• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.2 s.42
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• pp.192-201
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• 1993

Epidemiologic investigation was conducted on January, 1993 in Seoul to identify the cause of an infant methemoglobinemia. Field investigation of the area of outbreak, survey of household and family members, analysis of ground water, and blood tests of involved family members were performed. Following results were obtained On analyzing the quality of the ground water on patient's household high levels of nitrate was found indicating contamination of water as the cause of a methemoglobinemia outbreak. On analysing the quality of the ground waters on seven other places within the neighborhood five were contaminated by nitrate in concentration that exceeded the permissible limit implying presence nearby source of contamination. Sources of contamination were thought to be originating from human waste in conventional bathroom facilities, chicken manure used in nearby orchards and plant fields or fertilizers. But the results of water analysis with presence of bacteria or E.coli, concentration of potassium, phosphate and the past history of diarrhea among family members, chicken manure suggested the most possible source of contamination. To evaluate the health status of members in the neighborhood past history was reviewed revealing no prior existence of patient with cyanosis and 65 people in the neighborhood had normal levels of methemoglobin concentration in their blood. Conclusively, the ground water on patient's household was contaminated with nitrate and despite provision of adequate water supply, family members of the patient along with their distrust in the water supply system had used ground water as their source of drinking water resulting of methemoglobinemia. Many suburban area of Seoul and country side thought to be having similar problems concerning contaminated ground water supply and dormant outbreak of patients as a result of the drinking of the contaminated water. Epidemiologic investigation and water analysis of ground waters are advised.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.288-294
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• 2006

In this study, the effects of smoking cessation and relative antioxidant activities on the oxidative stress were determined by using in vitro method. Thirty healthy smokers who were free of any disease and smoked more than 1 pack per day for the past 10 years participated in this study. For smoking cessation, smokers were asked to wear nicotine patch (21mg nicotine/ patch) everyday for 30 days and then to replace at the same time of the day. Smoking cessation program in conjunction with nicotine patch replacement was also conducted every week, one hour/each session, for 4 weeks. Canthaxanthin, $\beta-carotene$, and $\alpha-tocopherol$ were added into red blood cells at pre and post smoking cessation. As indicators of oxidative stress, hemoglobin degradation, lipid peroxidation, and percent hemolysis were determined at both pre and post smoking cessation. After 30 days of smoking cessation, the subjects gained an average of 5 pounds, varying 2 to 8 pounds, by suggesting that behavioral problems rather than nicotine itself are more important for gaining weight in ex-smokers. The total hemoglobin concentrations in blood were similar in pre and post smoking cessation, but smoking cessation resulted in a decrease in the percentage of methemoglobin from 0.96% to 0.85% Smoking cessation also caused to decease malondialdehyde (MDA) values ($26.7{\pm}7.8$ vs. $23.6{\pm}4.5$ (without oxidation), $179.3{\pm}21$ vs. $161.2{\pm}28$ nmol/ml (with oxidation) (p<0.05)), not percent hemolysis. Various antioxidants with smoking cessation significantly decreased MDA values(p<0.05), in contrast to marginal decrease of MDA in smoking cessation only. Three antioxidants used in this stu study were similarly effective in inhibiting MDA production, but relative effectiveness of canthaxanthin or $\alpha-tocopherol$ was greater than that of $\beta-carotene$ (p<0.05), in case of oxidation induced. The percent hemolysis was greatly decreased when antioxidants were added into the blood of ex-smokers (p<0.05) but no statistical significance in relative effectiveness of antioxidants was observed.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2016

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is an extremely toxic gas frequently produced during the incineration of plastics, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). A victim of a fire who has inhaled smoke could have cyanide in the blood. Therefore, cyanide could be a good marker for a post-mortem examination of a fire as well as carboxyhemoglobine (COHb) test of blood samples. For a particular fire case, a burned body with a suicide note was found inside a burned vehicle. Even though the COHb value is conclusive evidence, measuring the COHb for denatured blood might be difficult due to severe thermal denaturation or the formation of methemoglobin (MetHb). To overcome this difficulty, cyanide could be used as an indicator when investigating the death of a fire victim. In this study, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was adopted to measure the levels of cyanide in the blood through derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFBBr) under cation surfactant by scan and SIM mode. The concentration of cyanide in the blood of heart blood and brain of the victim was found to be 0.36 µg/mL and 1.20 µg/mL respectively, which was higher than the average value (0.041 µg/mL) found in the blood of 14 people who smoked.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.665-670
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• 2007

