• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 1984

A ginseng preparation consisting of ginseng ext., lycii fructus ext., four vitamins and caffeine was chosen and its efficacy was evaluated with respect to nutritional supplement, antifatigue activity and liver protective action. Animals administered orally in both one-third and three fold doses of the preparation showed no significant increments of their body weights when compared with those of the normal animals, suggesting no supplemental activity. However, the preparation in the above two doses significantly prolonged swimming time to 53 and 63%, respectively. Ginseng and lycii fructus ext. were found to be responsible for the antifatigue activity. And also the preparation significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation of mouse liver after ethanol-induced acute intoxication.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 1993

Saikosaponins, originally isolated from Bupleuri Radix, were reported to exhibit diverse biological activities especially concerning with liver function. To elucidate the mode of protective action of saikosaponins on liver injury due to the acetaminophen administration, effects on drug metabolizing enzymes system and some transferase activities were checked. As the result, activities of transferase were shown to be strengthened by saikosaponin treatments significantly.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2001

Background: A previous study has shown that Euonymus alatus (EA) has an antidotic activities against inflammation, suggesting possibility that EA can exert this beneficial effects to liver injury by an initial protection against drug-induced hepatocyte demage. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of EA-extract on experimentally induced hepatitis in ICR mice and to investigate some mechanisms responsible for its action. Methods: Water EA extract was used in this experiments. The mice received i.p. a dose of 700 mg/kg galactosamine (GalN) together with $5{\mu}g/kg$ of endotoxin (LPS), or received i.v. 12 mg/kg of concanavalin A (Con A). EA (4 mg/mouse) was administrated on day -2, -1 and 0 before induction of liver injury. Liver injury was assessed by measurement of serum alanin amino-transferase (SGPT) levels on 9 hr after GaIN.LPS, or 8 hr after con A administration. Results: Treatment with either GaIN or LPS alone did not cause hepatitis. However, simultaneous administration of GalN and LPS to mice resulted in LPS-dose dependent fulminant hepatitis. GaLN/LPS-induced liver injury was reduced when mice were given EA for 3 days before induction. This preventive effect of Ea was more prominent when EA was given by intraperitoneal route rather then by oral route. Pretreatment of EA or dexamethasone inhibited significantly $TNF{\alpha}$ production in GalL/LPS-injured mice. However, EA-treatment did not influence $TNF{\alpha}$-induced hepatitis in GalN-sensitized mice, suggesting that $TNF{\alpha}$ is likely to act as one of final mediators of endotoxin action and the protective effect of EA might be manifested chiefly by inhibition of endotoxin-induced $TNF{\alpha}$ production, not by blocking the $TNF{\alpha}$-action. Injection of Con A into mice evoked remarkable liver injury in a dose dependent fashion. This liver damage was reduced by EA-pretreatment. Dexamethasone significantly reduced both GalL/LPS-induced and Con A-induced liver damages, showing synergism with EA. However, indomethacin reduced only GalN/ LPS-induced hepatitis, not for Con A-induced hepatitis. Conclusion: These results led to the conclusion that EA may be able to contribute at least in part to prevent the drug-induced hepatotoxicity, and that its anti-hepatitis effects might be manifested directly by modulation of endogenous mediators, such as leukotriese D4, $TNF{\alpha}$ and free radical, and indirectly by regulation of immune mediated responses. Also these results suggested that EA could be developed as a potential antidotic agent.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.69-74
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• 2006

Objectives : This study was undertaken to determine if a combined(SPe) has a protective effect against functional failure induced by $CCl_4$ in rat liver. Methods : Acute liver injury which initiated from free radical induced by $CCl_4$, were applied to rats and data were obtained. Liver injury was estimated by measuring aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT) activity in serum. Lipid peroxidation was examined by measuring malondialdehyde, a product of lipid peroxidation. GSH activities in liver tissues were also measured. Results : When rats were treated intraperitoneally with $CCl_4$, serum AST and ALT were increased compared with the control, which was significantly inhibited by pretreatment of SPe. SPe also prevented reduction in GSH induced by $CCl_4$. Conclusion : Above results suggest that SPe exerts protective effect against $CCl_4$ by its antioxidant action in liver tissues. Thus, SPe may be used in prevention and treatment of drug-induced liver cell injury. However, the precise mechanisms of SPe protection remain to be determined.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 1976

A chronical intake of Substantial amount of alcohol would disrupt anormal function of liver if not develop liver diseases in relatively short period. In order to out whether ginseng or ginseng plus high protein diet have any protective effects on the liver of chronical alcoholist from developing malfunction enzymatic activities of both glutamic-pyruvic and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminases were measured on serum of rats maintained with basal low protein diet, basal diet plus 1 percent ginseng and high protein (40%) plus 1 percent ginseng and administered intraperitoneally with a Constant amount of ethanol either periodically or chronically. It was found that, unlike human subject GOT content was exceedingly high and significant difference was found either among treatment or among sexes thus indicating that either ginseng intake or high protein diet plus ginseng has a protective effect on the liver function of ethanol treated rats. From these results, it was suggested that the dietary ginseng might, have a protective effect on the alcohol hepatic disturbance. As one of probable mechanisms for the characteristic pharmacological activity, it was considered that a secondary action of the saponin of the dietary ginseng would result in the anti-inflammatory through the stimulation of de nove synthesis of certain functional proteins in hepatic organs.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.827-830
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• 2010

