• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.107-115
• /
• 2017

Purpose: Glehnia littoralis has been used to treat ischemic stroke, phlegm, cough, systemic paralysis, antipyretics and neuralgia. The pharmacological mechanisms of Glehnia littoralis include calcium channel block, coumarin derivatives, anticoagulation, anti-convulsive effect, as well as anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Alpha-amanitin (${\alpha}$-amanitin) is a major toxin from extremely poisonous Amanita fungi. Oxidative stress, which may contribute to severe hepatotoxicity was induced by ${\alpha}$-amanitin. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Glehnia littoralis ethyl acetate extract (GLEA) has the protective antioxidant effects on ${\alpha}$-amanitin -induced hepatotoxicity. Methods: Human hepatoma cell line HepG2 cells were pretreated in the presence or absence of GLEA (50, 100 and $200{\mu}g/ml$) for 4 hours, then exposed to $60{\mu}mol/L$ of${\alpha}$-amanitin for an additional 4 hours. Cell viability was evaluated using the MTT method. AST, ALT, and LDH production in a culture medium and intracellular MDA, GSH, and SOD levels were determined. Results: GLEA (50, 100 and $200{\mu}g/ml$) significantly increased the relative cell viability by 7.11, 9.87, and 14.39%, respectively, and reduced the level of ALT by 10.39%, 34.27%, and 52.14%, AST by 9.89%, 15.16%, and 32.84%, as well as LDH by 15.86%, 22.98%, and 24.32% in culture medium, respectively. GLEA could also remarkably decrease the level of MDA and increase the content of GSH and SOD in the HepG2 cells. Conclusion: In the in vitro model, Glehnia littoralis was effective in limiting hepatic injury after ${\alpha}$-amanitin poisoning. Its antioxidant effect is attenuated by antidotal therapy.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.363-368
• /
• 2000

Objective : This study was carried out to examine the effect of five fractions of an aqueous extract from Artemisia capillaris $T_{HUNB}$. Methods : The queous extract from Artemisia capillaris $T_{HUNB}$. was fractionized into 5 kinds of material. We observed the effect of each fractions on etoposide-induced apoptosis, cell viability, cell cycle progression and mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes in human hepatocyte cell line HepG2. Results and Conclusions : The data shows that butanol fraction of Artemisia capillaris $T_{HUNB}$. has no relation with cell cycle, however, it inhibits apoptosis significantly and the action may be due to the suppression of Fas and Sax genes and activation of Bcl-2 gene.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.205-210
• /
• 2021

Over 30 million prescriptions of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are issued every year. Considering that these drugs are available without a prescription as over the counter (OTC) drugs, their use will be astronomical. With the increasing use of NSAIDs, their adverse effects are drawing attention. Especially, stomach bleeding, kidney toxicity, liver toxicity, and neurological toxicity are reported as common. Ibuprofen, one of the extensively used NSAIDs along with aspirin, can also induce liver toxicity, but few studies are addressing this point. Here we examined the liver toxicity of ibuprofen and investigated whether co-exposure to ethanol can manifest synergistic effects. We employed 2D and 3D cultured human hepatoma cells, HepG2 to examine the synergistic hepatotoxicity of ibuprofen and alcohol concerning cell viability, morphology, and histology of 3D spheroids. As a result, ibuprofen and alcohol provoked synergistic hepatotoxicity against hepatocytes, and their toxicity increased prominently in 3D culture upon extended exposure. Oxidative stress appeared to be the mechanisms underlying the synergistic toxicity of ibuprofen and alcohol as evidenced by increased production of ROS and expression of the endogenous antioxidant system. Collectively, this study has demonstrated that ibuprofen and EtOH can induce synergistic hepatotoxicity, providing a line of evidence for caution against the use of ibuprofen in combination with alcohol.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.165-172
• /
• 2012

