Diesel exhaust exposure biomarker found
July 31, 2007A Japanese-U.S. science team has created the first test to detect a biomarker for human exposure to diesel exhaust, a probable human carcinogen.
The researchers, led by Akira Toriba of Japan's Kanazawa University, said the new test should be useful for monitoring human exposure to diesel exhaust and in studies of potential cancer risks associated with such exposure.
Past research, the scientists said, predicted certain metabolites -- compounds formed in the bodies of people exposed to diesel exhaust -- should appear in the victims' urine. One such compound is known by the acronym 1-NP and its metabolites are OHNAAPs and OHNPs.
"This is the first study to demonstrate that the 1-NP metabolites, OHNAAPs and OHNPs, are excreted in the urine of human subjects exposed to environmental levels of 1-NP," the researchers said. "These findings suggest that urinary 1-NP metabolites may be used as a representative biomarker for assessing exposure to diesel exhaust."
The discovery is reported in the July 16 issue of the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
-
Warnings of ecological timebomb after Italy ship wreck
Jan 16, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
3
-
China sets pace for smoggy Hong Kong: think-tank
Jan 15, 2012 |
4.4 / 5 (5) |
1
-
Nanoparticle proteomics: Characterizing protein-nanoparticle interactions in biofluids
Jan 09, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
-
Researchers develop CAD-Type tools for engineering RNA control systems
Dec 22, 2011 |
5 / 5 (4) |
0
-
A dance of aerosols: Study shows plant-sourced particles pick and choose their partners
Dec 20, 2011 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (33) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (4) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Of microchemistry and molecules: Electronic microfluidic device synthesizes biocompatible probes
Jan 26, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
More news stories
Scientists discover molecular secrets of 2,000-year-old Chinese herbal remedy
For roughly two thousand years, Chinese herbalists have treated Malaria using a root extract, commonly known as Chang Shan, from a type of hydrangea that grows in Tibet and Nepal. More recent studies suggest that halofuginone, ...
10 hours ago |
4.5 / 5 (17) |
14
|
New method to examine batteries -- MRI from the inside
There is an ever-increasing need for advanced batteries for portable electronics, such as phones, cameras, and music players, but also to power electric vehicles and to facilitate the distribution and storage of energy derived ...
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
10 hours ago |
5 / 5 (7) |
0
|
Hydrogen from acidic water: Researchers develop potential low cost alternative to platinum for splitting water
A technique for creating a new molecule that structurally and chemically replicates the active part of the widely used industrial catalyst molybdenite has been developed by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley ...
Feb 09, 2012 |
4.8 / 5 (16) |
21
|
Fool's gold may prove an unlikely alternative to overexploited catalytic materials
Catalytic materials, which lower the energy barriers for chemical reactions, are used in everything from the commercial production of chemicals to catalytic converters in car engines. However, with current catalytic materials ...
Feb 10, 2012 |
4.4 / 5 (8) |
8
|
Research provides octagonal window of opportunity for carbon capture
(PhysOrg.com) -- Filtering carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from factory smokestacks is a necessary, but expensive part of many manufacturing processes. However, a collaborative research team from the National ...
Feb 08, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
5
|
Google might launch Drive for cloud storage soon
(PhysOrg.com) -- Google's next big move, according to the Wall Street Journal, is a cloud storage service called Drive. Hardly first to the plate, Google is simply catching up to introducing its cloud reposi ...
A mitosis mystery solved: How chromosomes align perfectly in a dividing cell
Although the process of mitotic cell division has been studied intensely for more than 50 years, Whitehead Institute researchers have only now solved the mystery of how cells correctly align their chromosomes during symmetric ...
Lab study raises questions over nano-particle impact
Tests involving chickens have raised questions about the impact on health from engineered nano-particles, the ultra-fine grains commonly used in drugs and processed foods, scientists said on Sunday.
Starve a virus, feed a cure? Findings show how some cells protect themselves against HIV
A protein that protects some of our immune cells from the most common and virulent form of HIV works by starving the virus of the molecular building blocks that it needs to replicate, according to research published online ...
Researchers find extensive RNA editing in human transcriptome
In a new study published online in Nature Biotechnology, researchers from BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, reported the evidence of extensive RNA editing in a human cell line by analysis of RNA-seq data, demons ...
The proteins ensuring genome protection
Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have discovered the crucial role of two proteins in developing a cell 'anti-enzyme shield'. This protection system, which operates at the level of molecular ...