• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.426-429
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the acute toxicity and safety of Pyungwi-san (Pingwei-san) in Sprague-Dawley rat though the current regulatory guideline. The preliminary study showed that the single oral administration of Pyungwi-san (Pingwei-san) did not induce any toxic effect at a dose level of 2000 mg/kg. Based on the results, 2000 mg/kg was selected as the limited dose. In this study, 10 rats of each sex were randomly assigned to two groups of 5 rats each and were administrated singly by gavage at dose levels of 0 and 2000 mg/kg. After single administration, Mortalities, clinical signs, body weight changes, gross findings were observed for the 15-day period. Throughout the study period, no treatment-related deaths were observed. There were no adverse effects on clinical signs, body weight, and gross findings at all treatment groups. These results showed that the single oral adminstration of Pyungwi-san (Pingwei-san) did not cause any toxic effect at the dose levels of 2000 mg/kg in rats. In conclusion, the $LD_{50}$ of Pyungwi-san (Pingwei-san) was considered to be over 2000 mg/kg body for both sexes.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2015

Overconsumption of fructose results in dyslipidemia, hypertension, which have documented as a risk of cardiovascular diseases. This experimental study was designed to investigate the beneficial effects of Rubus coreanus Miq.(RCM) in high-fructose diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Animals were divided into three groups; Control group fed regular diet and tap water, fructose groups were fed the 65% high-fructose (HF) diet with/without RCM 100 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks, respectively. Chronic treatment with RCM significantly decreased body weight, fat weight and adipocyte size. Moreover, RCM significantly prevented the development of the metabolic disturbances such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension. RCM also led to increase in high density lipoprotein level in the HF group. In addition, RCM suppressed vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression and significantly recovered the levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression in aorta. These results demonstrates that RCM may be a beneficial therapeutic for metabolic syndrome through the improvement of hyperlipidemia, obesity, and hypertension.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.242-245
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• 2011

Socheongryong-tang has been used for the treatment of inflammatory allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma in Asian countries. This study was conducted to investigate the safety of Socheongryong-tang in rats. The safety of this tang on acute toxicity was evaluated by single dose toxicity study. Rats were orally administrated in a single dose of 0 and 2000 mg/kg (limited dose) Socheongryong-tang. There were 7 rats in each groups. All animals were sacrificed after 14 days of treatment. After single administration, mortality, clinlcal signs, body weight changes and gross pathological findings were observed for 14 days. Three parameters were tested: organ weight measurement, clinical chemistry, and hematology. In this study with rats, Socheongryong-tang treatment did not show any acute toxicity. No mortality was noted for 14 days of treatment. There were no adverse effects on clinical signs, body weight, organ eight and gross pathological findings at all treatment groups. The clinical chemistry parameters attesting to liver and kidney functions as well as the hematological parameters were within the normal ranges. From single dose toxicity study with rats, it is considered that $LD_{50}$ of Socheongryong-tang is over 2000 mg/kg in oral administration. This finding of the safety on single dose toxicity study of Socheongryong-tang are expected to strengthen the position of Socheongryong-tang as nontoxic medicine.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the effects of MOK pharmacopuncture at high-doses which are increased 10 to 100-fold in clinics, on propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroidism in rats and the safety. We measured the changes of body weight, food and water intake, body temperature, the serum levels of thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, and T4), AST and ALT, glucose, lipid metabolites (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride) and observed histopathological changes of thyroid tissues by H&E staining. We also analyzed the peaks of constituents of MOK using HPLC. In the results, the treatment of MOK pharmacopuncture at high-dose (30 mg/kg) in hypothyroidism-induced rats for 2 weeks was shown the improvement effects on the decrease of body weight, food intake, and body temperature, The MOK pharmacopunture at high dose regulated the imbalance of thyroid hormones, glucose, and lipid metabolites and also inhibited the structural damages of thyroid tissues. In liver damage, the MOK pharmacopuncture at high dose reduced the increase of AST and ALT levels in hypothyroid rats. We identified the MOK constituents in HPLC analysis. In conclusion, the treatment of MOK pharmacopuncture at high dose has a therapeutic effect on hypothyroidism without liver toxicity, suggesting that the MOK pharmacopuncture be usefully applicable to treat with hypothyroidism in clinics.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.96-102
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• 2012

