• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.262-266
• /
• 1999

Obstruction of the extrahepatic bile ducts is the most common cause of conjugated hyperbilirubinemia in early infancy. More than 90% of such obstructive lesions are accounted for by extrahepatic biliary atresia. A rare lesion is obstruction of the common duct by impacted, thickened secretions and bile. Bile plug syndrome is defined as extrahepatic obstruction of the bile ducts by bile sludge in term infants without anatomic abnormalities, congenital chemical defects of bile, or hepatocellular lesions. Obstruction of extrahepatic ducts by plugs of biliary material apperas to be due to the inspissation and precipitation of bile and mucus within the lumen of the ducts. Cholestasis and precipitation of bile develop in association with abnormal composition of bile in cystic fibrosis, hepatocellular damage, prolonged erythroblastic jaundice, altered biliary dynamics with total parenteral nutrition, gut dysfunction, diuretic therapy, exchange transfusions and perinatal hemolysis. In those cases, the term inspissated bile syndrome is used. The clinical and laboratory findings in bile plug syndrome are identical to those observed in biliary atresia and choledochal cyst. The diagnosis can be suspected based on the findings of clinical and laboratory examinations together with hepatobiliary imaging, ultrasonography, radionuclide scan and liver biopsy. We experienced a case of spontaneous resolution of bile plug syndrome in a 4-year-old girl. We report this case with brief review related literatures.

• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.37-45
• /
• 1995

INTRODUCTION : Psoralens are planar tricyclic furocoumarins present in numerous plants and fungi found throughout the world.' Naturally occurring and synthesized psoralen derivatives(see Figure 1) are photosensitizers of UVA especially from 320 nm to 400 nm, a range at which cellular nucleic acids and proteins are weakly absorbing if any at all. Because of their skinphotosensitizing properties, these compounds have been used in the photochemotherapy of psoriasis and vitiligo. However, undesirable side effects such as carcinoma development in hairless mice as well as possible liver damage from the use of 8-methoxypsoralen(8-MOP) have been reported. The other photobiological effects include inactivation of DNA viruses, killing and mutagenesis of bacteria, inhibition of tumor transmitting capacity of various cells, and hyperpigmentation on human and guinea pig skin. PUVA(psoralen+UVA) photochemotherapy is in fact thousands of years old, having been used in Egypt and India since B.C. 1200-2000. Photochemotherapy for a common disfiguring disease, vitiligo, was practiced in the ancient world by physicians and herbalists who used boiled extracts of the fruits of certain umbelliferous plants, e.g. Ammi majus Linnaeus in Egypt or the leguminous plants, Psoralea corylifolia L. in India. It was first described by Kuske in 19388 that photosensitization of skin by plants was related to the presence of psoralen. He identified natural psoralens in plants as photosensitizers and isolated bergapten(5methoxypsoralen) from the oil of bergamot. The scientific interest in photosensitizing psoralens, however, has grown considerably after the introduction into clinics of the psoralen photochemotherapy for the treatment of psoriasis and of other skin (abbreviation)

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.20.1-20.13
• /
• 2021

Background: Pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection leads to high mortality in swine. Despite extensive efforts, effective treatments against PRV infection are limited. Furthermore, the inflammatory response induced by PRV strain GXLB-2013 is unclear. Objectives: Our study aimed to investigate the inflammatory response induced by PRV strain GXLB-2013, establish an inflammation model to elucidate the pathogenesis of PRV infection further, and develop effective drugs against PRV infection. Methods: Kunming mice were infected intramuscularly with medium, LPS, and different doses of PRV-GXLB-2013. Viral spread and histopathological damage to brain, spleen, and lung were determined at 7 days post-infection (dpi). Immune organ indices, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), and inflammatory cytokines, as well as levels of activity of COX-2 and iNOS were determined at 4, 7, and 14 dpi. Results: At 10⁵-10⁶ TCID₅₀ PRV produced obviously neurological symptoms and 100% mortality in mice. Viral antigens were detectable in kidney, heart, lung, liver, spleen, and brain. In addition, inflammatory injuries were apparent in brain, spleen, and lung of PRV-infected mice. Moreover, PRV induced increases in immune organ indices, ROS and NO levels, activity of COX-2 and iNOS, and the content of key pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ and MCP-1. Among the tested doses, 10² TCID₅₀ of PRV produced a significant inflammatory mediator increase. Conclusions: An inflammatory model induced by PRV infection was established in mice, and 10² TCID50 PRV was considered as the best concentration for the establishment of the model.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 2021

