1.Effects of global climate change on health and diseases.
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1989;38(2):55-59
Effects on morbidity and mortality following both global warming and ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation increase are summarized.
(1) The abnormally high atmospheric temperature (“heat wave”) may be associated with increase in morbidity and mortality of high risk groups, such as the elderly.
(2) Increased photochemical oxidants in urban areas with warming trend will have effects on human health and could cause inflammatory disease of eyes and many types of respiratory diseases.
(3) The concentration of agrochemicals and pesticides in the environment would increase thereby resulting in human exposure.
(4) Since the climate change would affect the seasonal and geographical abundance of major vector species like mosquito, the incidence of vector-borne diseases could be affected.
(5) Since depletion of stratospheric ozone layer effect would increase UV-B radiation, a number of diseases of the skin and eyes may increase.
2.The effects of ultraviolet b increase resulted from stratospheric ozone depletion on human health.
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1990;39(2):55-63
Recently, it has been recognized that the extent of the Antarctic ozone hole becomes clear. The depletion of stratospheric ozone may lead to increase ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation.
UV-B radiation has many damaging effects on human health, such as snow blindness, catalact and skin cancer. UV-B radiation also suppresses the immune defenses against certain infections. Non-melanoma skin cancer, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, has convincing and clear-cut relationship to UV-B radiation. Cutaneous malignant melanoma is laso at least partially caused by exposure to UV-B radiation.
In U. S. A., it has been recognized that the incidence of skin cancer including melanoma increases from high to low latitudes possibly due to the increase of UV-B rediation. while it is difficult to estimate numerical effect on the basis of epidemiologic data in the U. S. A., UNEP and WHO estimates that for every 1% decrease in stratospheric ozone. there will be between a 0.3 to 0.6% increase in catalact. Based on the same epidemiologic data, it is also estimated that for every 1% depletion of ozone, the incidence of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma will increase 2.7, 4.6 and 0.6% respectively.
Therefore, it is necessary to confirm the incidence rate of skin cancer in various countries in relation to UV-B dose. There is concern that increased UV-B radiation, by suppression of the immune system, might lead to an increase of the incidence of infectious diseases.
3.Health risk evaluation of global warming.
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1990;39(4):907-913
Global warming may lead to changes in morbidity and mortality. It directly affects the ecosystem and alters the human hazards such as parasites, pathogens, pesticides and chemical pollutants. The climatic change also affects human health as it brings about changes in air quality and water quality.
The major causes of mortality, such as cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and respiratory disease are influenced by the environmental factors such as climate and urbanization. In the economically developed countries, these diseases constitute the major cause of death. In temperate regions, the seasonal trends of the mortality of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory diseases indicate a winter maximum and summer minimum. Global warming changes the environmental factors and affect the seasonal trends of these diseases in many countries.
The risk evaluation of heat wave stress, pesticides pollution, air pollution, water pollution, and vectorborne diseases by global warming is necessary.
4.Relationship between Serum Cholinesterase and some Biochemical Factors
Kenji Tamura ; Toshimitsu Taya ; Mitsuru Ando
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1981;30(2):121-127
828 female agricultural workers were studied. Their age, blood pressure, Broca index, hemoglobin content, serum total cholesterol, activity of serum cholinesterase and transaminase (GOT and GPT) was measured. The distribution of each factor was examined in the sample of agricultural workers. The data for mean blood pressure, total cholesterol, activity of cholinesterase, GOT and GPT showed a log normal distribution.
For the screening of the data, Mahalanobis's distance was calculated and the abnormal data (P<0.01) was compared with the worker's medical record. The data of non healthy women was excluded from the following calculation.
The correlation coefficients between the activity of cholinesterase and other factors (age, Broca index, mean blood pressure, hemoglobin content, GOT and GPT) were statistically significant. This result indicates that the activity of cholinesterase somewhat depends on these factors.
It is important to investigate the relationships between the activity of cholinesterase and some biochemical factors, and to establish the standard value of its activity in order to estimate the effect of pesticides.
5.Aerial Concentration Change of Pesticide Sprayed in the Orchard and Exposure of the Sprayman to it
Mitsuru Ando ; Shiro Adachi ; Toshimitsu Taya ; Kenji Tamura
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1980;29(1):36-43
Respiratory and dermal exposures of the sprayman to pesticide sprayed by a dilute spray machine (speed sprayer) were studied in fruits orchards. Aerial concentration change of pesticide in the air were also investigated. The degrees of respiratory and dermal exposures were nearly independent on the size of machine, while they were higher in spring than in summer. The degree of respiratory exposure of pesticide was proportional to that of dermal exposure. The dermal exposure of sprayman was greatly reduced by the use of the machine equipped with a hood, which was not so effective against his respiratory exposure.
Serum choline esterase activity of the sprayman was almost unchanged after pesticide spraying. The pesticide in orchard air was detected more than 3 hours after spraying. When pesticide was sprayed by the speed sprayer, the pesticide mist drifted into the house near the orchard.
6.Lipid peroxidative damage and inhalation toxicity by suspended particulate pesticide.
Mitsuru ANDO ; Kenji TAMURA ; Shinji ASANUMA ; Shosui MATSUSHIMA ; Ichisuke KAWAHARA
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1989;38(4):908-914
High concentration of airborne particles was detected in greenhouse air after suspended particulate pesticide spraying. The reduction of aerial concentration of resprirable particulate pesticide was relatively slow.
