• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.131-135
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• 2002

The optimum conditions for the production of Lentinus edodes mycelia and it's hypoglycemic effect was studied. Optimum pH and temperature for the production of mycelia in shaken flask culture were 5 and $30^{\circ}C$, respectively, for 24 days cultivation. Culture period for maximum production of mycelia (8.13 g/l) in 5-l jar fermenter cultivation was shortened as much as 6 days compared to shaken flask culture. The mycelial dose of 5 % proved almost equally effective in lowering the plasma glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride level as much as 23.0, 20.7, and 27.1%, respectively. The values of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase were also estimated and exhibited a substantial reduction (29.6 and 34.3%, respectively) in activity after the administration of dried mycelia.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2 s.62
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• pp.231-240
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• 2005

Objectives: In order to investigate the efficacy and safety of the newly developed herbal medicine Jetongdan, a placebo­controlled, randomized clinical trial of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee was undertaken. Methods: Data were obtained from 80 patients with OA of the knee. After enrollment, they were asked to answer a disease-specific questionnaire (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) OA index) and analyzed with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in order to evaluate the efficacy of Jetongdan, and analyzed for aspartate transaminase (AST) level, alanine transaminase (ALT) level, blood mea nitrogen (BUN) level, and creatinine (Cr) level in order to evaluate the safety of Jetongdan. Results: The liver function and renal function did not deteriorate after treatment with Jetongdan. Composite WOMAC score and physical function subscale was improved, but pain subscale, stiffness subscale, and ESR were not improved by. This was possibly because the baseline characteristics of the two groups were not homogenized after randomization. Conclusions: Jetongdan could be a promising treatment option for osteoarthritis of the knee. Further study in a larger population with appropriate severity grades is recommended.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the utility of acanthosis nigricans (AN) severity as an index for predicting insulin resistance in obese children. Methods: The subjects comprised 74 obese pediatric patients who attended the Department of Pediatrics at Chosun University Hospital between January 2013 and March 2016. Waist circumference; body mass index; blood pressure; fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels; lipid profile; aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, glycated hemoglobin, C-peptide, and uric acid levels; and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and quantitative insulin check sensitivity index (QUICKI) scores were compared between subjects with AN and those without AN. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to investigate the utility of the AN score in predicting insulin resistance. HOMA-IR and QUICKI were compared according to AN severity. Results: The With AN group had higher fasting insulin levels ($24.1{\pm}21.0\;mU/L$ vs. $9.8{\pm}3.6\;mU/L$, p<0.001) and HOMA-IR score ($5.74{\pm}4.71$ vs. $2.14{\pm}0.86$, p<0.001) than the Without AN group. The AN score used to predict insulin resistance was 3 points or more (sensitivity 56.8%, specificity 83.9%). HOMA-IR scores increased with AN severity, from the Without AN group (mean, 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72-2.57) to the Mild AN (mean, 4.15; 95% CI, 3.04-5.25) and Severe AN groups (mean, 7.22; 95% CI, 5.08-9.35; p<0.001). Conclusion: Insulin resistance worsens with increasing AN severity, and patients with Severe AN (AN score ${\geq}3$) are at increased risk of insulin resistance.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.22 no.1 s.56
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• pp.73-82
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• 2007