We aimed to identify the biological factors during the voluntary waiting period (VWP) that are associated with subsequent reproductive performance in dairy cows. Two hundred and one pregnant dairy cows had their body condition score (BCS) evaluated and blood samples taken 4 weeks before calving, at calving, and 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after calving, to measure serum metabolite and progesterone concentrations. In addition, any peri- and postpartum disorders within 4 weeks of calving, and the mean milk yields 4 and 8 weeks postpartum, were recorded. The cows were allocated to two groups according to whether they had become pregnant or not by 120 days after calving: a pregnant group (n = 50) and a non-pregnant group (n = 151). Analyses of serum metabolite concentrations showed that the aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyltransferase activities 2 weeks (p < 0.05) and the non-esterified fatty acid concentration 6 weeks (p < 0.01) postpartum were higher in the non-pregnant than in the pregnant group. However, the albumin concentrations between 2 and 8 weeks and the total cholesterol and magnesium concentrations between 4 and 8 weeks postpartum were lower in the non-pregnant group (p < 0.05). The BCS (p < 0.05) and percentages of cows that had resumed cyclicity (p < 0.001) by 6 and 8 weeks postpartum were higher in the pregnant than in the non-pregnant group, whereas the incidence of peri- and postpartum disorders was higher in the non-pregnant group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, high serum enzyme activities, which imply liver damage, imbalances in energy metabolites and magnesium, and a higher incidence of peri- and postpartum disorders, are associated with poorer reproductive performance, whereas high BCS and early resumption of cyclicity during the VWP are associated with superior reproductive performance in dairy cows.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.427-437
• /
• 2019

Oxidative stress and overproduction of free radicals have been reported to be a major pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases. Samultang has been known as a beneficial agent to treat liver disease and cardiovascular diseases. However, the anti-oxidant activities and neuro-protective effects of Samultang against oxidative stress still have not been evaluated yet. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-oxidant and protective effects of Samultang and its four herbal plants, Paeonia lactiflora (PL), Ligusticum striatum (LS), Rehmannia glutinosa (RG), and Angelica gigas (AG), in vitro system and in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. The extracts of Samultang strongly increased the radical scavenging activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radical (${\cdot}OH$), and nitric oxide (NO) in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, we investigated the protective effects of Samultang on cellular damage against oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) in SH-SY5Y cells. Treatment with Samultang alleviated the oxidative stress from $H_2O_2$ by increasing the cell viability and decreasing the intracellular reactive oxygen species levels. Based on these results, we further investigated the radical scavenging effects of PL, LS, RG, and AG. In our results, PL had the highest DPPH, ${\cdot}OH$, and NO radical scavenging activities. Thus, PL has a crucial role in Samultang, which has anti-oxidative and neuro-protective effects. The present research suggests that Samultang and PL have protective roles against oxidative stress from $H_2O_2$-induced neuronal cell death.

• Journal of Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.133-142
• /
• 2018

This study investigated the characteristics of obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HD) over 13 weeks in Rhbdf2 gene knockout (KO) mice. Forty 7-week-old Rhbdf2 wild and KO mice were used and the mice were divided into 4 groups: Wild-ND (n=10, Rhbdf2 wild mice, normal diet (ND)), Wild-HD (n=10, Rhbdf2 wild mice, HD), KO-ND (n=10, Rhbdf2 KO mice, ND) and KO-HD (n=10, Rhbdf2 KO mice, HD). The relative epididymal fat weight in KO-HD was significantly increased compared with that in KO-ND (P<0.01). The relative liver and spleen weights in KO-HD were decreased compared with those in Wild-HD (p < 0.05) and KO-ND (p < 0.01). The mRNA expression of SOD1 in KO-ND was significantly reduced compared with that in Wild-ND (p < 0.05). In Wild-ND and HD, the mRNA expressions of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 in epididymal fat were significantly increased compared with those in KO-ND and HD (p < 0.01). A significant increase of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 mRNA expression was observed in KO-HD compared with KO-ND (p < 0.01). These results indicated that Rhbdf2 genes may regulate high fat diet-induced obesity damage by anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative roles in fat tissue of mice.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.41-49
• /
• 2021

Objective : Citrus unshiu peel (Citri Unshius Pericarpium) has been prescribed to suppress coughing and phlegm in Korean medicine. In this study, the effect of ethanol extract of Citrus unshiu peel (CEE) on apoptosis was investigated using cadmium chloride (CdCl2) treated HepG2 cells. Methods : CEE was prepared by extracting 300 g of Citri Unshius Pericarpium in 3 L of ethanol for 72 h. Apoptosis was determined by the TUNEL assay. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was monitored using the membrane-permeable fluorescent dye Rh123. The expression level of each protein was monitored by Western blot analysis. Results : CEE protected HepG2 cells from apoptosis as determined by the TUNEL assay. A decrease in MMP was observed in cells exposed to cadmium, indicating that mitochondria are involved in the induction of apoptosis. However, CEE recovered the reduction in MMP caused by cadmium. In addition, decreased expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), procaspase, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by cadmium was increased by CEE. The anti-apoptotic effect of CEE was found to be associated with inhibition of JNK and p38 phosphorylation when examining the expression of phosphorylated MAPK by Western blot. Conclusion : This study showed that CEE exerted anti-apoptotic effects in cadmium-induced HepG2 cells by inhibiting the reduction of MMP and changes in the expression level of apoptotic proteins. These results suggest the potential for CEE to be used for heavy metal-induced liver damage.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2014

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the effect of root extract of Pueraria thunbergiana Bentham (Puerariae Radix, PR) in diabetic mice as similar as emaciation-thirst disease in Oriental medicine. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were fed high fat (HF) and high sucrose (HS) for 8 weeks, and then administrated with 90 mg/kg body weight (bw) of streptozotocin (STZ) for induction of diabetes which is similar to the middle emaciation stage. After 5 days, blood glucose levels were measured, and selected the mice with ranges above $250mg/d{\ell}$. PR water extract was administrated orally once a day for 4 weeks with high fat and high sucrose. The levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, ${\gamma}glutamyl$ transpeptidase (${\gamma}GTP$), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were analysed in the serum. Also, observed their histological changes by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) of different organs, lung, heart, pancreas, stomach, liver, and kidney. Results : PR extract significantly decreased the levels of serum glucose and insulin in diabetic mice. PR extract significantly increased the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, GOT and GPT in diabetic mice. In H&E stain, PR extract inhibited the histopathological changes of lung (as a channel of the upper emaciation stage in the channel-tropism theory), pancreas (as a channel of the middle emaciation stage) and kidney (as a channel of the lower emaciation stage) in diabetic damage. Conclusions : PR extract has an anti-diabetic effect in HF/HS and low-dose STZ-induced diabetic mice. This result suggests that PR follows the channel-tropism theory in the emaciation-thirst disease through the protection of lung, pancreas and kidney.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.49-60
• /
• 2023

Objectives : In this study, it was investigated the anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant effects of Jayangdaebo-tang (JDT) consisting of twelve herbs before and after fermentation. Methods : JDT extract was fermented using the Lactoplantibacillus plantanum (JDT-L), Bacillus subtilis (JDT-B), and L. plantanum plus B. subtilis (JDT-L+B). The effects of each extract were measured in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, MCF-7 breast cancer and A549 lung cancer cells, and H₂O₂-stimulated HepG2 cells. Results : The extracts of JDT-L, JDT-B and JDT-L+B at 1 ㎎/㎖ decreased significantly the levels of nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells and also inhibited the expression of iNOS and COX-2, and the phosphorylation of ERK and NF-κB. The JDT-L+B extract decreased significantly the expression of apoptotic proteins, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and PARP in MCF-7 and A549 cancer cells. The JDT-L, JDT-B and JDT-L+B extracts increased significantly the cell viability in H₂O₂-stimulated HepG2 cells and the JDT-L+B extract decreased significantly the expression of SOD, catalase, HO-1, and NRF-2. Among fermented JDT extracts, JDT-L+B was the best effective on response of macrophage inflammation, cancer cell apoptosis, and liver cell damage. Conclusions : Our results were suggested that the fermentation can be used as a useful way to enhance the biological activity of JDT.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.65 no.2
• /
• pp.441-458
• /
• 2023

The poultry industry, which produces excellent sources of protein, suffers enormous economic damage from diseases. To solve this problem, research is being conducted on the early detection of infection according to the behavioral characteristics of poultry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of a non-movement behavior observation method to detect sick chickens. Forty 1-day-old Ross 308 males were used in the experiments, and an isolator equipped with an Internet Protocol (IP) camera was fabricated for observation. The chickens were inoculated with Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum A18-GCVP-014, the causative agent of fowl typhoid (FT), at 14 days of age, which is a vulnerable period for FT infection. The chickens were continuously observed with an IP camera for 2 weeks after inoculation, chickens that did not move for more than 30 minutes were detected and marked according to the algorithm. FT infection was confirmed based on clinical symptoms, analysis of cardiac, spleen and liver lesion scores, pathogen re-isolation, and serological analysis. As a result, clinical symptoms were first observed four days after inoculation, and dead chickens were observed on day six. Eleven days after inoculation, the number of clinical symptoms gradually decreased, indicating a state of recovery. For lesion scores, dead chickens scored 3.57 and live chickens scored 2.38. Pathogens were re-isolated in 37 out of 40 chickens, and hemagglutination test was positive in seven out of 26 chickens. The IP camera applied with the algorithm detected about 83% of the chickens that died in advance through non-movement behavior observation. Therefore, observation of non-movement behavior is one of the ways to detect infected chickens in advance, and it appears to have potential for the development of remote broiler management system.