• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.5 no.1 s.8
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• pp.7-26
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• 2002

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate acute and subacute toxicity and sarcoma-180 anti-cancer effects of herbal acupuncture with Carthami- Tinctorii fructus (CF) in mice and rats. Method: Balb/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with Carthami - Tinctorii fructus (CF) for $LD_{50}$ and acute toxicity test. Sprague Dawley rats were injected intraperitoneally with Carthami- Tinctorii fructus (CF) for subacute toxicity test. The Carthami- Tinctorii fructus herbal-acupuncture was injected on Chung-wan (CV12) of mice with Sarcoma-180 cancer cell line. Results: 1. $LD_{50}$ was uncountable as none of the subjects expired during the test. 2. In acute toxicity test, toxic symptoms were not detected, but the body weight of mice was increased in treatment Ⅰ, treatment Ⅱ groups, compared to the normal group.(p<0.05) 3. In acute toxicity test of serum biochemical values of mice, glucose was increased in treatment Ⅰ and treatment Ⅱ groups, total cholesterol was increased in treatment I group, GOT was decreased in treatment Ⅱ group, and GPT was decreased in treatment Ⅰ group, compared to the normal group.(p<0.05) 4. The clinical signs and the body weight of mice treated with 0.1 cc, 0.2cc Carthami- Tinctorii fructus (CF) were not affected during the subacute toxicity test. 5. In subacute toxicity test, treatment groups didn't show significant changes in complete blood count test (CBC) of rats, compared to the nonnal group.(p<0.05) 6. In subacute toxicity test of serum biochemical values of rats, uric acid was decreased in treatment Ⅰ and treatment Ⅱ groups, compared to the nonnal group, triglyceride was decreased in treatment I group, compared to the normal group, GOT and GPT were decreased in treatment I and treatment Ⅱ groups, and alkaline phosphatase was decreased in treatment Ⅰ and treatment Ⅱ groups, compared to the normal group.(p<0.05) 7. Median survival time was increased in all the treatment groups for Sarcoma-180 cancer cell treated with Carthmni- Tinctorii fructus (CF).(p<0.05) 8. Natural killer cell activity was significantly increased in all the treatment groups compared to the normal group.(p<0.05) 9. Interleukin-2 productivity was decreased in treatment Ⅰ and treatment Ⅱ groups.(p<0.05) Conclusion: According to the results, we can conclude herbal-acupuncture of Carthami-Tinctoriifructus (CF) caused negligible toxkity, and had anti-tumor effects in mice.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.120-136
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• 2002

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate Acute and Subacute Toxicity, and Anti-cancer Effect of H Herbal-acupuncture on mice and rats. Methods : Balb/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with H Herbal-acupuncture for $LD_{50}$ and acute toxicity test. Sprague-Dawley rats were experimented in the same way for subacute toxicity test. H Herbal-acupuncture was injected into abdomen of mice having S-180 cancer cell line. Result : 1. During the test, $LD_{50}$ could not be counted since there was no expired subjects. 2. In an acute toxicity test, the loss of motility and reflex action was observed, but weight increased in the treatment group, compared with those in the normal group (P<0.05). 3. In an acute toxicity test of serum biochemical values of mice, glucose increased in the treatment group II while total cholesterol was increased in the all treatment groups (P<0.05). 4. In a subacute toxicity test, a little loss of motility and reflex action was observed in the treatment group. Weight of mice in the treatment group decreased on the 28th day. 5. In a subacute toxicity test, liver weight was decreased but lung weight of mice increased in the all treatment groups (P<0.05). 6. As a result of measuring Complete Blood Count test (CBC) of rat, HCT was decreased in treatments even though it was not significant, compared with the normal group (P<0.05). 7. In a serum biochemical value test of subacute toxicity, total protein and albumin decreased in the all treatment groups. Creatinine, glucose, GOT increased in the treatment group I compared with the control group. Alkaline phos-phatase decreased in treatment II group, compared with the control group (P<0.05). 8. Median survival time that was measured in the rats treated with sarcoma-180 cancer cell Median decreased in the treatment group, compared with the control group (P<0.05). 9. Natural killer cell activity showed significant reduction at 100:1 and 10:1 E/T ratio while it increased at 50:1 E/T ratio. It is inferred that there was an error in the experiment (P<0.05). 10. In an interleukin-2 productivity test, even though it decreased in lung cancer, and increased in abdomen cancer, but it was only a small difference (P<0.005). 11. After injecting B16F10 cell into a capillary vessel of C57BL/6 mice and generating metastasized lung cancer, the lung was examined with the naked eye. It was not possible to see metastasized cancer in the all groups on the seventh day but the cancer was viewed on the fourteenth day. The number and volume of metastasized cancer in the treatment group enlarged in the treatment group, compared with the control group. Conclusion : According to the results, H herbal-acupuncture took no effects in cancer.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.7-27
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• 2003

