• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.1349-1353
• /
• 2012

Increasing evidence has revealed that thy-1 was a potential stem cell marker of liver cancer, but no data have been shown on how thy-1 regulates the pathophysiology of liver cancer, such as proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration. We previously demonstrated that thy-1 was expressed in about 1% of hepg2 cells, thy-1+hepg2 cells, but not thy-1-, demonstrating high tumorigenesis on inoculation $0.5{\times}10^5$ cells per BACA/LA mouse after 2 months. In the present study, our results showed that higher expression of thy-1 occurs in 72% (36/50 cases) of neoplastic hepatic tissues as compared to 40% (20/50 cases) of control tissues, and the expression of thy-1 is higher in poorly differentiated liver tumors than in the well-differentiated ones. In addition, thy-1 expression was detected in 85% of blood samples from liver cancer patients, but none in normal subjects or patients with cirrhosis or hepatitis. There was a significant negative correlation between thy-1expression and E-cadherin expression (a marker of invasion and migraton), but not between thy-1 expression and AFP expression in all the liver cancer and blood samples. We further investigated the relationship between thy-1 and E-cadherin in liver cancer hepg2 cell line which was transfected with pReceiver-M29/thy-1 eukaryotic expression vector followed by aspirin treatment. Lower expression of E-cadherin but higher expressions of thy-1 were detected in hepg2 cells transfected with pReceiver-M29/thy-1. Taken together, our study suggested that thy-1 probably regulates liver cancer invasion and migration.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.531-540
• /
• 1989

A new sudden death in rabbits appeared in China and Korea in 1984 and 1985, respectively, and was recognized to be an acute infectious disease caused by a virus. The disease was reported as a "new viral disease," and thereafter, a tentative name of "viral hemorrhagic disease", "hemorrhagic pneumonia" or "viral hemorrhagic pneumonia" has been described in the case reports. But authors had called the viral disease "rabbit viral hepatitis" due to picornavirus infection, because the principal lesion of the disease was an acute hepatitis. The purpose of this report is to describe the electron microscopic findings on the livers in experimentally infected rabbits. All the livers of the affected rabbits were shown to have degenerative changes of a type that is characteristic of acute hepatitis. In the liver cells, there were dilation of rER and mitochondria, vacuole formation of various sizes, and appearances of many virus-like particles in the vicinity of rER, granular bodies and crystalline arrays of viral particles in the cytoplasm with necrotic changes of the nucleus. Clusters of virus-like particles and viral crystals appeared in the cytoplasm of sinusoid endothelial cells and Kupffer's cells with morphological changes of organelles. Also viral crystals were demonstrated in the cytoplasm of macrophages among the liver cells. On the whole, the liver cells had many virus-like particles and a few crystalline arrays of viral particles. Therefore, this implies that the liver cells are the main site of the viral replication in inducing the viremia. It was concluded that the liver was the primary target organ of this viral disease, and the pathological and the ultrastructural evidence suggest that the virus may be belong to genus enterovirus.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.10-15
• /
• 2024

Previous studies have highlighted the pivotal role of the β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signaling pathway in stimulating cancer metastasis induced by chronic stress. According to the theory of traditional Korean medicine, chronic stress can induce Qi stagnation. Based on the traditional role of premature citrus unshiu peel in moving Qi, we hypothesized that an ethanol extract of premature citrus unshiu peel (EPCU) can attenuate chronic stress-induced cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the potential role of EPCU on modulating the adrenergic agonists-induced metastatic properties of liver cancer cells. Our findings revealed that adrenergic agonists, including norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and isoproterenol (ISO), augmented the migratory capacity of Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, which was completely abrogated by EPCU treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. Consistently, EPCU inhibited the E-induced invasive property of Hep3B cells in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that EPCU efficiently attenuates adrenergic agonists-induced metastatic abilities of liver cancer cells. As a molecular mechanism, EPF suppressed the phosphorylation of major components of β-AR signaling pathway, including Src, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and ERK, induced by E treatment. Taken together, our results demonstrate that EPCU impedes the adrenergic agonists-driven metastatic potential of cancer cells by inhibiting β-AR signaling pathway. This study provides basic evidence supporting the probable use of premature citrus unshiu peel to prevent metastasis in liver cancer patients under chronic stress.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.249-258
• /
• 1994

This study was carried out to investigate the inhibitory effects of vitamin E on the oxidative damage of cellular lipids and proteins in free radical reaction induced by $FeCl_3$, and ascorbic acid. In this experiment, a vitamin E treated rat group was administered with 100mg/kg body weight of $dl-{\alpha}-tocophery$ 1 acetate and an untreated rat group was administered with the same volume of corn oil. And then assays of malondialdehyde and carbonyl group in total homogenate, mitochondrial and microsomal fraction of rat liver were carried out at the scheduled time. The results obtained from this study were summarized as follows; 1. Lipid peroxidation levels in vitamin E administered rat liver cells were significantly (p<0.05) decreased at the intervals between 1 hour and 4 hours in liver homogenate, at all times except for 1 hour point in mitochondrial fraction, and also at the intervals between 0.5 hour and 3 hours in microsomal fraction compared with those of the control rat liver cell. 2. Protein oxidation levels in vitamin E administered rat liver cell were also significantly (p<0.05) decreased at the intervals between 1.5 hours and 4 hours in liver homogenate, at over 4 hours in liver mitochondrial fraction, and at the intervals between 0.5 hour and 3 hours in liver microsomal fraction compared with those of the control rat liver cells.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.43-47
• /
• 2013

