• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.549-553
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• 2011

This study was performed to determine whether or not urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) levels can be accurately detected by our 1-OHP-detecting $TiO_2$-Bead-HPLC assay that we developed based on the molecular imprinting method. Our method showed a variation coefficient of 4.97% and a between-day variation coefficient of 4.43%, suggesting that this may be a very stable method. In addition, the recovery rate of 1-OHP from a mixture of 1-OHP and similar substances using our $TiO_2$-Bead-HPLC method was estimated to be 105.6%. The correlation coefficient between the conventional enzyme-HPLC method and this new method was 0.74 (p<0.01) when the urine samples were tested. Based on this result, it is conceivable that our method could be a useful technique for measuring urinary 1-OHP levels. Moreover, our method has some advantages of being easier and less expensive than the conventional method. The results of this study suggest that our method can facilitate the development of a urine 1-OHP sensor using $TiO_2$-coating beads and that development of beads by molecular imprinting can be applied to analysis of chemicals other than 1-OHP.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1104-1111
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• 2009

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Sikhe made by medicinal herb on the functional level of liver. Water extract I (12.9% W/W) and II (25.8% W/W) were obtained from medicinal materials: Caragana Sinica, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Atractylodes rhizoma alba, Atractylodes rhizoma alba, Crataegus pinnatifida, Paeonia lactiflora Pasll., Hordeum vulgare Linne, Oryza sativa Linne, ginger, peer and jujube. Experimental groups were divided into the control diet group (C), high fat diet group (HF), high fat diet treated with 5% extract I group (HFE I ) and high fat diet treated with 5% extract II group (HFE II). In sensory evaluation, overall quality scores associated with color, aroma, flavor and taste were significantly higher in water extract II than in water extract 1. After investigating functional and lipid levels of livers in rats, we found that the administration of water extract I or water extract II to the high fat diet group (HF) did not affect the gain of body weight but mildly reduced GOT or GPT activity in the high diet group. Moreover, administration of these medicinal herbal extracts significantly decreased the levels of total lipid, triglyceride and total cholesterol in the high fat diet group (HF). However, administration of these medicinal herbal extracts did not affect the level of phospholipid. In conclusion, as Sikhe made by medicinal herb slightly decreased the activity of GOT or GPT and amount of lipid in liver, prevention against high fat diet is thought to be important for liver protection.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.274-283
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• 2014

Oxidative stress causes tissue damage and facilitates the progression of metabolic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular heart diseases, and obesity. Lipid accumulation and obesity-related complications have been observed in the presence of extensive oxidative stress. As part of an ongoing study to develop therapeutic supplements, Sargassum sp. were tested for their ability to scavenge free radicals and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as to suppress lipid accumulation. Three species, S. hemiphyllum, S. thunbergii, and Sargassum horneri, were shown to scavenge free radicals in a di(phenyl)-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium (DPPH) assay. In addition, Sargassum sp. was shown to scavenge intracellular ROS and to decrease nitric oxide (NO) production in $H_2O_2$ and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced in RAW264.7 mouse macrophages, respectively. Taken together, the results suggest that Sargassum sp. possess huge potential to relieve oxidative stress and related complications, as well as lipid-induced oxidation. They indicate that S. hemiphyllum, S. thunbergii, and S. horneri are potent functional supplements that can produce beneficial health effects through antioxidant and antiobesity activities, with S. hemiphyllum being the most potent among the Sargassum sp. tested. A potential mechanism for the effect of Sargassum sp. on the suppression of lipid accumulation in differentiating 3T3-L1 mouse preadipocytes through deactivation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ (PPAR ${\gamma}$) is presented.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.710-720
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• 2013

