TOP > DEPARTMENTS > Department of Environment and Public Health

Director: Megumi Yamamoto, Ph.D. (Mr.)
  Individual differences are observed in the expression of toxicity and the onset of the symptom due to mercury exposure. Clarification of susceptibility factors against mercury exposure is an important task for understanding mercury-induced pathogenesis and appropriate risk assessment of mercury compounds.  
 There are two general types of susceptible subpopulations: those who are exposed to higher levels of methylmercury and those who are more sensitive to the effects of methylmercury. The fetus, newborns and children are especially susceptible to methylmercury exposure because of the sensitivity of the developing nervous system. Individuals with diseases of the nervous system, kidney and liver may also be at higher risk of suffering from the toxic effects of methylmercury.
  Our current research is focused on understanding how glucose metabolism disorders affect methylmercury toxicokinetics and toxicity.
Current research projects & Business in charge
Study groups
Risk Assessment group, International Contribution group
Recent selected publications
2010
  • Adler, R., Barbosa, F., Domingo, J., Flegal, R., Gardner, R., Goldman, L., Nyland, J., Sakamoto, M., Silbergeld, E., Stern, A., Wells, E., Yamamoto, M. “Children’s exposure to mercury compounds”. (2010) World Health Organization, Geneva.
    http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241500456_eng.pdf
  • Miyamoto, K., Kuwana, T., Ando, T., Yamamoto. M., Nakano, A. Methylmercury Analyses in Biological Materials by Heating Vaporization Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. J. Toxicol. Sci. (2010) vol35,217-224.
    https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jts/35/2/35_2_217/_pdf
  • Ando, T., Yamamoto, M., Tomiyasu, T., Tsuji, M., Akiba, S. Mercury distribution in seawater of Kagoshima Bay near the active volcano, Mt. Sakurajima in Japan.Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. (2010) Apr;84(4):477-481.
2012
  • Yamamoto, M., Takeya, M., Ikeshima-Kataoka, H., Yasui, M., Kawasaki, Y., Shiraishi, M., Majima, E., Shiraishi, S., Uezono, Y., Sasaki, M., Eto, K. Increased expression of aquaporin-4 by methylmercury in the brain of Common Marmoset. J. Toxicol. Sci . (2012) 37:749-763. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jts/37/4/37_749/_pdf
  • Mori, N., Yamamoto, M., Tsukada, E., Yokooji, T., Matsumura, N., Sasaki, M., Murakami, T. Comparison of in vivo with in vitro pharmacokinetics of mercury between methylmercury chloride and methylmercury cysteine using rats and Caco2 cells. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol .(2012) Nov;63(4):628-636.
2013
  • Sakamoto, M., Yasutake, A., Kakita, A., Ryufuku, M., Chan, H. M., Yamamoto, M., Oumi, S., Kobayashi, S., Watanabe, C. Selenomethionine Protects against Neuronal Degeneration by Methylmercury in the Developing Rat Cerebrum.Environ. Sci. Technol. (2013) Mar 19;47(6):2862-2868.
  • Yamazaki, T., Yamamoto, M., Ishihara, Y., Komatsu, S., Munetsuna, E., Onizaki, M., Ishida, A., Kawato, S., Mukuda, T. De Novo synthesized estradiol protects against methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat hippocampal slices. PLoS One . (2013) 8(2):e55559.
2014
  • Yamamoto, M., Yanagisawa, R., Motomura, E., Nakamura, M., Sakamoto, M., Takeya, M., Eto, K. Increased methylmercury toxicity related to obesity in diabetic KK-Ay mice.J. Appl. Toxicol. (2014) Aug;34(8):914-923.
  • Shiraishi, M., Hangai, M., Yamamoto, M., Sasaki, M., Tanabe, A., Sasaki, Y., Miyamoto, A. Alteration in MARCKS phosphorylation and expression by methylmercury in SH-SY5Y cells and rat brain. Environ. Toxicol. Pharmacol .(2014) May;37(3):1256-1263.
  • Yachiguchi, K., Sekiguchi, T., Nakano, M., Hattori, A., Yamamoto, M., Kitamura, K., Maeda, M., Tabuchi, Y., Kondo, T., Kamauchi, H., Nakabayashi, H., Srivastav, AK., Hayakawa, K., Sakamoto, T., Suzuki, N. Effect of inorganic mercury and methylmercury on osteoclasts and osteoblasts in the scales of the marine teleost as a model system of bone. Zoolog. Sci. (2014) May;31(5):330-337.