Introduction: ALT/AST enzymes are present inside the cells. AST is found in cardiac and skeletal muscle and red blood cells but the ALT is checked mainly in the liver. In general, the rise of these two indicators shows liver damage. The usual measurements of these enzymes are used in liver function tests, but the levels of AST and ALT do not always reflect liver function. Method and Cases: 17 cases of liver dysfunction transiently were evaluated clinically, biochemically, and imaging study of sonogram in pediatric in-patients for 3 years. Result: Most common causes of transient liver dysfunction were infection, especially viral gastroenteritis, and bacterial infection interfering oral food intake. More often occurred in the children who have infant hyperbilirubinemia, positive history of mitochondrial dysfunction or hypoglycemia. Fasting study in one case of hypoglycemia patient showed reversible liver dysfunction during fasting over 20 hours fasting. Discussion: A significant increase in AST and ALT with normal bilirubin can be observed in clinically healthy people during blunt trauma, viral infection, severe pain, metabolic syndrome, fasting or accidental health screening.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.237-242
• /
• 2014

Plant extracts produced from branches of Crataegus pinnatifida and barks of Crataegus pinnatifida inhibited ethanol-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in liver cells. Furthermore, these two extracts inhibited the expression and activities of CYP2E1 enzyme. Cinnamomum cassia had a better effect on inhibition of DNA damage than Crataegus pinnatifida, as well as showed a high tendency to inhibit CYP2E1 expression and catalytic activities. It is considered that extracts produced from Crataegus pinnatifida or Cinnamomum cassia have an effect to reduce ethanol-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in liver cells. Therefore, we suggest to use Crataegus pinnatifida and Cinnamomum cassia and their ingredients as potential candidate substances to prevent and treat ethanol-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in liver cells.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.111-120
• /
• 2001

The pathological aspects of purified ricin from the seeds of the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, were examined, using light and transmission electron microscopy. ICR mice were exposed to ricin by peritoneal injection with 100 ng/1 $m\ell$ PBS(pH 7.0) mouse and histological observations on the liver, spleen, thymus, lung and heart were carried out at intervals up to 48 h after exposures. All the organs examined were damaged by ricin. Among the organs, the spleen and thymus; immune organs were the most sensitive to ricin, whereas the effect delayed in the liver, lung and heart. Furthermore, the immune cells in each organ were the most sensitive to ricin. Accordingly, the effect of ricin on the organs seems to be affected by the immune cells existed in each organ, In each organ, the immune cells showed apoptotic changes, while the capillary endothelial and parenchymal cells showed necrotic changes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
• /
• 2000.09a
• /
• pp.30-30
• /
• 2000

Hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis is characterized by increased production and deposition of collagen, noncollagenous glycaproteins, and proteoglycans, which mainly compose the extracellular matrix (ECM). Recently, activations of macrophages, myofibroblasts and mast cells are thaught ta be associated with the accumulation of ECM. In order to investigate the kinetics of macrophages, myofibroblasts and mast cells and the relationship between these cells and the accumulation of ECM in carban tetrachloride (CCl$_4$)-injected rat liver, we induced liver cirrhosis of rat by an injection of CCl$_4$ for 14 weeks. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2003.10b
• /
• pp.113.3-114
• /
• 2003

The increased deposition of extracellular matrix by hepatic stellate cells following liver injury in a process known as activation is considered a key mechanism for increased collagen content of liver during the development of liver fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of an aqueous extract from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC (Campanulaceae), Changkil (CK), on hepatic fibrosis in hepatic stellate cells. We report that CK reduces the accumulation of collagen in acetaldehyde-induced hepatic stellate cells. (omitted)

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.353-357
• /
• 2002

We have previously demonstrated that kudzu root extracts have a hypocholesterolemic effect on rats fed diets high in fat and cholesterol. To further elucidate the mechanism involved, in this study we investigated the effect of water extracts of kudzu root, Pueraria radix, on the production of apolipoprotein B$_{100}$ (APo B$_{100}$) in HepG$_2$ liver cells and secretion of apolipoprotein B$_{48}$ (Apo B$_{48}$) in Caco$_2$ cells. Human cell lines, HepG$_2$ liver cells and Caco$_2$ intestinal epithelial cells, were grown with various concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%) of water extracts of kudzu root in the media. The kudzu root extract decreased Apo B$_{100}$ production and secretion. Treatment of HeP G$_2$ cells with the kudzu root extract also significantly decreased the intracellular total and free cholesterol concentration, and also decreased esterified cholesterol but was only significant at the highest dose of 2%. Apo B$_{48}$ production, but not secretion, from enterocytes was lowered by the kudzu root extracts. This research provided evidence that the hypocholesterolemic properties of kudzu root may be a consequence of decreased production and secretion of Apo B$_{100}$ in the liver and Apo B$_{48}$ in the intestine.