Six week-old ICR mite which were divided into four groups including NC, RC, RR and RS were injected with sun ginseng (RS), red ginseng (RR) and saline (RC) intraperitonedlly as an amount of 60 mg/g body weight at 1 hour, 12 hours and 36 hours before the irradiation of high-energy X-ray and the mire were sacrificed at three and a half days after the irradiation. The RS group were significant increase in the weight of spleen (p<0.01) and the numbers of jejunal crypt cells (P<0.01), WBC (p<0.05), lymphocytes (p<0.05) and neutrophils (p<0.05) in comparison with the RC group. The RR group were significant increase in the numbers of jejunal crypt cells (p<0.001), WBC (p<0.05) and neutrophils (p<0.05) in comparison with the RC group. The RS group exhibited a more increase in the weights of spleen and thymus and the numbers of jejunal crypt cells and all items of hematological examination than the RR group. The values of ALT (alanine transaminase) and AST (aspartate transaminase) were significantly elevated (p<0.05) by radiation and they were significantly decreased (p<0.05) in the RS group to the values of the NC group. Taken together the above results, sun ginseng demonstrated a jejunal crypt survival effect, the protective effects on hepatocytes and immune and hematopoietic cells in mice irradiated with high-energy X-ray, and those radiation protective effects were a little higher in comparison with red ginseng.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.22 no.2 s.57
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• pp.147-156
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• 2007

Six week-old ICR mice were divided into four groups including NC, RC, RR and RS, then they were injected with sun ginseng (RS), red ginseng (RR) and saline (RC) intraperitoneally as an amount of 60mg/kg body weight at 1 hour, 12 hours and 36 hours before the whole body irradiation with 6.5Gy of X-ray. And the mice were sacrificed at nine days after the irradiation. The RS group were significant increase in the weight of spleen (p<0.05) and the numbers of endogenous spleen colony (p<0.001) and WBC (p<0.05) especially neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes in comparison with the RC group. The RR group were significant increase in the numbers of endogenous spleen colony (p<0.01) and WBC (p<0.05) especially neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils in comparison with the RC group. The RS group exhibited a more increase in the weight of spleen and the number of endogenous spleen colony than the RR group. The values of ALT (alanine transaminase) and AST (aspartate transaminase) were significantly elevated (p<0.05) by radiation and they were significantly decreased (p<0.05) in the RS group to the values of the NC group. The value of TBARS(thiobarbituric acid reactive substance) was significantly elevated (p<0.01) by radiation and it was significantly decreased (p<0.05) in the RS group. And the values of SOD (superoxide dismutase) and CAT (catalase) were significantly increased (p<0.05) in the RS group in comparison with the RC group. Taken together the above results, sun ginseng demonstrated the protective effects on hepatocytes and immune and hematopoietic cells in mice exposed to medium dose of irradiation, and those radioprotective effects were a little higher or similar to the red ginseng.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.520-526
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• 2011

Folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia are found in most patients with alcoholic liver disease. Oxidative stress is one of the most important mechanisms contributing to homocysteine (Hcy)-induced tissue injury. However it has not been examined whether exogenous administration of folic acid attenuates oxidative stress and hepatic toxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo effect of folic acid supplementation on oxidative stress and hepatic toxicity induced by chronic ethanol consumption. Wistar rats (n = 32) were divided into four groups and fed 0%, 12%, 36% ethanol, or 36% ethanol plus folic acid (10 mg folic acid/L) diets. After 5 weeks, chronic consumption of the 36% ethanol diet significantly increased plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) (P < 0.05) and aspartate transaminase (AST) (P < 0.05), triglycerides (TG) (P < 0.05), Hcy (P < 0.001), and low density lipoprotein conjugated dienes (CD) (P < 0.05) but decreased total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) (P < 0.001). These changes were prevented partially by folic acid supplementation. The 12% ethanol diet had no apparent effect on most parameters. Plasma Hcy concentration was well correlated with plasma ALT (r = $0.612^{**}$), AST (r = $0.652^*$), CD (r = $0.495^*$), and TRAP (r = $-0.486^*$). The results indicate that moderately elevated Hcy is associated with increased oxidative stress and liver injury in alcohol-fed rats, and suggests that folic acid supplementation appears to attenuate hepatic toxicity induced by chronic ethanol consumption possibly by decreasing oxidative stress.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.64-68
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• 2005

