Human exposure factor is one of the important parameters in environmental health risk assessment models. Proper selection of the exposure factors will contribute significantly to improve the accuracy of health risk assessment. This paper reviewed recent application of some key exposure factors for environmental health risk assessment in the USA, EU, Japan, etc. Some suggestions were proposed on focuses and trends of the related research in near future in China, based on the further analysis for the exposure factors of Chinese population.

Objective To examine the relationship of exposure and potential dose of human exposed to indoor and outdoor air pollutants. Methods The definition and calculation methods of exposure and potential dose were analyzed and compared. Personal exposure and potential dose of formaldehyde and carbon monoxide in indoor and outdoor air were calculated by scenario evaluation approach respectively, and the relationships between exposure and potential dose were analyzed also. Results Potential dose could much better accurately reflect the amount of air pollutants entering human body through respiratory tract than exposure did. Exposures and potential doses of human exposed to formaldehyde and carbon monoxide in indoor and outdoor air were significantly correlated in some cases, but not correlated well in other cases. Conclusion Potential dose might be more accurately linked to health effects of air pollutants than exposure did.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) in neuro-regulation of inflammatory and immune response in the early stage of sepsis. METHODS: Sixty-four SD rats were randomly divided into control Group (=8) with normal feeding without any treatment; sham operation group (=8) with laparotomy but without cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), followed by intraperitoneal injection 50 mg/kg piperacillin 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days; and sepsis group (=48) with CLP-induced sepsis. The rat models of sepsis were randomized into model groups (=16) with intraperitoneal injection of piperacillin (50 mg/kg) and normal saline (1 mL/100 g) for 3 times a day for 3 days; GTS-21 group (=16) with additional intraperitoneal injection of 4 mg/kg GTS-21 (once a day for 3 days); and methyllycaconitine (MLA) group (=16) with intraperitoneal injection of MLA (4.8 mg/kg) in addition to piperacillin (once a day for 3 days). Murine Sepsis Score (MSS) of the rats and short-range HRV analysis were recorded. Three days later, the rats were sacrificed and serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-10, IL-6, HMGB1, and sCD14 were measured with ELISA. The percentages of CD4CD25 Treg and TH17 lymphocytes and their ratios were measured using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with the control rats, the septic rats had significantly increased MSS scores and lowered HRV indexes (SDNN, RMSSD, HF, SD1, and SD2; < 0.05); treatment with GTS-21 significantly decreased while MLA increased MSS scores ( < 0.05), but neither of them obviously affected HRV of the rats. Serum levels TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-10, IL-6, HMGB1, and sCD14 and the percentages of CD4CD25 Treg and TH17-positive lymphocytes were significantly higher and Treg/TH17 ratio was significantly lower in the septic rats compared with those in the control group ( < 0.05); treatment with GTS-21 significantly decreased the levels of serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-6, HMGB1, and sCD14 and TH17 lymphocyte percentage ( < 0.05), whereas MLA treatment significantly increased serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-10, IL-6, HMGB1, and sCD14 and the percentages of CD4 CD25 Treg and TH17-positive lymphocytes and decreased Treg/TH17 ratio in the septic rats ( < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS CAP plays negative regulatory role in early inflammatory and immune response to sepsis, and some of the HRV indicators can well reflect the regulatory effect of CAP on inflammation and immunity in the septic rats.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sepsis ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory