• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.265-272
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• 2002

This study was carried out with the detection for multiresidue of the organophosphorus pesticides such as malathion, parathion. diazinon, and carbamate pesticide such as carbaryl, by enzyme-inhibition method. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and cholinesterase (ChE) activities in chicken brain determined by the Ellman's method were 166.6 and 5.8 $\mu$mol/min/g protein, and in chicken plasma were 23.1 and 8.3 $\mu$mol/min/g protein, respectively. The optimum pH of AChE and ChE was 8.2 and 7.8, respectively. The Km of AChE and ChE was 0.034 and 0.045 mM, respectively. I$\_$50/ for AChE and ChE by some organophosphorus was 55.82 and 99.42 mg/L of malathion, 31.16 and 29.13 mg/L of parathion, and 17.89 and 19.62 mg/L of diazinon, respectively. I$\_$50/ for AChE and ChE by carbaryl of carbamate was 0.10 and 0.05 mg/L, respectively. The 0.07 mg/L of drinking water advisory level for carbaryl could be detected with I$\_$50/ of AChE and ChE. Enzyme-Inhibition (EI) method with AChE and ChE was used the multiresidue method to detect the 1 mg/L of the carbamate pesticides.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.411-418
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• 2004

Mercury, one of the most diffused and hazardous organ-specific environmental contaminants, exists in a wide variety of physical and chemical states. The murcury with the nature which evaporates easily can cause an acute or chronic mercury poisoning to workers at mercury-handling workplaces. Although many studies indicate that mercury induces a deleterious damage, little has been reported from the investigations of mercury effects at surrounding levels in living things. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biological effects of mercury chloride and ionizing radiation. Prepubertal male F344 rats were administered mercury chloride in drinking water throughout the experimental period or were given wholebody irradiation with a dose of 6.5 Gy. The amount changed of body weight during the experimental period showed a 4.9% rise in the mercury-treated group and 14.4% decline in the irradiated group compared with the level of the control group. The results of hematological analysis (red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit) indicated the differential effects of mercury chloride and ionizing radiation. However the concentration of cortisol as assessed by radioimmunoassay increased in both of the groups. Relative expressions of mRNA related to mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis were investigated using semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction on gonad and urinary organs of the experimental groups. While the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA exhibited different patterns depending on the organs or the experimental groups, both of the experimental groups showed a conspicuous expressions of Bax mRNA. In conclusion, the target organ of mercury chloride seems to be a urinary organ and the pattern of damage induced by mercury chloride differs from that by ionizing radiation.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.144-153
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• 2007

One of the most recent issues facing the pesticides regulatory process is the assessment of the potential for pesticides to leach through soil and appear in groundwater. Since Jeju island depends on a hydrogeologically vulnerable aquifer system as its principle source of drinking water, it is important to identify which pesticides are the most likely to result in groundwater contamination. The objective of this study was to assess groundwater contamination risk of 21 pesticides (12 insecticides, 6 herbicides and 3 fungicides) in Jeju soils using groundwater ubiquity score (GUS). Considering GUS estimated in 21 representative series of Jeju soils, generally herbicides showed relatively higher leaching potentials and insecticides showed lower leaching potentials. Groundwater contamination risk was higher in the order of bromacil > metolachlor > alachlor > linuron pretilachlor > butachlor for herbicides, carbofuran > ethoprophos > diazinone > dimethoate > penthoate > mecarbam > methidathion > endosulfan > fenitrothion > parathion > chlorpyrifos > terbufos for insecticides, and metalaxyl > chlorothalonil > triadimefon for fungicides. Among the tested pesticides alachlor, metolachlor, bromacil, ethoprophos and carbofuran were classified as the pesticides of very high or high groundwater contamination potential. Although the ranking of the leaching potential was essentially determined on the base of the intrinsic properties of the chemicals and environmental properties, variation of the relative groundwater contamination potentials of each pesticides in different soils were not significant. Therefore, the above ranking of groundwater contamination risk would be applied in most of Jeju soils. To lower the possibility of pesticide contamination of groundwater, the use of those pesticides classified as high or very high leaching potential should be strictly regulated in Jeju Island.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.269-273
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• 2005

