• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.94-104
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• 2024

β-Lapachone is a natural quinone compound originally obtained from the bark of the lapacho tree (Tabebuia vellanedae), which has been used in traditional medicine in several South and Central American countries for treating various diseases. Although β-lapachone has been reported to have potent anticancer activity in many types of cancer cells, its effect on the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells is still unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of β-lapachone on the proliferation of human HCC Hep3B cells. According to our results, the decrease in cell viability of Hep3B cells caused by β-lapachone was closely related to the induction of apoptosis, which was confirmed through changes in nuclear morphology and flow cytometry. In addition, in Hep3B cells treated with β-lapachone, the expression of Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic factor, was decreased, while the expression of Bax, an apoptosis inducer, was increased, and the activity of the caspase cascade was also increased. However, in the presence of a pan-caspase inhibitor, β-lapachone-induced apoptosis was weakened, indicating that the induction of apoptosis by β-lapachone was caspase-dependent. Moreover, β-lapachone treatment activated extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling while inhibiting activation of the phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Furthermore, the effect of the ERK inhibitor on suppressing the induction of apoptosis by β-lapachone was minimal, and the PI3K inhibitor significantly increased β-lapachone-induced apoptosis. The findings from this study will contribute to a better understanding of the anticancer activity of β-lapachone in HCC cells.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.170-173
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• 2001

Primary hepatocellular carcinomas are rare in dogs. A 12-year-old 5.4 kg female Poodle was referred to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital with abdominal distension and mild anorexia. In this case, an extensive soft tissue mass was clearly palpable in the upper abdomen and radiography revealed a spherical mass of soft tissue density in the abdomen but its origin was not clear. In following an exploratory laparotomy, a partial hepatectomy was performed. Surgical complications were minimal. The survival time was seven months before dyspnea lead to a sudden and rapid decline.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1002-1014
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• 2023

The root of Cirsium japonicum var. maackii (Maxim.) has long been used in traditional medicine to prevent the onset and progression of various diseases and has been reported to exert a wide range of physiological effects, including antioxidant activity. However, research on its effects on hepatocytes remains scarce. This study used the human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line to investigate the antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of C. japonicum root (EECJ) on hepatocytes. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was used to mimic oxidative stress. The results showed that EECJ significantly reverted the decrease in cell viability and suppressed the release of lactate dehydrogenase in HepG2 cells treated with H₂O₂. Moreover, an analysis of changes in cell morphology, flow cytometry, and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) expression showed that EECJ significantly inhibited HepG2 cell autophagy induced by H₂O₂. Furthermore, it attenuated H₂O₂-induced apoptosis and cell cycle disruption by blocking intracellular reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial superoxide production, indicating strong antioxidant activity. EECJ also restored the decreased levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH) and enhanced the expression and activity of superoxide dismutase and GSH peroxidase in H₂O₂-treated HepG2 cells. Although an analysis of the components contained in EECJ and in vivo validation using animal models are needed, these findings indicate that EECJ is a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-induced liver cell damage.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2004

Purpose : To measure the NMR relaxation properties of MnPC, to observe the characteristics of liver enhancement patterns on MR images in experimentally implanted rabbit VX2 tumor model, and to estimate the possibility of tissue specific contrast agent for MnPC in comparison with the hepatobiliary agent. Materials and Methods : Phthalocyanine (PC) was chelated with paramagnetic ions, manganese (Mn). 2.01 g (5.2 mmol) of phthalocyanine was mixed with 0.37 g (1.4 nlmol) of Mn chloride at $310^{\circ}C$ for 36 hours and then purified by chromatography ($CHCl_3:\;CH_3OH=98:2$, volume ratio) to obtain 1.04 g $(46\%)$ of MnPC (molecular weight = 2000 daltons). The T1/T2 relaxivity (R1/R2) for MnPC were determined at a 1.5 T (64 MHz) MR spectrometer. VX2 tumor model was experimentally implanted in the liver parenchyma of rabbits. All MR studies were performed on 1.5 T. The human extremity radio frequency coil of a bird cage type was employed. MR images were acquired at 17 to 24 days after VX2 carcinoma implantation.4 mmol/kg MnPC and 0.01 mmol/kg Mn-DPDP were injected via the ear vein of rabbits. T1-weighted images were obtained with spin-echo (TR/TE=516/14 msec) and fast multiplanar spoiled gradient recalled (TR/TE : 80/4 msec, $60^{\circ}$ flip angle) pulse sequence. Fast spin-echo (TR/TE=1200/85 msec) was used to obtain the T2-weighted images. Results : The value of T1/T2 relaxivity (R1/R2) of MnPC was $7.28\;mM^{-1}S^{-1}$ and $55.56\;mM^{-1}S^{-1}$ respectively at 1.5 T (64 MHz). Because the T2 relaxivity of MnPC that bonded strongly, covalently manganese with phthalocyanine was very high, the signal intensity of liver parenchyma was decreased on postcontrast T2-weighted images and we could easily distinguish the VX2 carcinoma within the liver parenchyma. When MnPC was administrated intravenously, the tumor margin delineation was more remarkable than Mn-DPDP-enhanced images. The enhancement of liver parenchyma with MnPC persisted at relatively high levels over at least one hour after injection of the contrast agents. Conclusion : The hepatic uptake and biliary excretion of MnPC, which are similar to Mn-DPDP, suggest that this agent is a new liver-specific agent. Also, MnPC seems to be used as a dual contrast agent (T1 and T2) with high T2 relaxivity. However, it is warranted that MnPC needs further investigation as a potential contrast agent for MR imaging of the liver. That is, further characterizations of MnPC are needed in vivo and in vitro before clinical trials. The diagnostic potential of MnPC will also have to be examined more in the animal models of additional types.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.146-149
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• 2010

