• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.175-180
• /
• 2009

Recently, as the male silkworm pupae, bee pupae have the potential that strengths men's vitality on vascular endothelial nitric oxide in endothelial cells. Especially we prepared alcohol extract of pupae of bumblebee, native bee named Hobakbul, Bombus ignitus. The alcohol extract of pupae of B. ignitus was administered to rats at doses of 0, 0.04, 0.2, 1 or 2 g/kg as a single oral dose. There were no observed clinical signs or deaths related to treatment in all the groups tested. Therefore, the approximate lethal dose of the alcohol extract B. ignitus pupae was considered to be higher than 2 g/kg in rats. Mild decreases in body weight gain in male were observed dose-dependently within B. ignitus pupae alcohol extract treated groups in dose response manner over 2 weeks. Throughout the administration periods, no significant changes in diet consumption, ophthalmologic findings, clinical pathology (hematology, clinical chemistry and coagulation) or gross pathology were detected. Minor changes in male and female rats were found in hematological parameters for all or partial of B. ignitus pupae extract treated groups but all the changes observed were within the physiological range. From these results, it was concluded that there was no-evidence of specific toxicity related to the ingestion of alcohol extract of B. ignitus pupae.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.209-219
• /
• 1996

This study examined the effect of alcohol(AL) and/or paraquat(PQ) on serum TSH, thyroid hormones and enzyme activities, and the protective effect of selenium(SE) againse alcohol and/or paraquat-induced thyroid toxicity in guinea pigs. The experomental group consisted of control, 15% alcohol(AL), 4ppm sodium selentite(SE), 200ppm paraquat(PQ), AL+PQ, AL+SE, PQ+SE and AL+PQ+SE mixed in drinking water-fed guinea pigs for 4 weeks. The morphological changes of thyroid gland were studies on paraffin-embedded sections stained with H-E stain. Body weight losses, high serum concentration in TSH and cholesterol, and low values on triiodothyronine($T_3$), thyrozine($T_4$), free $T_4$ and alkaline phosophatase(ALP) were produced in the groups fed AL and/or PQ. We also noted that AL+PQ-fed group was marked increase in serum TSH. In AL or AL+PQ-fed groups when cpmpared to control group had increased the ratio of thyroid weight to body weight(ratio Twt/Bwt), whereas the ratio Twt/Bwt was decresed in SE or PQ-fed groups. However, the serum TSH, $T_3$,$T_4$ free $T_4$ and cholesterol values, and the ratio Twt/Bwt were reversed in groups given the combination of SE, compared with AL and/or Pq-fed groups, also ALP values were reversed in groups given the combination of SE, compared with AL or AL+PQ-fed groups. In microscope, morphological changes showed a remarkable between the AL or PQ-fed group and controls. In AL+PQ+SE-fed guinca pig, follicular colloid is high density in thyroid follicle and increased in connective tissue around the thyroid cells, and thyroidal epithelia were composed of cuboidal or columnar epithelium. The indicated that the morphological changes of thyroid were direct action in the thyroid cell. The results of this study confirmed that the toxic effect of AL or PQ on thyroid occur independently of changes in liver function, and that SE confers marked protection against AL or PQ-induced thyroid toxicity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.347-357
• /
• 2013

Drug abuse has become a major social problem of the modern world and majority of these abusive drugs or their metabolites are excreted through the kidneys and, thus, the renal complications of these drugs are very common. Morphine, heroin, cocaine, nicotine and alcohol are the most commonly abused drugs, and their use is associated with various types of renal toxicity. The renal complications include a wide range of glomerular, interstitial and vascular diseases leading to acute or chronic renal failure. The present review discusses the renal toxicity profile and possible mechanisms of commonly abused drugs including morphine, heroin, cocaine, nicotine, caffeine and alcohol.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.137-141
• /
• 2005

The critical role of folate in the remethylation pathway for methionine synthesis from homocysteine has been well documented. Hyperhomocysteinemia resulting from inadequate folate nutrition has been implicated in increased incidence of macrovascular diseases, colorectal cancer, neural tube defects, etc. Chronic exposure to ethanol impairs folate nutrition and one-carbon metabolism in the liver, which often results in fatty liver due to a defective remetylation process. This study was carried out to investigate the chronic effects of moderate levels of alcohol and dietary folate on plasma homocysteine levels, and on histopathology and biochemical functions of the liver. Rats were raised on experimental diets with three levels of folate (0, 2, 8 mg/kg diet), and 50% ethanol (1.8 ml/kg body weight) was administered intragastically by intubation tubes three times a week for 10 weeks. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were found to be significantly influenced by dietary folate intake and alcohol administration. Among all treatment groups, plasma homocysteine levels were the highest in the animals receiving a combined treatment of folate deficient diet and alcohol administration. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were negatively correlated with folate concentration in the plasma (p<0.01) and liver (p<0.05). Among alcohol treated rats, increase in plasma homocysteine values due to macrovascular and microvascular fatty changes and spotted necrosis were observed more frequently in folate-deficient animals diet than those on folate-adequate and folate supplemented diets in alcohol-treated rats. These results indicate that folate supplementation above the recommended level might be beneficial in the prevention of alcohol-related hyperhomocysteinemia and abnormal histologic changes in the liver.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.23 no.7
• /
• pp.1269-1275
• /
• 2014