The wild ginseng culture by-products(WGCB) was added to the laying hens diets. A total of 420 Lohmann Brown laying hens were alloted to five levels of drinking water containing WGCB 0, 0.4, 0.8 1.6, $3.2\%$with seven replications and fed com-soybean meal based diets contained ME 2,800 kcal/kg, CP $16\%$. Laying Performance, egg quality, egg yolk fatty acid and cholesterol concentration were measured. Egg Production and daily e99 mass were significantly lower(p<0.05) in birds fed the WGCB $3.2\%$ compared with no WGCB group, but showed no significant effect in other treatments. Feed efficiency of birds fed $0.4\%$ WGCB showed the lowest of all treatments(p<0.05). Eggshell thickness was increased(p<0.05) by WGCB supplementation, whereas eggshell breaking strength, haugh unit and yolk color index were not affected. No significant change in yolk fatty acids and cholesterol were observed by the addition of WGCB.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2007

The importance of genetic resources conservation and utilization for economy and the health and well-being of societies in general is recognized all over the world. Mulberry genetic resources contain many natural components and are considerable resource for functional sericulture. We carried out antioxidative capacity analysis of mulberry leaves that were collected from Korea and some of foreign countries and preserved in the greenhouse. The mean antioxidant capacity of 34 accessions was 892.30nmol(ascorbic acid equivalent). Also we evaluated fruity characteristics and selected 4 accessions as breeding resources for the production of mulberry fruit. To investigate the effect of tea on antioxidative capacity, five kinds of tea(coffee mix, green tea added brown rice, mulberry leaf tea, Polygonatum odoratum tea and black tea added lemon) were selected and analyzed. Their's antioxidative capacity were 2,531.01nmol, 1,867.42nmol, 1,053.72nmol, 292.71nmol and 188.91nmol, respectively. The antioxidative capacity of drinking water soaked with mulberry leaf showed 891.96nmol.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.174-180
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• 2006

We examine the effect of Geiji-Bokryung-Hwan(GBH) on erectile function in a rat model of hypercholesterolemic erectile dysfunction. GBH, a drug preparation consisting of five herbs of Cinnamomi Ramulus (Geiji), Poria Cocos (Bokryun), Mountan Cortex Radicis (Mokdanpi), Paeoniae Radix (Jakyak), and Persicae Semen (Doin) is a traditional Korean herbal medicine that is widely used in the treatment of atherosclerosis-related disorders. In this study, 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The 6 rats control animals were fed a normal diet and the other 18 rats were fed 1% cholesterol diet for 3 months. After 1 months, GBH was added to the drinking water of the treatment group of 12 rats but not the cholesterol only group of 6 rats. Of the 12 rats 6 received 30 mg/kg per day (group 1) and 6 received 60 mg/kg per day (group 2) of GBH. At 3 months erectile function was evaluated with cavernous nerve electrostimulation in all animals. Penile tissues were collected for electron microscopy, and to perform Western blot for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and caveolin-1. Systemic arterial pressure was not significantly different between the animals that were fed the 1% cholesterol diet and the controls. Conversely erectile function was not impaired in the herbal medicine treated rats. Electron microscopy showed many caveolae with fingerlike processes in the cavernous smooth muscle and endothelial cell membranes in control and treated rats but not in the cholesterol only group of rats. Western blot showed differences among groups in protein expression for eNOS, nNOS, caveolin-1 and bFGF protein expression in penile tissue. Increased eNOS and nNOS protein expressions dy high cholesterol diet were significantly decreased in group 1 and group 2. Interestingly, caveolin-1 and bFGF protein expression was significantly higher in groups 1 and 2 than in the cholesterol only and control groups.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.279-288
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• 2012

Rats were administered zearalenone (ZEA) via gavage at dosages of 0, 1, 5, and 30 mg/kg for 36 days. On treatment day 8, inactivated porcine parvovirus vaccine (Vac) was injected intraperitoneally. Antibody production against porcine parvovirus was then measured as a function of ZEA treatment. Compared to the vaccine alone, ZEA treatment, with or without Vac, decreased the serum level of IgG. The level of IgM decreased in all ZEA groups at day 22, but the decrease was sustained only in the medium-dose ZEA group at day 36. The level of IgA was unchanged in the Vac only and ZEA groups at day 22, but was decreased in the 5 mg/kg ZEA plus Vac group compared to the Vac only group at day 36. The level of IgE was decreased by all doses of ZEA at day 22, but was unaffected in ZEA plus Vac groups compared to the Vac only group. The levels of IL-1 in the thymus and spleen; INF-${\gamma}$ in serum; IL-2, IL-6, and IL-10 in the thymus; and IL-10 and IFN-${\gamma}$ in the spleen decreased after ZEA administration. Furthermore, the levels of IL-$1{\beta}$ in the spleen and mesenteric lymph node, IL-$1{\beta}$ in the thymus, IL-2 in the thymus and spleen, IL-6 in the thymus, IL-10 and IFN-${\gamma}$ in the spleen, and GM-CSF and TNF-${\alpha}$ in the thymus decreased after vaccination in rats exposed to ZEA. In conclusion, these results suggest that ZEA exposure via drinking water can cause an immunosuppressive effect by decreasing immunoglobulins in serum and cytokines in lymphoid organs.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.245-257
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• 2016