This study was designed to evaluate a repeated oral dose toxicity and immunomodulating activity of $Pulsatilla$ $koreana$ and $Artemisiae$ $annuae$ in Sprague-Dawley rats. The female rats were treated with $Pulsatilla$ $koreana$ and $Artemisiae$ $annuae$ of control group, low group (0.5 ml/kg), medium group (1 ml/kg), high group (2 ml/kg) for distilled water, intragastrically for 4 weeks, respectively. To ensure the safety of $Pulsatilla$ $koreana $ and $Artemisiae$ $annuae$ such as the following were observed and tested. We examined the body weight, the feed intake, the clinical signs, the ophthalmological test, the hematological and the serum biochemical analysis. We also observed the histopathological changes of liver and kidney in rats. Hematological results were the increase of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes in the high dose group of $Pulsatilla$ $koreana$. The increase immune cells in the high dose group of $Pulsatilla$ $koreana$ might immunomodulating activity. No significant differences in body weight, feed intake, serum biochemical analysis and histopathological between control and fed group were found. In conclusion, $Pulsatilla$ $koreana$ and $Artemisiae$ $annuae$ is physiologically safe and improve immunomodulating activity.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.360-366
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• 2013

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of multivitamin on macrophage activity in Raw 264.7 cell and repeated oral dose toxicity in Sprague-Dawely rat of multivitamin. Raw 264.7 cells were treated with 50 and $100{\mu}g/mL$ multivitamin for 24 h. To measure the activity of macrophages, NO and TNF-${\alpha}$ assays were performed in Raw 264.7 cells. Treatment with 50 and $100{\mu}g/mL$ multivitamin for 24 h significantly increased production of NO and TNF-${\alpha}$ compared with control groups, indicating activation of macrophages. The female rats were treated with multivitamin of control group, low group (0.24 g/kg), medium group (1 g/kg) and high group (2 g/kg) intragastrically for 4 weeks, respectively. We examined the body weight, the feed intake, the clinical signs and serum biochemical analysis. We also observed the histopathological changes of liver, ovary, brain, adrenal gland, spleen, kidney, heart and lung in rats. No significant differences in body weights, feed intake, biochemical analysis and histopathological observations between control and multivitamin treatment group were found. In conclusion, multivitamin is physiologically safe and improve macrophage activity.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2006

This study was carried out to investigate the protective effect of crude saponin from red ginseng efflux (RGE-CS) on biochemical parameters in male rats acutely exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-$\rho$-dioxin (TCDD). Forty male rats ($200{\pm}20g$) were divided into 4 groups. Normal control group (NC) received vehicle and saline; only TCDD-treated group (TT) received TCDD ($5{\mu}g/kg$, single dose) intrperitoneally; RGE-CS 20 received 20 mg/kg of crude saponin i.p. for 4 weeks from 1 week before TCDD-exposure; RGE-CS 40 also received 40 mg/kg of crude saponin i.p. for 4 weeks from 1 week before TCDD-exposure. Body weight of TT group was significantly decreased after TCDD-exposure. However, body weight of crude saponin groups increased throughout the experimental period, although the increasing rate was slower than that of NC group. Decrease in body weight was not observed during the experimental period in RGE-CS 40. Increases in triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), AST, ALT and $Fe^{2+}$ levels by TCDD intoxication were significantly attenuated by the RGE-CS treatment. Decrease in glucose, amylase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatinine kinase (CK) by TCDD also were inhibited by the RGE-CS. These results suggest that saponin from red-ginseng efflux might be a useful protective agent against TCDD, an endocrine disrupter.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.398-408
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• 2020

