• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2023

Cardiotoxicity, particularly drug-induced Torsades de Pointes (TdP), is a concern in drug safety assessment. The recent establishment of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (human iPSC-CMs) has become an attractive human-based platform for predicting cardiotoxicity. Moreover, electrophysiological assessment of multiple cardiac ion channel blocks is emerging as an important parameter to recapitulate proarrhythmic cardiotoxicity. Therefore, we aimed to establish a novel in vitro multiple cardiac ion channel screening-based method using human iPSC-CMs to predict the drug-induced arrhythmogenic risk. To explain the cellular mechanisms underlying the cardiotoxicity of three representative TdP high- (sotalol), intermediate- (chlorpromazine), and low-risk (mexiletine) drugs, and their effects on the cardiac action potential (AP) waveform and voltage-gated ion channels were explored using human iPSC-CMs. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we investigated the effects of cardioactive channel inhibitors on the electrophysiological profile of human iPSC-CMs before evaluating the cardiotoxicity of these drugs. In human iPSC-CMs, sotalol prolonged the AP duration and reduced the total amplitude (TA) via selective inhibition of I_Kr and I_Na currents, which are associated with an increased risk of ventricular tachycardia TdP. In contrast, chlorpromazine did not affect the TA; however, it slightly increased AP duration via balanced inhibition of I_Kr and I_Ca currents. Moreover, mexiletine did not affect the TA, yet slightly reduced the AP duration via dominant inhibition of I_Ca currents, which are associated with a decreased risk of ventricular tachycardia TdP. Based on these results, we suggest that human iPSC-CMs can be extended to other preclinical protocols and can supplement drug safety assessments.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2022

Background: The global shift toward greener societies demands new technologies and work operations in the waste-management sector. However, progressive industrial methods do not necessarily consider workers' health. This study characterized workers' exposure to bioaerosols and investigated the bioaerosols' potential to engage the immune system in vitro. Methods: Full shift personal aerosol sampling was conducted over three consecutive days. Dust load was analyzed by gravimetry, fungal and actinobacterial spores were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, and endotoxin by limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay. In vitro exposure of HEK cells to airborne dust samples was used to investigate the potential of inducing an inflammatory reaction. Results: The total dust exposure level exceeded the recommended occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 5.0 mg/m³ in 3 out of 15 samples. The inhalable endotoxin level exceeded the recommended exposure level by a 7-fold, whereas the fungal spore level exceeded the recommended exposure level by an 11-fold. Actinobacterial spores were identified in 8 out of 14 samples. In vitro experiments revealed significant TLR2 activation in 9 out of 14 samples vs. significant TLR4 activation in all samples. Conclusion: The present study showed that the dust samples contained potentially health-impairing endotoxin, fungi, and actinobacterial levels. Furthermore, the sampled dust contained microbial components capable of inducing TLR activation and thus have the potential to evoke an inflammatory response in exposed individuals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.192-197
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• 2017

Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the stability of commercial coated lipase (CT-LIP) in vitro. Methods: The capsules were tested under different conditions with a range of temperature, pH, dry heat treatment and steaming treatment, simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) in this work, respectively. Free lipase (uncoated lipase, UC-LIP) was the control group. Lipase relative activities measured in various treatments were used as a reference frame to characterize the stability. Results: The lipase activities were decreased with increasing temperatures (p<0.05), and there was a markedly decline (p<0.01) in lipase comparative activities of UC-LIP at $80^{\circ}C$ compared with CT-LIP group. Higher relative activities of lipase were observed in CT-LIP group compared with the free one under acidic ambient (pH 3 to 7) and an alkaline medium (pH 8 to 12). Residual lipase activities of CT-LIP group were increased (p<0.05) by 5.67% and 35.60% in dry heat and hydrothermal treatments, respectively. The lipase relative activity profile of CT-LIP was raised at first and dropped subsequently (p<0.05) compared with constantly reduced tendency of UC-LIP exposed to both SGF and SIF. Conclusion: The results suggest that the CT-LIP possesses relatively higher stability in comparison with the UC-LIP in vitro. The CT-LIP could retain the potential property to provide sustained release of lipase and thus improved its bioavailability in the gastrointestinal tract.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.184-195
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• 2022

