• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.277-282
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• 1992

Pneumocystis carinii (Pc) is an important opportunistic pathogen of immune compromised hosts, and is known to infect various animals. The present study observed the infection status of 6 mammals and 3 strains of albino rats with Pc after suppression of their immunity. Methyl-prednisolone was injected once a week and tetracycline was supplied with water for 5 to 21 weeks. Hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats and pigs were negative by impression smear, and only the rats were found infected by Pc. All of the three strains of rats, Sprague-Dawley(SD), Wistar(W) and Fisher(F), were infected by Pc but W rats showed heavier degree of infection in earlier period than F or SD rats. The present findings suggest that W rat is the best among the animals used in the present study for production of Pc.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.27-35
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• 2014

Objectives: Mountain ginseng pharmacopuncture (MGP) is a pharmacopuncture made by distilling extract from mountain cultivated ginseng or mountain wild ginseng. This pharmacopuncture is injected intravenously, which is a quick, lossless way of strongly tonifying Qi function. The present study was undertaken to evaluate a 4-week, repeated, intravenous injection, toxicity test of MGP in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Methods: Twenty male and female 6-week-old SD rats were used as subjects. We divided the SD rats into 4 groups: the high-dosage (10 mL/kg), medium-dosage (5 mL/kg), low-dosage (2.5 mL/kg) and control (normal saline) groups. MGP or normal saline was injected intravenously into the caudal vein of the rats once daily for 4 weeks. Clinical signs, body weights, and food consumption were monitored during the observation period, and hematology, serum biochemistry, organ weight, necropsy, and histological examinations were conducted once the observations had been completed. Results: No mortality was observed in any of the groups during the observation period. No changes due to MGP were observed in the experimental groups regarding clinical signs, body weights, food consumption, hematology, serum biochemistry, organ weight and necropsy. No histological changes due to MGP were observed in any of the male or female rats in the high-dosage group. Conclusion: During this 4-week, repeated, intravenous injection, toxicity test of MGP in SD rats, no toxic changes due to MGP were observed in any of the male or female rats in the high-dosage group. Thus, we suggest that the high and the low doses in a 13-week, repeated test should be 10 mL/kg and 2.5 mL/kg, respectively.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 1999

Purpose : Several modulatory factors for renal peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) has been reported, but their physiological significance remains elusive. Tissue-specific, stress-induced down-regulation of renal PBR coupled with the pharmacological stimulation of these effects by angiotensin II suggested that physiological significance of renal PBR may be related to the pathophysiology of stress-induced hypertension. The boderline hypertensive rat (BHR) has been used extensively to study the interaction of environmental factors, such as stress and blood pressure. The BHR is the first-generation progeny of a cross between the spontaneously hypertensive rat and the control Wistar-Kyoto rat. The pathogenesis of stress induced hypertension in this model is not demonstrated well. Methods In this study, BHR (male, 150-200 g) and Sprague-Dawley (SD, male, 150-200 g) rats were treated by repeated immobilization to induce anxiety. We used plus-maze performance to observe the level of anxiety by measuring percent open crosses and percent time in open. Results : Percent open crosses and percent time in open in BHR were lower than in SD rats (P<0.05). Receptor densities of renal PBR in BHRs were significantly lower than those of SDs (P<0.05). We also observed that the renal PBR was upregulated in the repeatedly stressed (immobilization, 2 hours daily, for 2 weeks) rats, both in the BHR and SD. However, the density of renal PBR in the stressed BHR was still lower than that of stressed SD. Renal PBR has been suggested to be an important organs which Is responsible for the production of cholesterol-derived products during stress. Conrlusion : From these results, it can be summarized that the lowed density of renal PBR may be involved in the pathogeneis of stress-induced hypertension.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2002

To evaluate the modifying effect of Kwao Kreu, Pueraria mirifica (PM) well-known as a rejuvenating folk medicine from Thailand, peri- and post-natal studies were carried out in rats. PM extract was administered to pregnant Sprague Dawley (SD) rats by oral gavage from gestation 6 (GD 6) to postnatal day 21 (PND 21). The amount of administered in this study was 0.042, 0.42 and 4.2 mg/kg/day, respectively. There were no treatment related changes of dams in deaths, clinical signs, and parturition. Treatment related changes in body weight, food consumption and lactation of dams were not observed. F1 fetuses in external abnormality, physical development, reflex/sensory functions and behavioral development were not found. No adults and F1 fetuses in organ weight was found with the exception of vagina and uterus of F1 fetuses. The results showed that PM extract, up to 4.2 mg, had no adverse effects on the peri- and post-natal development of rats. Therefore, PM extract has no adverse effects on peri- and post-natal development of rats.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2013

Objectives: We investigated the effects of Korean gastrodia and bee pollen on testosterone production in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: This study measured the body weight, consumption of food and water, and serum testosterone concentration in SD rats fed for four weeks with gastrodia and bee pollen. Results: The average body weights after four weeks were $375{\pm}2g$ for the control group, $358{\pm}3g$ for gastrodia consumption, and $354{\pm}2g$ and $367{\pm}8g$ for acorn pollen and Siberian gooseberry pollen, respectively. The average food consumption in SD rats over the four weeks in the control was 23.6 g for gastrodia consumption, 24.3 g and 24.9 g for acorn pollen and Siberian gooseberry pollen, respectively. The average water consumption over the four weeks was 38.33 ml in the control group, 35.0 ml for gastrodia treatment, and 33.3 ml and 33.3 ml for acorn pollen and Siberian gooseberry pollen treatment, respectively. The testosterone secretion levels in the serum of male rats were increased by gastrodia, acorn pollen, and Siberian gooseberry pollen (2.68, 3.00, and 3.28 pg/ml, respectively) compared to the control group (2.23 pg/ml). Conclusions: These results suggest that gastrodia or bee pollen may be developed as a complementary medicine to improve sexual hormone production.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.77-89
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• 2015

