Dimethachlor is a synthetic herbicide, belonging to the chloroacetanilide group, that inhibits the undesirable growth of weeds via the suppression of very longchain fatty acid synthesis. Although dimethachlor has been shown to run off from agricultural fields into aquatic ecosystems, the toxicity of dimethachlor on aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates is unknown. In our study, we assessed the toxicity of dimethachlor on developing zebrafish embryos by analyzing viability, hatching ability, and phenotypic changes. Embryonic viability decreased from 48 h post-fertilization (hpf) at the highest concentration of dimethachlor. Decreased hatching ratio, shortened body length, and pathological changes in the eye, heart, and yolk sac were observed at sub-lethal concentrations. Additionally, dimethachlor increased the number of apoptotic cells and level of reactive oxygen species 120 hpf. Our results indicate that dimethachlor may act as an anti-developmental toxicant when accumulated in an aquatic environment.

Rapidly progressive interstitial renal fibrosis has recently been reported in young women who have been on a slimming regimen including chinese herbs. Aristolochic acid, suspected as the causal factor of this renal disease, is a well known carcinogen. It has been known that Madouling (Aristolochiae fructus) contains aristolochic acid. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Madouling, Madouling-tang, which are the extract mixture from 10 different chinese herbs including Madouling, and aristolochic acid on reproductive and developmental toxicity. Female rats were administered orally with the extracts of Madouling, madouling-tang, and aristolochic acid from 14 days before mating to day 17 of gestation. Madouling (8mg/kg) decreased fertility in the 8mg/kg group, but Madouling-tang and aristolochic acids did not. Significant decrease of mean fetal body weights were observed in the 16mg/kg group of aristolochic acids. External, visceral and skeletal malformation of fetuses were not observed with treatment. Histopathological examination showed the discrete damage of kidney in the 8mg/kg group of Madouling and 16mg/kg groups of aristolochic acid. In whole embryo culture, Madouling and Madouling-tang caused the retardation of growth and development of embryo in the dose of 1 g/ml and 0.02 /kg, respectively while aristolochic acids showed the similar effect in the dose of 300 /kg. These results indicate that Madouling, up to 0.05mg/kg (prescription dose to human) has no adverse effects on the fertility, reproduction and development of Sprague-Dawley rats.

As alternatives of phthalate plasticizers harmful as endocrine disruptors, citrate esters have been considered for plasticizer in the production of cosmetics, PVC plastics, and pharmaceuticals. Though considered to be low toxic in mammals in vivo and in vitro toxicological information for citrate esters in aquatic lives remained poorly understood. In an effort to find alternative plasticizers we examined the developmental toxicity of tributyl O-acetylcitrate (ATBC), triethyl 2-acetylcitrate (ATEC) and trihexyl O-acetylcitrate (ATHC) together with dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as the positive control in Xenopus laevis embryos based on Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay Xenopus (FETAX). In X. laevis embryos LC50 and EC50 values of ATBC at 96 hours were calculated to be 12.7 ppm (13.3 mg/L) and 11.6 ppm (12.2 mg/L). The LC50 and EC50 values of ATEC at 96 hours were calculated to be 360.6 ppm (409.6 mg/L) and 364.3 ppm (413.8 mg/L), respectively. The LC50 values of ATHC at 96 hours were calculated to be 97.5 ppm (98.0 mg/L). The LC50 and EC50 values of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) at 96 hours were calculated to be 12.7 ppm (13.2 mg/L) and 7.1 ppm (7.4 mg/L), respectively. Developmental abnormality such as head malformation, gut malformation, bent trunk, ventral blister, abnormal tail and myotome were significantly increased by DBP at 8.9 ppm, and which was observed by citrate esters at much higher concentration (ATEC, 320 ppm; ATHC, > 75 ppm; ATBC, 15 ppm). In DBP treated embryos, overgrowth of nostrils was frequently observed and growth was inhibited at 6 ppm. ATEC and ATBC inhibited growth at 80 and 15 ppm, respectively. In ATHC treated embryos, the head and tail length were significantly increased at 14.8 ppm. Lipid peroxidation in tadpoles was significantly increased by DBP (10 ppm) but not by ATEC, ATBC, and ATHC. In tadpoles pro-apoptotic bad, bax and bak mRNA levels and DNA fragmentation were significantly increased by DBP (10 ppm) but not by citrate esters. Together, citrate esters could be considered as substitution for phthalate esters as plastic plasticizers.

기존의 유기계 자외선차단제는 피부투과 및 자극으로 인한 안전성의 문제가 제기되었으며, 무기계 자외선차단제는 나노화에 따른 안전성 문제가 제기되고 있다. 이로 인하여, 최근의 자외선차단제 연구는 유효성뿐만 아니라 안전성이 우수한 다양한 형태의 자외선차단제가 연구되고 있으며, 그 중의 하나가 유기-무기 결합구조의 자외선차단제에 관한 연구이다. 본 연구진은 가교된 고분자 입자 타입의 신규 자외선차단제로서 메톡시신나미도프로필실세스퀴옥산의 제조, 물성 및 유효성 평가에 대하여 보고한 바가 있다. 본 연구는 신규 자외선차단제인 메톡시신나미도프로필실세스퀴옥산의 랫드에 대한 배·태자 발생독성 연구에 관한 것으로서, 이러한 평가는 본 시험물질이 임상에서 임신 전·후에 노출 되었을 경우 불임 및 배ㆍ태아의 이상에 대한 구체적인 정보를 제공해줄 것으로 기대된다.