• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was designed to observe the effects of Zizyphus jujuba seed extract on the concentrations of the lipids and blood glucose in the S.D. rats fed the experimental diets for 4 weeks. Concentrations of total cholesterol, atherosclerotic index, LDL, LDL-cholesterol, free-cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, triglyceride (TG), phospholipid (PL) and blood glucose in serum were significantly higher in the cholesterol administration groups (group 2 (cholesterol+water), group 3 (cholesterol+Zizyphus jujuba seed extract)) than those in the control group (group 1, basal diet+water). But the concentrations of total cholesterol, atherosclerotic index, LDL, LDL-cholesterol, free-cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, TG, PL and blood glucose in serum ware remarkably lower in the group 3 than those in the group 2. In the ratio of HIDL-cholesterol concentration to total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol concentration, Zizyphus jujuba seed extract administration group was higher percentage than in the group 2. The activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino-transferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in serum were rather lower in the Zizyphus jujuba seed extract administration group (group 3) than in the cholesterol diet group (group 2). From the above research, Zizyphus jujuba seeds were effective on the improvement of the blood glucose, lipid compositions in serum of dietary hyperlipidemic rats. And particularly, Zizyphus jujuba seeds were more effective as a therapeutic regimen for the control of metabolic derangements in adult disease.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.135-144
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• 2001

Objectives : This study was carried out to research the protective effects of Sagunja-Tang(SA) through in vivo experiments, and tried to investigate the relation between oxidation of renal tissues and deficiency of Qi. Methods : Acute renal injury which initiated from free radical induced by $HgCl_2$, were applied to mice and metabolic data were obtained. In order to measure the degree of renal injury, serum level of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen(BUN), total protein(TP) and glucose were measured. Besides, serum level of alanine aminotransferase(AST), aspartate aminotransferase(ALT) were measure too. Lipid peroxidation of renal cortex was examined by measuring malondialdehyde(MDA), a product of lipid peroxidation. Results : SA had protective effects on acute renal injury caused by decrease of glomerular filtration which was initiated by subcutaneous injection of $HgCl_2$. SA protected acute liver injury too. Conclusions : Through this study, we found that SA have healing effects on renal injury of $HgCl_2$ induced oxidative stress that is similar to deficiency of Qi. And further studies have to be followed to certify the mechanisms.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.220-227
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• 2002

Two aspartate aminoransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) isoenzymes (AAT-1 and AAT-2) from Lupinus albus L. cv Estoril were separated, purified, and characterized. The molecular weight, pI value, optimum pH, optimum temperature, and thermodynamic parameters for thermal inactivation of both isoenzymes were obtained. Studies of the kinetic mechanism, and the kinetics of product inhibition and high substrate concentration inhibition, were performed. The effect of some divalent ions and irreversible inhibitors on both AAT isoenzymes was also studied. Native PAGE showed a higher molecular weight for AAT-2 compared with AAT-1. AAT-1 appears to be more anionic than AAT-2, which was suggested by the anion exchange chromatography. SDS-PAGE showed a similar sub-unit molecular weight for both isoenzymes. The optimum pH (between 8,0 and 9.0) and temperature ($60-65^{\circ}C$) were similar for both isoenzymes. In the temperature range of $45-65^{\circ}C$, AAT-2 has higher thermostability than AAT-1. Both isoenzymes showed a high affinity for keto-acid substrates, as well as a higher affinity to aspartate than glutamate. Manganese ions induced an increase in both AAT isoenzymes activities, but no cooperative effect was detected. Among the inhibitors tested, hydroxylamine affected both isoenzymes activity by an irreversible inhibition mechanism.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1996.06a
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• pp.50-63
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• 1996

Nitrogen (N) is an important regulator of the expression of genes involved in carbon and N assimilation pathways in plants by selectively altering the levels of proteins and/or mRNAs. These in C4 plants include genes for such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, carbonic anhydrase, and pyruvate-Pi dikinase. The C4 genes are regulated in mesophyll cells by N availability both transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally through cytokinins and glutamine as signals. The level of both the signals is up-regulated by N availability: cytokinins in roots and glutamine in leaves. The level of glutamine is controlled by the differential expression by N of glutamine synthetase and ferrdoxin-dependent glutamate synthase genes which locate in the mesophyll cells of C4 plants. The results is discussed as molecular mechanism for the greater N use efficiency of the plants as well as N partitioning is the photosynthetic cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.911-916
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• 2003

The effects of Opuntia ficus-indica (OF) administration on the biochemical parameters of function in liver tissue and serum of $CCl_4$ treated rats were investigated. Opuntia ficus-indica (200 mg/kg) was administered into rats intraperitoneally for two weeks. $3.3m\ell$ of $CCl_4$$_4$ (50% $CCl_4$ : Olive oil = 1 : 1) was treated to rats on the 14th day and 15th day and they were operated on 15th day. We examined the antioxidative enzymatic activity by measuring the level of AST (Aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (Alanine aminotransferase), GSH (Glutathione reduced form), GSSG (Glutathione oxidezed form), GPx (GSH-peroxidase), SOD (Superoxide dismutase) and CAT (Catalase) in serum and liver tissue of rats. OFC administered group showed 24.8% of inhibitory effect in AST activity compared to $CCl_4$ -treated abnormal group (CTA). ALT level of OF administered group was decreased by 60.7% to the level of CTA. GSH, GSSG and GPx of OFC administered group were significantly higher than those of CTA group. SOD and CAT in OFC administered group were increased by 28.3% and by 16.9% respectively compared to those of CTA group.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.91-101
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• 1996

