• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 2001

Silk fibroin (SF) derided from the domestic silk worm, bombyx mori, is the natural protein and widely used as bio-functional materials as well as apparels. We studied the livers protective effect of SF from alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity in the alcohol preference mouse. To increase more absorption of SF in experimental animals, molecular weight of SF was lowered by 2N of HCI aqueous solution at 10$0^{\circ}C$ for 48 hrs. SF was added to liquid diet with alcohol and fed to the alcohol preference mice for 4 weeks. To assess the liver function, the concentration of alanine aminotransferase (AlT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and cholesterol present in either blood or liver tissue were measured. As compared with non-SF treated groups the SF-treated showed significantly low concentrations of ALT, AST, cholesterol and triacylglycerol values, respectively. Histopathological examination revealed that the extent of hepatocyte injury in the SF-treated group was reduced when it was compared with non SF-treated group. These results suggest that SF may have liver protective effects against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2013

Purpose: Childhood obesity is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and it has become one of the most common causes of childhood chronic liver diseases which significant as a cause of liver related mortality and morbidity in children in the United States. The development of simpler and easier clinical indices for medical practice is needed to identify advanced hepatic fibrosis in childhood NAFLD instead of invasive method like liver biopsy. FibroScan and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) have been proposed as a simple and noninvasive predictor to evaluate hepatic fibrosis in several liver diseases. APRI could be a good alternative to detect pathologic change in childhood NAFLD. The purpose of this study is to validate the efficacy of APRI for assessing hepatic fibrosis in childhood NAFLD based on FibroScan. Methods: This study included 23 children with NAFLD who underwent FibroScan. Clinical, laboratory and radiological evaluation including APRI was performed. To confirm the result of this study, 6 patients received liver biopsy. Results: Factors associated with hepatic fibrosis (stiffness measurement >5.9 kPa Fibroscan) were triglyceride, AST, alanine aminotransferase, platelet count, APRI and collagen IV. In multivariate analysis, APRI were correlated with hepatic fibrosis (>5.9 kPa). In receiver operating characteristics curve, APRI of meaningful fibrosis (cutoff value, 0.4669; area under the receiver operating characteristics, 0.875) presented sensitivity of 94%, specificity of 66%, positive predictive value of 94%, and negative predictive value of 64%. Conclusion: APRI might be a noninvasive, simple, and readily available method for medical practice to predict hepatic fibrosis of childhood NAFLD.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1145-1151
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate liver function test results in admitted patients before and after herbal treatment. Methods: 54 subjects admitted to hospital had liver function tests (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin) before and after herbal treatment from 1 March 2017 to 30 June 2019. Results: Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were not significantly changed (p>0.05). On admission, 11 patients had abnormal liver function, while seven patients had abnormal results in alkaline phosphatase upon discharge. Three of the seven were normal when they were hospitalized. Conclusions: This study suggests that herbal treatment may have no effect on liver injury.

• Annals of Laboratory Medicine
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.518-523
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• 2018

Background: Lipemia, a significant source of analytical errors in clinical laboratory settings, should be removed prior to measuring biochemical parameters. We investigated whether lipemia in serum/plasma samples can be removed using a method that is easier and more practicable than ultracentrifugation, the current reference method. Methods: Seven hospital laboratories in Spain participated in this study. We first compared the effectiveness of ultracentrifugation ($108,200{\times}g$) and high-speed centrifugation ($10,000{\times}g$ for 15 minutes) in removing lipemia. Second, we compared high-speed centrifugation with two liquid-liquid extraction methods-LipoClear (StatSpin, Norwood, USA), and 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany). We assessed 14 biochemical parameters: serum/plasma concentrations of sodium ion, potassium ion, chloride ion, glucose, total protein, albumin, creatinine, urea, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate-aminotransferase, calcium, and bilirubin. We analyzed whether the differences between lipemia removal methods exceeded the limit for clinically significant interference (LCSI). Results: When ultracentrifugation and high-speed centrifugation were compared, no parameter had a difference that exceeded the LCSI. When high-speed centrifugation was compared with the two liquid-liquid extraction methods, we found differences exceeding the LCSI in protein, calcium, and aspartate aminotransferase in the comparison with 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane, and in protein, albumin, and calcium in the comparison with LipoClear. Differences in other parameters did not exceed the LCSI. Conclusions: High-speed centrifugation ($10,000{\times}g$ for 15 minutes) can be used instead of ultracentrifugation to remove lipemia in serum/plasma samples. LipoClear and 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane are unsuitable as they interfere with the measurement of certain parameters.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 1995

The experiment were carried out to obtain a somatic hybrid through protoplast fusion between P.hybrid and N. sanderae. The isoenzyme pattern he chromosome number and the phonotype were observed for genetic study on the regenerants obtained from the fusion product cultures. Putative somatic hybrids possessed all the bands that appeared in both mother plane. A specific band was found on the top of the banding pattern which was assumed to be a marker band of somatic hybrid between two genera. Aspartate amninotransferase isoenzyme bands which were found in both mother plane were also revealed in the putative somatic hybrids or deleted in the upper part of H. sanderae band pattern. The chromosome number of P.hybrida was 2n=14, while N, sanderae was 2n=18,but the number of the putative somatic hybrids ranged from n=32 to 36. The phonotype of putative somatic hybrids was intermediate of the mother plants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.695-703
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• 1999

We have studied the stereospecificities of various pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes for the hydrogen transfer between the C-4' of a bound coenzyme and the C-2 of a substrate in the transamination catalyzed by the enzymes. Stereospecificities reflect the structures of enzyme active-sites, in particular the geometrical relationship between the coenzyme-substrate Schiff base and the active site base participating in an $\alpha$-hydrogen abstraction. The PLP enzymes studied so far catalyze only a si-face specific (pro-S) hydrogen transfer. This stereochemical finding suggests that the PLP enzymes have the same topological active-site structures, and that the PLP enzymes have evolved divergently from a common ancestral protein. However, we found that o-amino acid aminotransferase, branched chain L-amino acid aminotransferase, and 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate lyase, which have significant sequence homology with one another, catalyze a re-face specific (pro-R) hydrogen transfer. We also showed that PLP-dependent amino acid racemases, which have no sequence homology with any aminotransferases, catalyze a non-stereospecific hydrogen transfer: the hydrogen transfer occurs on both faces of the planar intermediate. Crystallographical studies have shown that the catalytic base is situated on the re-face of the C-4' of the bound coenzyme in o-amino acid aminotransferase and branched chain L-amino acid aminotransferase, whereas the catalytic base is situated on the si-face in other aminotransferases (such as L-aspartate aminotransferase) catalyzing the si-face hydrogen transfer. Thus, we have clarified the stereospecificities of PLP enzymes in relation with the primary structures and three-dimensional structures of the enzymes. The characteristic stereospecificities of these enzymes for the hydrogen transfer suggest the convergent evolution of PLP enzymes.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.413-416
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• 2008

Effects of extracts obtained from the flowers of Elsholtzia splendens on the serum lipid profile and hepatotoxicity in mice were investigated. Female ICR mice were given E. splendens ethanolic extract (ESEs) orally at a dose of 10 or 50 mg/kg BW for 50 days. Significant dose-dependent decreases in triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol of serum were observed. In addition, ESEs prolonged the lag-time of LDL oxidation in vitro. In the serum of ICE mice given ESEs orally at 10 and 50 mg/kg BW, the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) increased significantly, while total protein, albumin, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total bilirubin did not change. Therefore, ESEs may be beneficial to human health, although it has some hepatotoxicity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.1020-1025
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• 2011

Effects of Hwangryeun(Copitidis rhizoma) extract on recovery of liver function were researched in $CCl_4$ intoxicated rats. Concentration ${\alpha}$-fetoprotein, total protein in plasma showed a tendency to decrease in Hwangryeun(Copitidis rhizoma) extract applied groups while that of albumin showed a increase. Activities of plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in Hwangryeun(Copitidis rhizoma) extract applied groups showed a lower value than those of controlled groups. Alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase activities showed a tendency to decrease in Hwangryeun(Copitidis rhizoma) extract applied groups. Concentration of plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol showed a lower values than that of control group.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.165-168
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• 1988

Some hematological and biochemical indices were assayed in Korean native cattle naturally harbouring Fasciola hepatica infection and compared with uninfected controls. Affected animals revealed reduction in total erythrocyte count and hemoglobin content, and increase in total leukocyte count. Infected cattle had significantly lower levels of serum total protein, serum albumin and magnesium. Significantly higher values were obtained for the serum enzymes aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 2002

Effects of ($\pm$)-camphor on liver cytochrome P450 enzymes were investigated in male ICR mice. Mice were treated intraperitoneally with 0, 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg of ($\pm$)-camphor in corn oil for 3 consecutive days. Twenty four hr after the final treatment, the animals were subjected to necropsy. The activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase and serum alanine aminotransferase were slightly changed by the treatment with ($\pm$)-camphor at the doses used. Administration of ($\pm$)-camphor to mice significantly induced the hepatic activities of pentoxyresorufin O-depentylase and benzyloxyresorufin O-debenzylase and weakly induced ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase in dose-dependent manners. The present results suggested that ($\pm$)-camphor might act as a relatively specific inducer of hepatic cytochrome P450 2B in male ICR mice.