Evaluation of inhalation risk during quarantine work with quaternary ammonium compounds-based disinfectant.

Quarantine work is widely recognized as an indispensable endeavor in curbing the propagation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Furthermore, the heavy workload places workers at a heightened risk of chemical exposure and respiratory damage. Consequently, it is paramount to systematically perform health risk assessments and meticulously oversee the work by wearing personal protective equipment to minimize these risks.

A Potential Health Risk to Occupational User from Exposure to Biocidal Active Chemicals.

Biocidal active chemicals have potential health risks associated with exposure to retail biocide products such as disinfectants for COVID-19. Reliable exposure assessment was investigated to understand the exposure pattern of biocidal products used by occupational workers in their place of occupation, multi-use facilities, and general facilities. The interview-survey approach was taken to obtain the database about several subcategories of twelve occupational groups, the use pattern, and the exposure information of non-human hygiene disinfectant and insecticide products in workplaces.

Potential Health Risks of Chemicals in Car Colorant Products.

Public concern regarding the use of products with chemicals has increased in Korea, following reports indicating that hazardous chemicals in products, such as disinfectants, can cause fatal lung disease. Despite the widespread use of car colorant products, little is known regarding their potential health risks. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential health risks of substances that exist in car colorant products.

Combined Assessment of Preschool Childrens' Exposure to Substances in Household Products.

Understanding how indoor-air contaminants affect human health is of critical importance in our developed society. We assessed the combined exposure by inhalation of preschool children and children to household products. A total of 1175 families with 72 infants, 158 toddlers, 230 children, and 239 youths were surveyed to determine the combined respiratory exposure concentrations and amounts associated with 21 substances in eight household product groups.

Inhalation exposure factors from the use of household products in South Korea.

Exposure assessment, a fundamental element of the risk assessment process, is the estimation of what consumers may be exposed to by using household products. Reliable exposure factors were investigated to understand the pattern of household products usage. Six household product categories were selected and divided by application types.

Health risk assessment of dermal and inhalation exposure to deodorants in Korea.

In Korea, humidifiers that include biocidal ingredients have caused serious lung injuries and deaths. After these incidents, public concern regarding the use of chemicals in products (i.e.

Risk assessment to human health: Consumer exposure to ingredients in air fresheners.

Ingredient chemicals like fragrances may cause adverse health effects. Frequent health risk assessments and stringent management of consumer products are of paramount importance to reduce these serious occurrences. In this study, the respiratory and dermal health effects were assessed in relation to air fresheners.

Health Risk Assessment on Hazardous Ingredients in Household Deodorizing Products.

The inhalation of a water aerosol from a humidifier containing disinfectants has led to serious lung injuries in Korea. To promote the safe use of products, the Korean government enacted regulations on the chemicals in various consumer products that could have adverse health effects. Given the concern over the potential health risks associated with the hazardous ingredients in deodorizing consumer products, 17 ingredients were analyzed and assessed according to their health risk on 3 groups by the application type in 47 deodorizing products.

Determining Exposure Factors of Anti-Fogging, Dye, Disinfectant, Repellent, and Preservative Products in Korea.

Reliable exposure factors are essential to determine health risks posed by chemicals in consumer products. We analyzed five risk-concerned product categories (anti-fogging, dye, disinfectant, repellent, and preservative products) for 13 products (three car anti-fogging products, a lens anti-fogging product, two car dye products, two drain disinfectants, an air conditioner disinfectant, a chlorine-based disinfectant, a fabric repellent, an insect repellent for food, and a wood preservative) considered to be of high risk in order to determine exposure factors via web surveys and estimation of amount of product. Among the 3000 participants (1482 (49%) men) aged ≥19 years, drain disinfectants were used most frequently (38.

Impact of Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy on Gut Microbiota in F344 Rats: Pilot Study.

Background/aims: To evaluate changes in gut microbiota composition following long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment.

Methods: Twenty-four-week-old F344 rats were fed diets with (n=6) or without (n=5) lansoprazole for 50 weeks. Profiles of luminal microbiota in the terminal ileum were then analyzed.

Fat deposition in the tunica muscularis and decrease of interstitial cells of Cajal and nNOS-positive neuronal cells in the aged rat colon.

Little is known about the time course of aging on interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) of colon. The aim of this study was to investigate the change of morphology, ICC, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-immunoreactive cells in the aged rat. The proximal colon of 344 Fischer rats at four different ages (6, 31, 74 wk, and 2 yr) were studied.

Fisetin inhibits matrix metalloproteinases and reduces tumor cell invasiveness and endothelial cell tube formation.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in tissue remodeling during normal physiological situations and pathological implications such as tumor invasion and metastasis. MMP inhibitors were screened from extracts of medicinal herbs by an enzymatic assay using the MMP-14 catalytic domain. Among samples tested, a methanol extract of the root of Dalbergia odorifera T.

The Effect of Cochinchina momordica Seed Extract on Gastric Acid Secretion and Morphologic Change in Aged Rat Stomach.

Background/aims: Cochinchina momordica seed extract (SK-MS10) has a gastric protective effect. We aimed to assess the effect of SK-MS10 on gastric acid secretion with morphologic changes in the aged rat.

