• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.567-586
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• 2001

Gastrointestinal tract of ruminants as well as monogastric animals are colonised by a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Gastrointestinal ecosystem, especially the rumen is emerging as an important source for enrichment and natural selection of microbes adapted to specific conditions. It represents a virtually untapped source of novel products (e.g. enzymes, antibiotics, bacteriocins, detoxificants and aromatic compounds) for industrial and therapeutic applications. Several gastrointestinal bacteria and fungi implicated in detoxification of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) can be modified and manipulated into promising system for detoxifying feed stuffs and enhancing fibre fermentation both naturally by adaptation or through genetic engineering techniques. Intestinal lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and butyrivibrios are being thoroughly investigated and widely recommended as probiotics. Restriction endonucleases and native plasmids, as stable vectors and efficient DNA delivery systems of ruminal and intestinal bacteria, are increasingly recognised as promising tools for genetic manipulation and development of industrially useful recombinant microbes. Enzymes can improve the nutrient availability from feed stuffs, lower feed costs and reduce release of wastes into the environment. Characterization of genes encoding a variety of commercially important enzymes such as cellulases, xylanases, $\beta$-glucanases, pectinases, amylases and phytases will foster the development of more efficacious and viable enzyme supplements and enzyme expression systems for enhancing livestock production.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2001

Induction of phase II enzymes such as quinone reductase (QR) or glutathione S-transferase (GST) is considered a major mechanism of protection against initiation of carcingenesis. This study was desinged to investigate the potential of Astragali Radix Aqua-acupuncture Solution (ARAS) to induce phase II enzymes and glutathione (GSH) in murine hepatoma cells grown in microtiter plate wells. ARAS was potent inducers of QR activity. ARAS was induced about 2.6-fold at concentration of $5{\times}$. In addition, GST activity was increased with ARAS. GSH levels were increased about 1.2-fold with ARAS at concentration of $0.1{\times}$. These results suggested that ARAS may act as blocking agents against carcinogenesis by induction of phase II marker enzymes.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.340-343
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• 2005

Induction of NAD(P)H:(quinone-acceptor) oxidoreductase (QR) which promotes obligatory two electron reduction of quinones and prevents their participation in oxidative cycling and thereby the depletion of intracellular glutathione, has been used as a marker for chemopreventive agents. Induction of phase II enzyme is considered to be an important mechanism of cancer prevention. In our previous study, we assessed the quinone reductase QR-inducing activities of 216 kinds of medicinal herb extracts in cultured murine hepatoma cells, BPRc1 and hepalc1c7 cells. Among the 216 herbal extracts tested in that study, extracts from Chrysanthemum zawadskii showed significant induction of QR. In this study, we examined QR-inducing activity of solvent fractions of the herbal extract. The dichloromethane fraction of the herb showed the highest QR induction among the samples fractionated with four kinds of solvents with different polarity. The fraction also significantly induced the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST), one of the major detoxifying enzymes, at $4{\mu}g/mL\;and\;2{\mu}g/mL$ in hepalc1c7 and BPRc1 cells, respectively. In conclusion, dichloromethane-soluble fraction of Chrysanthemum zawadskii which showed relatively strong induction of detoxifying enzymes merits further study to identify active components and evaluate their potential as cancer preventive agents.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 1999

A series of organosulfur compounds were synthesized with the aim of developing chemopreventive compounds active against hepatotoxicity and chemical carcinogesis. 2-(Allylthio) prazine (2-AP) was effective in inhibiting cytochrome P450 2E1-mediated catalytic activities and protein expression, and in inducing microsomal epoxide hydrolase and major glutathione S-transferases. 2-AP reduced the hepatotoxicity caused by toxicant sand elevated cellular GSH content. Development of skin tumors, pulmonary adenoma and aberrant crypt foci in colon by various chemical carcinogens was inhibited by 2-AP pretreatment. Anticarcinogenic effects of 2-AP at the stage of initiation of tumors were also observed in the aflatoxin B1 ($AFB_1$)-induced three-step medium-term hepatocarcinogenesis model. Reduction of $AFB_1$-DNA adduct by 2-AP appeared to result from the decreased formation of $AFB_1$-8,9-epoxide via suppression of cytochrome P450, while induction of GST 2-AP increases the excretion of glutathione-conjugated $AFB_1$ . 2-AP was a radioprotective agent effective against the lethal dose of total body irradiation and reduced radiation-induced injury in association with the elevation of detoxifying gene expression. 2-AP produces reactive oxygen species in vivo, which is not mediated with the thiol-dependent production of oxidants and that NF-KB activation is not involved in the induction of the detoxifying enzymes. the mechanism of chemoprotection by 2-AP may involve inhibition of the P450-mediated metabolic activation of chemical carcinogens and enhancement of electrophilic detoxification through induction of phase II detoxification enzymes which would facilitate the clearance of activated metabolites through conjugation reaction.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2007

