Publications by authors named "Jong-Choon Kim"

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) are increasingly used across various industrial applications, raising concerns about their potential toxicity and necessitating comprehensive safety evaluations. In this study, we first evaluated the respiratory toxicity of CuONP exposure in a mouse model of asthma. CuONP exposure alone exacerbated asthma symptoms, as evidenced by increased airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammatory cell infiltration, and elevated cytokine production with increasing thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) expression.

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Humanized virus suppressing factor-variant 13 (hzVSF-v13), a monoclonal IgG4 antibody, is a potential therapeutic candidate for COVID-19. Although fertility and embryonic developmental toxicity studies are crucial for the safety evaluation of new drugs, the toxicological profile of hzVSF-v13 remains unexplored. This study was performed to assess its effects on general toxicity, fertility, and early embryonic development in Sprague-Dawley rats administered intravenously once weekly at doses of 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg.

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Self-assembled-micelle inhibitory RNA-targeting amphiregulin (SAMiRNA-AREG) is a novel RNA interference-based nanoparticle for treating fibrotic diseases. The present non-clinical study investigated the potential 4-week repeated intravenous dose toxicity and toxicokinetics of SAMiRNA-AREG at dose levels of 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg/day in cynomolgus monkeys. During the test period, mortality, clinical observation, body and organ weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, electrocardiography, hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis, and gross and microscopic pathology were examined.

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Background: Asian sand dust (ASD), generated from the deserts of China and Mongolia, mainly affects the human health of several countries in Northeast Asia including China, Korea, and Japan. In this study, we investigated the toxic effects of ASD on respiratory tract and explored the effects of ASD exposure on allergic asthma using ovalbumin-induced asthma model. C57BL/6 male mice were used for both the toxicity and allergic asthma studies.

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Recently, our in vivo experiment showed that silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) did not cause developmental toxicity. However, the putative influences of direct exposure of AgNPs on the embryo-fetuses could not be elucidated because the embryo-fetus was exposed to AgNPs through their dams. In this study, the potential impact of AgNPs on embryonic development during the critical phase of organogenesis was examined utilizing a rat whole embryo culture model.

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Silibinin, a major compound of silymarin, has been reported to alleviate respiratory diseases including acute lung injury, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pulmonary fibrosis through its antifibrotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. However, the specific mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects, particularly in allergic asthma, are not fully understood. With the increasing prevalence and impact of allergic asthma, there is a need to elucidate the exact underlying mechanisms of its potential treatment effects.

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Background: Although copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) offer certain benefits to humans, they can be toxic to organs and exacerbate underlying diseases upon exposure. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), induced by smoking, can worsen with exposure to various harmful particles. However, the specific impact of CuONPs on COPD and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.

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Asian sand dust (ASD), a seasonal dust storm originating from the deserts of China and Mongolia, affects Korea and Japan during the spring, carrying soil particles and a variety of biochemical components. Exposure to ASD has been associated with the onset and exacerbation of respiratory disorders, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates ASD-induced pulmonary toxicity and its mechanistic pathways, focusing on the role of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP).

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Article Synopsis
  • Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) are increasingly used in various industries, raising concerns about their toxicity and potential to worsen asthma symptoms.
  • A study using an asthma model showed that exposure to CuO NPs caused heightened inflammation, increased mucus production, and elevated levels of specific immune responses, all tied to the activation of the thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) pathway.
  • Reducing TXNIP levels in experiments significantly lowered these adverse effects, indicating that targeting this pathway might help manage the pulmonary toxicity and asthma exacerbation caused by CuO NPs.
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Article Synopsis
  • * Silibinin treatment reduced inflammatory markers and improved oxidative stress responses in both cell lines and animal models exposed to ASD, showing significant decreases in various pro-inflammatory proteins.
  • * The findings suggest that silibinin can alleviate pulmonary inflammation linked to ASD by targeting inflammatory signaling pathways and oxidative stress, highlighting its potential as a treatment option.
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Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiONPs) are used in products that are applied to the human body, such as cosmetics and food, but their biocompatibility remains controversial. Pycnogenol (PYC), a natural extract of pine bark, exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, we investigated whether PYC effectively alleviates pulmonary toxicity induced by airway exposure to TiONPs, and the beneficial effects of PYC were explained through the analysis of changes to the mechanism of cytotoxicity.