Ecotoxicity assessments with the physiochemical water quality items and the bioassay test using Daphnia magna were conducted for 18 selected effluents of 6 industrial types (metal processing, petroleum refining, synthetic textile manufacturing, plating, alcohol beverage manufacturing, inorganic compound manufacturing) being detected toxicity from industrial effluent in Ulsan city, and the interrelationship between total toxic unit (${\Sigma}TU$) and concentrations of Water Quality Conservation Act in Korea were investigated. The average toxic unit(TU) of effluents for 6 industrial types displayed the following ascending order: petroleum refining (0.2) < synthetic textile manufacturing (0.6) < alcohol beverage manufacturing (0.9) < metal processing (1.3) ${\leq}$ inorganic compound manufacturing (1.3) < plating (3.0). These values were less than effluent permission standard. Based on the result of substances causing ecotoxicity, the correlation analysis was not easy because most of heavy metals were not detected or were less than effluent permission standard. Toxicological assessment of industrial effluent was suitable for the evaluation of the mixture toxicity for pollutant. The whole effluent toxicity test using a variety of species was needed for the evaluation of industrial wastewater.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.35 no.2 s.137
• /
• pp.175-178
• /
• 2004

The cricket has been used in East Asia as crude drugs for treating fever and hypertension, and is presently reared as a pharmaceutical insect in China and a food for animals. For the purpose of evaluating protective extracts against alcohol-induced toxicity, the extracts of the cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) were examined in animal models acutely administered alcohol by the cricket in ICR-mice. Water and methanol extracts from the cricket, were found to cause a significant decrease (37%) in the blood ethanol concentration as well as enhancement of liver mitochondrial alcohol dehydogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydogenase (ALDH) activitieson on a single intraperitoneal administration in mice. Futhermore methanol extract was demonstrated to exhibit more potent enhancing activity on ethanol metabolism than water extract. These results suggest that water/alcohol extract of G. bimaculatus may be used as a food for reducing the toxicity of alcohol.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.54-58
• /
• 2015

The protective effect of EtOAc fraction of Limonium tetragonum extract (EALT) against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity was assessed following acute ethanol intoxication in Spraque-Dawley rats. EALT (200 mg/kg p.o.) was administrated once before alcohol intake (8 g/kg, p.o.). Blood ethanol concentration, and the activities of alcohol metabolic enzymes, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the liver were measured. Also, the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px), catalase were determined after acute alcohol exposure. Pretreatment of rats received ethanol with EALT significantly decreased blood ethanol concentration and elevated the activities of ADH and ALDH in liver. The increased MDA level was decreased, and the reduced activities of SOD, GSH-px and catalase were markedly preserved by the treatment with EALT. This study suggests that EALT prevent hepatic injury induced by acute alcohol which is likely related to its modulation on the alcohol metabolism and antioxidant enzymes activities.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.387-394
• /
• 2008

The toxicity of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and formaldehyde (FA) on the indigenous microbial community in forest soil was studied. MTBE, TBA and FA with different concentrations were added into microcosms containing forest soil samples. After 10 and 30 days, total viable cell number and dehydrogenase activity in the microcosms were evaluated. Bacterial communities in the microcosms were also analyzed using a denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Dehydrogenase activity and total viable cell number were decreased according to the increase of MTBE, TBA and FA concentrations (P<0.05). FA toxicity was the highest, but TBA toxicity was the lowest. The results of principal component analysis using DGGE fingerprints showed that the microbial communities contaminated MTBE, TBA and FA were grouped by exposure time not exposure concentration. Dominant species in the microcosms were as follows: Photobacterium damselae sub sp. and Bacillus sp. KAR28 for MTBE; Mycobacterium sp. and Uncultured Clostridium sp. for TBA; and Uncultured Paenibacillaceae bacterium and Anxynobacillus, Flavithermus for FA.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.27-34
• /
• 1990

This study was undertatken to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin E on the toxicity of cadmium(Cd) in rats. The two variables were the supplmentary vitamin E(400lU/kg) and the protein amount(10.5% in the low protein diet and 18.0% in the normal protein diet) In cadmium treated rats net weight gain and food intake were decreased but improved by supplementation with vitamin E in the normal protein, hematocrit values reduced by Cd were significantly increased by the addition of vitamin E to normal protein diet in Cd intoxicated rats, The supplementation with vitamin E diminished the effect of Cd on aspartate aminotransf-rase and alanine aminotransferase activities in serum In Cd treated rats fed normal protein diet with vitamin E the contents of triglyceride were decreased and total-cholesterol contents were significantly reduced in serum and both of them in liver were markedly decreased. The activity of alcohol dehydrogenase in liver was decreased by Cd however supplementation with vitamin E reduced the effects of Cd on hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase. the results of this experiment indicated that there was some interaction between vitamin E and protein levels and supplementation with vitamin E had an effect more than protein levels oncd toxicity.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2003.10a
• /
• pp.626-629
• /
• 2003

The water extracts of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. showed significant reducing alcohol concentration in blood and hepatoprotective acitivity against D-galactoseamine/LPS and CCl4-toxicity. The concentration of blood alcohol was decreased from 2hr after injected in rats with Hovenia dulcis extracts. The water extracts of Hovenia dulcis significantly inhibited the elevation of serum ALT, AST and LDH levels. In this study, we investigated the effect of Hovenia dulcis extract on reducing alcohol concentration in blood. Also the efficacy and toxicity of Hovenia dulcis extract were evaluated by in vivo and in vitro tests.