• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.391-396
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• 2009

The biological effects of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs) including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBA), benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[b] fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), and indeno[1,2,3-c, d]pyrene (InP) on transcriptomic changes were determined in the liver of Oryzias latipes. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by binary exposure to cPAHs (BaP+BaA, BaP+BbF, BaP+BkF, BaP+DbA, BaP+InP) were screened by annealing control primers-based polymerase chain reaction followed by sequence analysis and BLAST searching. The results showed that four DEGs were commonly expressed by cPAHs and they were identified as ribosomal protein S4, coagulation factor II, elongation factor 1 beta, and a predicted protein similar to human immunodeficiency virus type I enhancer binding protein 3. This finding suggests that binary exposure to cPAHs interferes protein synthesis required for fundamental liver functions in fish.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2009

4,4'-Methylenedianiline (MDA) is an aromatic amine that is widely used in the industrial synthetic process. Genotoxic MDA forms DNA adducts in the liver and is known to induce liver damage in human and rats. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms associated with MDA-induced hepatotoxicity, we have identified genes differentially expressed by microarray approach. BALB/c male mice were treated once daily with MDA (20 mg/kg) up to 7 days via intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) and hepatic damages were revealed by histopathological observation and elevation of serum marker enzymes such as AST, ALT, ALP, cholesterol, DBIL, and TBIL. Microarray analysis showed that 952 genes were differentially expressed in the liver of MDA-treated mice and their biological functions and canonical pathways were further analyzed using Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA). Toxicological functional analysis showed that genes related to hepatotoxicity such hyperplasia/hyperproliferation (Timp1), necrosis/cell death (Cd14, Mt1f, Timp1, and Pmaip1), hemorrhaging (Mt1f), cholestasis (Akr1c3, Hpx, and Slc10a2), and inflammation (Cd14 and Hpx) were differentially expressed in MDA-treated group. This gene expression profiling should be useful for elucidating the genetic events associated with aromatic amine-induced hepatotoxicity and for discovering the potential biomarkers for hepatotoxicity.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Probiotics have been extensively studied for their beneficial effects on human health. In particular, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains have gained considerable attention as major groups of probiotic bacteria that improve gastrointestinal health. However, emerging evidence suggests that probiotics offer benefits beyond those observed in the gut recent studies suggest that probiotics and/or their components exert favorable effects on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) pathogenesis such as decreasing intestinal permeability, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria growth, increasing the activity of alcohol metabolism enzymes, modulating the adaptive immune system, and suppressing fatty acid synthesis genes. In this review, we discuss the results of in vivo and in vitro studies that have examined the use of probiotics to prevent ALD, primarily focusing on those that explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the activities of promising probiotic strains. The evidence presented in this review could help in screening for probiotic strains that have protective effects in ALD patients and in further elucidating the mechanisms of their actions.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.247-253
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• 2007

Alpha-tocopherol transfer protein (${\alpha}$-TTP) is a liver cytosolic transport protein that faciliates ${\alpha}$-tocopherol (${\alpha}$-T) transfer into liver secreted plasma lipoproteins. Genetic defects in ${\alpha}$-TTP, like dietary vitamin E deficiency, are associated with infertility, muscular weakness and neurological disorders. Both human and ${\alpha}$-TTP deficient (${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$) mice exhibit severe plasma and tissue vitamin E deficiency that can be attenuated by sufficient dietary ${\alpha}$-T supplementations. In this review, we summarize the literature concerning studies utilizing the ${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$ mice. Levels of vitamin E in the ${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$ mice do not appear to be directly related to the amounts of dietary ${\alpha}$-T or to the levels of ${\alpha}$-TTP protein in tissues. The ${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$ mice appear to present a good model for investigating the specific role of ${\alpha}$-T in tissue vitamin E metabolism. Furthermore, ${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$ mice appear to be useful to elucidate functions of ${\alpha}$-TTP beyond its well recognized functions of transferring ${\alpha}$-T from liver to plasma lipoprotein fractions.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.386-394
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of shellfish hydrolysate on lipid metabolism in rats fed high fat diet. Male Sprague-Dawley rate weighting approximately 110g were fed basal control diet, high fat diet and high fat diet plus 4 different shellfish hydrolyates for 4 weeks. The shellfish hydrolysates from the different sources, were oyster, hard-shelled mussel, little neck clam and march clam. After 4 weeks, serum GOT, GPT, ${\gamma}$-GTP, triglyceride and total cholesterol was significantly decreased in shellfish hydrolysates supplementation with high fat diet compared to basal control and high-fat group(p<0.05). The total lipid and cholesterol content in liver showed significant decrease(p, 0.05). There were no different in serum GPT, HDL-cholesterol, liver total cholesterol and lipid of rats between basal control diet and high-fat diet. The unsaturated fatty acids, specific components of shellfishes were a little components in shellfish hydrolysate as they were a low and not different among the groups and were most well reflected in liver and plasma. Considering digestive and absorptive process of in human body, it was assumed that the hypolipidemic effect of shellfish was not under the influence of unsaturated fatty acids but the other components, peptides, taurine and betaine and so on was detected in the process of hyperlipidemia induced by high-fat diet.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.353-357
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• 2002

