• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2018

Anthocyanins are naturally occurring water-soluble polyphenolic pigments in plants that have been shown to protect against cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers, as well as other chronic human disorders. However, the anti-obesity effects of anthocyanins are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of anthocyanins isolated from the fruit of Vitis coignetiae Pulliat on the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Our data indicated that anthocyanins attenuated the terminal differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, as confirmed by a decrease in the number of lipid droplets, lipid content, and triglyceride production. During this process, anthocyanins effectively enhanced the activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK); however, this phenomenon was inhibited by the co-treatment of compound C, an inhibitor of AMPK. Anthocyanins also inhibited the expression of adipogenic transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-${\gamma}$, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein a and b, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c. In addition, anthocyanins were found to potently inhibit the expression of adipocyte-specific genes, including adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, leptin, and fatty acid synthase. These results indicate that anthocyanins have potent anti-obesity effects due to the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis, and thus may have applications as a potential source for an anti-obesity functional food agent.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1994.02a
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• pp.431-438
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• 1994

As currently conducted, standard rodent bioassays do not provide sufficient information to assess carcinogenic risk to humans at doses thousands of times below the maximum tolerated dose. Recent analyses indicate that measures of carcinogenic potency from these tests are restricted to a narrow range about the maximum tolerated dose and that information on shape of the dose-response is limited in experiments with only two doses and a control. Extrapolation from high to low doses should be based on an understanding of the mechanisms of carcinogenesis. We have postulated that administration of the maximum tolerated dose can increase mitogenesis which, in turn. increases rates of mutagenesis and, thus, carcinogenesis. The animal data are consistent with this mechanism, because about half of all chemicals tested are indeed rodent carcinogens, and about 40% of the positives are not detectably mutagenic. Thus, at low doses where cell killing does not occur, the hazards to humans of rodent carcinogens may be much lower than commonly assumed. In contrast, for high-dose exposures in the workplace, assessment of hazard requires comparatively little extrapolation. Nevertheless. permitted workplace exposures are sometimes close to the tumorigenic dose-rate in animal tests. Regulatory policy to prevent human cancer has primarily addressed synthetic chemicals, yet similar proportions of natural chemicals and synthetic chemicals test positive in rodent studies as expected from an understanding of toxicological defenses, and the vast proportion of human exposures are to natural chemicals. Thus, human exposures to rodent carcinogens are common. The natural chemicals are the control to evaluate regulatory strategies, and the possible hazards from synthetic chemicals should be compared to the possible hazards from natural chemicals. Qualitative extrapolation of the carcinogenic response between species has been investigated by comparing two closely related species: rats and mice. Overall predictive values provide moderate confidence in interspecies extrapolation; however, knowing that a chemical is positive at any site in one species gives only about a 50% chance that it will be positive at the same site in the other species.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.89-102
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• 2008

Purpose : The experiments was undertaken to evaluate the effects of herbal medicine, Ojeoksan, in pregnant rats Methods : Female Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered with the Ojeoksan at dose of 5mg/kg/day for 20 days. Pregnant rats were sacrificed at 20th day of gestation, and observed internal and reproductive organs. Approximately live fetuses in the 20th day of gestation were randomly selected and fixed in 95% ethanol. Results : Maternal body weight of Ojeoksan treated group has a tendency to increase compared to that of control group. There were no significant difference in internal and reproductive organs. There were no significant changes between two groups in blood chemistry and hematological values. There were no significant changes in number of corpus luteum, implantation, live fetuses and sex ratio. But Ojeoksan administered group showed higher delivery rate, early resorption rate than the control group. Also Ojeoksan administered group showed higher implantation rate, late resorption rate than the control group. Conclusion : From these results, it can be concluded that Ojeoksan showed no toxicity effects on maternal body weight and number of live fetuses. There were no significant changes in organ weight, hematological data, reproductive organs. We need more precise study to investigate the mechanism of early or late resoption by the herbal medicines such as Ojeoksan.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.293-297
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• 2001

