• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.443-454
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• 2021

Purpose: Due to the increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has reached epidemic dimensions over time. NAFLD is the most common cause of childhood chronic liver disease. There is a relationship between NAFLD and oxidative stress. This study aims to investigate the changes in thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters to determine the oxidant/antioxidant balance in obese rats with diet-induced NAFLD and healthy rats. Methods: Twelve Wistar albino rats were used in this study. Experimentally produced NAFLD obese rats (n=6) and healthy rats were compared. Experimental NAFLD model was created with a special fatty liver diet (Altromin^® C1063, Fatty Liver Diet, Exclusivet, Lage, Germany). The biochemical and histopathological features of the groups, as well as serum thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters, were analyzed and compared. Results: In the experimentally induced NAFLD rat model, they gained more weight than the control group. Steatosis (at least grade 2) occurred in all rats fed with special fatty liver diet for 12 weeks. Histopathologically, no high-grade inflammation was observed in rats with experimental NAFLD after feeding a diet for 12 weeks. Results revealed that aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels were high, albumin levels were low, oxidant stress parameters increased, and antioxidant thiol groups decreased. Conclusion: Experimental NAFLD is characterized by increased oxidant stress accompanying fatty tissue in the liver. Analysis of thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters in NAFLD can be used in further studies to develop effective treatment options.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1256-1261
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• 2021

Rubus coreanus Miquel (bokbunja), Korean black raspberry, is known to possess various phytochemicals that exert antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, most studies on Rubus coreanus Miquel have been performed with the solvent extracts and/or a single component to demonstrate the efficacy, while studies evaluating the effect of the whole fructus of Rubus coreanus Miquel are limited. In this study, therefore, we employed the isoproterenol (IPN)-induced myocardial infarction model and investigated the effect of freeze-dried powder of Rubus coreanus Miquel (RCP) on oxidative stress and prevention of organ damage. Oral administration of RCP reduced the level of toxicity markers, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) without affecting body weight and diet intake. The oxidative stress marker glutathione (GSH) increased about 45% and malonaldehyde (MDA) decreased about 27% compared to the IPN group with RCP-H (3%) administration. By histological analysis, IPN induced significant myocardial damage in the heart and vascular injury in the liver, and RCP administration ameliorated the damages in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, RCP activated the antioxidant system leading to prevention of damage to organs by IPN in rats, making it possible to expect beneficial efficacies by consuming the whole fructus of Rubus coreanus Miquel.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1206-1224
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• 2018

Purpose: This systematic review was planned and performed in order to determine the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: We searched related randomized controlled trials in several medical online databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Public/Publisher MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), National Digital Science Library (NDSL), and Research Information Sharing Service (RISS). NAFLD related outcomes were extracted from the included trials and meta-analyzed. Results: From the 8 included trials, the values of the following examinations were extracted: liver ultrasonography, liver CT, body fat CT, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, fasting blood sugar (FBS), hosmeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), weight, body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio (WHR), obesity degree, body fat mass, body fat rate, leptin, malondialdehyde (MDA), and super oxide dismutase (SOD). In the 4 outcomes, cure rate in liver ultrasonography (RR=1.56; 95%CI=1.05~2.31; P=0.03), cure rate in liver CT (RR=2.23; 95%CI=1.33~3.72; P=0.002), TC (MD=-0.78; 95%CI=-1.41~-0.15; P=0.02), and TG (MD=-2.05; 95%CI=-3.88~-0.21; P=0.03), acupuncture was more effective than the control intervention. Conclusions: In this meta-analysis, acupuncture relieved hepatic steatosis, and reduced TC, and TG in NAFLD patients. more well-planned studies are still needed due to the heterogeneity and the considerable methodological flaws in the analyzed trials.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.22-30
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• 2019

