• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2012

Toxic hepatitis is a rare but devastating disease in children. Herbs are widely used in oriental medicine to treat various symptoms in Korea, however, several herbs have been reported to induce liver injury. We report a case of toxic hepatitis induced by Hovenia dulcis in a 3-year-old boy. He complained of nausea, abdominal discomfort, and jaundice. The patient had consumed water boiled with hovenia dulcis for about 1 year prior to presentation. A diagnosis of toxic hepatitis was made based on his history, laboratory data, viral markers, ultrasonography, and biopsied liver tissue. We administered supportive management for acute fulminant hepatitis but his symptoms and liver function progressed. He was transferred to another hospital for further evaluation and consideration for liver transplantation. Because acute liver failure due to herbs or dietary supplement taken for a long time is often fetal, it is important to make early diagnosis and stop taking the drug as soon as drug induced liver injury is suspected.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.389-395
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• 2019

This study investigated the pharmaceutical extraction and the functional health food extraction, which have a beneficial effect on the human body and which can be used safely for a long period of time without adverse side effects and also have excellent effects of protecting liver and improving liver function. As the results, the cabbage extract does not show cytotoxicity, and thus can be used safely. In an experiment performed on an animal model with liver injury induced by a drug (APAP), it could be seen that the cabbage extract exhibited the effects of protecting liver and improving liver function by effectively reducing AST and ALT which are liver injury markers, indicating that the cabbage extract is effective as a pharmaceutical extraction for preventing or treating liver disease. In particular, the cabbage extract was effective in treating inflammation of the liver by reducing the expression of the inflammatory mediators iNOS and COX-2 and the proinflammatory cytokine $IL-1{\beta}$, which are involved in acute inflammatory reactions accompanying liver injury. In the results, an extract of cabbage heat-treated at a temperature of 100 to $150^{\circ}C$ had a better liver function-improving effect or anti-inflammatory effect than an extract of raw cabbage.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7635-7638
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• 2014

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of serum gastric markers to differentiate between patients with precancerous lesions and nonatrophic chronic gastritis. Materials and Methods: Serum samples of 128 patients with dyspepsia who were candidates for endoscopic examination were tested for pepsinogen (PG I and PG II), PG I/II ratio, gastrin 17(G-17), anti-Helicobacter pylori (anti-H pylori ) and anti-CagA antibodies. Two sample t-tests, chi-square tests and Pearson's correlation analyses were used for analysis using SPSS (version 20). Results: PGI, PG I/II ratio values were decreased significantly in the precancerous lesion group (0.05, 0.001 respectively). The frequency of H pylori infection was significantly (p=0.03) different between the two groups ofthe study. Conclusions: We suggest PGI and the PG I/II ratio as valuable markers for screening of premalignant gastric lesions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.403-411
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• 2021

This study was designed to evaluate the gastroprotective activity of cirsilineol in hydrochloric acid (HCl)/ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model. Cirsilineol was administered at the doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg in HCl/ethanol-induced rats. The gastroprotective ability was verified by determining the ulcer score, total acidity, hemoglobin, inflammatory cytokines, lipid peroxides, and enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in gastric tissue and serum biochemical analysis. The results showed a favorable increase in the hemoglobin level, antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT), restored electrochemical balance (carbon dioxide & anion gap) while a noticeable decrease in ulcer index, total acidity, lipid peroxides, inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1 beta [IL-1β], IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) in rats treated with the cirsilineol. The serum biochemical analysis on liver markers (alkaline phosphatases, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase), kidney markers (urea, creatinine, albumin, globulin, total protein), and lipid profile (triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol) were attenuated by cirsilineol treatment in rats. Histopathology showed enhanced gastric protection and preserved the integrity of gastric mucosa upon cirsilineol administration. These results ultimately suggest that cirsilineol has gastroprotective effects that prevent the development of gastric ulcer.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.397-404
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• 2019

This study was carried out to investigate the heat-treated broccoli extraction which have a beneficial effect on the human body and which can be used safely for a long period of time without adverse side effects and also have excellent effects of protecting liver and improving liver function. The heat-treated broccoli extract does not show cytotoxicity, and thus can be used safely. In an experiment performed on an animal model with liver injury induced by a drug (APAP), it could be seen that the heat-treated cabbage extract exhibited the effects of protecting liver and improving liver function by effectively reducing AST and ALT which are liver injury markers, indicating that the heat-treated brocoli extract is effective as a pharmaceutical extraction for preventing or treating liver disease. In particular, the heat-treated broccoli extract was effective in treating inflammation of the liver by reducing the expression of the inflammatory mediators iNOS and COX-2 and the proinflammatory cytokine $IL-1{\beta}$, which are involved in acute inflammatory reactions accompanying liver injury.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2257-2261
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• 2012