Although rivers cover only 0.5% of the total land area on the Earth, they are windows that show the integrated effects of watershed biogeochemistry. Studies on the loads and properties of riverine carbon have been conducted because they are directly linked with drinking water quality, and because regional or global net ecosystem production (NEP) can be overestimated, unless riverine carbon loads are subtracted. Globally, ${\sim}0.8-1.5Pg\;yr^{-1}$ and ${\sim}0.62-2.1Pg\;yr^{-1}$ of carbon are transported from terrestrial ecosystems to the ocean via rivers and from inland waters to the atmosphere, respectively. Concentrations, ${\delta}^{13}C$, and fluorescence spectra of riverine carbon have been investigated in South Korea to understand the spatiotemporal changes in the sources. Precipitation as well as land use/land cover can strongly influence the composition of riverine carbon, thus shifting the ratios among DIC, DOC, and POC, which could affect the concentrations, loads, and the degradability of adsorbed organic and inorganic toxic materials. A variety of analyses including $^{14}C$ and high resolution mass spectroscopy need to be employed to precisely define the sources and to quantify the degradability of riverine carbon. Long-term data on concentrations of major ions including alkalinity and daily discharge have been used to show direct evidence of ecosystem changes in the US. The current database managed by the Korean government could be improved further by integrating the data collected by individual researchers, and by adding the major components ions including DIC, DOC, and POC into the database.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.6 s.73
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• pp.979-986
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• 2005

Lead (Pb) exposure during development can produce neurological deficits. In this study, the effect of Pb exposure during neonatal development via lactation on anxiety of brain function was investigated. Long-Evans strain rats were raised through two generations. At the birth of the second generation, the dams were subdivided into two groups and supplied drinking water containing either $0.2\%$ Pb (Pb-treated group) or sodium (Na, Control group) acetate until weaning. Rats were sacrificed at 3 (weaning) and 11 weeks (maturity) for brain Pb and fatty acid analysis. Motor activity and elevated plus maze tests were initiated at 9 weeks. The brains in the Pb-treated group at weaning and maturity contained 1486$\pm$98 and $270{\pm}46$ ng Pb/g, respectively The control group showed the background level of Pb ($3.7{\pm}1.0_{ng}$ Pb/g) in both ages. The alterations in brain fatty acid composition induced by Pb exposure were more evident in 3 wks old than 11 wks old. For example, in 3 wks old, the percentages of $18:2_{n-6}$, $20:2_{n-6}$ and $18:2_{n-6}$ were decreased in the Pb-treated group with an increase in $20:4_{n-6}$ In motor activity test, there was a tendency of hyperactivity in the Pb-treated group compared with the control group but the difference was not significant. In elevated plus maze test, the Pb-treated group showed fewer numbers of visits to the open arms (P < 0.05), indicating that Pb exposure may lead to anxiogenic effect.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.888-894
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• 1998

In order to investigate the radioprotective effect of Si-Wu-Tang (Korean name: Sa-Mul-Tang), a kind of traditional Oriental medicine as a blood-building decoction (Oriental medical concept: Bu-Xie), and Si-Jun-Zi-Tang (Korean name: Sa-Gun-Ja-Tang), one of the widely used Oriental herbal medicines as an energy tonic (Chinese medical concept: Bu-Qi). the jejunal crypt survival, endogenous spleen colony formation, and apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells were observed in irradiated mice. Jejunal crypts were protected by Si-Wu-Tang pretreated both per os (2 mg/mL of drinking water for 7 days, p<0.05) and intraperitoneally (1 mg/head, single injection at 24 hours before irradiation). Si-Wu-Tang adminstration before irradiation(1 mg/head, single injection at 24 hours before irradiation) resulted in an increase of the formation of endogenous spleen colony (p<0.005). The frequency of radiation-induced apoptosis in intestinal crypt cells was also reduced by pretreatment of Si-Wu-Tang (p<0.01). However, the radioprotective effect of Si-Jun-Zi-Tang was not as significant as that of Si-Wu-Tang. These results suggest that Si-Wu-Tang may be a useful radioprotective food, especially since it is a relatively nontoxic natural product.