State-of-the-art research II
Research to Evaluate the Health Effects of Long-term Intake of Low Concentration Cadmium
Research to Evaluate the Health Effects of Long-term Intake of Low Concentration Cadmium
Training Specialists in Preventive Medicine, the Discipline of Protecting Healthy People from Disease
The efforts of the Department of Health Science continue
Factors that threaten human health are increasing, such as the world uproar about asbestos in recent years. In order to respond to the risk of such health damage, the Environmental and Industrial Health Course was reorganized and the Department of Health
Science was established in 2006. Industrial Hygiene is a field which carries on the research of the founder, Dr. Shibasaburo Kitasato. It continues the history and tradition since the opening of Kitasato University, where preventive medicine to protect
healthy people from disease can be studied, specifically, occupational health and safety management to protect people from poor working conditions, risk management of infectious diseases to prevent disease such as food poisoning caused by microbes, and
mental health for working people. The wide range of research areas which cover most of the world where people live is an attraction.
Prof.Hisayoshi Ota
Department of Health Science
Research on the Heavy Metal Cadmium, Which is Contained in Rice and Rain Water and was the Cause of Pollution Disease in the Past
Japan is originally a volcanic country, and tends to have more metals such as cadmium, chromium and lead compared to Western countries. There have also been occurrences of pollution diseases caused by these heavy metals in the past, such as Minamata disease
and itai-itai disease. In particular, when cadmium accumulates in the body, renal function is reduced and can lead to various diseases including bone metabolism abnormalities such as osteomalacia. Ingestion at high concentrations no longer occurs as before,
but trace amounts of cadmium are still contained in food. Therefore, the focus of current research is the question of what happens when very small amounts of cadmium are ingested over a long time.
This laboratory has been studying the effects of ingestion of cadmium by oral administration to rats for more than 10 years. Although injection would be easier, because the goal is to study a model of intake in daily life, administration is done every day without cutting corners. This is a unique study without parallel as a way to extrapolate from experimental research to humans.
This laboratory has been studying the effects of ingestion of cadmium by oral administration to rats for more than 10 years. Although injection would be easier, because the goal is to study a model of intake in daily life, administration is done every day without cutting corners. This is a unique study without parallel as a way to extrapolate from experimental research to humans.
Effects of Heavy Metals Surrounding Mother and Child: Evaluation of Long-term Intake of Chemical Substances at Low Concentrations
From the research results in rats, the substance cadmium has greater effects on women than on men, especially maternal effects. Birth already puts a large burden on the maternal body, but if cadmium has accumulated, research results show a large decrease
in bone density of the femur after giving birth. Even more serious than the effects on the mother are the effects on children. The concentration of accumulated cadmium in the mother decreases when she bears children. This means that cadmium has passed
to the child through the placenta. "Giving birth to a child" is thus in a sense also the excretion of harmful substances. In addition, cadmium can also be detected in the mother's milk which is expected to provide the newborn infant abundant nutrition
and immune effects. That said, the environment surrounding people today is not in a condition to cause immediate health damage. To consider calmly and without feeling pressed, speak out through research.