京都府舞鶴湾内の重金属汚染実態調査ー鉛汚染の現状把握を中心にー

Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn) were determined in surface sediment, mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and short-necked clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) collected from Maizuru Bay, a semi-enclosed marine inlet of the Japan Sea, in 2007 in order to elucidate their contamination levels and distribution. The highest Pb concentrations in sediments, mussels and short-necked clams, 8716μg/g dry, 131±56μg/g wet, 579±459μg/g wet, respectively, were detected in samples from the lead battery recycle factory basin. These evaluates are the most inferior level applied to the environmental index and food-safety standard. Relatively higher Cu. Mn and Ni concentrations were noted in the sediment samples from the factory basin. Considering these results, the ability of lead highly concentrated in surface sediment, mussel and short-necked clam poses a direct threat to the marine ecosystem and mankind. Continuous monitoring and investigations on the effect of Pb are especially needed in Maizuru Bay

Transfer of carbon-14 to prenatal and neonatal rats from their mother exposed to C14-compounds by ingestion

The transfer of C14 through placenta or milk was investigated and the radiation dose to fetal and newborn rats was estimated.Workshop on Internal Dosimetry of Radionuclides：Occupational, Public and Medical Exposur

Antibody Concentration Measurement Using Optical Rotation: Toward Process Analytical Technology

The antibody manufacturing process consists of the cell culture process using animal cells and the purification process including several chromatography steps and filtration steps. The purification process is important to obtain high quality bio-pharmaceutical products by removing impurities, and measurement of antibody concentrations is a fundamental and essential factor to control the manufacturing process and to confirm the yield of each purification step. Here we introduce the optical rotation method as a resolution for measuring antibody concentrations in the manufacturing process. Feasibility evaluation showed that optical rotation is applicable for measuring a wide range of antibody concentrations even in cell culture supernatants containing various contaminants. In addition, as examples of application to the process analytical technology, we show the possibility of the optical rotation method in the continuous cell culture and chromatography process, and the tangential flow filtration concentration process

Transfer of carbon-14 to prenatal and neonatal rats from their mothers exposed to 14C-compounds by ingestion

The transfer of C14 through placenta or milk was investigated and the radiation dose to fetal and newborn rats was estimated. Female rats at different gestational stages or after delivery ware exposed to C14 in the form of sodium bicarbonate, thymidine and lysine by a single ingestion. Radioactivity in maternal tissues and conceptuses (placenta, fetal membrane and fetus) and in the newborn was determined at various times after ingestion. After exposure to these C14 compounds, there was no significant difference between the C14 concentration in the fetus and that in the maternal tissues, suggesting that the placenta has no effect in preventing or accelerating the placental transfer of C14. The concentration and content of C14 in the fetus and newborn were, however, dependent on the chemical form of C14 and on the prenatal or neonatal stage at the time of ingestion. The result of the does estimation showed that C14-lysine gave significantly higher prenatal and neonatal doses than C14-sodium bicarbonate or C14-thymidine

Early Phase Increase in Serum TIMP-1 in Patients with Acute Encephalopathy with Biphasic Seizures and Late Reduced Diffusion

Background: Acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion (AESD) is the most frequent subtype of acute encephalopathy syndrome among Japanese children. Exanthem subitum is the most common causative infectious disease of AESD. We herein retrospectively analyzed serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), and seven cytokines in patients with AESD or prolonged febrile seizure (FS) to assess the pathophysiology of AESD and detect biomarkers for diagnosing AESD in the early phase. Methods: Serum and CSF samples were obtained from 17 patients with AESD (1st seizure phase group, n = 7; 2nd seizure phase group, n = 10) and 8 with FS. The concentrations of MMP-9, TIMP-1, and seven cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays or cytometric bead arrays. Results: Serum concentrations of TIMP-1 were significantly higher in the 1st seizure phase group than in the 2nd seizure phase group. No significant differences were observed in serum concentrations of MMP-9 or the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio. Conclusions: The MMP-9-independent increase in circulating TIMP-1 concentrations observed in the present study may be associated with the pathophysiology of AESD in the 1st seizure phase