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Introduction: Humanized mouse models to recapitulate human biological systems still have limitations, such as the onset of lethal graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a variable success rate, and the low accessibility of total body irradiation (TBI). Recently, mice modified with the CD47-SIRPA axis have been studied to improve humanized mouse models. However, such trials have been rarely applied in NOD mice.

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Allergic asthma, a type of chronic airway inflammation, is a global health concern because of its increasing incidence and recurrence rates. L. yields a variety type of teas, which are also used as medicinal plants in East Asia and are known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-potentiating properties.

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Asian sand dust (ASD), generally produced in East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea, directly leads to the development of pulmonary disease and exacerbates underlying pulmonary diseases. Franch. and Sav.

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Taurine is a nonessential amino acid that has been increasingly consumed due to its various beneficial biological effects. Excessive taurine intake has been linked to the positive regulation of inflammatory responses and endoplasmic reticulum stress through the modulation of intracellular calcium levels. However, research on the potential adverse effects of taurine consumption on the respiratory system is limited.

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Parabens have historically served as antimicrobial preservatives in a range of consumables such as food, beverages, medications, and personal care products due to their broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal properties. Traditionally, these compounds were believed to exhibit low toxicity, causing minimal irritation, and possessing limited sensitization potential. However, recent evidence suggests that parabens might function as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

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Asian sand dust (ASD), also called China dust or yellow dust, mainly occurs in East Asia during spring and autumn. Because ASD enters the body mainly through the respiratory system, it can cause respiratory disorders or worsen underlying diseases. Because of this, it has become an important health concern that threatens the well-being of humans and animals.

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As caffeine consumption continues to increase, both positive and negative effects are becoming evident. Caffeine directly affects the cardiovascular system, including heart function and rate. Thus, understanding the current respiratory safety pharmacological responses is of utmost importance.

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Exposure to particulate matter is currently recognized as a serious aggravating factor of respiratory diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of particulate matter (PM) on the respiratory system in BALB/c mice and NCI-H292 cells. PM (0, 2.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Angelica decursiva Franchet & Savatier is a traditional medicinal plant used to treat asthma, cough, headache, pyrexia and thick phlegm in China, Japan and Korea. A. decursiva contains many types of coumarins, which can exert several pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties for treating various diseases such as pneumonitis, atopic dermatitis, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.

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Collagen peptides are widely employed as therapeutic materials due to their numerous beneficial properties, including for the following uses: antiaging, antioxidant applications, antibacterial applications, wound healing, tissue engineering, medication delivery, and cosmetics. Although collagen peptides are useful in these applications, to our knowledge, few published studies have been undertaken on their repeated-dose toxicity. We evaluated the possible subchronic toxicity of a collagen peptide derived from skate () skin (CPSS) in Sprague-Dawley rats by administering repeated oral doses over 90 days.

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Melamine or cyanuric acid alone has low toxicity, but combined exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid was reported to cause unexpected toxicological effects. This study investigated the potential effects and toxic mechanism of combined exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid on placental and fetal development in rats. Exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid caused maternal toxicity manifested by increased abnormal symptoms and decreased body weight gain.

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Aluminum oxide nanoparticles (AlO NPs) have recently been reported to cause an inflammatory response in the lungs, and studies are being conducted on their adverse effects, especially in patients with underlying lung diseases such as asthma. However, the underlying mechanism of asthma aggravation caused by AlO NPs remains unclear. This study investigated whether AlO NPs exacerbate ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma and focused on the correlation between toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling and AlO NP-induced asthma exacerbation.

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