Bulletin of National Institute of Health Sciences最新文献

A simple determination method for preservative chlorphenesin in cosmetics was developed. Cosmetic samples were dissolved in methanol. The sample solution was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ODS column, using water-methanol (55:45) or water-acetonitrile (3:1) adjusted to pH 2.5 with phosphoric acid as the mobile phase. Chlorphenesin was detected with ultraviolet light detection at 280 nm. A linear relation was obtained between the peak areas and the concentrations of chlorphenesin in the range of 1-500 microg/ml. The determination limit of chlorphenesin was 1-2 microg/ml. Recoveries of chlorphenesin spiked in lotion and milky lotion at the levels of 0.03% and 0.3% were 98.8-100.0%. This method was applied for cosmetics including 0.03% and 0.3% of chlorphenesin and their content corresponded with the determined values.

The revised consumer product safety law was enforced in 2007. Then, the collection and publication system of the information of product accidents was newly included. Serious product accidents due to the chemical substances used in household products had 32 cases in fiscal years 2007 and 2008. These household products were a desk mat, a sectional bed, a spray-type adhesive, a paint and an adhesive for table tennis rackets. The safety measure of the household product was explained based on the law for the control of household products containing harmful substances.

The positive list system was introduced in Japan for agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, feed additives and veterinary drugs in May 2006. After this time, food containing residues of these chemicals exceeding MRLs, or the default tolerance (uniform limit: 0.01 ppm) cannot be marketed in Japan. The number of chemicals to be tested for imported food at the port increased remarkably. We studied on the results of monitoring of imported food for the residues of veterinary drugs and change in trend of violation after the enforcement of the system. The number of violation of the veterinary drugs in imported food increased largely, most of them were attributed to chloramphenicol and nitrofurans in seafood from Asian countries. Monitoring of the veterinary drugs in seafood in other countries such as EU, United States, United Kingdom and Australia were also studied.

Antibodies can distinguish not only differences in amino acid sequences (primary structure), but also differences in three-dimensional structure and thus may be useful for detecting the conversion of prion proteins, especially in vivo. For diagnosis, we prepared chicken single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies that specifically recognized a prion protein using a phage display approach. As antigen, mouse prion protein (MoPrP) 138-153 containing YYR residues was conjugated with KLH. Total RNA was extracted from the splenocytes of an immunized chicken, and the cDNA of scFv was ligated in a phagemid vector. The phage display scFv library was panned against the peptide antigen four times. Twenty-three scFv phage clones that tested positive using ELISA with the peptide antigen were then reacted with recombinant mouse prion protein (23-231), mouse brain homogenate, mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2a, recombinant human V129 and M129 prion proteins, and human glyoma T98G using ELISA, immunoblotting analysis, and immunocytochemistry. The results suggested that the scFv phage clones were useful for detecting mouse and human prion proteins.

Histamine food poisonings are allergy-like food poisonings caused by the ingestion of spoiled fish containing markedly elevated histamine levels. We examined histamine food poisonings in Japan from 1998 to 2008. In average 8 food poisonings and 150 cases were reported annually and there was no fatality case. In more than 80% of remaining food samples, histamine content exceeded 20 mg/100 g. These poisonings were caused by tuna, billfish (marlin) and mackerel, which contained higher level of histamine than other fishes in histamine food poisonings in Japan. Cooking methods of these fishes were mainly "broiled". We also studied histamine food poisonings in other countries. Tuna was the main fish in histamine food poisonings reported to Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US and Ozfoodnet in Australia from 2000 to 2006. In the US, histamine food poisonings were also caused by mahimahi and escolar fish. Our review will be useful for in taking measures to reduce risk of histamine food poisonings.

We have been maintaining an integral web server system, the Allergen Database for Food Safety (ADFS), since 2005 (http://allergen.nihs.go.jp/ADFS/). Recently, a group at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln released a new version of an allergen database, AllergenOnline. This database includes more than 1,300 allergens, all of which have been peer-reviewed by an international board of allergology experts. Here, we have totally revised the dataset of the ADFS by comparing it with that of AllergenOnline to improve the reliability of our allergen data. Moreover, the performance of our web-based tool for predicting new allergens (motif-based method), which was developed according to a theory proposed by Stadler & Stadler (2003), was validated using three methods. As a result of the integration of this allergen data, the number of (iso)allergens in the ADFS has increased to 1340, and epitope information is now available for 76 allergens. Using model datasets, the precision, recall, and specificity of our motif-based allergenicity prediction tool was proved to be 100.0%, 99.4%, and 100.0%, respectively. These results were similar to those for the original motif-based prediction model that was previously reported and are much better than those of the method recommended by FAO/WHO, especially with regard to the precision of predictions.

Cadmium sulfide is one kind of the prohibited ingredients in cosmetics by the Japanese Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. We established the analytical method for cadmium sulfide in cosmetics by ICP-MS. Analytical procedures were as follows: Cosmetics of 1 g contained inorganic pigment were put into a 100 ml flask glass. After adding 100 ml of 12% nitric acid into the 100 ml flask glass, the filtrate was sonicated for 30 min. After sonicating, the mixture was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 5 min and then the supernatant was filtrated through a millipore membrane filter (0.45 microm). After filtration, the filtrate was made up to 200 ml with 12% nitric acid. The solution was diluted 100 times with 12% of nitric acid and used as the test solution. The test solution of 100 microl was analyzed by ICP-MS (HP-4500, monitoring mass 111). The working curve from 1 to 1000 microg/l showed a linear line between the concentrations of cadmium and the peak areas. Detection limit of cadmium is 0.02 microg/l. There was no effect of the ingredients in the cosmetics on cadmium sulfide determination.

The 22nd Screening Information Data Set (SIDS) Initial Assessment Meeting (SIAM 22) was held at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris, France. The initial assessment documents of five substances (CAS numbers: 75-59-2, 80-51-3, 101-83-7, 103-24-2, 27813-02-1) sponsored by Japan were all agreed at the meeting. In this report, the documents of these substances are introduced.

In the course of the archival studies on safety of irradiated foods by the US Army, experimental records conducted by Glass & Smith, and Kruger & Wilson were investigated, based on our experimental experience. Food irradiation by Co-60 or 4 approximately 24MeV X ray can induce small amount of radioactivity in the foods. The principal mechanisms of the nuclear reactions are (gamma, n). The resulting nuclear products found in irradiated target solutions were Ba-135m, Pb-204m, Hg-199m, Ag-107m,Ag-109m, Cd-111m,Cd-113m, Sn-117m, Sn-119m, Sr-87m, Nb-93m, In113m, In-115m, Te-123m, Te-125m, Lu-178m Hf-160m by the (gamma, n) reaction. The total radio-activities in beef, bacon, shrimp, chicken, and green beans were counted at 60 days after irradiation by Cs-137, Co-60, and fuel element. The activities more than background were found in irradiated bacon and beef by Co-60. and activities were found in most foods when foods were irradiated by high energy X ray and the fuel element. The results were understood as the neutron activation by (gamma, n) or (n, gamma) reaction. Therefore, high energy X ray and spent fuel element were not used for food irradiation. As the results of this study Co-60 has been used with small amount of induced radioactivity in food.