Raphanus sativus (Cruciferaceae), commonly known as radish is widely available throughout the world. From antiquity it has been used in folk medicine as a natural drug against many toxicants. The present study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of radish (Raphanus sativus) enzyme extract (REE) in vitro and in vivo test. The $IC_{50}$ values of REE in human liver derived HepG2 cells was over 5,000 ${\mu}g/ml$ in tested maximum concentration. The effect of REE to protect tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. REE showed their hepatoprotective activities on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity and the $EC_{50}$ value was 1,250 ${\mu}g/ml$. Silymarin, an antihepatotoxic agent used as a positive control exhibited 59.7% hepatoprotective activity at 100 ${\mu}g/ml$. Moreover, we tested the effect of REE on carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver toxicity in rats. REE at dose of 50 and 100 mg/kg and silymarin at dose of 50 mg/kg were orally administered to $CCl_4$-treated rats. The results showed that REE and silymarin significantly reduced the elevated levels of serum enzyme markers induced by $CCl_4$. The biochemical data were supported by evaluation with liver histopathology. These findings suggest that REE, can significantly diminish hepatic damage by toxic agent such as tacrine or $CCl_4$.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.261-270
• /
• 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antitumor activities of Typhae pollen (TP) by confirming in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo anti-tumor and immune-modulatory effect with anti-cachexia effect. The MTT assay is used in HepG2 cell to detect potential cytotoxic activities of aqueous extract of Typhae pollen (TPe). After HepG2 tumor cell implantation, eight mice per groups were assigned to six groups. Three different dosages of TPe (500, 250 and 125 mg/kg) were orally administered in the amount of $10m{\ell}/kg$ and sorafenib also administered 20mg/kg, every day for 35 days from 28 days after the tumor cell implantation. We observed the changes on body weights, tumor volume and weights, lymphatic organ, serum interferon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$ levels, splenocytes and peritoneal NK cell activity, splenic tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, IL-10 contents. Periovarian fat weights, serum IL-6 levels, thicknesses of deposited periovarian adipose tissue and mean diameters were also detected to monitor the tumor-related anticachexic effects. In tumor masses, the immunoreactivities of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (cleaved PARP) - apoptotic marks, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthases (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ were additionally observed by immunohistochemistry. The results were compared with sorafenib. Decreases of COX-2 were demonstrated in sorafenib and TPe treated mice and also increases of iNOS in tumor masses were observed in TPe, not in sorafenib. TPe increased periovarian fat pad weights compared with tumor-bearing controls and sorafenib treated mice. TPe showed increases of splenic $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-10 and $IL-1{\beta}$, serum $IFN-{\gamma}$ and NK cell activities corresponding to increases of spleen weights, lymph node weights and non-atrophic changes of lymph nodes. Our results show oral treatment of TPe 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg has potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities through modest cytotoxic effects, immunomodulatory effects and apoptotic activities in HepG2 tumor cells. In addition, TPe can prevent cancer related cachexia.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 1994.04a
• /
• pp.153-163
• /
• 1994

P450s are a superfamily of heme-containing monooxygenases and important in the metabolism of numerous physiological substrates and foreign compounds. It has been established that tilers are at least 30 distinct human isoforms of P450. Four families containing numerous individual P450s are mainly responsible for metabolizing foreign compounds, A cDNA expression system in which individual human P450s are synthesized in cultured human hepatoma (Hep G2) cells infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus containing human P450 cDNA has been constructed.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 1998.06a
• /
• pp.231-243
• /
• 1998

In the present study, we provide evidence that ginsenoside $Rh_2$ (G-$Rh_2$) as well as staurosporine induces apoptosis of human hepatoma SK-HEP-1 cells by caspase 3-mediated processing of $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ in the early stage of apoptosls. Immunoblottings showed that G-$Rh_2$ as well as statrosporine induced the processing of caspase-3 to an active form, pl7. In stable Bcl-2 transfectants however, G-$Rh_2$ induced DNA fragmentation, while staurosporine did not. In the early stage of apoptosis, $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ was detected to undergo proteolytic processing specifically conducted by caspase-3. $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ translated in vitro was cleaved into a p14 fragment, when incubated with cell extracts obtained from either G-$Rh_2$- or staurosporine-treated cells. Cleavage was equally inhibited in both cases by adding Ac-DEVD-cho, a specific caspase-3 inhibitor, but not by Ac-YVkD-cho, a specific caspase-l inhibitor. Similarly, $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ was efficiently leaved by recombinant caspase-3 overexpressed in E. coli. Moreover, the endogenous $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ of untreated-cell extracts was also cleaved by recombinant caspase-3. Mutation analysis allowed identification of two caspase-3 cleavage sites, $DHVD^{112}$/L and $SMTD^{149}$/F, which are located within, or near the interaction domains for cyclins, Cdks, and PCNA. Taken together, these results show that G-$Rh_2$ as well as staurosporine increases caspase-3 activity, which in turn directly cleaves $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ resulting in elevation of Cdk kinase activity in the early stages of apoptosis. We propose that proteolytic cleavage of $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ is a functionally relevant event that allows unleashing the cyclin/Cdk activity from the inhibitor seen in the earlier stage of apoptosis, the event of which may be associated with the triggering mechanism for the execution of apoptosis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.764-770
• /
• 2013

