• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.397-406
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• 2008

This paper reviews the published literature that is concerned with color vision impairment from industrial and environmental exposure to neurotoxic substances, and we evaluated whether testing for color vision impairment could be an affordable procedure for assessing these neurotoxic effects. In general, most cases of congenital color vision impairment are red-green, and blue-yellow impairment is extremely rare. However, most of the acquired color vision impairment that is related to age, alcohol or environmental factors is blue-yellow impairment. Therefore, many studies have been performed to identify this relationship between exposure to neurotoxic substances, such as organic solvents and heavy metals, and the prevalence of blue-yellow color vision impairment. The test for color vision impairment is known to be very sensitive to the early signs of nervous system dysfunction and this can be useful for making the early diagnosis of neurotoxic effects from exposure to very low concentrations of toxic substances.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2016

A wide-spread contamination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins, PCBs, PBDEs in the aquatic ecosystem has generated a great concern over the potential risk for these substances to impact marine biotas and food web. Since a major exposure route of these substances to the humans is through the consumption of food including fish and marine byproducts, the consumption of contaminated products has been a great public health concern. Exposure to POPs has been associated with a wide spectrum of adverse effects including reproductive, developmental, immunologic, carcinogenic, and neurotoxic effects. This review covers the background information of key POPs substances and the recent development of toxicity studies including the mode of action. Because neurotoxic effects of some POPs have been observed in humans at low concentrations, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), a representative chemical of POPs, is focused to discuss the possible mode(s) of action for the neurotoxic effects. This review provides the updates of toxicity studies on POPs and paves ways to discuss a possible implication of contaminated marine biota over the human health among the marine biotechnology researchers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.2 s.42
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• pp.210-221
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• 1993

In order to evaluate the confounding factors of neurobehavioral tests and the neurobehavioral effects in the workers exposed to organic solvents, NCTB was carried out on 100 workers. 46 workers had never been exposed to neurotoxic substances, and the others were being exposed to the solvents, mainly toluene. Simple reaction time, digit symbol, Santa Ana dexterity test and persuit aiming were different with age in non exposure group. Simple reaction time was carried out well in males, and digit symbol and persuit aiming were in females. There was no difference at educational level when the subject was educated over 12 years. Santa Ana dexterity and Benton visual test differed according to exposure level to toluene, however simple reaction time didn't. The acute neurotoxic effect was not excluded in this study. But, NCTB could be used to evaluate and prevent neurobehavioral changes in workers exposed to neurotoxic solvents in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.117-117
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• 2003

Bee Venom (BV) has been treated in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Bee venom contains several biologically active non-peptide substances as well as two major known peptides; the hemolytic peptide melittin (50%) and the neurotoxic peptide apamin, and a number of minor peptides.(omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.93.1-93.1
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• 2003

Bee Venom (BV) has been treated in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Bee venom contains several biologically active non-peptide substances as well as two major known peptides; the hemolytic peptide melittin (50%) and the neurotoxic peptide apamin, and a number of minor peptides. Previous our study showed that BV blocked LPS and SNP-induced production of NO and PG through inactivation of NF-kB which regulates expression of COX-2 and iNOS. (omitted)

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.515-521
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of horticultural activities with reminiscence materials and singing songs on the ability to recall words and depression in the elderly with mild dementia. A total of 20 sessions of a horticultural therapy program was held once or twice a week from July 14, 2015 to November 3, 2015 for the elderly with mind dementia at the social welfare center in D city. The subjects of this study were 13 women and the mean age was 81.2 years. The ability to recall words significantly improved from $8.6{\pm}1.8$ before the program to $9.4{\pm}0.6$ after the program (p=.012). However, there was no significant difference in the score of depression after the program. Synergistic effects were generated by applying horticultural activities, singing and reminiscence therapy activities simultaneously, and it was effective in recalling memories. As emotional functions were associated with hormones in vivo, there were emotional ups and downs at each session and short-term alternative therapies were not sufficient to completely eliminate neurotoxic substances caused by dementia.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2005

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces synthesis of several inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO). NO in brain is involved not only in the regulation of important metabolic pathways via intracellular cyclic GMP-dependent path­ways, but also in neurotoxic damage by reacting with superoxide ion leading to form peroxynitrite radical. Oxidative stress has suggested to be related to the inhibition of NO synthase/cyclic GMP pathway. OQ21 is a new fluorinated quinone compound that is recently known to have inhibitory effects on both NO synthase (NOS) and guanylyl cyclase (GC). In this study, we examined effects of OQ21, other known NOS or GC inhibitors, or an antioxidant, melatonin, on the oxidative stress produced by LPS in rat brain. Oxidative stress was observed by using the 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate to measure intra-cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and by measuring the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances to measure lipid peroxidation. LPS induced significant increase in both ROS produdction and lipid peroxidation in all brain regions tested (striatum, hippocampus and cortex), which were dissected 6hr after intraperitoneal administration of LPS to rats. Direct striatal injection of two NOS inhibitors, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and diphenyleneiodonium, or a GC inhibitor, IH-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline-l-one, produced no significant ROS increase. However, OQ21 enhanced ROS formation in striatal tissues from LPS-treated rats. Melatonin decreased LPS-induced ROS formation and decreased ROS formation increased by OQ21 in striatum of LPS-treated rats.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.597-603
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• 2015

Synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018 and JWH-250 in 'herbal incense' also called 'spice' were first introduced in many countries. Numerous synthetic cannabinoids with similar chemical structures emerged simultaneously and suddenly. Currently there are not sufficient data on their adverse effects including neurotoxicity. There are only anecdotal reports that suggest their toxicity. In the present study, we evaluated the neurotoxicity of two synthetic cannabinoids (JWH-081 and JWH-210) through observation of various behavioral changes and analysis of histopathological changes using experimental mice with various doses (0.1, 1, 5 mg/kg). In functional observation battery (FOB) test, animals treated with 5 mg/kg of JWH-081 or JWH-210 showed traction and tremor. Their locomotor activities and rotarod retention time were significantly (p<0.05) decreased. However, no significant change was observed in learning or memory function. In histopathological analysis, neural cells of the animals treated with the high dose (5 mg/kg) of JWH-081 or JWH-210 showed distorted nuclei and nucleus membranes in the core shell of nucleus accumbens, suggesting neurotoxicity. Our results suggest that JWH-081 and JWH-210 may be neurotoxic substances through changing neuronal cell damages, especially in the core shell part of nucleus accumbens. To confirm our findings, further studies are needed in the future.