Radiotherapy is commonly used in treating many kinds of cancers which cannot be cured by other therapeutic strategies. However, radiotherapy also induces the damages on the normal tissues. Radiation-induced fibrosis is frequently observed in the patients undergoing radiotherapy, and becomes a major obstacle in the treatment of intrahepatic cancer. Hedgehog (Hh) that is an essential in the liver formation during embryogenesis is not detected in the healthy liver, but activated and modulates the repair process in damaged livers in adult. The expression of Hh increases with the degree of liver damage, regulating the proliferation of hepatic progenitors and hepatic stellate cells (HSC). In addition, Hh induces epithelial-to-mesencymal transition (EMT) and activation of myofibroblasts. In the irradiated livers, up-regulated expression of Hh signaling was associated with proliferation of progenitors, EMT induction, and increased fibrosis. Female-specific expression of Hh leaded to the expansion of progenitors and the accumulation of collagen in the irradiated livers of female mice, indicating that gender disparity in Hh expression may be related with radiation-susceptibility in female. Hence, Hh signaling becomes a novel object of studies for fibrogenesis induced by radiation. However, the absence of the established experimental animal models showing the similar physiopathology with human liver diseases and fibrosis-favorable microenvironment hamper the studies for the radiation-induced fibrosis, providing a few descriptive results. Therefore, further research on the association of Hh with radiation-induced fibrosis can identify the cell and tissue-specific effects of Hh and provides the basic knowledge for underlying mechanisms, contributing to developing therapies for preventing the radiation-induced fibrosis.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.399-407
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Allium hookeri (AH) root on hepatic antioxidative enzyme contents in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats through injection of STZ dissolved in citrate buffer into tail veins at a dose of 45 mg/kg body weight. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an AIN-93 recommended diet, and the experimental groups were fed a modified diet containing 5% and 10% of AH root powder for 4 weeks. The experimental groups were divided into four groups: a normal control (N-control), STZ-control, STZ-AH 5%, and STZ-AH 10% supplemented groups. The STZ-AH 5% group showed a significant increase in liver glycogen compared to the STZ-control group. Muscle glycogen and liver protein contents significantly increased in the AH-supplemented groups compared to the STZ-control group. The liver malondialdehyde content of the AH-supplemented group was significantly lower than that of the STZ-control group. Xanthine oxidase content was significantly reduced in all experimental groups. Glutathione-S-transferase content was significantly elevated in the AH-treated groups compared to the STZ-control group. Superoxide dismutase content was not significantly different among the experimental groups. Catalase content was significantly higher in the STZ-AH 10% group compared to the STZ-control group. These results show that supplementation with AH root may be useful for diabetic therapy and damage from oxidative stress.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2012

This research was performed to investigate the effect of aged Deodeok (Codonopsis lanceolata) water extracts on the levels of lipids in the serum of rats fed a high-fat diet for 10 weeks. Experimental groups were divided into basal diet only (BDG), high fat diet control (HFDCG), high-fat diet and 10% aged deodeok extract powder (HF10S), and high-fat diet and 20% aged deodeok extract powder (HF20S) groups. The levels of hematological variables were not significantly different among the four groups. Compared with the control group's serum total cholesterol level of $339.38{\pm}4.06mg/dL$, the levels of the HF10S and HF20S groups were significantly lowered to $225.38{\pm}5.44$ and $215.02{\pm}4.77mg/dL$, respectively. Compared with the control group's LDL-cholesterol leve of $64.91{\pm}3.67mg/dL$, the LDL-cholesterol levels of the HF10S and HF20S groups were significantly lowered to $54.16{\pm}3.46$ and $46.14{\pm}1.79mg/dL$, respectively. Also, compared to the control group's serum triglyceride level of $103.07{\pm}13.2mg/dL$, the level of the HF20S group was significantly lowered to $48.25{\pm}11.52mg/dL$. These results suggested that dietary supplementation of aged deodeok extract does not have any adverse effect on the hematological variables, while improving the lipid content and reducing hepatic damage of the high-fat fed rats.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1406-1413
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the effect of ethanol extract of Pimpinella brachycarpa(PBE) on chronically ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in rat liver. Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 90-130 g were divided into 5 groups; normal group(NOR), ethanol(35%, 10 ml/kg) treated group(CON), PBE 200 mg/kg treated group(P1), PBE 200 mg/kg and ethanol treated group(P2), and PBE 400 mg/kg and ethanol treated group(P3). PBE was also fractionated by the following solvent: n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and n-butanol. The antioxidative capacity of the n-hexane fraction was the highest among fractions and was similar to that of butylated hydroxytoluene(BHT). The body weight gain and feed intake of the rats were decreased by ethanol administration, but were gradually increased to the similar levels of the NOR group by administering PBE. The AST activity in serum elevated by ethanol was significantly decreased by administering the high dosage of PBE, but exerted no significant change on serum ALT activity. It was also observed that the hepatic activities of xanthine oxide(XO), catalase and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) increased by ethanol were markedly decreased in the combined ethanol and PBE administered groups(P2 and P3), but not in the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) as compared with the CON group. The glutathione(GSH) contents were decreased by ethanol adminstration, however, increased after administering PBE. These results suggest that ethanol extract of Pimpinella brachycarpa has a possible positive effect on the liver function in hepatotoxicity-induced rats by ethanol administration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1214-1218
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• 2011