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of metabolic partitioning between oxidization and esterification of liver fatty acids synthesized and secreted by the liver from egg yolk-fed laboratory rats. Animals were divided into four groups and orally administered egg yolk daily for 30 days: CON (control group, 1.0 g of saline solution), T1 (1.0 g of pork belly oil), T2 (1.0 g of egg yolk), and T3 (1.0 g of pork belly oil and 1.0 g of egg yolk, alternatively each week). The accumulation rate of [¹⁴C]-labelled lipid in liver was lowest in T2 among all treatments (P<0.05). Phospholipid secretion was higher in T2 than other treatments (P<0.05). The triglycerol secretion was highest in T1 and higher in the order of CON, T3, and T2 (P<0.05). Metabolic partitioning rate of phospholipid from total glycerolipid was highest in T2, followed by T3, CON and T1 (P<0.05). The ¹⁴CO₂ production from total glycerolipid was the highest in T2 and showed a high oxidation rate compared to CON, T1, and T3 (P<0.05). Metabolic partitioning of glycerolipid from the liver decreased in triglycerol of T2 compared to CON, T1, and T3, whereas phospholipids of T2 increased (P<0.05).

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.255-264
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• 2014

This study was performed to elucidate the biochemical mechanism of metabolism on reducing blood lipid, by oral administration of egg yolk in rats. A total of 36 Sprague Dawley male rats were randomized into four treatment groups, according to a randomized block design. Each group was further divided into three repeat cages, with each repeat cage comprising of 3 rats. The animals were orally administered with egg yolk once a day, while feeding the same purified pellet diet for 6 weeks. The four treatment groups were: C(control, saline 1.0 g), T1(pork belly oil 1.0 g), T2(egg yolk 1.0 g), T3(pork belly oil 1.0 g and egg yolk 1.0 g alternating every week). The measured parameters in each group are listed as follows in the order of highest to the lowest: daily average gain of body weight(T1>T3>T2>C); blood triglyceride and total cholesterol(T1>C>T3>T2) HDL-C (T2>C>T3>T1); and LDL-C (T1>T3>C>T2). AST and ALT, which are the index of liver function, were the highest in T1 but was lowest in T2. The weights of the liver, spleen, and kidney, except for the abdominal fat, showed no significant difference. The weight of abdominal fat was the highest in T1, but there were no significant difference among C, T2, and T3. The HMG-CoA reductase activity was the highest in T1 followed by T3, C but T2 was lowest. The daily fecal excretions of the total sterol, neutral sterol and acid sterol was highest in T2 but lowest in T1. The results of this study show that the egg consumption reduces the blood lipid through facilitation of fecal excretions of sterols and inhibition of enzyme activity in cholesterol biosynthesis, in the liver of animal and human.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

Experimental induction of polycystic ovary (PCO) resembling some aspects of human PCO syndrome was produced using the long-acting compound estradiol valerate (EV). Our previous study on the role of Korean red ginseng total saponins (GTS) in a steroid-induced PCO rat model demonstrated that electro-acupuncture modulates nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration in the ovaries. In fact, the involvement of a neurogenic component in the pathology of PCO-related ovarian dysfunction is preceded by an increase in sympathetic outflow to the ovaries. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that therapeutic GTS administration modulates sympathetic nerve activity in rats with PCO. This was done by analyzing NGF protein and NGF mRNA expression involved in the pathophysiological process underlying steroid-induced PCO. EV injection resulted in significantly higher ovarian NGF mRNA expression in PCO rats compared to control rats, and PCO ovaries were counteracted by GTS administration with significantly lower expression of NGF mRNA compared to EV treated ovaries. However, NGF protein was unaffected in both EV and GTS treated ovaries compared to control rats. These results indicate that EV modulates the neurotrophic state of the ovaries, which may be a component of the pathological process by which EV induces cyst formation and anovulation in rodents.