Methods: Acid secretions were evaluated in the male F344 rats of four different ages (6-, 31-, 74-week, and 2-year).

Comparison of Indomethacin, Diclofenac and Aspirin-Induced Gastric Damage according to Age in Rats.

Background/aims: Aging gastric mucosa is known to have decreased mucosal defenses and increased susceptibility to injury by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Depending on the type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), the underlying mechanisms and the extent of damage to the stomach or intestine may differ. This study was performed to evaluate the acute gastric damage caused by different doses of indomethacin, diclofenac and aspirin in rats of various ages.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of SKLJI, a highly purified and injectable herbal extract of Lonicera japonica.

The parenteral route has many merits over the oral route, including greater predictability, reproducibility of absorption, and rapid drug action, but injectable phytomedicines are uncommon due to protein precipitating tannin and hemolytic saponin components. In this study, in an effort to develop a safe injectable analgesic phytomedicine, we prepared a tannin and saponin-free Lonicera japonica extract, SKLJI, through fractionation and column purification, and evaluated its anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in in vivo experimental models of inflammation and pain. The removal of tannin and saponin resulted in loganin and sweroside-enriched SKLJI and it showed reduced hemolysis and protein precipitation.

Effect of aging on gastric mucosal defense mechanisms: ROS, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and sensory neurons.

Aging changes in the stomach lead to a decreased capacity for tissue repair in response to gastric acid. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanism associated with the increased susceptibility to injury of aging mucosa including reactive oxygen species (5), apoptosis, angiogenesis, and sensory neuron activity. Fischer 344 rats at four different ages (6, 31, 74 wk, and 2 yr of age) were studied.

Enhancement of gastric ulcer healing and angiogenesis by cochinchina Momordica seed extract in rats.

Cochinchina momordica seed is the dried ripe seed of Momordica cochinchinensis, a perennial vine. The antiulcer effect of an extract from cochinchina momordica seeds (SK-MS10) was evaluated in a rat model of acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers. Gastric ulcers were produced by subserosal injection of acetic acid.

Gastroprotective action of Cochinchina momordica seed extract is mediated by activation of CGRP and inhibition of cPLA(2)/5-LOX pathway.

Cochinchina momordica seed extract (SKMS10), which is composed of the major compounds momordica saponins, has been evaluated for its gastroprotective effects in rat models of acute gastric mucosal damage. Ethanol and water immersion restraint stress (WRS) induced gastric damage, including hemorrhages and edema, was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with SK-MS10. In addition, SK-MS10 reduced increases of mucosal myeloperoxidase (MPO), IL-1β, and TNFα levels and the expression of cPLA(2), and 5-LOX induced by ethanol or WRS.

SK-126, a synthetic compound, regulates the production of inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS in antigen-presenting cells.

A variety of mediators released by immune cells triggers or enhances specific aspects of the inflammatory response. Dendritic cells (DCs) play an essential role in the innate immune system by shaping the adaptive immune responses and by controlling the production of cytokines in response to inflammatory stimuli. In the present study, we investigated whether SK-126, a pyridine derivative based on gentianine originated from a natural product, can affect the LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production in DC.

Effects of SKI306X on arachidonate metabolism and other inflammatory mediators.

SKI306X was previously reported to have good anti-inflammatory and analgesic efficacy in various studies. To determine its mode of action, an investigation was carried out for some representative mediators. Arachidonic acid metabolism and its products are particularly important in inflammation and pain.

SKI306X suppresses cartilage destruction and inhibits the production of matrix metalloproteinase in rabbit joint cartilage explant culture.

SKI306X was previously found to have cartilage protective effects in the experimental osteoarthritis (OA) model. To investigate the chondro-protective benefits of SKI306X for its capacity in altering changes in cartilage metabolism and molecular mechanisms of cartilage protective action, SKI306X is studied in rabbit cartilage explants culture. To investigate the protective effect of SKI306X on cartilage catabolism, we assessed collagen degradation in rabbit cartilage explants treated with interleukin-1alpha up to 3 weeks.

SKI306X, an oriental herbal mixture, suppresses gastric leukotriene B4 synthesis without causing mucosal injury and the diclofenac-induced gastric lesions.

SKI306X compound is a herbal mixture. This plant was in oriental medicine and was clinically approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) in Korea. SKI306X was previously found to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and cartilage protective effects in several experimental models.

Effects of gentianine on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

This study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of gentianine, a constituent of Gentiana Macrophylla. The effects of gentianine on lipopolysacharide (LPS)-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines were investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats. For the first time, we found that oral administration of gentianine (10-100 mg/kg) suppressed the increases in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (ED(50), 37.

Refolding of the catalytic and hinge domains of human MT1-mMP expressed in Escherichia coli and its characterization.

The catalytic and hinge domain (Tyr112-Ile318) of the human membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP; MMP-14), containing hexa-histidines at the C-terminus (chMT1-MMP), was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed polypeptide was almost exclusively found in the inclusion body, and then purified by a single Ni2+-NTA agarose column chromatography after solubilization with 6 M urea. During refolding, the 26.