Objective: In this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary live yeast supplementation on ruminal pH pattern, fermentation characteristics and associated bacteria in beef cattle. Methods: This work comprised of in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro fermentation was conducted by incubating 0%, 0.05%, 0.075%, 0.1%, 0.125%, and 0.15% active dried yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ADY) with total mixed ration substrate to determine its dose effect. According to in vitro results, 0.1% ADY inclusion level was assigned in in vivo study for continuously monitoring ruminal fermentation characteristics and microbes. Six ruminally cannulated steers were randomly assigned to 2 treatments (Control and ADY supplementation) as two-period crossover design (30-day). Blood samples were harvested before-feeding and rumen fluid was sampled at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 h post-feeding on 30 d. Results: After 24 h in vitro fermentation, pH and gas production were increased at 0.1% ADY where ammonia nitrogen and microbial crude protein also displayed lowest and peak values, respectively. Acetate, butyrate and total volatile fatty acids concentrations heightened with increasing ADY doses and plateaued at high levels, while acetate to propionate ratio was decreased accordingly. In in vivo study, ruminal pH was increased with ADY supplementation that also elevated acetate and propionate. Conversely, ADY reduced lactate level by dampening Streptococcus bovis and inducing greater Selenomonas ruminantium and Megasphaera elsdenii populations involved in lactate utilization. The serum urea nitrogen decreased, whereas glucose, albumin and total protein concentrations were increased with ADY supplementation. Conclusion: The results demonstrated dietary ADY improved ruminal fermentation dose-dependently. The ruminal lactate reduction through modification of lactate metabolic bacteria could be an important reason for rumen pH stabilization induced by ADY. ADY supplementation offered a complementary probiotics strategy in improving gluconeogenesis and nitrogen metabolism of beef cattle, potentially resulted from optimized rumen pH and fermentation.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.782-788
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• 2009

The genotoxicological safety of gamma-irradiated egg white and yolk was examined to ensure that required safety parameters were met, and in an effort to further apply gamma-irradiation for improvement of the hygienic qualities of eggs. Egg white and yolk were irradiated at 20 kGy, much higher than the legally approved dose (less than 5 kGy), and possible genotoxicity was evaluated using in vitro and in vivo tests. The SOS chromotest employing Escherichia coli PQ37, and a chromosomal aberration test in cultured Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells, were performed in vitro with or without metabolic activation (S9). An in vivo micronucleus development test was conducted using mouse bone marrow cells. Negative results were obtained in the SOS chromotest. The incidence of chromosomal aberration in CHL cells and the frequency of micronuclear developmentin mouse bone marrow cells treated with irradiated samples were not significantly different from those of non-irradiated controls. Thus, it may be concluded that up to 20 kGy of gamma irradiation applied to egg white and yolk did not show any genotoxic effects under our experimental conditions.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2009

Since the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) of the European Union issued in 1997 a "points to consider" document for the assessment of the potential for QT interval prolongation by non-cardiovascular agents to predict drug-induced torsades de pointes (TdP), the QT liability has become the critical safety issue in the development of pharmaceuticals. As TdP is usually linked to delayed cardiac repolarization, international guideline (ICH S7B) has advocated the standard repolarization assays such as in vitro IKr (hERG current) and in vivo QT interval, or in vitro APD (as a follow up) as the best biomarkers for predicting the TdP risk. However, the recent increasing evidence suggests that the currently used above biomarkers and/or assays are not fully predictive for TdP, but also does not address potential new druginduced TdP due to the selective disruption of hERG protein trafficking to the cell membrane or VT and/or VF with QT shortening. There is, therefore, an urgent need for other surrogate markers or assays that can predict the proarrhythmic potential of drug candidate. In this review, we provide an ideal pre-clinical strategy to predict the potentials of QT liability and lethal arrhythmia of the drug candidates with recent issues in this field in mind, not at the expense of discarding therapeutically innovative drugs.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.290-300
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• 2022

