Nrf2 promotes MWCNT-induced pulmonary inflammation in mice.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are used to reinforce plastics, but recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to MWCNTs via inhalation or intratracheal instillation induced lung cancer in rats. The present study was designed to determine the role of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) in MWCNT-induced inflammatory response in the lung of mice. Anesthetized male Nrf2 null mice and age-matched wild-type mice were exposed once to MWCNTs at either 0, 10, or 20 µg/mouse by pharyngeal aspiration.

Quantitative assessment of nano-plastic aerosol particles emitted during machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

Focusing on the relatively unexplored presence of micro- and nano-plastic aerosol particles, this study quantitatively assessed the emission of nano-plastic particles during the machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) in the working environment. Measurements of aerosol particles smaller than 1 µm in size were performed by aerosol mass spectrometry. The findings revealed that concentrations of carbonous aerosol particles (organic aerosol and refractory black carbon (rBC)) were higher during working hours than during non-working hours.

The mechanism of low-level arsenic exposure-induced hypertension: Inhibition of the activity of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2.

It is now well-established that arsenic exposure induces hypertension in humans. Although arsenic-induced hypertension is reported in many epidemiological studies, the underlying molecular mechanism of arsenic-induced hypertension is not fully characterized. In the human body, blood pressure is primarily regulated by a well-known physiological system known as the renin-angiotensin system (RAS).

Factory site analysis of respirable fibers generated during the process of cutting and grinding of carbon fibers-reinforced plastics.

Objectives: Carbon fibers are used in a variety of industrial applications, based on their lightweight and high stiffness properties. There is little information on the characteristics and exposure levels of debris generated during the factory processing of carbon fibers or their composites. This study revisits the general assumption that carbon fibers or their debris released during composite processing are considered safe for human health.

Measles antibody seropositivity among children with allergic diseases: A cross-sectional study in the Japan Environment & Children's Pilot Study.

Background: The relationship between allergic individuals and their responsiveness to routine vaccines has rarely been investigated. This study examined whether the seroprevalence of measles antibody differed between children with and without allergic diseases in the general pediatric population.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was performed within a prospective general birth cohort (a pilot study of the Japan Environment & Children's Pilot Study [JECS]) of children aged 8 years.

Female-dominant estrogen production in healthy children before adrenarche.

Objective: Ultra-sensitive hormone assays have detected slight sex differences in blood estradiol (E2) levels in young children before adrenarche. However, the origin of circulating E2 in these individuals remains unknown. This study aimed to clarify how E2 is produced in young girls before adrenarche.

1,2-Dichloropropane induces γ-H2AX expression in human cholangiocytes only in the presence of macrophages.

Recent epidemiological studies reported cases of cholangiocarcinoma in workers exposed to 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP) in an offset proof printing factory in Japan. The present study investigated the effects of 1,2-DCP on the expression of histone family member X (H2AX) phosphorylated on Ser 139 (γ-H2AX), a marker of DNA double strand break, in human immortalized cholangiocytes MMNK-1 cells. Mono-cultures of MMNK-1 cells and co-cultures of MMNK-1 cells with THP-1 macrophages were exposed to 1,2-DCP at concentrations of 100 and 500 μM for 24 h.

Genetic Transformation of Fusobacterium nucleatum.

Fusobacterium nucleatum is a human periodontal pathogen that causes opportunistic infections. It has been implicated in preterm birth and has as a pathogen of colorectal cancer. However, it is a common member of the oral microbiota and can have a symbiotic relationship with its hosts.

Concentration of folic acid (FA) in serum of Japanese pregnant women.

Objectives Exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a world-wide health concern. We reported that Japanese children and pregnant women are exposed to moderate levels of iAs through food. Reducing iAs contamination from foods of high iAs is an important issue unique in Japan.

Associations of dog and cat ownership with wheezing and asthma in children: Pilot study of the Japan Environment and children's study.

Objectives: No previous study has used repeated measures data to examine the associations of dog/cat ownership with wheezing and asthma prevalence among children. This prospective study used repeated measurers analysis to determine whether dog/cat ownership in childhood is an independent risk factor for wheezing and asthma, after adjustment for gestational, socio-economical, and demographical confounders confounders, in Japan.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter pilot study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) during 2009-2010.