To study the potential health effects of inhaled pesticide, the animals were exposed to the pesticide, methidathion particles in the inhalation exposure chamber. The exposed pesticide particles were approximately 2.16 μm mass median diameter.
The animals exposed to suspended particulate pesticide had a considerable amount of particles within alveolar macropharges and alveolar epithelia. The serious lesion of alveolar epithelia and capillary endothelia of the animals occured after inhalation of methidathion particles.
The vacuolar degeneration of hepatic cell was also cytosol decreased significantly after inhalation of methidathione particles.
The exposure to suspended particulate methidathion induced production of thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) in hepatic cells of the exposed animals. The induction of TBARS formation in hepatic cells was remarkable at early period of exposure.
The change of serum transaminase (GOT) activities after exposure to methidathion particle was remarkable. GOT activities also markedly increased at early period of exposure.
7.Multiple Regression Analysis between the Activity of Cholinesterase and some Biochemical Factors of Female Agricultural Workers.
Mitsuru Ando ; Shota Hirosaki ; Kenji Tamura ; Toshimitsu Taya
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1981;30(2):128-133
The regression analysis between the activity of serum cholinesterase and some biochemical factors of female agricultural workers was examined.
To normalize the value of the factors, logarithmic value was calculated. Multiple regression analysis between the activity of cholinesterase and the factors related to liver function, such as the activity of GOT, GPT and total cholesterol content were calculated. The most significant factor related to cholinesterase was total cholesterol content, and the activity of GPT was the second. The Multiple regression coefficients of the equation between the cholinesterase and total cholesterol and GPT were from 9.7 to 18.3.
Using all biochemical factors as independent variables, the most suitable equation was determined from calculating the predictive sum of square (PSS). The activity of cholinesterase (ln (ChE)) depends upon the following factors, age, ln (GPT), ln (TCh) and Broca index. Hemoglobin content could also be added as a variable. The equation is;
ln (ChE) =0.002126 (age) +0.04028 ln (GPT) +0.2112 ln (TCh) +0.002188 (Broca index)-1.5687+α Where α is the parameter of each population.
From this equation, the standard value of the activity of cholinesterase of each woman was calculated. The estimate of cholinesterase activity may be useful to examine the inhibitory effect of pesticides on cholinesterase.
8.Inhalation toxicity of suspended particulate pesticide-supracide FD.
Mitsuru ANDO ; Kenji TAMURA ; Ken KANAYA ; Shinji ASANUMA ; Shosui MATSUSHIMA ; Ichisuke KAWAHARA
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1988;37(4):873-878
To study the potential health effects of suspended particulate pesticide-Supracide FD, the animals were exposed to the pesticide particle in the inhalation exposure chamber. The suspended particulate pesticide was approximately 2.16μm mass median diameter.
The animals exposed to suspended particulate pesticide had a considerable amount of particles throughout the alveolar region.The particles deposited mainly within alveolar macropharge and alveolar epithelium. The epithelial lesion of the pulmonary tissue and the vacuolar degeneration of hepatic cell of the animals occured after inhalation of pesticide particle.
The exposure to Supracide FD induced production of more thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) in comparison to the controls. The change of serum GOT and LDH activities after exposure to pesticide particle was also remarkable. The exposure to the pesticide particle caused no significant effect on the serum cholinesterase activity.
9.Retroperitoneal versus Transperitoneal Approach for Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.
Toru Ishizaka ; Motomi Ando ; Mitsuru Nakaya ; Seiji Adachi ; Shinichi Takamoto ; Yasunaru Kawashima
Japanese Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 1995;24(2):85-88
Between 1988 and 1991, 231 patients underwent surgical repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Among them 132 patients underwent isolated Y graft replacement electively. They were divided into two groups, according to the operative procedure; transperitoneal approach (n=51) and retroperitoneal approach (n=81), and the surgical results were compared retrospectively. There was no significant difference in operative time, amount of operative bleeding, operative transfusion, total transfusion, autotransfusion, duration of intubation, total use of analgesia or length of postoperative stay in the two groups. The amount of fluid drained from the nasogastric tube was significantly greater in the transperitoneal group. The initiation of drinking and eating were both significantly prolonged in the transperitoneal group. The transperitoneal approach is indicated for cases with thoracic or thoracoabdominal aneurysm which may be operated on in the future, cases of bilateral common iliac aneurysms and cases with heart disease. Otherwise it is preferable to select the retroperitoneal approach as the first choice for elective surgical treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, because the retroperitoneal approach is superior in terms of the recovery of gastro-intestinal movement.
10.Chronic toxic ellects of herbicide paraquat on rats.
Shinji ASANUMA ; Kiichiro SASAKI ; Eisuke NAITOH ; Kazuo KUROSAWA ; Shousui MATSUSIMA ; Mitsuru ANDO ; Kenji TAMURA ; Shouji YAMAMOTO ; Ichisuke KAWAHARA
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1990;39(2):71-76
Paraquat is one the most popular herbicides in agriculture in Japan. To study the chronic toxicological effects of paraquat on animals, rats were fed a paraquat-containing diet for 1 year and 2 months (1, 5, 25mg/kg of body weight/day). Paraquat administration induced serious histochemical changes in various organs, such as the lung, heart, kidney and liver in rast. Pulmonary fibrosis occurred in the group of rats given 1mg paraquat/kg of body weight/day in diet.
The alkaline phosphatase activity and creatinine content in the blood serum significantly increased. The concentrations of cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid in the serum decreased significantly.
A significant increase of lipid peroxidation was observed in the brain, kidney and liver.