[Network for the collection and distribution of Japanese liver tissues resected surgically for drug development and research use].

We focused on the establishment of a trial procedure for the collection and distribution of Japanese liver tissues obtained from waste surgical resections for drug development and research use. The following procedures were prepared for this project: the pretreatment of liver tissues before storage, their storage at 4 degrees C, the transport of liver samples, the setting up of a communication network among the participating hospitals and laboratories and the approval of each ethics committee. Thirteen liver samples (1.

Comparative toxicokinetic/toxicodynamic study of rubber antioxidants, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole and its methyl substituted derivatives, by repeated oral administration in rats.

2-Mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI), a rubber antioxidant, is known to exhibit potent thyroid toxicity in rats, whereas its methylated derivatives are much less toxic. To characterize this methyl-substituent effect on the thyroid toxicity of MBI, comparative toxicokinetic analyses have been conducted in the present study. MBI and the MMBIs [4-methylated MBI (4-MMBI) and 5-methylated MBI (5-MMBI), and a 1:1 mixture of these 4- and 5-methylated isomers (MMBI mix)] suspended in corn oil were repeatedly administered (at 0.