Mechanisms of insecticide resistance found in insects may include three general categories. Modified behavioral mechanisms can let the insects avoid the exposure to toxic compounds. The second category is physiological mechanisms such as altered penetration, rapid excretion, lower rate transportation, or increased storage of insecticides by insects. The third category relies on biochemical mechanisms including the insensitivity of target sites to insecticides and enhanced detoxification rate by several detoxifying mechanisms. Insecticides metabolism usually results in the formation of more water-soluble and therefore more readily eliminated, and generally less toxic products to the host insects rather than the parent compounds. The representative detoxifying enzymes are general esterases and monooxygenases that catalyze the toxic compounds to be more water-soluble forms and then secondary metabolism is followed by conjugation reactions including those catalyzed by glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). However, a change in the resistant species is not easily determined and the levels of mRNAs do not necessarily predict the levels of the corresponding proteins in a cell. As genomics understands the expression of most of the genes in an organism after being stressed by toxic compounds, proteomics can determine the global protein changes in a cell. In this present review, it is suggested that the environmental proteomic application may be a good approach to understand the biochemical mechanisms of insecticide resistance in insects and to predict metabolomic changes leading to physiological changes of the resistant species.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 2003

In vitro inhibitory activity of 34 insecticides and 31 fungicides to glutathione-S-transferase and esterases extracted from rats was determined. Of tested pesticides, the pesticides with high activity on both detoxifying enzymes were mixed with pesticides that are known to be detoxified by detoxifying enzymes. Glutathione-S-transferase was inhibited by thiodicarb $(I_{50}:1.87\times10^{-4}M)$, thiocyclam $(7.40\times10^{-4}M)$, dithianon $(7.55\times10^{-5}M)$, and tolylfluanide $(8.66\times10^{-5}M)$, while esterases by dichlorvos $(8.95\times10^{-8}M)$, pirimicarb $(2.74\times10^{-6}M)$, pyrazophos $(3.31\times10^{-5}M)$, and benomyl $(4.96\times10^{-5}M)$. After acephate known to be detoxified by glutathione-S-transferase was mixed with glutathione-S-transferase-inhibiting pesticides and phenthoate known to be detoxified by esterases was mixed with esterases-inhibiting pesticides, insecticidal activities of such mixtures were determined against diamondback moth (PlutelLa xylostella L.). Synergistic action was observed in all pesticide combinations. The highest synergistic action was obtained when phenthoate was combined with dichlorvos, showing that co-toxicity coefficients were 1512 and 1877 after 24 and 48 hours of treatment, respectively. Several other combinations of pesticides, such as phenthoate with benomyl, and acephate with dithianon, also showed synergism, showing that their co-toxicity coefficients were about 1,000 and 500, after 24 hours of treatment, respectively. Our results showed that combinations of pesticides inhibited by detoxifying enzymes and ones detoxified by detoxifying enzymes resulted in increased toxicities of pesticides, suggesting that such combinations could be used to develop pesticide mixtures with more broad spectrum and high effectiveness.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2000

Induction of phase II enzymes such as quinone reductase (QR) or glutathione S-transferase (GST) is considered a major mechanism of protection against initiation of carcingenesis. The induction of detoxification enzymes and glutathione were studied with Lonicerae Flos aqua-acupuncture solution (LFAS), Angelicae gigantis Radix aqua-acupuncture solution (AGRAS), and Gamdutang aqua-acupunture solution (GAS) in murine hepatoma cells grown in microtiter plate wells. LFAS, AGRAS and GAS were potent inducers of QR activity. LFAS was induced about 2.6-fold at concentration of $3{\times}$. AGRAS and GAS were also induced about 2.6-, 1.8-fold at concentration of $5{\times}$, respectively. In addition, GST activity was increased with LFAS, AGRAS, and GAS. GSH levels were increased about 2-fold with LFAS at concentration of $5{\times}$, 1.3-fold with AGRAS at concentration of $3{\times}$, and 1.2-fold with GAS at concentration of $5{\times}$. These results suggested that LFAS, AGRAS, and GAS may act as blocking agents against carcinogenesis by induction of phase II marker enzymes.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.367-374
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• 1992