The international pharmaceutical and regulatory communities had been recognizing the limited utility of conventional rodent carcinogenicity study particularly on the second species, mouse, after intense investigation of carcinogenicity data base worldwide, and a new scheme for carcinogenicity testing for pharmaceuticals was proposed at the Expert Working Group on Safety in the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) in 1996. CB6F 1-Tg rasH2 mouse carrying human prototype c-Ha-ras gene with its own promoter/enhancer is one oj the new carcinogenicity assay model for human cancer risk assessment. Studies have been conducted since 1992 to validate the transgenic (Tg) mice for rapid carcinogenicity test-ing, short term (26 weeks) studies with genotoxic (by Salmonella), non-genotoxic carcinogens, genotoxic non-carcinogens, non-genotoxic non-carcinogens revealed relatively high concordance oj the response of the Tg mouse with classical bioassay across classes of carcinogenic agents. Mechanistic basis for carcinogensis in the model are being elucidated in terms of the role of overexpression and/or point mutation of the transgene. This report review the initial studies of validation of the model and preliminary results of on-going ILSI HESI ACT project will be presented.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 2001

Baicalein, a major flavonoid of extract from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been shown to exhibit antioxidant and anti proliferative effects. In the present study, we investigate the effects of baicalein on viability and induction of apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. Baicalein was found to induce apoptosis of HL-60 cells in a concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner. When HL-60 cells were exposed to 100 $\mu\textrm{M}$ baicalein for 6h, the viability was decreased remarkably to 27% of control, whereas DNA fragmentation was significantly increased to 64%. Nucleosomal fragmentation of baicalein treated HL-60 cells, a hallmark of apoptosis, was further identified by agarose gel electrophoresis (DNA ladder). Flow cytometric analysis showed that apoptotic cells were increased to 66.6% after treatment with 100 $\mu\textrm{M}$ baicalein for 6 h. Baicalein-induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells was reduced by 1h pretreatment with inhibitor of caspases, z-Asp-$CH_2$-DCB. At 3 and 10 $\mu\textrm{M}$ of z-Asp-$CH_2$-DCB, DNA fragmentation of HL-60 cells induced by baicalein (50 $\mu\textrm{M}$) was 36.8 and 17.1 %, respectively, whereas, that of HL-60 cells treated by baicalein (50 $\mu\textrm{M}$) without pretreatment with inhibitor of caspases was 62.7%. These data suggest that baicalein induces apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells, and that caspase enzymes might be involved in baicalein-induced apoptosis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2006

Exposure to soluble nickel compound produces toxic effects on immune system, but the mechanism of action remains to be elucidated. Differential gene expression was studied to understand the potential molecular mechanism responsible for acute toxicity induced by nickel acetate in spleen cells. We exposed mouse spleen cells to nickel acetate with a nontoxic dose ($40{\mu}M$) and then extracted total RNA at 6 h and 12 h after exposure. The RNA was hybridized onto 10K mouse oligonucleotide microarrays, and data were analyzed using GeneSpring 7.1. Nickel had a modest effects on expression of many genes, in the range of 1.3-3 fold. The expression profile showed time-dependent changes in expression levels of differentially expressed genes, including some important genes related to cell cycle, apoptosis and DNA repair. In hierarchical cluster analysis of duplicate experiments, 111 genes were screened out. Out of these, 44 genes showing time- dependent up-regulation (>1.5 fold) and 38 genes showing down-regulation (>1.5 fold) at all time points were chosen for further analysis. The change in the expression of three genes (GPX1, GADD45B and FAIM) after nickel treatment was validated using RT-PCR. As a rule, a number of genes appear to be coordinately regulated between cell survival and cell death from nickel toxicity. In conclusion, changes in the gene profile in the spleen after nickel treatment are complex and genes with diverse functions are modulated. These findings will be contributed to the understanding of the complicated biological effects of nickel.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.313-319
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• 2015

3-Monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) are not only produced in the manufacturing process of foodstuffs such as hydrolyzed vegetable proteins and soy sauce but are also formed by heat processing in the presence of fat and low water activity. 3-MCPD exists both in free and ester forms, and the ester form has been also detected in various foods. Free 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP are classified as Group 2B by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Although there is no data confirming the toxicity of either compound in humans, their toxicity was evidenced in animal experimentation or in vitro. Although few studies have been conducted, free 3-MCPD has been shown to have neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and carcinogenicity. In contrast, 1,3-DCP only has mutagenic activity. The purpose of this study was to analyze 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP in various foods using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP were analyzed using phenyl boronic acid derivatization and the liquid-liquid extraction method, respectively. The analytical method for 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP was validated in terms of linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation, accuracy and precision. Consequently, the LODs of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP in various matrices were identified to be in the ranges of 4.18~10.56 ng/g and 1.06~3.15 ng/g, respectively.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2015