We have previously demonstrated that kudzu root extracts have a hypocholesterolemic effect on rats fed diets high in fat and cholesterol. To further elucidate the mechanism involved, in this study we investigated the effect of water extracts of kudzu root, Pueraria radix, on the production of apolipoprotein B$_{100}$ (APo B$_{100}$) in HepG$_2$ liver cells and secretion of apolipoprotein B$_{48}$ (Apo B$_{48}$) in Caco$_2$ cells. Human cell lines, HepG$_2$ liver cells and Caco$_2$ intestinal epithelial cells, were grown with various concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%) of water extracts of kudzu root in the media. The kudzu root extract decreased Apo B$_{100}$ production and secretion. Treatment of HeP G$_2$ cells with the kudzu root extract also significantly decreased the intracellular total and free cholesterol concentration, and also decreased esterified cholesterol but was only significant at the highest dose of 2%. Apo B$_{48}$ production, but not secretion, from enterocytes was lowered by the kudzu root extracts. This research provided evidence that the hypocholesterolemic properties of kudzu root may be a consequence of decreased production and secretion of Apo B$_{100}$ in the liver and Apo B$_{48}$ in the intestine.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.57-58
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• 2018

An accurate diagnostic marker for detecting early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (eHCC) is clinically important, since early detection of HCC remarkably improves patient survival. From the integrative analysis of the transcriptome and clinicopathologic data of human multi-stage HCC tissues, we were able to identify barrier-to-autointegration factor 1 (BANF1), procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 3 (PLOD3) and splicing factor 3b subunit 4 (SF3B4) as early HCC biomarkers which could be detected in precancerous lesions of HCC, with superior capabilities to diagnose eHCC compared to the currently popular HCC diagnostic biomarkers: GPC3, GS, and HSP70. We then showed that SF3B4 knockdown caused G1/S cell cycle arrest by recovering $p27^{kip1}$ and simultaneously suppressing cyclins, and CDKs in liver cancer cells. Notably, we demonstrated that aberrant SF3B4 overexpression altered the progress of splicing progress of the tumor suppressor gene, kruppel like factor 4 (KLF4), and resulted in non-functional skipped exon transcripts. This contributes to liver tumorigenesis via transcriptional inactivation of $p27^{kip1}$ and simultaneous activation of Slug genes. Our results suggest that SF3B4 indicates early-stage HCC in precancerous lesions, and also functions as an early-stage driver in the development of liver cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.176-180
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• 1993

Clonorchiasis is common in Korea. The coinfection of amebic abscess with clonorchiasis is not rare in endemic areas. The coinfection may influence on its manifestations each other. We experienced a human case with unusal manifestation of amebic liver abscess associated with coinfection by Clonorchisis sinensis. The case was an 80-year-old female. She lived in Yongil-gun, Kyongsangbuk-do, Korea, She had multiple amebic abscess cavities in the liver, one of which subsided spontaneously and others newly appeared. She was diagnosed by CT guided aspiration of the cyst, which revealed trophozoites of ameba and eggs of C. sinensis. She was treated with praziquantel and metronidazale and was cured.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.83-95
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• 2016

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major medical challenge affecting around 200 million people worldwide. The main site of HCV replication is the hepatocytes of the liver. HCV is a positive enveloped RNA virus from the flaviviridae family. Six major HCV genotypes are implicated in the human infection. In developed countries the children are infected mainly through vertical transmission during deliveries, while in developing countries it is still due to horizontal transmission from adults. Minimal nonspecific and brief symptoms are initially found in approximately 15% of children. Acute and chronic HCV infection is diagnosed through the recognition of HCV RNA. The main objective for treatment of chronic HCV is to convert detected HCV viremia to below the detection limit. Children with chronic HCV infection are usually asymptomatic and rarely develop severe liver damage. Therefore, the benefits from current therapies, pegylated-Interferon plus ribavirin, must be weighed against their adverse effects. This combined treatment offers a 50-90% chance of clearing HCV infection according to several studies and on different HCV genotype. Recent direct acting antiviral (DAA) drugs which are well established for adults have not yet been approved for children and young adults below 18 years. The most important field for the prevention of HCV infection in children would be the prevention of perinatal and parenteral transmission. There are areas of focus for new lines of research in pediatric HCV-related disease that can be addressed in the near future.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 1998

It has been known that $\gamma$-irradiation usually induces cell death in regenerating stem cell in normal tissues like skin, intestine and hematopoietic organ. The experiment were carried out to evaluate the early response of radiation injury in radiosensitive and intermediate radiosensitive tissues in feeding and starving rats with the doses of 3.5 and 7.0 Gy. The results of the study showed that the histological phenomenon was apoptosis in the doses of the radiation as the early response of tissue injury. Apoptosis were showed organ-specific and cellular specific responses suggesting that the selection of apoptosis be exactly focused on highly renewal organs and cells. It was interesting that the rats starved for 72 hours prior to irradiation induced less apoptosis in liver than fed rats. As for cellular responses it appeared that apoptotic cells were mostly distributed in ductal or periportal cells in liver of feeding rats unlikely in liver of Starving rots which showed no difference in zonal distribution. In salivary gland apoptotic cells in fed rats were highly induced in intercalating and ductal cell population than in acinar cell population although unlikely in starved rats. This study showed the value of apoptosis using the detection system of TUNEL for evaluating cellular damage after radiation injury and the diminished effect of starvation on cell damage after ionizing irradiation.