• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2011

Purpose: Most paraquat poisonings are easily diagnosed by history taking on physical examination, however, some are failed to be diagnosed initially if the poisoning was veiled. The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical characteristics of veiled paraquat poisoning. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients whose discharge diagnosis was paraquat poisoning in one university teaching hospital between 1 Jan, 2001 and 31 Dec, 2010. Veiled paraquat poisoning was determined when there was a positive urine paraquat kit in patients who did not mention paraquat poisoning in an initial physical examination or had unknown cause of pulmonary fibrosis, acute renal failure, or multi-organ failure. Results: Of the 117 patients with paraquat poisoning during the study period, 6 patients (5.1%) had veiled paraquat poisoning. The clinical characteristics were 1) proteinuria - 6 (100%), 2) increased creatinine - 4 (66.7%), 3) green skin stains - 2 (33.3%), 4) mucosal ulcer - 3 (50%). Blood chemistry results were variable. Conclusion: We should suspect veiled paraquat poisoning for patients who have proteinuria, increased creatinine, green skin stain, mucosal ulcer and vomiting, or if they have rapidly progressing acute renal failure or multi-organ failure with unknown cause, even if patients didn't mention about paraquat poisoning upon the initial physical examination. In cases with the above clinical conditions, a thorough repeated physical examination including history taking and use of urine paraquat kits should be performed.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.87-91
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• 1992

Leaf discs were excised from spinach leaves (Spinaia oleracea L.) and floated in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) containing paraquat solutions (0, 0.1, 1.0, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ppm), and incubated in the growth chamber under 5, 500 lux illumination at $25^{\circ}C$ for 24 hr. Treatment with paraquat caused the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of lipid peroxidation in leaf discs. When 1.0, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ppm of paraquat solutions were applied to leaf discs, the contents of MDA were increased by 63, n6, 100, 140 and 150% of the level without paraquat treatment, respectively. 1.0, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ppm of paraquat treatments reduced the amounts of ascorbic acid in leaf discs by 23, 35, 38, 42 and 56% of the level without paraquat treatment respectively. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in leaf discs of 1.0, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ppm of paraquat treatments were decreased by 23, 42, 48, 61 and 70% of the level of SOD in non-treated group, respectively. The results suggest that paraquat may cause peroxidation of membrane lipid in spinach leaves as a result of paraquat-induced destruction of physiological defense against oxygen phytotoxicity.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.119-122
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• 2007

Paraquat poisoning is a fatal type of herbicide intoxication. It is characterized by multi-organ failure and pulmonary fibrosis with respiratory failure. Intravenous and intramuscular injection of paraquat is rarely described. However, We encountered two fatal cases of acute poisoning caused by paraquat injection. Two patients were admitted to our emergency unit after intravenous and intramuscular injection of 23.8% paraquat (about 476 mg of paraquat). A 37-year-old man diluted 2 ml of 23.8% paraquat solution with 1 ml of normal saline and injected it both intravenously into his left antecubital fossa and intramuscularly into his abdomen in a suicide attempt. He died 5 days later from respiratory failure and acute renal failure. A 92-year-old man was injected intravenously into his right antecubital fossa by his grandson with 2 ml of 23.8% paraquat solution diluted with 1 ml of normal saline. He died 2 days later from early circulatory collapse and multi-organ failure (metabolic acidosis, acute renal failure, coagulopathy). Intravenous and intramuscular injection with a small quantity of paraquat resulted in fatal toxicity in our patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.849-855
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• 1994

Actively growin Excherichia coli(KCTC 1039) cells were treated with paraquat (1, 1'-dimethyl-4, 4'-bipyridili-um dichloride) by cultivating them in the presence of 1.0mM paraquat. The treatment was carried out with or without shaking to understand the effect of oxygen on paraquat action to thebacterial superoxide dismutase (SOd). By the treatment with vigorous shaking , population growth of the organism almostly stopped and specific activities of SOD of the cells drastically decreased. On contrast ot it, the herbicide showed only l limited inhibitory action on bacterial growth and SOD activity by stationary treatment. Proteins prepared from parquat-treated cells divided into two peaks by Sephacryl column chormatogrpahy, while proteins from the intact cells formed a single peak. Cytoplasmic proteins and plasma membrane proteins of intact cells formed separated three peaks by Sephadex G-75 column chormatography. respectively. Among them the second peak disappeared by paraquat treatment , while the third peak became more apparent. Fractions from the first and the third peak showed SOD activity. Paraquat was detected from the same fractions.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.765-772
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• 2001