This investigation was undertaken to study the effects of oral administration of Inonotus obliquus mycelia produced by a submerged culture on plasma glucose level and other biochemical parameters in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The mycelia, at the dose of 200 mg/kg body weight (BW), substantially reduced the plasma glucose level by as much as 23.1% as compared to the control group. The levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride in plasma were reduced to the extent of 12.6% and 22.6%, respectively. The activities of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were decreased by 27.6% and 21.9%, respectively, under the influence of I. obliquus mycelia. The general components of I. obliquus mycelia were found to contain 5.55% crude ash, 2.35% crude fat, 28.29% crude protein, 9.53% carbohydrate, and 54.28% dietary fiber.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.171-184
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• 2013

Single-and repeated-dose toxicities of Compound K (CK) were evaluated according to Toxicity Test Guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration using Sprague-Dawley rats. For single-dose toxicity study, CK was dissolved in drinking water, orally administered and examined for 14 days. As results, CK up to a dose of 5,000 mg/kg, the limited dose, neither induced death, clinical signs and necropsy findings, nor affected body weight gain and organ weights, in which 10% lethal dose could not be estimated. Based on the results of single-dose toxicity test, CK was administered at doses of 500, 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg for 28 days for the evaluation of repeated-dose toxicity. All doses including the limited dose (2,000 mg/kg) of CK did not cause any abnormalities of rats, including mortality, clinical signs, body weight gain, feed/water consumption, necropsy findings, organ weights, hematology, blood biochemistry. Rather, high doses (1,000 - 2,000 mg/kg) of CK reduced the serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and triglycerides, in addition to an increase in glucose, indicative of protective effects on hepatic and muscular injuries. Thus, both maximum tolerable dose (MTD) and no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) were not determined. The results indicate that long-term intake of high-dose CK might not induce general adverse effects.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.148-153
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• 2020

Erythropoietin and iron have individually shown beneficial effects on early-phase liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy (PHx); however, there are limited data on the combined effect on late-phase liver regeneration after PHx. Here we examined combined effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO, 3,000 IU/kg) and iron isomaltoside (IIM, 40 mg/kg) on late-phase liver regeneration following PHx and investigated the possible underlying mechanism. Rats administrated with rhEPO showed significantly higher liver mass restoration, interleukin-6 (IL-6, a hepatocyte mitogen) levels, and Ki-67-positive hepatocytes on day 7 after PHx than saline-treated controls. These beneficial effects were further enhanced on days 7 and 14 by co-treatment with IIM. This combination also significantly improved liver function indices, such as increased albumin production and decreased bilirubin levels, but did not alter serum levels of toxic parameters, such as aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase. This study demonstrates that the combination of rhEPO and IIM synergistically improves late-phase liver regeneration and function after PHx, probably by promoting IL-6-mediated hepatocyte proliferation without adverse effects. Thus, this combination treatment can be a potential therapeutic strategy for patients undergoing resection for hepatic malignancies.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2016

Iridoid glycosides (mainly geniposide) and crocetin derivatives (crocins) are the two major active constituents in Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. In the present study, geniposide, crocins, crocin-1 and crocetin were separated from gardenia chromatographically. Then, mice were orally administrated with geniposide (400 mg/kg b.w.), crocins (400 mg/kg b.w.), crocin-1 (400 mg/kg b.w.) and crocetin (140 mg/kg b.w.) once daily for 7 days with $CCl_4$. Hepatoprotective properties were evaluated by biochemical parameters: Administration of geniposide, crocins, crocin-1and crocetin significantly lowered serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in $CCl_4$-treated mice. The reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) activities were also increased by geniposide, crocins, crocin-1 and crocetin. Histopathological examination of livers showed that these components reduced deformability, irregular arrangement and rupture of hepatocyte in $CCl_4$-treated mice. These biochemical results and liver histopathological assessment demonstrated that geniposide, crocetin derivatives and crocetin show comparative beneficial effects on $CCl_4$-induced liver damage via induction of antioxidant defense. Therefore, contents of geniposide and crocetin derivatives should be both considered for hepatoprotective efficacy of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis.