• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.128-128
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• 1995

To investigate the mechanism of the regulation of cytochrome P450IA1 gene expression, ethoxyresorufin deethylase(EROD) and benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase in B6 mouse liver, in isolated perfused rat liver system. and in B6 mouse hepatocyte Hepa-I cells were examined. In C57BL/6N mouse, 3-methylcholan- throne( 3MC ) treatment have resulted in the stimulation of EROD activity based on fluorometry by 2.79 fold comparirng with that of control. Measurement of mRNA of cytochrome P450 was carried out by either nothern blot or dot blot analysis. Findings are similar to that of studies with enzymes. Furhtermore, when RTPCR method was applied to detect mRNA in Hepa I cell and liver tissues the results were more clear. Cytochrome P450IA1 upstream DNA containing CAT construct was transfected into Hepa-1 cells. After transfection of CAT construct, 3MC and flavonoids, such as, chrysin, hesperetin, kaempferol, morin, myricetin and aminoyrine were treated. 48 Hours after treatments, cells were harvested and assayed for CAT mRNA by RTPCR. 3MC treatment to hepa I cells transfected with trout P450IA1-CAT construct increased CAT mRNA by 2.81 fold when it was compared with that of control. This increase CAT mRNA was decreased by concomitantly treated flavonoids and aminopyrine. The level of CAT protein was 29.2-58.0% of 3MC stimulated CAT protein. Results of this study suggested that RTPCR seems to be a very good method to study regulation of gene expression in liver tissue or Hepa cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.639-645
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• 2018

Liver transplantation is recommended for patients with liver failure, but liver donors are limited. This necessitates the development of artificial livers, and hepatocytes are necessary to develop such artificial livers. Although induced hepatocyte-like cells are used in artificial livers, the characteristics of mouse induced hepatocyte-like cells (miHeps) reprogrammed with embryonic fibroblasts have not yet been clarified. Therefore, this study investigated the mechanisms underlying the survival, function, and death of miHeps. miHeps showed decreased cell viability, increased cytotoxicity, decreased hepatic function, and albumin and urea secretion at passage 14. Addition of necrostatin-1 (NEC-1) to miHeps inhibited necrosome formation and reactive oxygen species generation and increased cell survival. However, NEC-1 did not affect the hepatic function of miHeps. These results provide a basis for development of artificial livers using hepatocytes.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 1978

Election microscopic investigation were conducted on the mature mouse (B.W. about 25g) liver which was treated with Ginseng water extract during three, six and nine days respectivelly after carbon tetracholride injection into abdominal cavity. The results obtained were as follows: The liver cells of control group treated with carbon tetrachloride alone were restored slowly. The liver cells of experimental group treated with Ginseng water extract after carbon tetrachloride injection, however, were shown the appearance of well-developed ${\gamma}-ER$ and Golgi complex, marked aggregation of glycogen particles, and a number of large lipid droplets which are attached markedly with glycogen particles as compared to the control group. As these findings, it could be suggested that Ginseng gives an activation to restore the damaged liver cells.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.154-167
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• 2023

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) associated with liver failure is accompanied by hyperammonemia, severe inflammation, depression, anxiety, and memory deficits as well as liver injury. Recent studies have focused on the liver-brain-inflammation axis to identify a therapeutic solution for patients with HE. Lipocalin-2 is an inflammation-related glycoprotein that is secreted by various organs and is involved in cellular mechanisms including iron homeostasis, glucose metabolism, cell death, neurite outgrowth, and neurogenesis. In this study, we investigated that the roles of lipocalin-2 both in the brain cortex of mice with HE and in Neuro-2a (N2A) cells. We detected elevated levels of lipocalin-2 both in the plasma and liver in a bile duct ligation mouse model of HE. We confirmed changes in cytokine expression, such as interleukin-1β, cyclooxygenase 2 expression, and iron metabolism related to gene expression through AKT-mediated signaling both in the brain cortex of mice with HE and N2A cells. Our data showed negative effects of hepatic lipocalin-2 on cell survival, iron homeostasis, and neurite outgrowth in N2A cells. Thus, we suggest that regulation of lipocalin-2 in the brain in HE may be a critical therapeutic approach to alleviate neuropathological problems focused on the liver-brain axis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.17-23
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• 1969

Oxygen consumption rate $(QO_2)$ and protein content of liver and kidney of the Ehrlich ascites tumor-bearing mouse were measured from 6th till 14th day after the inoculation of $4{\times}10^6$ Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The results thus obtained were compared with those of the groups in which; 1) Whole body x-irradiation with 400 r was done to mouse prior to the inoculation of $4{\times}10^6$ Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, 2) Same number of the irradiated tumor cells were inoculated after subjecting the tumor cells to x-irradiation with 400 r or 900 r in vitro, and 3) the normal, and the following results were obtained; 1. $QO_2$ of the liver and kidney of the tumor-bearing mouse were all lower than the normal and a gradual decrease of $QO_2$ in both liver and kidney was noted as the ascites tumor was progressively developing. 2. In the groups where whole body x-irradiation with 400 r was done, or x-irradiation of ascites tumor cells in vitro with either 400 r or 900 r, $QO_2$ of the liver and kidney were lower than the normal, and the pattern of the decrease was similar in the case of the tumor-bearing mouse. 3. Protein contents in all the groups showed lower values than the normal, and the decrease was gradual as the ascites tumor was developing. 4. $QO_2$ and protein levels in the liver were generally lower than those in the kidney. 5. A certain cancerous metabolism was, therefore, noted in the remote organs of Ehrlich ascites tumor-bearing animal.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.519-526
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• 2012