2015
  • Shao, Y., Yamamoto, M., Figeys, D., Ning, Z., Chan, H. M. Proteomic Analysis of Cerebellum in Common Marmoset Exposed to Methylmercury. Toxicol. Sci. (2015) Jul;146(1):43-51.
    https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/146/1/43/1661267
  • Muniroh, M., Khan, N., Koriyama, C., Akiba, S., Vogel, C. F., Yamamoto, M. Suppression of methylmercury-induced IL-6 and MCP-1 expressions by N-acetylcysteine in U-87MG human astrocytoma cells. Life Sci. (2015) May:134:16-21.
2016
  • Shao, Y., Yamamoto, M., Figeys, D., Ning, Z., Chan, H. M. Proteome profiling reveals regional protein alteration in cerebrum of common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) exposed to methylmercury. Toxicology .(2016) Mar 10; 347-349:29-39.
  • Sakamoto, M., Murata, K., Domingo, J. L.,Yamamoto, M., Oliveira, R. B., Kawakami, S., Nakamura, M. Implications of mercury concentrations in umbilical cord tissue in relation to maternal hair segments as biomarkers for prenatal exposure to methylmercury.Environ. Res. (2016) Aug;149:282-287.
  • Yoshimoto, K., Anh, H. T., Yamamoto, A., Koriyama, C., Ishibashi, Y., Tabata, M., Nakano, A., Yamamoto, M. Simple analysis of total mercury and methylmercury in seafood using heating vaporization atomic absorption spectrometry. JJ. Toxicol. Sci. (2016) 41(4):489-500.
    https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jts/41/4/41_489/_pdf/-char/en
  • 5th International Conference on Prenatal Programming and Toxicity (PPTOX) V “Poster Award”: https://warp.da.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/11958452/www.pu-kumamoto.ac.jp/news/detail.php?id=212
2017
  • Yamamoto, M., Khan, N., Muniroh, M., Motomura, E., Yanagisawa, R., Matsuyama, T., Vogel, C. F. Activation of IL-6 and IL-8 expressions by methylmercury in human U937 macrophages involves RelA and p50. J. Appl. Toxicol. (2017) May;37(5) 611-620.
  • Hoang, VAT., Sakamoto, M., Yamamoto, M. Mercury and selenium levels, and their molar ratios in several species of commercial shrimp in Japan regarding the health risk of methylmercury exposure. J. Toxicol. Sci .(2017) 42(4):509-517.
    https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jts/42/4/42_509/_pdf/-char/en
  • Hoang, VAT., Do, HTT., Agusa, T., Koriyama, C., Akiba, S., Ishibashi, Y., Sakamoto, M., Yamamoto, M. Hair mercury levels in relation to fish consumption among Vietnamese in Hanoi.J. Toxicol. Sci .(2017) 42(5):651-662.
    https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jts/42/5/42_651/_pdf/-char/en
  • David, J., Nandakumar, A., Muniroh, M., Akiba, S., Yamamoto, M,. Koriyama, C. Suppression of methylmercury-induced MIP-2 expression by N-acetyl-L-cysteine in murine RAW264.7 macrophage cell line. Eur. J. Med. Res. (2017) 22(1): 45.
2018
  • Tsuji M, Shibata E, Morokuma S, Tanaka R, Senju A, Araki S, Sanefuji M, Koriyama C, Yamamoto M, Ishihara Y, Kusuhara K, Kawamoto T, Japan Environment & Children's Study Group (JECS). The association between whole blood concentrations of heavy metals in pregnant women and premature births: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS).Environ Res. 2018 June; 166:562-569.
  • Jaingam W, Komorita T, Ishimatsu S, Takenaka R, Umehara A, Kobayashi J, Yamamoto M, Arizono K, Tsutsumi H. Biomagnification Process of Total Mercury in the Macro-benthic Communities in an Enclosed Bay, Isahaya Bay, Kyushu, Japan. Jpn. J. Environ. Toxicol.2018 Sep 21 (1):9-20.
  • Jaingam W, Komorita T, Ishimatsu S, Kobayashi J, Yamamoto M, Arizono K, Tsutsumi H. Influence of benthic biomagnification process on the total mercury content of fish and mega-benthos in an enclosed bay. Jpn. J. Shiranuikai & Kumagawa Reg. Stud. 2018 12(1):3-14.