In this study, we evaluated the property change and relationship between hematological and biochemical parameters in exposure group and control group by multiple inhalation exposure, of $NO_2$. In case of leukocyte, change of hematological property increased significantly in statistics (p<0.05) in mice experiment. in case of hematocrit of exposure group, it was of decreased significantly in statistics. the tendency of hemoglobin and hematocrit was similar to all for three case. in case of methmoglobin that of the exposure group in mice experiment was meaning increased(p<0.05). For the $NO_2$ influence in biochemical property, total protein and triglyceride was decreased but not significant in statistics, albumin was decreased in the exposure group in the animal experiments, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine increased significantly in statistics in the animal experiments. uric acid and lactate dehydrogenase in serum increased significantly in the exposure group. We have to evaluate risk assessment for the $NO_2$ of indoor air pollutant in low concentration and long time.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.161-169
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• 1998

TThe reactive oxygen species oxidatively modify the biological macromolecules, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Iron- and heme-mediated Fenton-like reactions produce different pro-oxidants. However, these reactive products have not been clearly characterized. We examined the nature of the oxidizing species from the different iron sources by measuring oxidative protein modification and spectroscopic study. Hemoglobin (Hb) and methemoglobin (metHb) were oxidatively modified in $O{\array-\\\dot{2}}$ and $H_{2}O_{2}$ generating systems. Globin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were also modified by iron, iron-EDTA, hematin, and Hb in an $O{\array-\\\dot{2}}$ generating system. In a $H_{2}O_{2}$ generating system, the iron- and iron-EDTA-mediated protein modifications were markedly reduced while the Hb-and hematin-mediated modifications were slightly increased. In the $O{\array-\\\dot{2}}$ generating system, the iron- and iron-EDTA-mediated protein modifications were strongly inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD) or catalase, but heme- and Hb-mediated protein modifications were inhibited only by catalase and slightly increased by SOD. Mannitol, 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), deoxyribose, and thiourea inhibited the iron-EDTA-mediated protein modification. Mannitol and DMPO, however, did not exhibit significant inhibition in the hematin-mediated modification. Desferrioxamine (DFO) inhibited protein modification mediated by iron, but cyanide and azide did not, while the hematin-mediated protein modification was inhibited by cyanide and azide, but not significantly by DFO. The protein-modified products by iron and heme were different. ESR and UV-visible spectroscopy detected the DMPO spin adduct of the hydroxyl radical and ferryl ion generated from iron-EDTA and metHb, respectively. These results led us to conclude that the main oxidizing species are hydroxyl radical in the iron-EDTA type and the ferry I ion in the hematin type, the latter being more effective for protein modification.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 1995

This experiment was carried out in order to elucidate the effect of NaCl(0.85%) acclimation on congestion symptoms in central venous sinuses(CVS) of gill filaments and on the alteration of blood constituents in cultured eels for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7days after handling stress. After giving a handling stress on eels, the frequency of gill congestion was about 90%. It gradually decreased to 40% on the 3rd day, then increased to 60% on the 7th day in NaCl(0.85%) acclimation. The values of haematocrit(Ht), methemoglobin(Met-Hb), glucose (GLU), calcium($Ca^{++}$), lactic dehydrogenase(LDH), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(GOT) were lower than those of the control, whereas magnesium($Mg^{++}$) and haemoglobin(Hb) were higher than the control. However total protein(Tp) and albumin (ALB) levels similar to the control. When the fish after giving a handling stress were cultured in NaCl-free water as a control, the frequency of gill congestion and the value of blood components showed a similar pattern to that obtained from the NaCl acclimated experiments. However, in the early period(1-3day) after handling stress, NaCl acclimating slightly helped the natural tendancy of recovery. These results suggest that the frequency of gill congestion is not always reduced over the whole period of NaCl acclimation. However, the acclimation to NaCl solution may be a somewhat useful therapy for the gill congestion in stressed eels.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.161-171
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• 1994