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate acute and subacute toxicity and sarcoma-180 anti-cancer effects of herbal acupuncture with cultivated wild ginseng (distilled) in mice and rats. Method : Balb/c mice were injected intravenous with cultivated wild ginseng herbal acupuncture for $LD_{50}$ and acute toxicity test. Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intravenous with cultivated wild ginseng herbal acupuncture for subacute toxicity test. The cultivated wild ginseng herbal-acupuncture was injected at the tail vein of mice. Results : 1. In acute $LD_{50}$ toxicity test, there was no mortality thus unable to attain the value. 2. Examining the toxic response in the acute toxicity test, there was no sign of toxication. 3. In acute toxic test, running biochemical serum test couldn't yield any differences between the control and experiment groups. 4. In subacute toxicity test, there was no sign of toxication in the experimental groups and didn't show any changes in weight compared to the normal group. 5. In subacute toxicity test, biochemical serum test showed significant increase of Total albumin, Albumin, and Glucose in the experimental group I compared with the control group. Significant decrease of GOT, ALP, GPT, and Triglyceride were shown. In experiment group II, only Glucose showed significant increase compared with the control group. 6. Measuring survival rate for anti-cancer effects of Sarcoma-180 cancer cell line, all the experimental groups showed significant increase in survival rate. 7. Measuring NK cell activity rate, no significant difference was shown throughout the groups. 8. Measuring Interleukin-2 productivity rate, all the experimental groups didn't show significant difference. 9. For manifestation of cytokine mRNA, significant decrease of interleukin-10 was witnessed in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion : According to the results, we can conclude cultivated wild ginseng herbal acupuncture caused negligible toxicity, and had anti-tumor effects in mice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of environment-friendliness of waterproof materials based on comprehensive experiments on waterproofness in terms of coefficients of permeability, harmfulness of waterproof materials and fish toxicity of Oryzias latipes mortality to verify eco-toxicity of each method of construction and waterproof material, which are to be applied by taking eco-toxicity into account when building ecological flows in upper areas on natural and artificial grounds. As a result, the following conclusions have been reached in this study: 1. In regard of the harmfulness analyzed, each material showed a different result of analytical value in each lab tank. Compared to input water, pH, COD, SS, T-P, and T-N values increased a little, but DO value decreased. The value of turbidity analyzed independent of the water quality standard of aquatic ecosystem set forth by the Ministry of Environment increased a little compared to the value in input water. 2. In the experiment of fish toxicity, compacted quicklime, cement fluid waterproof material, cement mortar waterproof material and bentonite powder were found to have 100% of fish mortality, respectively, and membrane waterproof material showed 83.3% of mortality, indicating strong fish toxicity. Improved asphalt sheet (63.3%) and synthetic rubber sheet (53.3%) were analyzed to have medium fish toxicity, while bentonite sheet (6.7%), Hwang-toh (6.7%) and clay (3.3%) showed relatively lower mortality and fish toxicity. 3. Regarding the analysis on waterproofness in terms of the coefficient of permeability of each waterproof material, improved asphalt sheet, synthetic rubber sheet, membrane waterproof material, cement fluid and mortar waterproof material and bentonite sheet were found impervious in case no leakage takes place in construction. Bentonite powder was found practically impervious based on the analytical results from the experiment done in compliance with weight ratios. So were the clay and Hwang-toh from the experimental results. To sum up such results as found in the experiment mentioned so far, the values of harmfulness and waterproofness analyzed were different in each lab tank, but there was absolutely little correlation with the mortality gained from the experiment on fish toxicity. In the experiment of fish toxicity, environment-friendly waterproof materials were analyzed, and it was found that clay, Hwang-toh and bentonite sheet are highly environment-friendly. In contrast, synthetic rubber and improved asphalt sheets were found to have medium-level environment-friendliness. Also, membrane water-proof materials, compacted quicklime, cement fluid and mortar waterproof material and bentonite powder were analyzed to have low environment-friendliness.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1087-1093
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• 2011

The mixotrophic marine ciliate Mesodinium rubrum possesses a highly modified algal endosymbiont as a nutrition source for the species. Accordingly, we assumed that the species can reflect the ecotoxicity on marine producer (as phytoplankton) and consumer (as zooplankton) both. A series of experiments were conducted to identify the potential of the species as a standard test species for marine ecotoxicological study. The comparison of species sensitivity on reference toxic materials was made using potassium dichromate for phytoplankton and copper chloride for zooplankton. The ciliate revealed the highest sensitivity on both reference materials among the seven test species including phytoplankton, benthic copepod and rotifer species. The toxicity end point of the species was 72hr-$EC_{50}$=1.52 mg/L (as potassium dichromate) estimated by population growth inhibition (PGI), which is more sensitive than the most sensitive phytoplankton Skeletonema costatum (72hr-$EC_{50}$=3.05 mg/L). As comparison to rotifer, it also revealed higher sensitivity on copper chloride; 72hr-$EC_{50}$=0.38 mg/L for ciliate and 48hr-$EC_{50}$=0.48 mg/L for rotifer. Also, the elutriate toxicity test of various ocean disposal wastes were conducted to identify the potential of ciliate toxicity test application using industrial waste sludges. The toxicity of leather processing waste sludge was highest on the ciliate, followed by dyeing waste sludge and dye production waste sludge as an increasing order of toxicity. 72h-$EC_{50}$ of ciliate PGI test was 1.83% and that of S. costatum 3.84% for leather waste sludge which showed highest toxicity. The toxicity test results also revealed that the highest sensitivity was observed on ciliate species on ocean disposed sludge wastes. Also, ciliate toxicity test well discriminated the degree of toxicity between sludge sources; 72h-$EC_{50}$ values were 1.83% for leather processing waste sludge, 16.75% for dye production waste sludge and 27.75% for textile production waste sludge. Even the laboratory culture methods of the species were not generally established yet, the species has high potential as the standard test species for marine toxicity test in terms of the dual reflection of phyto- and zooplankton toxicity from single test, sensitivity and test replicability.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.46-54
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• 2006

The methylmercury (MeHg) is a toxic environmental pollutant, causing serious neurological and developmental effects in humans. Recent epidemiological studies have indicated that ingestion of MeHg in fish during pregnancy can result in neuroethological effects in the offspring. However, the mechanism underlying the MeHg-toxicity is not fully understood. To elucidate the mechanisms of toxicity of MeHg and of defense against MeHg, we searched for factors that determine the sensitivity of yeast cells to MeHg, and found that overexpression of Cdc34, a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) that is a component of the ubiquitin-proteasome (UP) system, induces a resistance to MeHg toxicity in both yeast and human cells. The UP system is involved in the intracellular degradation of proteins. When Cdc34 is overexpressed in cells, ubiquitination reactions are activated and the degradation of certain proteins by the UP system is enhanced. Therefore, it seems likely that certain as-yet-unidentified proteins that increase MeHg toxicity might exist in cons and that toxicity might be reduced by the enhanced degradation of such proteins, mediated by the UP system, when Cdc34 is overexpressed. SCF ubiquitin-ligase is a component of UP system and consists of Skpl, the scaffold protein Cdc53, the RING-finger protein Hrt1, and one member of the family of F-box proteins. The F-box proteins directly bind to the substrates and are the determinants of substrate specificity of SCF. Therefore, we searched for the f-box protein that cofers resistance to MeHg, and found that overexpression of Hrt3 or Yi1224w induced resistance to MeHg toxicity in yeast cells. Since the protein(5) that enhance toxicity of MeHg might plausibly be induced in substrates of both f-box proteins, we next searched for substrate proteins that are recognized by Hrt3 or Y1r224w using two-hybrid screen. We found that Did3 or Crsl interacts with Hrt3; and Eno2 interacts with Yir224w. The yeast cells that overexpressed each those proteins showed hypersensitivity to MeHg, respectively, indicating that those proteins enhance the MeHg toxicity. Both Dld3 and Eno2 are proteins involved in the synthesis of pyruvate, and overexpression of both proteins might induce increase in interacellular levels of pyruvate. Deletion of Yi1006w that transports pyruvate into the mitochondria induced aresistance to MeHg. These results suggest that the promotion of the pyruvate irdlowinto the mitochondria might enhance MeHg toxicity. This study providesimportant keyfor the elucidauon of the molecular mechanism of MeHg toxicity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1153-1162
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• 2016

Termitomyces albuminosus (Berk.) Heim is a well-known wild edible mushroom in the southern region of China. Novel cerebrosides, termed termitomycesphins, isolated from EtOH extract of T. albuminosus have shown significant neuritogenic activity. Neurotrophic factors have been targeted as potential therapeutic drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. However, before expanding their applications to include food or therapeutic agents in Korea, a safety evaluation of T. albuminosus is needed. Herein, in a repeated-dose 90-day oral toxicity study, rats were exposed to a basal diet of powder ground from dried T. albuminosus at dose levels of 5%, 2.5%, 1.25%, and 0%. The following endpoints were evaluated: clinical observation, body weight, gross and microscopic pathology, clinical chemistry, and hematology. Significant dose-dependent increases in the weight of the left kidney were observed, possibly due to the test substance. Based on toxicity-decision criteria for minor compound-related changes (no observed adverse effect level [NOAEL] and no observed effect level [NOEL]), NOAEL was observed in male rats at a dose of 5% of dried T. albuminosus powder, and NOEl was observed in female rats at the same dose. The results point to the safety and potential use of T. albuminosus as a nontoxic neurotrophic factor.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.192-202
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• 2019

Objectives: According to the central limit theorem, the samples in population might be considered to follow normal distribution if a large number of samples are available. Once we assume that toxicity dataset follow normal distribution, we can treat and process data statistically to calculate genus or species mean value with standard deviation. However, little is known and only limited studies are conducted to investigate whether toxicity dataset follows normal distribution or not. Therefore, the purpose of study is to evaluate the generally accepted normality hypothesis of aquatic toxicity dataset Methods: We selected the 8 chemicals, which consist of 4 organic and 4 inorganic chemical compounds considering data availability for the development of species sensitivity distribution. Toxicity data were collected at the US EPA ECOTOX Knowledgebase by simple search with target chemicals. Toxicity data were re-arranged to a proper format based on the endpoint and test duration, where we conducted normality test according to the Shapiro-Wilk test. Also we investigated the degree of normality by simple log transformation of toxicity data Results: Despite of the central limit theorem, only one large dataset (n>25) follow normal distribution out of 25 large dataset. By log transforming, more 7 large dataset show normality. As a result of normality test on small dataset (n<25), log transformation of toxicity value generally increases normality. Both organic and inorganic chemicals show normality growth for 26 species and 30 species, respectively. Those 56 species shows normality growth by log transformation in the taxonomic groups such as amphibian (1), crustacean (21), fish (22), insect (5), rotifer (2), and worm (5). In contrast, mollusca shows normality decrease at 1 species out of 23 that originally show normality. Conclusions: The normality of large toxicity dataset was not always satisfactory to the central limit theorem. Normality of those data could be improved through log transformation. Therefore, care should be taken when using toxicity data to induce, for example, mean value for risk assessment.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.7-13
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• 2001

In this paper, we had analyzed comsbustion gases according to pyrolysis $600^{\circ}c$, $800^{\circ}c$ and $1000^{\circ}c$ for polymeric material using a GASTEC colorimetric gas detector tube in order to combustion gases toxicity evaluation for flame retardant untreated ply wood, flame retardant treated ply wood, flexible polyvinyl chloride and flexible polyurethane foam of polymeric material. As a result, comsbustion gases producted from small specimens of polymeric material had reached fatal to man at a 30 minute exposure time that had possesed toxicity index. Toxicity index at pyrolysis $800^{\circ}c$ of flexible polyvinyl chloride was 31.74. Flexible polyvinyl chloride was the highest toxicity index of flame retardant untreated ply wood, flame retardant treated ply wood, flexible polyvinyl chloride and flexible polyurethane foam. The comsbustion gases producted commonly no concern with pyrolysis temperature had analyzed carbon dioxide($CO_2$) and carbon monoxide(CO). Toxicity index had investigated differently according to pyrolysis temperature even a similar materal.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.181-186
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• 2017

This paper aimed to evaluate the results of alternative acute toxicity test on 83 wastewater samples. Each sample was tested by traditional method (using laboratory cultured D. magna as a test organism) and alternative method (using Toxikit which can be purchased from a specialized company). The relationship between Lab. culture toxicity and Toxkits toxicity indicated good relation ($r^2=0.84$, p<0.01, n = 83). Number of samples which showed a small difference of lower than 0.5 between two test methods were 52 and they account for 63 percent of collected samples. In addition, these 52 samples had a lower average toxicity of TU 0.5 (Lab. culture method) and TU 0.45 (Toxkits method). Whereas samples which indicated big difference of test results between two methods, had a tendency to show higher toxicity. From these results, alternative toxicity test method could be applied to the official test method, if samples would have a lower toxicity less than TU 2. Also, Toxikit standard toxicant test results indicated $EC_{50}$ values between 0.93 and 1.68 mg/L and these results were considered as valid for quality control standard.