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Acute Cardiovascular Toxicity of Sterilizers, PHMG, and PGH: Severe Inflammation in Human Cells and Heart Failure in Zebrafish

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An Erratum to this article was published on 29 December 2012

Abstract

In 2011, dozens of children and pregnant women in Korea died by exposure to sterilizer for household humidifier, such as Oxy® and Cefu®. Until now, however, it remains unknown how the sterilizer affect the human health to cause the acute deaths. To find its toxicity for organ, we investigated the putative toxicity of the sterilizer in the cardiovascular system. The sterilizers, polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate (PHMG, Cefu®), and oligo-[2-(2-ethoxy)-ethoxyethyl)-guanidinium-chloride (PGH, Oxy®) were treated to human lipoproteins, macrophages, and dermal fibroblast cells. The PGH and PHMG at normal dosages caused severe atherogenic process in human macrophages, cytotoxic effect, and aging in human dermal cell. Zebrafish embryos, which were exposed to the sterilizer, showed early death with acute inflammation and attenuated developmental speed. All zebrafish exposed to the working concentration of PHMG (final 0.3 %) and PGH (final 10 mM) died within 70 min and displayed acute increases in serum triacylglycerol level and fatty liver induction. The dead zebrafish showed severe accumulation of fibrous collagen in the bulbous artery of the heart with elevation of reactive oxygen species. In conclusion, the sterilizers showed acute toxic effect in blood circulation system, causing by severe inflammation, atherogenesis, and aging, with embryo toxicity.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Mid-carrier Researcher Program (2011-0015529) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) and by a Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity (KOFAC) grant funded by the Korean Government (MEST).

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Correspondence to Kyung-Hyun Cho.

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Kim, JY., Kim, H.H. & Cho, KH. Acute Cardiovascular Toxicity of Sterilizers, PHMG, and PGH: Severe Inflammation in Human Cells and Heart Failure in Zebrafish. Cardiovasc Toxicol 13, 148–160 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-012-9193-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-012-9193-8

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