Objectives The aim of this study is to investigate the related factors of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods The subjects were 187 persons diagnosed as fatty liver by abdominal ultrasonography. They were divided into three groups according to the severity of fatty liver: control, mild, moderate or severe. The three groups' general characteristics, laboratory results, liver function indexes, metabolic syndrome indexes, tumor markers, heart rate variability values and Sasang constitution distribution were compared and analyzed. Results Male ratio, height, weight, body mass index, red blood cell count, hemoglobin level and creatinine level were higher in NAFLD groups than in control group. The levels of sodium and amylase were higher in control than in NAFLD. In liver function, the levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transpepsidase of NAFLD were higher. In metabolic syndrome index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were higher in NAFLD, while high density lipoprotein cholesterol level was higher in control. The alpha-feto protein level was higher in NAFLD, and the heart rate variability was not different between NAFLD and control groups. In Sasang constitution, Taeeumin ratio of NAFLD was higher than of control. Conclusions The results suggest that nonalcoholic fatty liver is clinically related to liver dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, tumor markers, and Sasang constitution. Further studies are needed to control nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and prevent severe disease such as cirrhosis and cancer caused by fatty liver.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.38.1-38.8
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• 2021

This study examined the anti-diabetic effects of aqueous extracts of Dendropanax morbifera leaves (DMWEs) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Thirty male SD rats (body weight [BW], 250.4 ± 19.7 g) were divided into the following six groups: normal control rats (NC), diabetic control rats (DC), diabetic rats treated with metformin HCl 100 mg/kg BW (DT), diabetic rats treated with DMWEs 50 mg/kg BW (DM-50), diabetic rats treated with DMWEs 100 mg/kg BW (DM-100), and diabetic rats treated with DMWEs 200 mg/kg BW (DM-200). From two weeks of administration of DMWEs, the BW of all groups treated with DMWEs increased significantly compared to DC (p < 0.05). At four weeks after treatment, the blood glucose levels in DT, DM-100, and DM-200 decreased below 200 mg/dL, while the glycated hemoglobin concentrations in all groups administered DMWEs were similar to those of NC and DT. Regarding the blood biochemical parameters, the levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine in DM-100 and DM-200 were similar to those in NC and DT. Overall, these results highlight the effectiveness of DM-100 in the treatment of diabetes.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.954-964
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• 2021

Mirror carp Cyprinus carpio nudus (weight 42.0±3.8 g, length 14.3±0.4 cm) were exposed to different concentrations of waterborne copper (0, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1,600 ㎍ Cu²⁺·L^-1) at 20.3℃ for 96 h. The lethal concentration 50 of waterborne copper was 1,176.45 ㎍ Cu²⁺·L^-1. Among hematological parameters, red blood cell count was significantly decreased, whereas there were no significant changes in the hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit value. Among the inorganic plasma components, calcium was significantly decreased following copper exposure. Conversely, organic plasma components such as glucose and total protein were significantly increased. Similarly, enzymatic components, such as aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase, were also significantly increased. These findings suggest that the copper exposure is detrimental to the survival rates and physiology of C. carpio nudus.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

Objectives: To investigate the protective effect of hesperidin and hesperetin against oxidative stress in 2,2'-azobis (2-aminopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced liver toxicity in rats. Methods: Hesperidin or hesperetin (200 mg/kg/day, respectively) was orally administered for 7 days once daily in rats. Subsequently, AAPH (50 mg/kg/day) was administered intraperitoneally. Lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide production, catalase activity, and protein expressions of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the liver tissues were measured. Results: Administration of hesperidin and hesperetin significantly decreased serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels in AAPH-induced oxidative stress liver tissues compared with control group. Lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide (NO) production were also significantly reduced by hesperidin and hesperetin in AAPH-induced oxidative stress liver tissues. In particular, lipid peroxidation levels of hesperetin-administered group significantly decreased to 5.02 nmole/mg protein in oxidative stress rats. Hesperidin and hesperetin significantly increased antioxidant activity, such as that of catalase. Furthermore, administration of hesperidin and hesperetin substantially down-regulated the expression of NF-κB and iNOS in liver tissues. Administration of hesperidin reduced NO levels and iNOS expression more than in the hesperetin-administered group. Conclusions: Administration of hesperidin and hesperetin led to a reduction in AAPH-induced liver toxicity by regulating oxidative stress.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.263-275
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• 2024