Objectives : To evaluate the safety of multiple-dose intramuscular Shinbaro Pharmacopuncture in male and female Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats over a period of 4 weeks(12 sessions). Methods : In order to test the safety of multiple-dose intramuscular Shinbaro Pharmacopuncture we used 40 healthy male and female 6-week old SD rats(male weight 171.79~196.37 g, female weight 127.93~146.43 g). Shinbaro Pharmacopuncture was administered intramuscularly to male and female SD rats at doses of 4.6 (low dose group, n=10), 9.2 (moderate dose group, n=10), and 18.5 mg/kg(high dose group, n=10), respectively. General symptoms, body weight changes, blood tests, biochemical testing, necropsy, organ weight and histopathogical findings were examined over a 4-week period. Results : 1. No mortalities or adverse effects were caused by the investigational substance were observed during the study period. 2. There was no significant difference in body weight caused by the the investigational substance across all groups. 3. No significant between-group difference was found to be caused by the investigational substance in blood tests and biochemical testing. 4. No abnormalities were detected by a necropsy examination with the unaided eye at the macro level after treatment with the investigational substance. 5. Difference in organ weight between groups caused by the investigational substance was not found. 6. All groups did not exhibit pathological findings caused by the investigational substance in histopathogical examination. Conclusions : According to these results, Shinbaro Pharmacopuncture has no systemic or organ toxicity with multiple-dose intramuscular administrations in male and female SD rats over a 4-week period (12 sessions). These results imply that no adverse effects are observed at a level (NOAEL) of Shinbaro Pharmacopuncture of 18.5 mg/kg.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.221-224
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• 1997

Effects of melatonin on hepatic glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione-reductase (GSH-reductase) activities were studied in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats administered i.p. (10 mg/kg body weight) with melatonin during 15 days. The activity of cytosolic GSH-reductase in the liver was not changed by melatonin. However, melatonin injection increased significantly the activity of liver cytosolic GSH-Px activity compared with those in saline-treated rats. At the same time, plasma GSH-Px was also increased significantly in melatonin-treated rats. Since GSH-Px, a major antioxidative enzyme, removes $H_2O_2$ and lipid peroxides which are formed during lipid peroxidation from cellular membrane, such elevation of heptatic GSH-Px activity may contribute to the improvement of antioxidative effects under oxidative damage in the liver.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.28-33
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• 2014

Background: Samul-tang (Si-Wu-Tang, SMT) is a traditional herbal formula, which has been widely used to treat various diseases such as menstrual irregularity, bleeding and leucorrhea. Although many studies have investigated the pharmacological properties of SMT, its toxicity information has not yet been fully elucidated. Methods: Five Sprague Dawley (SD) rats of each sex were given a single dose (5000 mg/kg) of SMT by gavage; control rats received the vehicle only. After the single administration, mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes and gross findings were monitored for 15 days in accordance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) principles. Results: In a single oral dose toxicity study, there was no adverse effect on mortality, clinical sign, body weight change or gross finding in any treatment group. Conclusions: The results indicate that SMT did not induce toxic effects at a dose level up to 5000 mg/kg in rats and its median lethal dose ($LD_{50}$) was considered to be over 5000 mg/kg/day body weight for both genders.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.140-145
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• 2021

Background: Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai (ASN) has been reported to have analgesic effects. In this study an animal model of pharmacopuncture using ASN (100-500 mg/kg) was examined. Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (n = 40) were randomly assigned to ASN-Low (1 mg/mL, 1.8 mL, ASN-L), ASN-Intermediate (5 mg/mL, 1.8 mL, ASN-M), ASN-High (10 mg/mL, 1.8 mL, ASN-H), negative control (0.2 mL normal saline), and positive control (0.2 mL 0.5% lidocaine) groups. All experiments were administered to the rats' left hind leg. The analgesic response was assessed by monitoring the physical (hot plate, and von Frey test) and chemical (formalin) responses to pain. Results: All ASN pharmacopuncture groups demonstrated significant differences in pain response to the hot plate test, von Frey test, and formalin test, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The response of the ASN-M group and ASN-H groups to the hot plate, the formalin, and the von Frey tests were significantly different, compared to the lidocaine group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: ASN pharmacopuncture had a significant analgesic effect on SD rats in response to physical and chemical models of pain.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1307-1313
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• 2024

This study investigates whether red pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc.) bark extract (PBE) can alleviate diabetes and abnormal apoptosis signaling pathways in the hippocampus of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Two dosages of PBE (15 and 30 mg/kg of body weight/day) were administered orally to STZ-induced diabetic SD rats for 20 days. Blood glucose level and body weight were measured once per week. After 20 days of oral administration of PBE, the rat hippocampus was collected, and the production of Akt, p-Akt, GSK-3β, p-GSK-3β, tau, p-tau, Bax, and Bcl-2 proteins were determined by western blot analysis. A decrease in blood glucose level and recovery of body weight were observed in PBE-treated diabetic rats. In the Akt/GSK-3β/tau signaling pathway, PBE inhibited diabetes-induced Akt inactivation, GSK-3β inactivation, and tau hyperphosphorylation. The protein production ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 was restored to the control group level. These results suggest that PBE, rich in phenolic compounds, can be used as a functional food ingredient to ameliorate neuronal apoptosis in diabetes mellitus.