Publications by authors named "Dong-Im Kim"

Incense smoke condensate (ISC) can have harmful mutagenic and genotoxic effects. Epidemiological and experimental studies have reported the negative effects of incense use on humans. We investigated the toxicological effects of the incense smoke condensate ISC in a 2-week repeated intratracheal instillation model in mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Particulate matter (PM2.5) and allergens are common environmental exposures. However, their combined effects and their risks are still poorly understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Indoor air quality significantly impacts human health, with airborne microorganisms being a key pollutant. Although toxicity of indoor chemicals has been well-documented, the effects of inhalable microorganisms are not well understood. This study aims to assess the pulmonary effects of dominant resident airborne microorganisms collected from various locations across the Republic of Korea.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mouse strain and sex variability may provide a better understanding of the isothiazolinone-associated respiratory toxicity profile; however, this remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated and compared the respiratory effects of repeated exposure to a mixture of chloromethylisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone (CMIT/MIT) in two commonly used mouse strains, BALB/c and C57BL/6, including both males and females. CMIT/MIT-induced lung injury was analyzed after six times intratracheal instillation of CMIT/MIT using differential cell counts and cytokine measurements in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), histological analysis, and gene expression profiling of lung tissue.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the increasing use of biocides globally and their widespread application in various formulations, the understanding of the toxicity of biocide mixtures remains limited. We previously identified cetylpyridinium chloride and dinotefuran as a potential binary biocidal combination associated with pulmonary fibrosis, based on two intersecting adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) using the molecular initiating events (MIE) modeling method and in vitro testing. These compounds activate or inhibit toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ), which are associated with pathways having the potential to cause pulmonary fibrosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * This study focused on creating hydrogel blends using carboxymethyl chitosan, guar gum, and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) through ionizing irradiation, bypassing harmful chemical agents.
  • * The resulting hydrogels showed great swelling properties, high cell viability in compatibility tests, antibacterial effectiveness, and over 80% release of anti-inflammatory drugs, making them promising for various biomedical applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite a humidifier disinfectant (HD) product containing chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT) with approximately 22% magnesium nitrate as a stabilizer, no report on the effects of magnesium nitrate on the respiratory toxicity of CMIT/MIT is available. In this study, Kathon CG and Proclin 200, containing approximately 1.5% CMIT/MIT with different magnesium nitrate concentrations (22.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

No comparative study has yet been performed on the respiratory effects of individual E-cigarette ingredients. Here, lung toxicity of individual ingredients of E-cigarette products containing nicotine or tetrahydrocannabinol was investigated. Mice were intratracheally administered propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), vitamin E acetate (VEA), or nicotine individually for two weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Particulate matter (PM), an environmental risk factor, is linked with health risks such as respiratory diseases. This study aimed to establish an animal model of PM-induced lung injury with artificial PM (APM) and identify the potential of APM for toxicological research. APM was generated from graphite at 600 °C and combined with ethylene.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Various environmental compounds are inducers of lung injury. Mitochondria are crucial organelles that can be affected by many lung diseases. NecroX is an indole-derived antioxidant that specifically targets mitochondria.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A study was conducted to investigate whether isothiazolinone biocides (CMIT and MIT) could cause lung injuries when introduced into the body via intratracheal and intranasal methods.
  • The researchers found that CMIT/MIT rapidly distributed throughout the respiratory tract, and significant amounts of the substances reached the lungs, causing detectable damage and inflammation.
  • The results indicated that intratracheal instillation led to greater lung injuries compared to intranasal exposure, suggesting varying levels of toxicity based on administration route.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is related to various respiratory diseases, and this affects the respiratory immune system. Alveolar macrophages (AMs), which are defenders against pathogens, play a key role in respiratory inflammation through cytokine production and cellular interactions. Coconut oil demonstrates antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and it is consumed worldwide for improved health.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The antigen-based rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) using saliva specimens is fast, noninvasive, and suitable for SARS-CoV-2 self-testing, unlike nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) testing. We evaluated a novel Beanguard gargle (BG)-based virus collection method that can be applied to Ag-RDT as an alternative to the current RT-PCR with an NPS for early diagnosis of COVID-19. This clinical trial comprised 102 COVID-19-positive patients hospitalized after a governmental screening process and 100 healthy individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The lacking of laboratory black carbon (BC) samples have long challenged the corresponding toxicological research; furthermore, the toxicity tests of engineered carbon nanoparticles were unable to reflect atmospheric BC. As a simplified approach, we have synthesized artificial BC (aBC) for the purpose of representing atmospheric BC. Surface chemical properties of aBC were controlled by thermal treatment, without transforming its physical characteristics; thus, we were able to examine the toxicological effects on A549 human lung cells arising from aBC with varying oxidation surface properties.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this study, we investigated whether humidifier disinfectants (HDs) induce asthmatic airway inflammation in an animal model and compared the features of HD-induced inflammatory symptoms with ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma. Mice were intratracheally instilled three times with either the control or 0.1, 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diesel exhaust particulates (DEP) adversely affect the respiratory system and exacerbate lung diseases, resulting in high mortality rates. However, its pathogenesis is complicated, and the mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. We investigated the effects of DEP pre-exposure on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and identified the roles of interleukin (IL)-17 in mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diesel exhaust particulates (DEP) have adverse effects on the respiratory system. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) abnormalities contribute to lung inflammation. However, the relationship between DEP exposure and ER stress in the respiratory immune system and especially the alveolar macrophages (AM) is poorly understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Currently available toxicity data on humidifier disinfectants are primarily limited to polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate-induced lung fibrosis. We, therefore, investigated whether the sterilizer component Kathon, which is a mixture of chloromethylisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, induces fibrotic lung injury following direct lung exposure in an animal model. Mice were intratracheally instilled with either the vehicle or Kathon.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this study, we investigated the effects of Formaldehyde (FA) exposure on splenic immune responses wherein helper T cells become activated and differentiate into effector T and regulatory T cells. BALB/c mice were exposed to two FA concentrations (1.38 mg/m and 5.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Humidifier-disinfectant-induced lung injury is a new syndrome associated with a high mortality rate and characterized by severe hypersensitivity pneumonitis, acute interstitial pneumonia, or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate (PHMG-P), a guanidine-based antimicrobial agent, is a major component associated with severe lung injury. In-depth studies are needed to determine how PHMG-P affects pathogenesis at the molecular level.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The respiratory system is exposed to various allergens via inhaled and intranasal routes. Murine models of allergic lung disease have been developed to clarify the mechanisms underlying inflammatory responses and evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutics. However, there have been no comparative studies on differences in allergic phenotypes following inhaled vs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Inhalation of diesel exhaust particulate (DEP) causes oxidative stress-induced lung inflammation. This study investigated the protective effects of TF-343, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, in mouse and cellular models of DEP-induced lung inflammation as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. Mice were intratracheally instilled with DEP or vehicle (0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Respiratory fungal exposure is known to be associated with severe allergic lung inflammation. Airway epithelium is an essential controller of allergic inflammation. An innate immune recognition receptor, nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin-domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)-δ in airway epithelium are involved in various inflammatory processes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

IL-17 is a cytokine mainly from IL-17-producing T cells, which are one of subsets of CD4+ T cells and play a role in adaptive immune system. Recent studies have demonstrated that IL-17A can act rapidly as an innate immune responder during infection before the onset of its classic adaptive immune response. This role of IL-17A in innate immune response is implicated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung inflammation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF