuma longa ingestion group showed statistically significant decreases in their prostatic weights compared with the BPH-induced group and the oral finasteride ingestion group (p<0.05). Curcuma longa is also very safe in liver and kidney up to a dose of lg/kg. Injected testosterone histologically led to prostatic hyperplasia in rats, but oral Curcuma longa ingestion decreased this change. Conclusions : These results suggest that Curcuma longa has a definite inhibitory effect on BPH and might be an alternative medicine for treatment and prevention of human BPH.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.154-162
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• 2020

Background: Several studies have reported that wild mushrooms contain high amounts of radioactive cesium (137Cs). After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident, a significantly high concentration of 137Cs has been detected in wild mushrooms, and their consumption may be the cause of the chronic internal exposure of local consumers to radioactivity. Therefore, an accurate evaluation of the internal radioactivity resulting from mushroom ingestion is needed. Materials and Methods: The 137Cs elution rate through the cooking and digestion stages was evaluated using in vitro experiments. The edible mushroom Pleurotus djamor was taken as a sample for the experiments. The mushrooms were cultivated onto solid media containing 137Cs. We evaluated the internal dose based on the actual conditions using the elution rate data. For various cooking methods, the results were compared with those of other wild edible mushrooms. Results and Discussion: From the elution experiment through cooking, we proved that 25%-55% of the 137Cs in the mushrooms was released during soaking, boiling, or frying. The results of a simulated digestion experiment after cooking revealed that almost all the 137Cs in the ingested mushrooms eluted in the digestive juice, regardless of the cooking method. The committed effective dose was reduced by 20%-75% when considering the dissolution through the cooking process. Conclusion: We found that cooking lowers 137Cs concentration in mushrooms, therefore reducing the amount of radioactivity intake. Besides, since there were differences between mushroom types, we demonstrated that the internal exposure dose should be evaluated in detail considering the release of 137Cs during the cooking stages.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.235-238
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• 2006

Exogenous lipoid pneumonia (ELP) is an uncommon condition resulting from aspiration or inhalation of vegetable, animal or mineral oil. It results in foreign body type inflammatory reaction of the lung and can show various clinical presentations from asymptomatic incidental finding to severe pneumonia leading to acute respiratory failure. Although many cases have been reported, severe ELP requiring steroid or whole lung lavage for treatment is rare. We report a case of 51-year old man with esophageal cancer who developed severe ELP following ingestion of large dose shark oil (Squalene) and successfully treated with prednisolone.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.78-87
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• 1993

The accumulations of mercury, lactate dehydrogenase and antioxidant enzymes activities of which are glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase, and pathological changes were investigated in liver and kidney of mice which were fed the water supplemented with two levels (0.5 mM and 1.0 mM) of mercury chloride (HgCl$_2$). During the mercury feeding, the weight gain of mice in experimental groups was less than that of control group mice, while no overt signs related to mercury toxicity were noted in any experimental groups. Mercury concentrations in liver and kidney increased significantly in the early period (1~2 weeks) after mercury administration, which were measured as high as 100 times in liver and kidney in comparison to those of the control groups, but there were relatively stable for the levels of accumulation in following periods. The lactate dehydrogenase activities in liver and kidney were relatively increased in the period of 2~3 weeks of mercury administration in the experimental groups, there were normal levels in other periods of administration without the dose-dependencies. The glutathione peroxidase activities were not affected by the dosages of mercury chloride and the duration of ingestion. But the catalase activities significantly increased in 2~3 weeks after ingestion, and the superoxide dismutase activities of kidney also showed a peak in 3 weeks of ingestion while this peak was not found in the results measured in liver tissues.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.172-175
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• 2018

Acute nicotine poisoning by liquid nicotine for electronic cigarettes is becoming an increasing problem worldwide. On the other hand, there are no regulations regarding its concentration, container or labelling in Korea. This is the first case of a cardiac arrest after liquid nicotine ingestion that was confirmed by plasma nicotine detection in Korea. A 34-year-old male was found with a cardiac arrest at home by the emergency medical services crew, and had a return of spontaneous circulation after 27 minutes of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The cause of his cardiac arrest was suspected to be acute nicotine poisoning by the ingestion of liquid nicotine. Toxicology analysis of the National Forensic Service confirmed plasma nicotine, and the pharmacokinetic estimated average concentration of plasma nicotine at the time of the cardiac arrest was 29.7 mg/L, a lethal dose. He was hospitalized for further treatment, but was discharged after 20 days without any improvement. Considering the strong toxicity of nicotine, appropriate policy decisions are required for sales and distribution.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.75-85
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• 1990

The dose calculations were carried out using environmental montoring data around Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center(KfK). Ingestion of plant foods was the most important pathway, and the K-40 and Pb-210 natural radioisotopes in food were the most effective radiation source to man. The dose received from artificial nuclides were mostly emitted by gamma irradiation of Cs-134 and Cs-137 deposited on the ground. The effective dose equivalent in the KfK environment was far less than the dose equivalent limit recommended by ICRP.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2014

After the nuclear accident of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plants (FDNPPs) on 11 March 2011, a large amount of radioactive materials has been released into the atmosphere and the ocean. A compartment model is used to evaluate the circulation characteristics and the spatiotemporal concentration distributions of radionuclides in the ocean. In the comparison with observed concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ in seawater, calculated concentrations by the compartment model were well agreed with them. On the basis of these results, we performed evaluation of the effective dose and the cancer risk. In the early stage of the accident, the effective doses from ingestion of the seafood near the Fukushima region were much higher than 1 mSv which is the value of the annual effective dose limit to individual recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). However, the effective doses by ingestion of the seafood decreased below 1 mSv as distance from the FDNPPs increased and time passed. In addition, it was estimated that the cancer risks by intake of the contaminated marine products were less than natural occurrence probability of cancer. Consequently, it was inferred that the health risk due to the $^{137}Cs$ was low after since mid-term period of the accident.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.128-134
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• 2023

Purpose: The Prescott nomogram has been utilized to forecast hepatotoxicity from acute acetaminophen poisoning. In developing countries, emergency medical centers lack the resources to report acetaminophen concentrations; thus, the commencement and cessation of treatment are based on the reported dose. This study investigated risk factors that can predict acetaminophen detection after 15 hours for safe treatment termination. Methods: Data were collected from an urban emergency medical center from 2010 to 2020. The study included patients ≥14 years of age with acute acetaminophen poisoning within 15 hours. The correlation between risk factors and detection of acetaminophen 15 hours after ingestion was evaluated using logistic regression, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Results: In total, 181 patients were included in the primary analysis; the median dose was 150.9 mg/kg and 35 patients (19.3%) had acetaminophen detected 15 hours after ingestion. The dose per weight and the time to visit were significant predictors for acetaminophen detection after 15 hours (odds ratio, 1.020 and 1.030, respectively). The AUCs were 0.628 for a 135 mg/kg cut-off value and 0.658 for a cut-off 450 minutes, and that of the combined model was 0.714 (sensitivity: 45.7%, specificity: 91.8%). Conclusion: Where acetaminophen concentrations are not reported during treatment following the UK guidelines, it is safe to start N-acetylcysteine immediately for patients who are ≥14 years old, visit within 15 hours after acute poisoning, and report having ingested ≥135 mg/kg. Additional N-acetylcysteine doses should be considered for patients visiting after 8 hours.