• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.128-132
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• 2010

Objectives: This study aimed to review the general features of drug induced liver injury (DILI) and the important factors in consideration of herbal drugs and DILI. Methods: We reviewed general aspects of DILI such as classification, inducible factors, diagnosis methods, prevention, and the status of herbal drug-associated DILI via literature. Results: Besides the drug itself, genetic and environmental factors affect hepatic toxicity. There is a lack of definitive diagnoses of DILI by drugs, including herbal remedies. The possibility of herbal drug-associated DILI is exaggerated, and majority of herbal drug-derived hepatic injury could be easily prevented if Oriental doctors pay attention to this issue. Conclusion: This study can provide Oriental doctors an overview and be helpful in minimizing the episodes of hepatotoxicity in use of herbal drugs.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.61-70
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• 2011

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are present in many consumer products ranging from fabrics to plastics and electronics. Wide use of flame retardants can pose an environmental hazard, which makes it important to determine the mechanism of their toxicity. In the present study, dose-dependent toxicity of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a flame retardant, was examined in male prepubertal rats (postnatal day 18) treated orally with TBBPA at 0, 125, 250 or 500 mg/kg for 30 days. There were no differences in body weight gain between the control and TBBPA-treated groups. However, absolute and relative liver weights were significantly increased in high dose of TBBPA-treated groups. TBBPA treatment led to significant induction of CYP2B1 and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) expression in the liver. In addition, serum thyroxin (T4) concentration was significantly reduced in the TBBPA treated group. These results indicate that repeated exposure to TBBPA induces drug-metabolising enzymes in rats through the CAR signaling pathway. In particular, TBBPA efficiently produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) through CYP2B1 induction in rats. We measured 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker of DNA oxidative damage, in the kidney, liver and testes of rats following TBBPA treatment. As expected, TBBPA strongly induced the production of 8-OHdG in the testis and kidney. These observations suggest that TBBPA-induced target organ toxicity may be due to ROS produced by metabolism of TBBPA in Sprague-Dawley rats.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.165-171
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• 2007

Mitomycin C (MMC), an antitumor antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces caespitosus, is used in chemotherapy of gastric, bladder and colorectal cancer. MMC is activated in vivo to alkylate and crosslink DNA, via G-G interstrand bonds, thereby inhibiting DNA synthesis and transcription. This study investigates gene expression changes in response to MMC treatment in order to elucidate the mechanisms of MMC-induced toxicity. MMC was admistered with single dose (0.32 and 1.6 ${\mu}M$) to TK6 cells. Applied Biosystem's DNA chips were used for identifying the gene expression profile by MMC-induced toxicity. We identified up- or down-regulated 90 genes including cyclin M2, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21, cip1), programmed cell death 1, tumor necrosis factor (ligand) superfamily, member 9, et al. The regulated genes by MMC associated with the biological pathways apoptosis signaling pathway. Further characterization of these candidate markers related to the toxicity will be useful to understand the detailed mechanism of action of MMC.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.771-775
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• 2007

Licorice has been used for cure of injuries and for detoxification in East Asia. This study investigated the protective effect of licorice water extract against cadmium (CdCl$_2$, Cd)-induced nephro-toxicity in rats. To induce acute toxicity, Cd (4 mg/kg body weight) was dissolved in normal saline and then, intravenously (i.v.) injected to animals. In experiments, animals were orally administrated with vehicle or licorice water extract (50-100 mg/kg) for 3 days, exposed to a single injection of Cd after 24 h the last licorice/vehicle treatment. Licorice protected kidney injuries by Cd treatment. The number of glomeruli showing vasodilatation and thickening of Bowman's capsule was dose-dependently decreased by licorice. These results suggest that licorice might be a potent preventive protector against Cd-induced nephro-toxicity in rats.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2006