Recently, herbal flavonoids have been implicated for anti-cancer therapy. Flavonoids as a commonly known for their anti-oxidant activity, are contained in the herbal medicine as well as root of plants, vegetables, fruits, grains, tea, and wine. Kaempferol, a component of Polygonati rhizoma, a member of the herbal flavonoids, has been studied for anti-hypercholesterol, anti-hypertension and anti-diabetes. It is also known to be effective in anti-cancer therapy for breast, prostate and other type of cancers. However, the anti-cancer therapeutic mechanisms are pooly understood. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying kaempferol-induced anti-cancer effects using the human liver cancer cell lines, Hep3B, HepG2, and Sk-Hep-1, and human Chang liver cell as a control. As shown by the FACS analysis, measurement of caspase activity, DAPI and trypan blue staining, and DNA fragmentation assay, kaempferol induced apoptosis in the liver cancer cells with the greater potential in Hep3B cells than other liver cancer cells. In addition, we performed microarray analysis to profile the genome-wide mRNA expression regulated by kaempferol. Many of the apoptosis-related genes were significantly induced in kaempferol-treated Hep3B cells, in particular, the genes associated with MAPK cascade. Additionally, kaempferol induced the mRNA expression of genes involved in MKK7-JNK cascade, MKK3-p38 cascade, and caspase signaling pathway, which are all known to trigger apoptosis. Overall, our data suggest that kaempferol has anti-liver cancer effects by inducing apoptosis through the MKK7-JNK cascade, MKK3-p38 cascade, and caspase signaling pathways.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2023

Prominin-1 (PROM1), also called CD133, is a penta-span transmembrane protein that is localized in membrane protrusions, such as microvilli and filopodia. It is known to be expressed in cancer stem cells and various progenitor cells of bone marrow, liver, kidney, and intestine. Accumulating evidence has revealed that PROM1 has multiple functions in various organs, such as eye, tooth, peripheral nerve, and liver, associating with various molecular protein partners. PROM1 regulates PKA-induced gluconeogenesis, TGFβ-induced fibrosis, and IL-6-induced regeneration in the liver, associating with Radixin, SMAD7, and GP130, respectively. In addition, PROM1 is necessary to maintain cancer stem cell properties by activating PI3K and β-Catenin. PROM1-deficienct mice also show distinct phenotypes in eyes, brain, peripheral nerves, and tooth. Here, we discuss recent findings of PROM1-mediated signal transduction.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.167-174
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• 2023

Development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is driven by a multistep and long-term process. Because current therapeutic strategies are limited for HCC patients, there are increasing demands for understanding of immunotherapy, which has made technological and conceptual innovations in the treatment of cancer. Here, I discuss HCC immunotherapy in the view of interaction between liver resident cells and immune cells.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.498-506
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the restorative effect of Semisulcospira libertina extract, on damaged liver cells induced by D-galactosamine in rats. Treatment of damaged liver cells with S. libertina extract significantly reduced local fatty degeneration, and inflammatory cell necrosis, to levels similar with the undamaged control group. In addition, S. libertina extracts were found to reduce plasma levels of liver damage indicator enzymes, such as AST, ALT, LDH and ALP, to control levels. It also reduced lipid peroxides, and lipid contents within damaged liver tissues. This suggests that S. libertina extract has a restorative effect on liver cells, thus reducing release of damage-associated liver enzymes, and oxidative degradation of lipids. Also, S. libertina extracts were found to be involved in recovery of damaged cells from inflammatory response by suppressing expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$, which leads to tissue injury and necrosis, whereas inducing expression of HO-1 that protects cells during inflammation. Thus, S. libertina extract restores liver tissue from necrosis and fibrosis, as well modulates expression of inflammation-related genes against liver damage. Our findings suggest that S. libertina extract is an effective medicinal resource, for improving and recovering liver cells from hepatic injury.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 1990

CT guided percutaneous fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of the liver for both cytologic and histologic examination has great value in diagnosing liver malignancy. From March, 1986 to April, 1990, 62 patients with the clinical impression of liver malignancy underwent CT guided percutaneous FNA biopsy. Of these, 43 cases were reviewed for this study, 19 were reported to be liver cell carcinoma, 2 were adenocarcinoma, 11 were reported as anaplastic cell present, and the rest (11 cases) were negative (9) or necrotic (2). Among the 11 cases of the last group, 9 were diagnosed as liver cell carcinoma and 2 were necrotic histologically. Retrospective review, in order to clarify the cause of cytologic diagnostic error, of both cytologic and histologic slides of all cases showed discordance of 23% between these diagnoses and sensitivity is 93.9% and specificity is 90.9%. The reasons were as follows ; 1) the lack of awareness of tumor cells of well differentiated liver cell carcinoma (4 cases), 2) missed tumor cells due to too scanty cellularity (1 case), 3) improper smear (2 cases) and no tumor cell In the cytologic smears (3 cases). In such cases, at the initiation of FNA, a correct diagnosis of liver malignancy could only be made by a combination of cytologic and histologic examinations. However after three years' experience we can conclude that cytomorphologic features of liver cell carcinoma are sufficiently distinctive from other liver malignancies to be diagnostic.