Stevia rebaudiana is a traditional herb used as a sweetener in Brazil and Paraguay as well as Korea and China. This study investigated the efficacy of Stevia rebaudiana methanol extract (SRE) to protect cells against the mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in hepatocyte. To determine the effects of SRE on oxidative stress, we used the human derived hepatocyte cell line, HepG2 cell. Treatment of arachidonic acid (AA)+iron in HepG2 cells synergistically amplified cytotoxicity, as indicated by the excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial permeability transition by fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) and immunoblot analysis. Treatment with SRE protected hepatocytes from AA+iron-induced cellular toxicity, as shown by alterations in the protein levels related with cell viability such as procaspase-3. SRE also prevented the mitochondrial dysfunction induced by AA+iron, and showed anti-oxidant effects as inhibition of $H_2O_2$ production and GSH depletion. Moreover, we measured the effects of SRE on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key regulator in determining cell survival or death. Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase (ACC), a direct downstream target of AMPK. SRE increased phosphorylation of ACC, and prevented the inhibition of ACC phosphorylation by AA+iron. These results indicated that SRE has the ability to protect cells against AA+iron-induced $H_2O_2$ production and mitochondrial impairment, which may be mediated with AMPK-ACC pathway.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.425-433
• /
• 2023

During liver injury, hepatic stellate cells can differentiate into myofibroblast-like structures, which are more susceptible to proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix generation, leading to liver fibrosis. Anaerobic glycolysis is associated with activated stellate cells and glyceraldehyde (GA) is an inhibitor of glucose metabolism. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the anti-fibrotic effects of GA in human stellate LX-2 cells. In this study, we used cell viability, morphological analysis, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), western blotting, and qRT-PCR techniques to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-fibrotic effects of GA in LX-2 cells. The results showed that GA significantly reduced cell density and inhibited cell proliferation and lactate levels in LX-2 cells but not in Hep-G2 cells. We found that GA prominently increased the activation of caspase-3/9 for apoptosis induction, and a pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk, attenuated the cell death and apoptosis effects of GA, suggesting caspase-dependent cell death. Moreover, GA strongly elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and notably increased the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK. Interestingly, it dramatically reduced α-SMA and collagen type I protein and mRNA expression levels in LX-2 cells. Thus, inhibition of ERK and JNK activation significantly rescued GA-induced cell growth suppression and apoptosis in LX-2 cells. Collectively, the current study provides important information demonstrating the anti-fibrotic effects of GA, a glycolytic metabolite, and demonstrates the therapeutic potency of metabolic factors in liver fibrosis.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.307-312
• /
• 2005

We investigated the growth inhibitory effects of Atrina pecitinata (AP) on the proliferation in human cancer cell lines in vitro. AP was extracted with methanol which was further fractionated into four different types: methanol (APMM), haxane (APMH), butanol (APMB), and aquous layers (APMA). Among various partition layers, the APMM showed the strongest cytotoxic effects on all cancer cell lines which we used. In the MTT assay of AP fractions, the growth inhibitory effects was increased in proportion to its concentration. We observed quinone reductase (QR) induced effects in all fraction layers of AP on HepG2 cells. The QR induced effects of APMM on HepG2 cell at 80 $\mu$g/mL concentration indicated 2.0 with a control value of 1.0.