Excess manganese (Mn) is neurotoxic. Increased manganese stores in the brain are associated with a number of behavioral problems, including motor dysfunction, memory loss and psychiatric disorders. We previously showed that the transport and neurotoxicity of manganese after intranasal instillation of the metal are altered in Hfe-deficient mice, a mouse model of the iron overload disorder hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). However, it is not fully understood whether loss of Hfe function modifies Mn neurotoxicity after ingestion. To investigate the role of Hfe in oral Mn toxicity, we exposed Hfe-knockout ($Hfe^{-/-}$) and their control wild-type ($Hfe^{+/+}$) mice to $MnCl_2$ in drinking water (5 mg/mL) for 5 weeks. Motor coordination and spatial memory capacity were determined by the rotarod test and the Barnes maze test, respectively. Brain and liver metal levels were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Compared with the water-drinking group, mice drinking Mn significantly increased Mn concentrations in the liver and brain of both genotypes. Mn exposure decreased iron levels in the liver, but not in the brain. Neither Mn nor Hfe deficiency altered tissue concentrations of copper or zinc. The rotarod test showed that Mn exposure decreased motor skills in $Hfe^{+/+}$ mice, but not in $Hfe^{-/-}$ mice (p = 0.023). In the Barns maze test, latency to find the target hole was not altered in Mn-exposed $Hfe^{+/+}$ compared with water-drinking $Hfe^{+/+}$ mice. However, Mn-exposed $Hfe^{-/-}$ mice spent more time to find the target hole than Mn-drinking $Hfe^{+/+}$ mice (p = 0.028). These data indicate that loss of Hfe function impairs spatial memory upon Mn exposure in drinking water. Our results suggest that individuals with hemochromatosis could be more vulnerable to memory deficits induced by Mn ingestion from our environment. The pathophysiological role of HFE in manganese neurotoxicity should be carefully examined in patients with HFE-associated hemochromatosis and other iron overload disorders.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2018

It has been demonstrated that vanadate causes nephrotoxicity. Vanadate inhibits renal sodium potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na, K-ATPase) activity and this is more pronounced in injured renal tissues. Cardiac cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is enhanced by vanadate, while increased cAMP suppresses Na, K-ATPase action in renal tubular cells. There are no in vivo data collectively demonstrating the effect of vanadate on renal cAMP levels; on the abundance of the alpha 1 isoform (${\alpha}_1$) of the Na, K-ATPase protein or its cellular localization; or on renal tissue injury. In this study, rats received a normal saline solution or vanadate (5 mg/kg BW) by intraperitoneal injection for 10 days. Levels of vanadium, cAMP, and malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation were measured in renal tissues. Protein abundance and the localization of renal ${\alpha}_1-Na$, K-ATPase was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Renal tissue injury was examined by histological evaluation and renal function was assessed by blood biochemical parameters. Rats treated with vanadate had markedly increased vanadium levels in their plasma, urine, and renal tissues. Vanadate significantly induced renal cAMP and MDA accumulation, whereas the protein level of ${\alpha}_1-Na$, K-ATPase was suppressed. Vanadate caused renal damage, azotemia, hypokalemia, and hypophosphatemia. Fractional excretions of all studied electrolytes were increased with vanadate administration. These in vivo findings demonstrate that vanadate might suppress renal ${\alpha}_1-Na$, K-ATPase protein functionally by enhancing cAMP and structurally by augmenting lipid peroxidation.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.131-143
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• 2010

We performed the tests of acute and subchronic inhalation toxicity of methyl formate, which has limited toxicological data in spite of its widespread use and enhanced hazard consequent on its high volatility. The median lethal concentration ($LC_{50}$) was evaluated to be above 5,000ppm(12.27 mg/L). In the test with subchronic inhalation, there are no deaths, but with reduction of body weight, food intake, organ weight by exposure to 400 (0.98 mg/L) and 1,600 (3.92 mg/L) ppm, dose-dependently. There were statistical differences in some hematological and blood biochemical parameters as compared to control (e.g. neutrophile and lymphocyte in the 1,600 ppm group, calcium and A/G in 1,600 ppm group). Methyl formate under the exposure of 1,600 ppm showed the respiratory findings with nasal, it was confirmed that the chemical has respiratory hazard with 1,600 ppm inhalation exposure, induces nasal epithelial atrophy, olfactory cell degeneration/regeneration and the contraction of olfactory cells, etc. According to the notification with Ministry of Labor (No. 2009-68) for classification, labeling and MSDS of chemicals, it is suggested for methyl formate to be classified as category 4 in acute (10.0$4\leq20.0$ mg/L), category 2 (0.2$\leq$1.0 mg/L/6h, 90 days) in specific target organ-repeated exposure.