This study was performed to investigate effects of probable detoxifying enzyme activity and toxicity by pesticides and their combinations in the fresh water fish. Seven pesticides including IBP, isoprothiolane, cartap, ridomil, chlorothalonil, captafol and endosulfan were subjected to investigate for their acute toxicites and synergism possibilities. The $LC_{50}$ value of endosulfan was the lowest at showing 0.0079 ppm and that of metalaxyl was the highest as showing 40 ppm over. The synergism effects of relative pesticides were observed in the combinations of isoprothiolane+IBP and isoprothiolane+cartap. The changes of glycogen contents in fish liver were assayed for 5 pesticides and its highest inhibition effect of glycogen showed in IBP treated fish. The activity of probable detoxifying enzymes including carboxylesterase (CE), glutathion S-transferase (GST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were assayed in carp liver at dose of sublethal concentrations. Effects of pesticides on changes in each enzyme activities were as follows: carboxylesterase (CE) activities were the highest in IBP and gtutathion S-transferase (GST) activities were the highest in iosoprothiolane+IBP. Both activities of carboxylesterase (CE) and glutahtion S-transferase (GST) were increased by 5 chemicals. The highest LDH activity showed in isoprothiolane treated fish, while the lowest activity was observed in isoprothiolane+cartap. Sublethal exposure to cartap and isoprothiolane+cartap in carp exerted various effects on LDH activity.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.119-124
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• 2014

Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. is known as an insecticide and traditional remedy for liver related diseases. Therefore, this study investigated the chemopreventive effects of extracts and several solvent fractions (n-hexane, dichloromethane, n-butanol, water) of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. First, their cytotoxicity and NQO1 activity were measured using an MTT assay, plus a quinone reductase [NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone); NAD(P)H: (quinone acceptor) oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.99.2]-inducing activity assay was performed using cultured murine hepatoma cells (Hepa1c1c7) and its mutant cells(BpRc1). The reduction of electrophilic quinones by NQO1 is an important detoxification pathway and major mechanism of chemoprevention. When compared with the other solvent soluble fractions with different polarities, the dichloromethane fraction of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. showed a higher NQO1-inducing activity that was also dose-dependent. Moreover, the dichloromethane fraction of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. induced ARE-luciferase activities in HepG2-C8 cells that were generated by transfecting the ARE-luciferase gene construct, suggesting the Nrf2-ARE-mediated induction of anti-oxidative enzymes. In conclusion, the dichloromethane-soluble fraction of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. showed a relatively strong induction of detoxifying enzymes, thereby meriting further study to identify the active components and evaluate their potential as cancer preventive agents.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.299-304
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• 2001

Xenobiotics and their reactive intermediates bind to cellular macromolecules and/or generate oxidative stress. which provoke deleterious effects on the cell function. Induction of xenobiotic-biotrans-forming enzymes and antioxidant molecules is an important defense mechanism against such insults. A group of genes involved in the defense mechanism. e.g. genes encoding glutathione S-transferases. NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDP-GT) and ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GGCS). have a common regulatory sequence, Antioxidant or Electrophile Responsive Element (ARE/EpRE). Recently. Nrf2. discovered as a homologue of erythroid transcription factor p45 NF-E2, was shown to bind ARE/EpRE and induce the expression of these defense genes. Mice that lack Nrf2 show low basal levels of expression and/or impaired induction of these genes. which makes the animals highly sensitive to xenobiotic toxicity. Indeed. we show here that nrf2-deficient mice had a higher mortality than did the wild-type mice when exposed to acetaminophen (APAP). Detailed analyses of APAP hepatotoxicity in the nrf2 knockout mice indicate that a large amount of reactive APAP metabolites was generated in the livers due to the impaired basal expression of two detoxifying enzyme genes, UDP-GT (Ugt1a6) and GGCS. while the cytochrome P450 content was unchanged. Thus. the studies using the nrf2 knockout mice clearly demonstrate significance of the expression of Nrf2-regulated enzymes in protection against xenobiotic toxicity.