We investigated the fruits of Rubus crataegifolius Bge, a plant which has been traditionally used in Korea in phytotherapy, to describe antioxidant materials from plant sources. R. crataegifolius fruits were extracted with methanol and further fractionated into n-hexane, diethyl ether, and ethyl acetate. The antioxidant activity of each fraction and the residue was assessed using a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), $H_2O_2$ radical scavenging method, and their cytotoxicity on human primary kerationcyte (HK) was determined by an MTS assay. The R. crataegifolius fruit methanol extract showed strong antioxidant activity (75.04%, 50%) compared with vitamin C (79.9%, 54.1%) by the DPPH, and $H_2O_2$ method, respectively. The measured activity from the subsequent extracts of the methanol extract were 20.3% for n-hexane fraction (HF), 68.8% for diethyl ether fraction (DF), 67.1% for ethyl acetate fraction (EF), and 67.1% for the residue fraction (RE) by DPPH and 2.2% for HF, 1.6% for DF, 10% for EF, and 50% for the RE by $H_2O_2$ assay. An oxidative stress model of HK was established under a suitable concentration (1 mM). The cell viability of the RE treated group increased and the percentage of apoptotic cells decreased at concentrations of 0.005-0.02% RE compared with the $H_2O_2$ treated group. Fruit extracts of the medicinal plant R. crataegifolius showed potent antioxidant activity and the ability to relieve cell damage from $H_2O_2$ induced injury to HK.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.686-693
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• 2014

Restricted supply of nutrients may affect genes at the molecular level as well as physiological functions. Understanding the cellular responses during starvation is necessary for developing strategies to reduce damage caused by starvation stress. After 1 h of starvation, Got1 gene expression was increased but its expression returned to the normal state after 24 h. Mat1 gene expression continuously increased with starvation from 1 h until 24 hr. Rats starved for 1-3 days showed significant changes in expression of the Got1 and Mat1 genes, which were significantly reduced in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. In the lung, gene expression was increased by starvation for 1-2 days but decreased on the third day. No differences were observed in gene expression in the heart. Strong Got1 lung gene expression was seen in the starvation group one day after restoration of the food supply. Muscle mass was significantly reduced at the start of starvation and remained the same after two days of starvation and one day after the food supply was restored. The Mat1 gene expression did not change. The Got1 was induced by NaCl and showed strong expression in the lung and the thymus, but the apparent decrease of the remaining changes were not observed in male rats. The Mat1 gene was not as sensitive as the Got1 gene to induction by NaCl. However, differences in gene induction by NaCl were evident between males and females, indicating that diet control of gene expression is associated with hormones.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.203-209
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• 2006

Ethane 1,2-Dimethane sulfonate(EDS), a toxin which specifically kills Leydig cells(LC), has been widely used to prepare the reversible testosterone(T) depletion rat model. Previous studies including our own clearly demonstrated that the dramatic weight loss of the T-dependent accessory sex organs such as epididymis and seminal vesicle in this 'LC knock-out' rats. These weight loss could be derived from massive and abrupt death of the cells via apoptotic process. The present study was performed to test the effect of EDS administration on the expression of some apoptotic genes in the rat epididymis. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats($300{\sim}350$ g B.W.) were injected with single dose of EDS(75 mg/kg, i.p.) and sacrificed on Weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Tissue weights and the numbers of the epididymal sperm were measured. The transcriptional activities of the bcl-2, bax, Fas and Fas ligand(Fas-L) were evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. As expected, the weights and the sperm counts of epididymis declined progressively after the EDS treatment during Week 1 and 2. These decrements were discontinued with a gradual return towards normal during Weeks $5{\sim}7$, although the maximal recoveries of the epididymal weights(71%) and sperm count(38%) were subnormal on Week 7. The initial level of bcl-2 transcripts persisted to Week 6 then elevated significantly on Week 7. The level of bax transcripts significantly decreased on Week 6, and no remarkable change was found in the rest of the experimental period. The transcripts for the Fas in epididymis elevated during Weeks $1{\sim}2$, returned to normal on Week 3, and the level persisted to the Week 7. Similarly, the level of Fas-L transcripts elevated during Weeks $1{\sim}3$ and returned to normal after Week 4. Our results demonstrated the transient T depletion by EDS administration could induce the changes in expression of the apoptotic genes in rat epididymis. The activation of Fas and Fas-L in the epididymis of EDS-treated rats might be responsible for the initial apototic process and consequently the tissue damage and the sperm loss. Future studies will attempt to determine the precise molecular mechanism(s) of apoptosis in the rat epididymis.