Background : Recent studies have shown that stress fundamentally influences the functional modulation of organ and stress-related disease causes high morbidity and mortality rates. Objective : The present research investigated the effect of restraint stress on psychological and physiological responses. Results : Body weight and food intake were changed in stress group. Body weight has continuously decreased, and food intake has been slightly altered. As a result of measuring each tissue's weight, the liver and kidney's weight loss was greater than that of other organs. The lipid profile of stressed animals showed significant increases in cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels compared to control. As hepatic marker enzymes, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT; alanine aminotransferase), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT; aspartate aminotransferase), and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were increased in the stress group. However, levels of serum cortisol and corticosterone did not affect. Results of the behavioral tests show that the stress group has increased activity, sluggish movements, and anxiety in the central part compared with the control group through the open field test. In the forced swim test, the stress group models had a longer duration of slowing movement, and its rate also increased. Also, in immunoblotting, stress increased the inflammatory factors Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and activated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Conclusions : We observed that mouse model were affected behavioral response and liver injury when exposed to restraint stress, indicating the importance of the restraint stress in the development of psychological and physiological processes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.370-378
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• 2020

This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Dendropanax morbifera (D. morbifera) leaf hot-water extract on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-treated HepG2 cells. Treatment with D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract increased the cell viability of CCl₄-treated HepG2 cells without inducing cytotoxicity. The levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) released by CCl₄-treated cells were 27.6 U/L and 52.4 U/L, respectively, and were significantly higher than those in untreated control cells (10.0 U/L and 15.2 U/L, respectively). Moreover, the level of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) was 5.4 times higher, while that of glutathione was 44.0% lower in CCl₄-treated cells than in control cells. However, treatment with D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in the levels of ALT, AST, and GGT, and an increase in the level of glutathione. Moreover, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in CCl₄-treated HepG2 cells was effectively reduced after treatment with D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract. Additionally, overproduction of intracellular lipids induced by CCl₄ treatment was effectively inhibited by D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract treatment. Furthermore, DCFDA staining showed that overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by CCl₄ treatment was effectively reduced by treatment with D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract. Our results indicate that owing to its beneficial effects, D. morbifera leaf extract has considerable potential as a functional food material for liver protection.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.471-480
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• 2021

Objectives: Cadmium is widely used, leading to extensive environmental and occupational exposure. Unlike other organs, for which the harmful and carcinogenic effects of cadmium have been established, the hepatotoxicity of cadmium remains unclear. Some studies detected correlations between cadmium exposure and hepatotoxicity, but others concluded that they were not associated. Thus, we investigated the relationship between cadmium and liver damage in the general population. Methods: In total, 11 838 adult participants from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2015 were included. Urinary cadmium levels and the following liver function parameters were measured: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), total bilirubin (TB), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between urinary cadmium concentrations and each liver function parameter after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, annual family income, smoking status, alcohol consumption status, physical activity, and body mass index. Results: The covariate-adjusted results of the linear regression analyses showed significant positive relationships between log-transformed urinary cadmium levels and each log-transformed liver function parameter, where beta±standard error of ALT, AST, GGT, TB, and ALP were 0.049±0.008 (p<0.001), 0.030±0.006 (p<0.001), 0.093±0.011 (p<0.001), 0.034±0.009 (p<0.001), and 0.040±0.005 (p<0.001), respectively. Logistic regression also revealed statistically significant results. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of elevated ALT, AST, GGT, TB, and ALP per unit increase in log-transformed urinary cadmium concentration were 1.360 (1.210 to 1.528), 1.307 (1.149 to 1.486), 1.520 (1.357 to 1.704), 1.201 (1.003 to 1.438), and 1.568 (1.277 to 1.926), respectively. Conclusions: Chronic exposure to cadmium showed positive associations with liver damage.