In order to elucidate the outbreak mechanisms of a new disease which is characterized by an intense congestion in central venus sinuses(CVS) of gill filaments in cultured eel. these experiments were carried out; epidemically surveyed on the cultured eel farms in the vicinity of Kunsan city and experimentaliy outbreaked the disease in the stressful condition such as thermal and handling shock and innoculated the supernatant from the homogenate of naturally severe congested gill into eels and onto the monolayer of the CHSE-214. Although the frequency of congestion in eels of B, C, D and E farms were higher than in eels of A farms, the water qualities(stocked and cultured water) among farms were not a great difference. In eels of B, C, D and E farms, the values of haematocrit(Ht), haemoglobin(Hb), total protein(Tp), albumin(Alb), glucose(Glu), magnesium(Mg) were lower and the values of calcium(Ca), methemoglobin(Met-Hb), glutamic pyruvic transminase(GPT), glutamic oxalacetic transminase(GOT) higher than in eels of A farms. These valules have not related to the frequency of congestion. An intensive congestion and dilataton in CVS of gill filaments in experimentally handling-stressed eels produced similar histopathological changes to those observed in the spontaneously diseased eel, but not in eels experimentally injected with filtering contents. The cytopathic effect on the CHSE-214 was not observed. In stressed eels the congestion of gill was increased in relation to either the decrease ranges of water temperature or the incerase in accllimated times. And increase in Ht, Met-Hb, Alb, Glu, GOT and GPT and decrease in Mg, Hb and Tp were found, which had a close relationship to congestion of gill. Cortisol were increased according to the decrease ranges in acclimated water temperature. From these results, decrease in water temperature during selection placed eels upon the stressed condition, made increase in ionic strength in blood stream, and CVS was dilatated owing to the increased blood inflow.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 1986

Carbon monoxide(CO) poisoning has been one of the major environmental problems because of the tissue hypoxia, especially brain tissue hypoxia, due to the great affinity of CO with hemoglobin. Inhalation of the pure oxygen$(0_2)$ under the high atmospheric pressure has been considered as the best treatment of CO poisoning by the supply of $0_2$ to hypoxic tissues with dissolved from in plasma and also by the rapid elimination of CO from the carboxyhemoglobin(HbCO). Hydrogen peroxide $(H_2O_2)$ was rapidly decomposed to water and $0_2$ under the presence of catalase in the blood, but the intravenous administration of $H_2O_2$ is hazardous because of the formation of methemoglobin and air embolism. However, it was reported that the enema of $H_2O_2$ solution below 0.75% could be continuously supplied $0_2$ to hypoxic tissues without the hazards mentioned above. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of $H_2O_2$ enema on the elimination of CO from the HbCO in the recovery of the acute CO poisoning. Rabbits weighting about 2.0 kg were exposed to If CO gas mixture with room air for 30 minutes. After the acute CO poisoning, 30 rabbits were divided into three groups relating to the recovery period. The first group T·as exposed to the room air and the second group w·as inhalated with 100% $0_2$ under 1 atmospheric pressure. The third group was administered 10 ml of 0.5H $H_2O_2$ solution per kg weight by enema immediately after CO poisoning and exposed to the room air during the recovery period. The arterial blood was sampled before and after CO poisoning ana in 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes of the recovery period. The blood pH, $Pco_2\;and\;Po_2$ were measured anaerobically with a Blood Gas Analyzer and the saturation percentage of HbCO was measured by the Spectrophotometric method. The effect of $H_2O_2$ enema on the recovery from the acute CO poisoning was observed and compared with the room air group and the 100% $0_2$ inhalation group. The results obtained from the experiment are as follows: The pH of arterial blood was significantly decreased after CO poisoning and until the first 15 minutes of the recovery period in all groups. Thereafter, it was slowly increased to the level of the before CO poisoning, but the recovery of pH of the $H_2O_2$ enema group was more delayed than that of the other groups during the recovery period. $Paco_2$ was significantly decreased after CO poisoning in all groups. Boring the recovery Period, $Paco_2$ of the room air group was completely recovered to the level of the before CO Poisoning, but that of the 100% $O_2$ inhalation group and the $H_2O_2$ enema group was not recovered until the 90 minutes of the recovery period. $Paco_2$ was slightly decreased after CO poisoning. During the recovery Period, it was markedly increased in the first 15 minutes and maintained the level above that before CO Poisoning in all groups. Furthermore $Paco_2$ of the $H_2O_2$ enema group was 102 to 107 mmHg and it was about 10 mmHg higher than that of the room air group during the recovery period. The saturation percentage of HbCO was increased up to the range of 54 to 72 percents after CO poisoning and in general it was generally diminished during the recovery period. However in the $H_2O_2$ enema group the diminution of the saturation percentage of HbCO was generally faster than that of the 100% $O_2$ inhalation group and the room air group, and its diminution in the 100% $O_2$ inhalation group was also slightly faster than that of the room air group at the relatively later time of the recovery period. In conclusion, the enema of 0.5% $H_2O_2$ solution is seems to facilitate the elimination of CO from the HbCO in the blood and increase $Paco_2$ simultaneously during the recovery period of the acute CO poisoning.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1972.03a
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• pp.6-7
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• 1972