Functionalized Surface-Charged SiO Nanoparticles Induce Pro-Inflammatory Responses, but Are Not Lethal to Caco-2 Cells.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in food, and analysis of their potential gastrointestinal toxicity is necessary. The present study was designed to determine the effects of silica dioxide (SiO), titanium dioxide (TiO), and zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs on cultured THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages and human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells. Exposure to ZnO NPs for 24 h increased the production of redox response species (ROS) and reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner in THP-1 macrophages and Caco-2 cells.

Exploratory analysis of plasma cytokine/chemokine levels in 6-year-old children from a birth cohort study.

This study aimed to reveal a new dimension of allergy profiles in the general population by using machine learning to explore complex relationships among various cytokines/chemokines and allergic diseases (asthma and atopic dermatitis; AD). We examined the symptoms related to asthma and AD and the plasma levels of 72 cytokines/chemokines obtained from a general population of 161 children at 6 years of age who participated in a pilot birth cohort study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). The children whose signs and symptoms fulfilled the criteria of AD, which are mostly based on questionnaire including past symptoms, tended to have higher levels of the two chemokine ligands, CCL17 and CCL27, which are used for diagnosis of AD.

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in maternal serum: Method development and application in Pilot Study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been investigated in a number of cohort studies due to concern over their adverse health effects. The aim of this study was to develop a reliable, high throughput and cost-effective analytical method for a broad range of PFAS in human serum. Protein precipitation, automatic solid phase extraction (SPE) pre-treatment and column-switching LC-MS/MS were employed.

Oral exposure to lead for Japanese children and pregnant women, estimated using duplicate food portions and house dust analyses.

Background: Lead is a toxic metal abundant in the environment. Consumption of food contaminated at low levels of lead, especially by small children and pregnant women, raises a health concern.

Methods: Duplicated food portions and drinking water were collected over 3 days from 88 children and 87 pregnant women in Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.

Hijiki seaweed consumption elevates levels of inorganic arsenic intake in Japanese children and pregnant women.

Although exposure to inorganic arsenic is a health concern, especially in developing foetuses and children, dietary exposure levels among pregnant women and children have not been extensively studied in Japan. To address this shortcoming, we completed a 3-day duplicate diet study for 104 children and 101 pregnant women in two cities, Shimotsuke, Tochigi and Asahikawa, Hokkaido. The levels of intake of total and inorganic arsenic were estimated using the concentrations of total and inorganic arsenic in food and drinking water measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

NF‑κB inhibitor DHMEQ inhibits titanium dioxide nanoparticle‑induced interleukin‑1β production: Inhibition of the PM2.5‑induced inflammation model.

PM2.5 is a particle with a diameter <2.5 µm that is often involved in air pollution.

Lead Exposure Assessment among Pregnant Women, Newborns, and Children: Case Study from Karachi, Pakistan.

Lead (Pb) in petrol has been banned in developed countries. Despite the control of Pb in petrol since 2001, high levels were reported in the blood of pregnant women and children in Pakistan. However, the identification of sources of Pb has been elusive due to its pervasiveness.

External lead contamination of women's nails by surma in Pakistan: Is the biomarker reliable?

Adverse health effects of heavy metals are a public health concern, especially lead may cause negative health impacts to human fetal and infantile development. The lead concentrations in Pakistani pregnant women's nails, used as a biomarker, were measured to estimate the lead exposure. Thirteen nail samples out of 84 nails analyzed contained lead higher than the concentration (13.

Heavy metal exposure, in combination with physical activity and aging, is related with oxidative stress in Japanese women from a rural agricultural community.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between oxidative stress and heavy metal exposure (lead [Pb] and cadmium [Cd]), as well as co-factors such as physical activity and age, in Japanese women. This study was conducted with female subjects from a rural agricultural community in Japan. Subjects were asked to complete lifestyle-related questionnaires and undergo a group health examination.

Exposure assessment of lead from food and airborne dusts and biomonitoring in pregnant mothers, their fetus and siblings in Karachi, Pakistan and Shimotsuke, Japan.

Aim: Exposure assessment of lead (Pb) and Arsenic (As) from food, water, and house dust intake were assessed among pregnant women, their children and fetuses in Pakistan and Japan, as well as their body burden of the metals in their blood.

Method: Fifty families which included a pregnant woman, a fetus and the 1-3-year-old siblings were recruited in Karachi and Khairpur in Pakistan, and Shimotsuke and Asahikawa in Japan, respectively. Their dietary exposure to Pb and As was measured in 3-day food duplicates and drinking water by ICP-MP.