Pelioid hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), a type of atypical HCC, is a rare histologic type of HCC. The radiologic findings of the pelioid HCC is differ from the typical type of HCC. To our knowledge, this case report is the second literature to show the enhancing features of a pelioid HCC on dynamic computed tomography (CT).Here we describe the dynamic CT findings in a case of surgically confirmed pelioid HCC.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.55-79
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• 2015

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide (fifth in male, seventh in female) and the third most common cause of cancer mortality. Since 2001, the various research group in the United States, Europe and Asia have published clinical practice guidelines for HCC. In Korea, a clinical practice guideline for HCC have been published by The Korean Liver Cancer Study Group in 2003, revised in 2009 and 2014. In China, oriental medicine clinical practice guideline have been published for the first time in 2014, and in the oriental medical profession of Korea, there is growing need for the guideline. This study will introduce the methods of diagnosis and the medical therapeutics which is commonly utilized for HCC in Korea, and existing korean medicine clinical practice guideline for Disease Analysis and Treatment(辨證論治) and herbal therapy of HCC. Further clinical research about various herbal medicines are needed to develop more advanced guideline of HCC.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 1990

Bone metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma appears to be peculiar when clinical manifestation of liver disease is not apparent, and initial diagnosis of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma by fine needle aspiration cytology is rarely obtained. We experienced a case of 45-year-old man with metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma in the sacrum, which was diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology. The intrahepatic mass, measuring 1.2 cm in diameter and kept unchanged in size for two years, was never proved to be hepatocellular carcinoma histopathologically. The aspirated neoplastic cells were mostly in sheets, showing abundant acidophilic cytoplasm and large, round, centrally located nuclei with single, prominent acidophilic mucleoli. In the cell block section, diagnosis of metastatic well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma was made without difficulty, and definite trabecular fashion with sinusoidal endothelial cell lining was found.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 1991

We report a case of hepatoma with duodenal metastasis in a 53 year-old male patient. Hepatoma was confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology technique, and duodenal metastasis by gastrofiberscopic biopsy. Duodenal metastasis of hepatoma is rare. We briefly review the role of fine needle aspiration cytology technique in diagnosis of hepatoma.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.123-129
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in imaging quality and dose difference between intra-venous (IV) and intra-arterial (IA) liver dynamic computed tomography (CT). Herein, retrospective, blinded analysis was conducted to analyze signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in cases of patients who underwent IV or IA liver dynamic CT for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), an interventional procedure for hepatocellular carcinoma. The dose length product (DLP) value stored in Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS) was used to calculate the effective dose and thereby compare differences in the dose between the two methods. The mean liver and spleen signal to noise ratio (SNR) was greater in IV-liver dynamic CT than in IA-liver dynamic CT; however, contrast to noise ratio (CNR) was higher in IA-liver dynamic CT than in IV-liver dynamic CT. However, there were no differences in DLP and effective dose between the two methods. In conclusion, our findings showed that IA-liver dynamic CT showed a similar effective dose and superior CNR compared with IV-liver dynamic CT. Further studies must analyze 3D angiography CT of the hepatic artery to clearly distinguish the feeding artery, which is the essential step in interventional procedures for hepatocellular carcinoma.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 1975

The following tumors occurring naturally in the dog were studied pathologically and discussed briefly. Tumors of the skin and subcutis: Fibroma, Lipoma, Epidermal cyst, Melanosarcoma, Sweat gland adenoma, Mastocytoma (2 cases), Mastosarcoma, and Sebaceous gland carcinoma. Tumors of the spleen and lymph node: Fibrosarcoma of the capsule of spleen, Leiomysarcoma of the spleen, and Lymphosarcoma of the lymph node (2 cases). Tumors of the lung: Bronchogenic carcinoma (3 cases), Adenocarcinoma type, Squamous carcinoma type, and Undifferentiated (round cell) carcinoma type respectively. Tumors of the alimentary tract and liver: Fibroma of the stomach, Hemangioma of the liver, Bile duct carcinoma, Liver cell carcinoma, and Myelogenous leukemia manifested in the liver. Tumor of the peritoneum: Fibrosarcoma. Tumors of the urogenital system: Fibroma of the uterus, Fibroma of the prepuce, Follicular cyst of the ovary, Transmissible venereal tumor of the vagina (6 cases), Carcinoma of the kidney, Adenoma of the prostate (2 cases), and Seminoma of the testis. Tumors of the mammary gland: Mixed tumor (2 cases), and Myoepithelioma. Tumor of the nervous system: Neurofibrosarcoma of the thigh.