Paraquat has been widely used as herbcide since 1960s. Paraquat played a great role in agriculture history and rescued many people from starvation. On the other hand, it also killed lots of people. Paraquat is so lethally toxic that most of them who taken it come to die, even small amounts of ingestions. Therefore many methods has been tried for treating Paraquat intoxication, but they're still in controversial. In this study, the author report a case of Paraquat intoxication by using 8 constitutional acupuncture therapy, diet and herbal medication. The result was relatively acceptable.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.11 no.3_4
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• pp.11-16
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• 1996

Paraquat is a useful nonselective herbicide widely used throught the world. However accidental or intentional ingestion of the herbicide cause fatal pulmonary injuring. But there is not suitable antidote of paraquat intoxication and therapeutic agents now be used are not effective. So, in this study we intended to evaluate the inhibitory effects of acetylmannan from Dioscorea batalas on paraquat toxicity. 100mg/kg acetylmannan from wild or cultured Dioscorea bataras was administered orally to male SD rats for 3 days and the administration time interval was 24hours. After one hour of final administration, 50mg/kg paraquat was administered intraperitonially. After 24 hours, the biochemical parameters of blood and tissues were examined. In paraquat treated groups, sGPT, BUN, creatinine, ALP levels were increased by 2 to 4 times of normal values. However in acetylmannan from wild Dioscorea batatas treated groups, sGPT, BUN, creatinine, ALP levels in blood and lung tissue were significantly decreased to normal levels. In acetylmannan from cultured Dioscorea batatas treated groups, BUN, creatinine were significantly decreased to normal values, but not in sGPT, ALP levels. Therefore, we concluded that acetylmannan from wild Dioscorea batatas can be used as an. antidote of paraquat toxicity.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.503-509
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• 2014

Paraquat has been suggested to induce apoptosis by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, little is known about the mechanism of paraquat-induced apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) is required for paraquat-induced apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells. Paraquat treatment resulted in activation of ERK, and U0126, inhibitors of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, prevented apoptosis. Moreover, paraquat-induced apoptosis was associated with cytochrome C release, which could be prevented by treatment with the MEK inhibitors. Taken together, our findings suggest that ERK activation plays an active role in mediating paraquat-induced apoptosis of NIH3T3 cells.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.193-201
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• 2002

The effects of 24 ionic and nonionic surfactants on paraquat (1, 1' -dimethyl-4 4'-bipyridinium) efficacy were investigated with several annual plant species under greenhouse conditions. The paraquat efficacy was decreased or even lost when treated with the anionic surfactants tested. However, the efficacy of paraquat was significantly increased by 7 nonionic surfactants such as sorbitan palmitate, sorbitan stearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopalmitate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene laurylamine ether, and polyoxyethylene stearylamine ether. Among these tested surfactants, 0.08% of polyoxyethylene laurylamine ether most significantly increased the paraquat activity, and the $GR_{50}$ value of paraquat with polyoxyethylene laurylamine ether was 1.6 times lower than the $GR_{50}$ value without polyoxyethylene laurylamine ether. In in vitro experiments, cellular leakage and chlorophyll contents between the application with and without polyoxyethylene laurylamine ether did not show significant changes. The absorption rate of $^{14}C$ paraquat in the treatment with polyoxyethylene laurylamine ether showed an absorption rate of 1.6 times higher than without surfactant. These results suggest that using compatible surfactants would increase the paraquat efficacy, and this increasing are due to improved absorption rate with the surfactant.

• 월간산업보건
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• no.9 s.245
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• pp.16-19
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• 2008

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.339-344
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• 2003

Paraquat is an effective and widely used herbicide, but it is also very toxic to humans. It is well-known that urine paraquat concentration is one of the most important prognostic indicator for paraquat-poisoning. Quantitative analysis of paraquat, however, are not generally used in clinical laboratories. In this work, a new test strip to detect paraquat concentration using sodium dithionite in urine was developed. Using these second-derivative method, the test strip prepared in $0.5{\%}$ borate buffer (pH 8.0), 0.25 M $Na_2S_2O_4,\0.1~0.8{\%}$ PVP, and $1{\%}$ decanol showed not only better color reaction but also an excellent application possibility to be used in automatic analyzer.