• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.5-20
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• 2006

Objectives : This study was carried out to identified the effects of distilled cultivated wild ginseng pharmacopuncture to the obesity. Methods : Cultivated wild ginseng pharmacopuncture was administered on the points of chung-wan(CV12), $Ch'{\breve{o}}nch'u$(ST25), and Chok-samni(ST36) on lowering lipid and oxidative capacity in biochemical and molecular biological aspects were investigated in obese rats fed with high fat diet. Results : 1. The contents of plasma ${\beta}-lipoprotein$ showed a tendency to decrease in the pharmacopuncture groups compared to the control group. In the pharmacopuncture groups, the values of ST25 and ST36 pharmacopuncture groups showed lower value. 2. The contents of plasma free fatty acids showed a tendency to decrease in pharmacopuncture groups compared to the control group. However, in the pharmacopuncture groups, the values were not significantly different. 3. Plasma triglyceride and glucose showed lower value in the ST25 pharmacopuncture groups compared with the other groups. 4. The activity of AST showed a tendency to decrease in the pharmacopuncture groups. However, the activity of ALT was not significantly different in all the treatment groups. 5. Plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol showed lower value in the ST25 and ST36 pharmacopuncture groups and HDL-cholesterol showed higher value in the CV12 pharmacopuncture groups than that of the other treatment groups. 6. Liver total cholesterol values didn't show significant difference in all the treatment groups, and triglyceride showed lower value in the pharmacopuncture groups. 7. The contents of plasma TEARS showed lower value in the ST25 pharmacopuncture group and contents of liver TBARS showed a tendency to decrease in the pharmacopuncture groups. However these values didn't show significant difference in the pharmaco puncture groups. 8. Liver super oxide dismutase activity showed higher value in the ST25 and ST36 pharmacopuncture groups, and the value of liver glutathione peroxidase and catalase activity showed a tendency to increase in the pharmacopuncture groups. However, these values showed no significant difference in the pharmacopuncture groups. 9. Expression of apo-B and E mRNA in liver cells was lower in the ST25 pharmacopuncture group than that of the other treatment groups. However, expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and leptin mRNA in adipose cell showed no difference among all the treatment groups. 10. ST25 pharmacopuncture group showed a good histological character of liver. It showed similar to that of normal group. However other treatment groups and control group showed slight vasodilation and slight fat accumulation. Conclusion : These results indicate that distilled cultivated wild ginseng pharmacopuncture suppressed adipose tissue mass and lipid peroxidation, and increased antioxidant capacity.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.381-390
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• 2006

Astaxanthine is a pigment that belongs to the family of the xanthophylls, the oxygenated derivatives of carotenoids whose synthesis in plants derives from lycopene. Astaxanthine is also a carotenoid widely used in salmonid and crustacean aquaculture to provide the pink color characteristic of that. Recent study reported that astaxanthine has the role as a detoxicant against the free radicals. On our study, we estimated the genotoxicity in ICR mice and possibility as antioxidant reagents of mutant Phaffia rhodozyma strain over expressing the astaxanthine by gamma-lay and carophyll pink including astaxanthine in apoE knock out mice, respectively. In our study, we administered Phaffia rhodozyma (2 mg and 3 mg) and carophyll pink for 4 and 8 week. The clinical sign and mortality were not detected compared with control groups. In the mutant frequency of hprt gene and chromosome aberration in splenic cells, there was not detected abnormality. There was not critical change in hematological and serum biochemical test compared to control. In expression level of repair enzyme, increase of catalase were detected and increase of expression level of Nrf-2 was detected in Phaffia rhodozyma (3 mg) and carophyll pink in 8 week treated group. In GSH level, the group of treated with Phaffia rhodozyma (3 mg) showed the increase of the GSH. In conclusion, mutant Phaffia rhodozyma and caphyll pink may be applied to the effective food additives to reduce the free radical.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.120-128
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• 2008

The death ligand tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)/ Apo1L is a cytokine that activates apoptosis through cell surface death receptors. TRAIL has sparked growing interest in oncology due to its reported ability to selectively trigger cancer cell death. Euphorbiae humifusae Wind has been used in traditional Oriental medicine as a folk remedy used for the treatment of cancer. However, the mechanism responsible for the anticancer effects of E. humifusae not clearly understood. Here, we show that treatment with subtoxic doses of water extract of E. humifusae (WEEH) in combination with TRAIL induces apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant human gastric carcinoma AGS cells. Combined treatment with WEEH and TRAIL induced chromatin condensation and sub-G1 phase DNA content. These indicators of apoptosis were correlated with the induction of caspase activity that resulted in the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Combined treatment also triggered the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, co-treatment with WEEH and TRAIL down-regulated the protein levels of the anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, XIAP and cIAP-1. Although more study will be needed to examine the detailed mechanisms, this combined treatment may offer an attractive strategy for safely treating gastric adenocarcinomas and the results provide important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anticancer activity of E. humifusae.