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the safety of SU-Eohyeol pharmacopuncture (SUEP) by assessing its potential to cause chromosomal abnormalities in Chinese hamster lung cells (CHL/IC). Methods: A dose-curve was conducted to determine the highest dose of SUEP. Doses of 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625, and 0.313% were used, and no cytotoxicity or SUEP precipitation was observed. SUEP doses of 10, 5, and 2.5%, with positive and negative controls, were used in a chromosome aberration test. Results: In this study, the frequency of abnormal chromosomal cells in the SUEP group did not show a statistically significant difference from that of the negative control group in short-term treatments with and without metabolic activation and the continuous treatment without metabolic activation. Compared with the negative control group, the positive control group had a significantly higher frequency of cells with structural chromosomal abnormalities. This test's results satisfied all conditions for determining the results. Conclusion: SUEP did not induce chromosomal aberrations under the conditions of this study. Other toxicity evaluations, safety studies in humans, and various clinical trials are required to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SUEP.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.7-9
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• 2001

The quantitative assessment of the penetration of organic solvents through skin is necessary for the evaluation of health hazards in occupational environments. We investigated the rate of dermal penetration when mixed or single forms of organic solvents were placed into a diffusion cell in vitro or into an experimental animal in vivo. The diffusion rates of methanol. toluene, and styrene were 6.07, 0.129, and 0.046 mg/$cm^2$/h, respectively. When skin was exposed to the mixed solvent of methanol and toluene, the penetration rate of toluene did not change significantly (0.110 mg/$cm^2$/h). However, the rate of methanol penetration increased to 43.90 mg/$\textrm{cm}^2$/h. The penetration rate of methanol also increased significantly to 54.69 mg/$cm^2$/h by mixing it with styrene. The concentration of methanol in the blood was monitored during the epicutaneous exposure in rats. The blood concentration of methanol was increased by mixing methanol with toluene as seen in the in vitro experiments. These results showed that the penetration rate of organic solvents would be enhanced by mixing them with other solvents.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2009

Fullerene의 유전독성을 평가하기 위하여 Chinese hamster유래의 난소유아세포(CHO-K1 cell)를 이용하여 직접법(-S9)과 대사활성화법(+S9 mix)의 염색체이상시험을 실시하였다. 시험물질은 1% CMC 나트륨염의 현탁액(1% CMC 용액)에 희석하여 조제하였다. 대사활성화를 시키지 않은 직접법의 염색체이상시험에서 24시간 투여군은 8단계의 농도(0.078, 0.156, 0.313, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 mM)로 투여하여 실시하였다. 투여 농도 증가에 따른 염색체이상의 빈도가 증가하는 양상이 나타나지 않았다. 48시간의 투여군에서는 8단계의 농도(0.078, 0.156, 0.313, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 mM)로 투여하여 실시하였는데 투여 농도 증가에 따른 염색체이상의 빈도가 증가하는 양상이 나타나지 않았다. 배수체의 염색체이상은 직접법에서 관찰되지 않았다. 대사활성화법을 이용하여 6시간 시험물질을 투여한 시험에 있어서는 8단계의 용량단계(0.078, 0.156, 0.313, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10mM)를 설정하였는데 투여 농도가 증가함에 따른 염색체이상빈도의 증가양상이 관찰되지 않았다. 이상의 결과를 종합할 때 본 시험물질은 본 시험 조건하에서 CHO-K1세포에서 대사활성화를 시켰을 때 염색체이상을 유발하지 않는 것으로 판단된다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.137-137
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• 2002

Several epidemiologidal studies suggested that arsenic exposure was strongly correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease such as hypertension. In order to examine whether arsenic affects vasomotor tone in blood vessels, we investigated the effect of arsenic on agonist-induced vasorelaxation using the isolated rat aortic ring in in vitro organ bath system. Treatment with arsenite inhibited acetylcholine-induced relaxation of aortic rings in a concentration- dependent manner. The inhibitory effects by arsenic were also observed in the relaxation induced by sodium nitroprusside, a NO-donor. Consistent with these findings, the cGMP levels stimulated by acetylcholine in blood vessels were reduced significantly by arsenite treatment. In addition, higher concentration of arsenite decreased the relaxation by 8-Br-cGMP, a cGMP analog, in aortic rings without endothelium. These in vitro results indicated that arsenite that arsenite was capable of suppressing acetylcholine-induced relaxation in blood vessels by inhibiting production of nitric oxide in endothelial cells and by impairing the relaxation machinary in smooth muscle cells. In vivo studies revealed that the reduction of blood pressure by acetylcholine infusion was signigicantly suppressed after arsenite was administered intravenously to rate. These data suggest that vasomotor tone impaired by arsenite exposure may be one of the contrbuting factors in development of cardiovascular disease.