The air pollutants can be classified into the irritant gas and the asphixation gas, and the irritant gas is closely related to the otorhinolaryngological diseases. The common irritant gases are nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrogen carbon compounds, and the potent and irritating PAN (peroxy acyl nitrate) which is secondarily liberated from photosynthesis. Those gases adhers to the mucous membrane to result in ulceration and secondary infection due to their potent oxidizing power. 1. Sulfur dioxide gas Sulfur dioxide gas has the typical characteristics of the air pollutants. Because of its high solubility it gets easily absorbed in the respiratory tract, when the symptoms and signs by irritation become manifested initially and later the resistance in the respiratory tract brings central about pulmonary edema and respiratory paralysis of origin. Chronic exposure to the gas leads to rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and olfactory or gustatory disturbances. 2. Carbon monoxide Toxicity of carbon monoxide is due to its deprivation of the oxygen carrying capacity of the hemoglobin. The degree of the carbon monoxide intoxication varies according to its concentration and the duration of inhalation. It starts with headache, vertigo, nausea, vomiting and tinnitus, which can progress to respiratory difficulty, muscular laxity, syncope, and coma leading to death. 3. Nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen dioxide causes respiratory disturbances by formation of methemoglobin. In acute poisoning, it can cause pulmonary congestion, pulmonary edema, bronchitis, and pneumonia due to its strong irritation on the eyes and the nose. In chronic poisoning, it causes chronic pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary edema. 4. Ozone It has offending irritating odor, and causes dryness of na sopharyngolaryngeal mucosa, headache and depressed pulmonary function which may eventually lead to pulmonary congestion or edema. 5. Smog The most outstanding incident of the smog occurred in London from December 5 through 8, 1952, because of which the mortality of the respiratory diseases increased fourfold. The smog was thought to be due to the smoke produced by incomplete combustion and its byproduct the sulfur oxides, and the dust was thought to play the secondary role. In new sense, hazardous is the photochemical smog which is produced by combination of light energy and the hydrocarbons and oxidant in the air. The Yonsei University Institute for Environmental :pollution Research launched a project to determine the relationship between the pollution and the medical, ophthalmological and rhinopharyngological disorders. The students (469) of the "S" Technical School in the most heavily polluted area in Pusan (Uham Dong district) were compared with those (345) of "K" High School in the less polluted area. The investigated group had those with subjective symptoms twice as much as the control group, 22.6% (106) in investigated group and 11.3% (39) in the control group. Among those symptomatic students of the investigated group. There were 29 with respiratory symptoms (29%), 22 with eye symptoms (21%), 50 with stuffy nose and rhinorrhea (47%), and 5 with sore thorat (5%), which revealed that more than half the students (52%) had subjective symptoms of the rhinopharyngological aspects. Physical examination revealed that the investigated group had more number of students with signs than those of the control group by 10%, 180 (38.4%) versus 99 (28.8%). Among the preceding 180 students of the investigated group, there were 8 with eye diseases (44%), 1 with respiratory disease (0.6%), 97 with rhinitis (54%), and 74 with pharyngotonsillitis (41%) which means that 95% of them had rharygoical diseases. The preceding data revealed that the otolaryngological diseases are conspicuously outnumbered in the heavily polluted area, and that there must be very close relationship between the air pollution and the otolaryngological diseases, and the anti-pollution measure is urgently needed.