The KFDA (Korea Food & Drug Administration) has performed a collaborative toxico-genomics project since 2003. Its aim is to construct a toxicologenomic database of 12 hepatotoxic compounds from mice livers. Phenylbutazone which is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug was assigned. It was administered at low (0.0238 mg/kg) and at high (0.238 mg/kg) dose (5 mice per group) orally to the postnatal 6 weeks ICR mice, then the serum and liver were collected at the indicated time (6, 24 and 72 h) after administration. Serum biochemical markers for liver toxicity were measured and histopathologic studies also were carried out. The gene expression profiling was carried out by using Applied Biosystems 1700 Full Genome Expression Mouse. The 2-way ANOVA was used to find genes that reflected phenylbutazone-induced acute toxicity or dose-dependant changes. By self-organization maps (SOM), we identified groups with unique gene expression patterns, some of them are supposed to be related to phenylbutazone induced toxicity, including lipid metabolism abnormality, oxidative stress, cell death and cytoskeleton destruction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.168-168
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• 2008

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.411-416
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• 2018

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most heavily used organophosphate pesticides and is useful as an insecticide drug. However, CPF also causes toxic effects in nontarget organisms, including humans and animals. Jageum-Jung (JGJ) is a traditional oriental medicine, composed of five specific herbs with antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties, used for detoxification. In the present study, highly concentrated CPF was orally administrated to male Institute of Cancer Research mice to produce acute toxicity, and the protective effects of JGJ administration were investigated through statistical analysis of changes in body and organ weights and serum biochemical parameters. JGJ caused body and organ weights to recover and reduced the levels of serum biochemical parameters indicative of liver damage, such as glutamic oxalate transaminase, glutamic pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lactic dehydrogenase, urea, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride, that had been increased by CPF treatment. Our results demonstrated that JGJ ameliorates the effects of acute chlorpyrifos-induced toxicity. Therefore, JGJ has the potential to be used as a traditional medicine to alleviate insecticide toxicity.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.411-414
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• 1996

Single subcutaneous administration to S.D rats of both sexes was performed to investigate the acute toxicity of Syndella gel, a new topical drug containing deproteinised dialysate of calf's blood and micronomicin sulfate. $LD_{50}$ values for S. D rats were 23,047 mg/kg for male and 23,725 mg/kg for female. The death occurred within 24 hours after administration at doses over 19,200 mg/kg. The main cause of death seemed to be respiratory disturbance by acute shock. Major general symptoms induced by injection subcutaneously with Syndella gel were underactivity, decreased respiratory rate, salivation, tremor and loss of consciousness. No significant body weight changes and gross findings of internal organs in treatment groups in comparison with those of control groups was observed at any dose levels in Syndella gel.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.201-206
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• 2015

The aim of the present study was to optimize in vitro method for the prediction of drug-induced liver injury using human liver microsomes (HLM). Cytotoxicity test of cyclophosphamide and acetaminophen in HepG2 cells cultured with HLM showed that the newly established condition using 0.375 mg/ml HLM for 24 hr incubation was comparable or more sensitive than the previously established condition using 0.75 mg/ml HLM for 12 hr incubation. Although the cytotoxic effect of troglitazone was completely attenuated by 0.75 mg/ml HLM, it was augmented by 0.375 mg/ml HLM in the presence of the NADPH-generating system. The cytotoxic effect of chlormezanone, a withdrawn drug due to hepatotoxicity in human, was increased by HLM in the presence of the NADPH-generating system. In contrast, the cytotoxic effect of methapyrilene, a withdrawn drug due to hepatotoxicity in rats, was decreased by HLM in the presence of the NADPH-generating system. The present study suggests that the optimized in vitro method using HLM can be useful for the prediction of drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.17-24
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• 2007

Objectives : Licorice has been commonly used as a detoxification agent. We previously reported that licorice and its component, liquiritigenin, exhibits cytoprotective activity against Pb-induced toxicity. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of liquiritigenin on the lead-induced cytotoxicity in PC-12 cells. Methods : PC-12 cells were pre-treated with liquiritigenin, and further incubated with lead 100 ${\mu}M$ for $12^{\sim}48$ hours. The viability of PC-12 cells was measured by MTT assay, and the levels of proteins were analysed by western blot. Results : Severe cytotoxicity was induced and nitric oxide (NO) production was augmented by the exposure of lead. Liquiritigenin protected cells from lead-induced cytoxicity and reduced NO production in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition of NO production was due to the suppression of iNOS protein via the inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ nuclear translocation, determined by western blot analysis. Conclusions : These results suggest that liquiritigenin may exert cytoprotective effect against lead toxicity by inhibiting NO production.