Pinocembrin (5, 7-dihydroxyflavanone) is a flavanone extracted from the rhizome of Boesenbergia pandurata. Our previous studies demonstrated that pinocembrin had no toxicity or mutagenicity in rats. We here evaluated its effects on the initiation and promotion stages in diethylnitrosamine-induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis, using short- and medium-term carcinogenicity tests. Micronucleated hepatocytes and liver glutathione-S-transferase placental form foci were used as end point markers. Pinocembrin was neither mutagenic nor carcinogenic in rat liver, and neither inhibited nor prevented micronucleus formation as well as GST-P positive foci formation induced by diethylnitrosamine. Interestingly, pinocembrin slightly increased the number of GST-P positive foci when given prior to diethylnitrosamine injection.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.102-107
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• 2005

In this study, the ameliorating effect of soybean embryos on the impact of alcohol consumption was investigated on rat hepatocytes and in reducing total serum cholesterol levels and total serum lipid levels. Liver histology and two clinically important enzyme markers, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), of rats administered with both alcohol and soybean embryo were compared with a control group. The treatment regimen of soybean embryo significantly reduced the serum ALT and AST levels of the subjects, demonstrating the hepato-protective effects of soybean embryo. Electron microscopy indicated that the administration of soybean embryo preserved the important hepatocyte structures and prevented the presence of lipid droplets and secondary lysosomes. Furthermore, total cholesterol and total lipid levels were significantly reduced. These results indicate that treatment with soybean embryo can positively mediate the effects of alcohol on hepatocytes and general liver functions.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.374-384
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• 2023

Fibrosis is a pathological condition that is characterized by an abnormal buildup of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, such as collagen, in tissues. This condition affects various organs of the body, including the liver and kidney. Early diagnosis and treatment of fibrosis are crucial, as it is a progressive and irreversible process in both organs. While there are certain similarities in the fibrosis process between the liver and kidney, there are also significant differences that must be identified to determine molecular diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of RNA molecules that do not code for proteins, are increasingly recognized as playing significant roles in gene expression regulation. Emerging evidence suggests that specific lncRNAs are involved in fibrosis development and progression by modulating signaling pathways, such as the TGF-β/Smad pathway and the β-catenin pathway. Thus, identifying the precise lncRNAs involved in fibrosis could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for fibrotic diseases. In this review, we summarize lncRNAs related to fibrosis in the liver and kidney, and propose their potential as therapeutic targets based on their functions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.700-711
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• 2017

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the impact of high-fat diets composed of different animal and vegetable fat sources on serum metabolic health markers in Japanese quail, as well as the overall lipid content and fatty acid profiles of the edible bird tissues following significantly increased dietary lipid supplementation. Methods: Fifty seven male quail were divided into six groups and fed either a standard diet or a diet enriched with one of five different fats (22% coconut oil, lard, palm oil, soybean oil, or sunflower oil) for 12 weeks. The birds were subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test following the feeding period, after which they were euthanized and blood, liver, breast, and thigh muscle samples collected. Total fat content and fatty acid profiles of the tissue samples, as well as serum uric acid, triglyceride, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, aspartate transaminase, and total bilirubin concentrations were assessed. Results: High-fat diet feeding had no significant effects on the glucose tolerance of the birds. Dietary fatty acid profiles of the added fats were reflected in the lipid profiles of both the liver and breast and thigh muscle tissues, indicating successful transfer of dietary fatty acids to the edible bird tissues. The significantly increased level of lipid inclusion in the diets of the quail used in the present study was unsuccessful in increasing the overall lipid content of the edible bird tissues. Serum metabolic health markers in birds on the high-fat diets were not significantly different from those observed in birds on the standard diet. Conclusion: Thus, despite the various high-fat diets modifying the fatty acid profile of the birds' tissues, unlike in most mammals, the birds maintained a normal health status following consumption of the various high-fat diets.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2012

This study was carried out to observe the impacts of a mouse's inhalation of toxic gas SO2 generated from combustion on its organs by different concentrations. As for research methods: First, after concentrations of SO2 generation from combustion had been set to three: low (10.4 ppm), middle (24.9 ppm) and high (122 ppm) through Gas Toxicity Testing Method (KS F 2271) and SO2 combustion gas was exposed to eight mice in each concentration. Five mice that were able to move based on LD50, a criterion, which sets the down time of a mouse's average behaviors to over 9 minutes, were randomly selected in each concentration, and they were set up as the subjects of the study on toxicity bio-markers. Second, tissues were taken from heart, liver, lungs, spleen and the thymus gland of the mice selected in each concentration and a pathological examination of them was carried out. As a result, microvascular congestion appeared in the heart, and cell necrosis, cortex congestion and tubule medulla congestion, etc. in each concentration were observed in addition to vascular congestion in liver, lungs, spleen and the thymus gland. Also, it was found that the higher the concentrations of SO2 exposure is, the greater, the changes in the organs get. Through this study, SO2 of various toxic gases generated from fire turned out to affect the tissues of each organ of a mouse, it is expected that the toxic gases may greatly affect human body in case of actual fire, and this study is evaluated as having a significance as a basic data on inhalation toxicity assessment of toxic substances generated in combustion.