Exposure indices are important tools which enable scientists to reliably predict and detect exposures to xenobiotics and resultant cell injury. Since the de novo synthesis of stress proteins can be detected early after exposure to some agents, analysis of toxicant-induced changes in gene expression, i.e. alterations in patterns of protein synthesis, may be useful to develop as biomarkers of exposure and toxicity. The acute and chronic effects of cadmium(Cd, $CdCl_2$ 20 mg/kg) on Wistar male rats were evaluated concerning cadmium contents, tissues enzyme activity, HSP expression. The results of the study were as follows: 1. Less cadmium was absorbed through the digestive tracts, but the ratio of contents in renal to hepatic cadmium was higher at 8 weeks after treatment. 2. ALT(alanine aminotransferase), AST(aspartate aminotransferase), glucose, BUN(blood urea nitrogen), creatinine, the key indices of the clinical changes in hepatic and renal function were significantly changed by the cadmium treatment after 1 week in liver, after 4 weeks in kidney. 3. Enhanced synthesis of 70 KDa relative molecular mass proteins were detected in 2 hours after cadmium exposure, with maximum activity occurring at 8~48 hours. Induction of $HSP_{70}$ was evident at proximal tubules and glomeruli in kidney. Testicular cells produced enough HSP to be detected normally. From the above results, it could be concluded that $HSP_{70}$ induction by the cadmium treatment was a rapid reaction to indicate the exposure of xenobiotics.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.103-109
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• 2006

We investigated liver protection effect of the Hovenia dulcis Thunb extraction which has treated with carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$, 1.0 ML/kg) in SD male rat (20 weeks). We observed the amount of leukocyte, erythrocyte, hemoblobin and hematocrit are increased and the number of plaque is decreased for treatment of $CCl_4$, However, after treatment of Hovenia dulcis Thunb extraction (15 mL/kg), we have same result that of control group which has treated with $CCl_4$ The blood biological data showed that the value of AST (Aspartate aminotransferase), ALT(Alanine aminotransferase) and LDH (Lactate dehydronase) are increased significantly for the negative control group compared to that of control group. For experimental group, respectively, In addition, it was confirmed that the recovery effect of a mysterious death of an interstitial cell of the experimental group is to be compared to that of the negative control group for a sample of pathological tissue.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2012

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and the efficacy of Korean herbal, western and combination medicine use in patients with abnormal liver function tests. Methods: We investigated nerve disease patients with abnormal liver function tests who were treated with Korean herbal, western and combination medicine at Dong-Eui University Oriental Hospital from January 2011 to August 2011. We compared aspartic aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (T-bil) levels before and after taking medicine and excluded patients who had liver-related disease when admitted. Results: AST and ALT were decreased significantly in patients who had taken herbal, western medicine. AST, ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken combination medicine. Compare to herbal medicine, AST, ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken western medicine, and ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken combination medicine. There were no significant differences between western and combination medicine. Conclusions: This study suggests that prescribed Korean herbal medicine, at least, does not injure liver function for patients', moreover, it was shown to be effective in patients with abnormal liver function tests.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.182-188
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• 2016

Objective: This study was designed to assess the clinical effect of traditional Korean medicine on primary biliary cirrhosis.Method: We provided herbal medicine and acupuncture therapy to a 38-year-old male patient who complained about jaundice, itching, and fatigue. During a six-day hospital stay, we checked any changes in symptoms and conducted liver function tests (such as aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], and gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT], among others) to evaluate any improvement.Results: We observed that herbal medicine and acupuncture therapy appeared to decrease the symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis. During each hospital stay, the symptoms and liver function test both showed improvement, especially in ALP.Conclusion: Based on the therapeutic results of the six-day hospital stay, we report improved primary biliary cirrhosis symptoms and a decreasing tendency in ALP and GGP levels following treatment with traditional Korean medicine.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.193-198
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• 2014

Degradation of glucose is aberrantly increased in hyperglycemia, which causes various harmful effects on the liver. Methylglyoxal is produced during glucose degradation and the levels of methylglyoxal are increased in diabetes patients. In this study we investigated whether methylglyoxal induces mitochondrial impairment and apoptosis in HepG2 cells and induces liver toxicity in vivo. Methylglyoxal caused apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells. Moreover, methylglyoxal significantly promoted the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and depleted glutathione (GSH) content. Pretreatment with antioxidants caused a marked decrease in methylglyoxal-induced apoptosis, indicating that oxidant species are involved in the apoptotic process. Methylglyoxal treatment induced mitochondrial permeability transition, which represents mitochondrial impairment. However, pretreatment with cyclosporin A, an inhibitor of the formation of the permeability transition pore, partially inhibited methylglyoxal-induced cell death. Furthermore, acute treatment of mice with methylglyoxal increased the plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), indicating liver toxicity. Collectively, our results showed that methylglyoxal increases cell death and induces liver toxicity, which results from ROS-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress.