• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this case report is to describe the efficacy of treatment with Korean medicine of a patient with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and metabolic syndrome. Methods: The patient was treated with Korean medicine (Saenggangunbi-tang) from April 27, 2016 to October 22, 2016. Results: Post-treatment, the patient's AST and ALT levels were significantly decreased. Triglyceride levels were within the normal range during the treatment. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a significant improvement in hepatic steatosis. Conclusions: The results suggest that Saenggangunbi-tang could be an effective treatment for NASH with metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1785-1788
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• 2006

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH) may progress to advanced liver disease. The diagnosis is made on liver biopsy when investigating a patient with raised transaminases and an otherwise negative biochemical and serological work-up. The subject was a obese male patient who had unexplained raised GOT, GPT. He had no alcoholic consumption and drug ingested. On serological examination, HBsAg and Anti-HCV test are negative. The subject was diagnosed as NASH, and was treated with oriental treatment for obesity. After 2months treatment the raised GOT, GPT decreased to normal range.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.24-28
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• 2019

In this study, the in vitro hepatotoxic mechanism of Ephedra sinica (ma-huang) was investigated by measuring the degree of cell death, secretion of cytokine, and fat accumulation by treating HepG2 cells with 70% ethanolic extracts of ma-huang. Cell death was observed at concentrations of around $5-100{\mu}g/mL$ by treatment with ma-huang extracts (p<0.05). The secretion of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), which are inflammatory cytokines, were significantly promoted at concentrations of around 0.05-100 and $0.5-100{\mu}g/mL$, respectively (p<0.05). In this experiment, it was shown that the extracts of ma-huang stimulate the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-8 and M-CSF, and lead to fat accumulation in the hepatocytes, thereby causing inflammation of the hepatocytes. Hepatotoxicity was observed at around 10-500 times lower concentration than the concentration required to cause serious toxicity, such as cell death, suggesting that hepatic toxicity (hepatitis) may be induced at a low dose.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2015

Curcumin, a major polyphenolic compound of turmeric, is well known to prevent non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) related to obesity. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of curcumin on hepatic fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) in obese mice. $CCl_4$ was administrated in mice fed a normal diet (ND) or a high fat diet (HFD) for 7 weeks together with or without curcumin. It was conducted to examine for metabolic profiles, adipocyte size, and liver fibrosis by serum biochemistry, histology and immunohistochemistry. Also, Apoptosis of hepatic cells was determined by the TUNEL method. Treatment with curcumin significantly lowered the body weight, fasting glucose, serum AST and ALT, and decreased the adipocyte size, the number of macrophage and mast cells in adipose tissue, and collagen deposition in liver tissue in the HFD+$CCl_4$ group compared with the findings of the HFD+$CCl_4$ group. In contrast, treatment with curcumin on the ND+$CCl_4$ group did not show a significant difference except the body weight and mast cell number when compared with the ND+$CCl_4$ group. Furthermore, curcumin significantly reduced the number of parenchymal apoptotic cells, whereas it increased the number of non-parenchymal apoptotic cells, especially resembling an activated hepatic stellate cell in the liver. Taken together, this data suggests that curcumin might be an effective antifibrotic drug for the prevention of liver disease progression in obese mice. Thus, the development of curcumin as a therapy for obesity and liver fibrosis is supported.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2010

The hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effects of Allium victorialis (AV) methanol extracts were investigated on high fat diet (HFD) supplied mice. Treatment of AV extracts (62.5, 125, 250 mg/kg) once a day for 12 weeks markedly decreased the liver steatohepatitis and kidney damages. AV extracts were inhibited the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine elevations and reduced the histopathological changes of livers induced by HFD supply. In addition, AV extracts strengthened the antioxidative defense system with an increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), catalase and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. The 125 mg/kg of AV extract showed similar favorable effects as compared with silymarin 100 mg/kg. It is suggested that AV methanol extract administration is beneficial to the improvement of the alleviation of liver and kidney damages in HFD supplement.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.676-684
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• 2017

The present study aimed to examine the hepatoprotective effects of ethanol extracts from steam-dried ginseng berry (SGBE) in both $\text\tiny{D}$-Galactosamine/Lipopolysaccharide ($\text\tiny{D}$-GalN/LPS)-sensitized mice and in vitro models. Our results clearly demonstrated that SGBE significantly reduced the level of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase in blood, and $TNF{\alpha}$ was normalized in 8 h after the treatment with $\text\tiny{D}$-GalN/LPS. Coincidently, major organs remained unimpaired when compared to $\text\tiny{D}$-GalN/LPS control group. Moreover, p38, which stimulates expression of NAFLD-associated cytokines, was markedly inhibited when treated with SGBE. In vitro analysis revealed that the main components of SGBE, linoleic acid and ginsenoside Re/Rd, may play a role in protecting liver from $\text\tiny{D}$-GalN/LPS-induced toxicity. Finally, we concluded that SGBE may be a promising therapeutic agent for preventing damage to the liver.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.21 no.6 s.101
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• pp.405-409
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• 2006

Bokbunja (Rubus coreanus Miquel) is a wild berry belonging to Rosaceae genus of which application areas have been expanded due to many health effects. Bokbunja berry contains carbohydrates, protein, fats and dietary fibers as major components and various flavonoids such as tannins, volatile components including organic acids, alcohols and hydrocarbons as minor ones. Those active compounds attribute to the following health effects: increase in immune function and antioxidant activity, rise in hormone secretion, suppression of the growth of type B hepatitis virus, and control of weight gain. To utilize the above activities, many products have been developed by using Bokbunja berry extracts in the area of foods, liquors, and cosmetics. Recently, pure compounds have been isolated from the extracts for the development of medicines. In this mini review, the state-of-the-art of Bokbunja researches and applications including papers and patents is summarized.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.205-216
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• 2016

Objectives: We compared the difference of lipid, insulin resistance and metabolic markers based on HCV RNA in Korean adults.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 222 subjects visited the health promotion center of Pusan nationaluniversity hospital from 2004 to 2007. Subjects were anti-HCV antibody positive and were performed RT-PCR for HCV RNA. The HCV RNA (+) group were 85 subjects, HCV RNA (-) control group were 115 subjects, and the HCV RNA (-) but past positive group were 22 subjects. We performed anthropometry, anti-HCV, RT-PCR, plasma concentrations of insulin, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride.Results: BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance such as HOMA-IR and QUICKI were not significantly different between HCV RNA positive and negative groups. The serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol level were significantly lower in the HCV RNA positive group than in the negative group ($186.24{\pm}37.63$ vs $197.22{\pm}37.23$ mg/dl, p=0.041, $111.66{\pm}34.06$ vs $121.38{\pm}35.50$ mg/dl, p=0.042). After adjusting age and sex, high total cholesterol (${\geq}200mg/dl$) (adjusted OR=0.51, 95%CI 0.28-0.94, p=0.03) and high LDL cholesterol (${\geq}130mg/dl$) (adjusted OR=0.46, 95%CI 0.24~0.87, p=0.02) were inversely associated with being HCV RNA positive (p<0.05). Conclusion: The serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol level were significantly lower in HCV RNA (+) group than in HCV RNA (-) group, but not in HCV RNA (-) but past positive group. Prospective cohort studies are needed to clarify the relationship between HCV RNA and metabolic markers.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2007

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of ultrasound examination of children performed by a pediatrician. Methods: One thousand children who presented with symptoms of a gastrointestinal disorder and underwent abdominal ultrasound evaluation in the Department of Pediatrics, between January 2003 and June 2006, were included in this study. We analyzed the patient's medical records and ultrasound results retrospectively. Results: Among the 1,000 patients, 58.4% were male and 41.6% were female. The mean age of the patients was $4.7{\pm}4.0$ years. The main reasons for ultrasound were abdominal pain (43.9%), vomiting (17.3%), elevated liver enzymes (11.8%), and jaundice (9.8%). Abnormal ultrasound findings were present in 57.9% of cases. The major abnormal findings were mesenteric lymphadenitis (29.2%), fatty liver (12.1%), hepatitis (6.4%), hepatosplenomegaly (6.2%), and acute appendicitis (4.8%). The time interval between the initial medical evaluation and the ultrasound evaluation was within 24 hours in most cases (78.5%). The main findings in children with abdominal pain were mesenteric lymphadenitis (32.6%), fatty liver (5.9%), intussusception (2.7%), and acute appendicitis (2.7%). The main findings in children with vomiting were mesenteric lymphadenitis (12.7%), hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (10.4%), and acute appendicitis (3.5%). The major ultrasound findings in children with urinary tract diseases were hydronephrosis (45.4%), urolithiasis (21.5%) and cystic renal disease (18.1%). Conclusion: Ultrasound examination played an important role as a non-invasive and prompt screening examination for detection of abdominal diseases. Ultrasound was an important tool for pediatricians to determine timely information for patient management.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.724-731
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• 2012

This study was designed to elucidate whether combination with Korean red ginseng and Morus alba L. (MPM), traditional treatment for diabetes, ameliorates on high fructose-induced steatohepatitis and vascular inflammation. Animals were divided into four groups; Control receiving tap water, fructose-fed, rosiglitazone-treated fructose-fed rats, and MPM-treated fructose-fed rats both receiving supplemented with 60% fructose (n=10). The MPM or rosiglitazone groups initially received a high-fructose diet alone for 8 weeks, with supplementation with MPM or rosiglitazone, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) agonist, occurring during the final 6 weeks. Treatment with MPM significantly prevented the increase in c-reactive protein (CRP) levels in the high fructose group. MPM suppressed high fructose diet-induced vascular inflammation marker expression such as intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and E-selectin. MPM also reduced intima/media thickness of thoracic aorta. Histologic observation and oil red O staining demonstrated hepatic tissue damage and lipid accumulation were severe in high fructose group. Treatment with MPM ameliorated hepatic tissue morphology with minimized steatosis. In addition, MPM attenuated hepatitis by inhibition of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression. MPM-fed group showed lower serum GOT and GPT levels comparing with high fructose group. MPM and rosiglitazone (positive control) significantly decreased the size of epididymal adipocytes. Taken together, the administration of MPM inhibited high fructose-induced steatohepatitis and vascular inflammation. These results suggested that MPM is useful in the prevention or treatment of metabolic syndrome-related disorders such as fatty acid metabolism and vascular homeostasis.