  • Sakamoto M, Tatsuta N, Izumo K, Phuong PT, Loi VD, Yamamoto M, Nakamura M, Nakai K, Murata K. Health impacts and biomarkers of prenatal exposure to methylmercury. Toxics. 2018 Aug 3;6(3). pii: E45.
2019
  • Yamamoto M, Motomura E, Yanagisawa R, Hoang VAT, Mogi M, Mori T, Nakamura M, Takeya M, Eto K. Evaluation of neurobehavioral impairment in methylmercury-treated KK-Ay mice by dynamic weight-bearing test. J Appl Toxicol. 2019 Feb;39(2):221-230.
  • Tsuji M, Koriyama C, Ishihara Y, Yamamoto M, Yamamoto-Hanada K, Kanatani K, Bamai YA, Onishi K, Senju A, Araki S, Shibata E, Morokuma S, Sanefuji M, Kitazawa H, Saito M, Umezawa M, Onoda A, Kusuhara K, Tanaka R, Kawamoto T; Japan Environment & Children’s Study Group. Associations Between Metal Levels in Whole Blood and IgE Concentrations in Pregnant Women Based on Data From the Japan Environment and Children's Study. J Epidemiol. 2019 Dec 5;29(12):478-486.
2020
  • David J, Muniroh M, Nandakumar A, Tsuji M, Koriyama C, Yamamoto M. Inorganic mercury-induced MIP-2 expression is suppressed by N-acetyl-L-cysteine in RAW264.7 macrophages. Biomed. Rep .2020 Feb; 12 (2):39-45.
  • Muniroh M, Gumay AR, Indraswari DA, Bahtiar Y, Hardian H, Bakri S, Maharani N, Karlowee V, Koriyama C, Yamamoto M. Activation of MIP-2 and MCP-5 Expression in Methylmercury-Exposed Mice and Their Suppression by N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine.Neurotox Res. 2020 Feb; 1-8.
  • Haraguchi K, Sakamoto M, Matsuyama A, Yamamoto M, Hung DT, Nagasaka H, Uchida K, Ito Y, Kodamatani H, Horvat M, Chan HM, Rand M, Cirtiu CM, Kim BG, Nielsen F, Yamakawa A, Mashyanov N, Panichev N, Panova E, Watanabe T, Kaneko N, Yoshinaga J, Herwati RF, Suoth AE, Akagi H. Development of human hair reference material supporting the biomonitoring of methylmercury.Anal. Sci. 2020 May; 10;36(5):561-567.
  • Yoshino K, Mori K, Kanaya G, Kojima S, Henmi Y, Matsuyama A, Yamamoto M. Food sources are more important than biomagnification on mercury bioaccumulation in marine fishes. Environ. Pollut. 2020 Jul;262:113982.
  • Sakamoto M, Kakita A, Sakai K, Kameo S, Yamamoto M, Nakamura M. Methylmercury exposure during the vulnerable window of the cerebrum in postnatal developing rats.Environ Res . 2020 Sep;188:109776. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109776. Epub 2020 Jun 9.
  • Yamamoto M, Yanagisawa R, Sakai A, Mogi M, Shuto S, Shudo M, Kashiwagi H, Kudo M, Nakamura M, Sakamoto M. Toxicokinetics of methylmercury in diabetic KK-Ay mice and C57BL/6 mice. J Appl Toxicol . 2020 Oct 5. doi: 10.1002/jat.4078. Online ahead of print.
2021
  • Oguro A, Fujita K, Ishihara Y, Yamamoto M, Yamazaki T. DHA and its metabolites have a protective role against methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity in mouse primary neuron and SH-SY5Y cells. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2021, 22(6), 3213; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22063213
  • Kataoka C, Yoshino K, Kashiwada S, Yamamoto M. Do polystyrene beads contribute to accumulation of methylmercury in oysters? Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol . 2021 Apr 24. doi: 10.1007/s00244-021-00848-w. in press
  • Yoshino K, Yamada K, Tanaka M, Tada Y, Kanaya G, Henmi Y, Yamamoto M. Subtidal benthic communities in Minamata Bay, Japan, approximately 30 years after mercury pollution remediation involving dredging disturbance. Ecol. Res. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1703.12281
2022
  • Sakamoto M, Haraguchi K, Tatsuta N, Marumoto M, Yamamoto M, Nakamura M. Breast milk contribution to tissue mercury levels in rat pups examined by cross-fostering at birth. Environ Res. 2022 Jan 19;208:112772. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112772.
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Cooperative Graduate School