The purpose of this research was to investigate the pharmacological effects of Dansameum (DSE) water extract which is composed with Salviae Radix, Santali Lignum and Amomi Semen. DSE was administered orally at the concentartion of 100 and 500 mg/kg. DSE decreased the writhing syndrome induced by acetic acid and the permeability of evans blue into peritoneal cavity. Also, DSE inhibited the production of nitric oxide from murine macrophages. Futhermore, DSE protected the liver injury induced by galactosamine in vitro system and $CCl_4$ in vivo system. These results suggest that DSE has a diverse effects such as analgesic action, inflammatory action and liver protective action.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2007

This study investigated the protective effects of ethylene glycol-bis(${\beta}$-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), an extracellular calcium chelator, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), which chelates calcium and most metal ions, against carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced acute hepatotoxicity in mice. Mice were treated with EGTA or EDTA at a dose of 20 (low) or 100 mg/kg (high) subcutaneously 1h before $CCl_4$ administration. The mice were fasted and sacrificed 18h after $CCl_4$ treatment. Blood samples were collected from the carotid artery by decapitation under light ether anesthesia. Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride (TG), and cholesterol levels were measured. Malondialdehyde (MDA) production was determined as an index of lipid peroxidation in the liver. The liver, kidneys, and spleen were weighed. We also evaluated the histopathological changes in the liver in each group. The relative weights of the liver were significantly higher in the $CCl_4$-treatment group than in the normal group, except in the high-EDTA treatment group. EGTA and EDTA treatment caused a significant decrease in serum ALP, ALT, and AST levels. Of all of the doses of EGTA and EDTA tested, the high-EDTA dose resulted in the most remarkable inhibitory action. The protective effect in the high-EDTA-treatment group was confirmed histopathologically. The low-EGTA-treatment group showed a significant decrease in serum TG and cholesterol levels. Liver MDA levels were significantly decreased in the EGTA (20 mg/kg) and EDTA (20, 100 mg/kg) groups. These results suggest that EDTA, which chelates both calcium and metal ions, confers better protection in $CCl_4$-induced acute liver damage than does EGTA, a calcium chelator.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.151-160
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• 2005

Objectives : This study was undertaken to examine whether Juglandis Semen herbal acupuncture (JGA) exerts protective effect against oxidant-induced cell injury in rabbit liver. Methods : The cell damage was estimated by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and lipid peroxidation was estimated by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) in rabbit liver slices. Results : t-Butylhydroperoxide (tBHP) caused an increase in LDH release and lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner over concentrations of 0.5-2 mM, which were prevented by addition of 0.05% JGA. The protective effect of JGA was dose-dependent in concentration range of 0.005 to 0.1%. The concentrations of 0.005 and 0.1% JGA completely prevented the LDH release and lipid peroxidation by 1 mM tBHP. When liver tissues were exposed to 1 mM tBHP, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in the medium was significantly increased, which was prevented by 0.05% JGA. tBHP (2 mM) decreased GSH content and the effect was prevented by 0.05% JGA. Conclusion : These results suggest that JGA exerts protective effect against oxidant-induced cell injury by antioxidant action resulting from enhancement of GSH content in the liver.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.264-269
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• 2013

Silymarin has been introduced fairly recently as a hepatoprotective agent. But its mechanisms of action still have not been well established. The aim of this study was to make alcoholic fatty liver model of rats in a short time and investigate silymarin's protective effects and possible mechanisms on alcoholic fatty liver for rats. The model of rat's alcoholic fatty liver was induced by intragastric infusion of ethanol and high-fat diet for six weeks. Histopathological changes were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE). The activities of alanine transarninase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), the levels of total bilirubin (TBIL), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) in serum were detected with routine laboratory methods using an autoanalyzer. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver homogenates were measured by spectrophotometry. The TG content in liver tissue was determined by spectrophotometry. The expression of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the liver were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Silymarin effectively protected liver from alcohol-induced injury as evidenced by improving histological damage situation, reducing ALT and AST activities and TBIL level in serum, increasing SOD and GPx activities and decreasing MDA content in liver homogenates and reducing TG content in liver tissue. Additionally, silymarin markedly downregulated the expression of NF-${\kappa}B$ p65, ICAM-1 and IL-6 in liver tissue. In conclusion, Silymarin could protect against the liver injury caused by ethanol administration. The effect may be related to alleviating lipid peroxidation and inhibiting the expression of NF-${\kappa}B$.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.209-218
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• 2002

Objective : This study was undertaken to examine whether Carthami Semen aquacupuncture (CSA) exerts protective effect against Hg-induced cell injury in rabbit liver. Methods : The cell injury was evaluated by ALT activity and lipid peroxidation was estimated by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA). Results : Hg caused an increase of ALT activity and lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent-manner over concentrations of 0.1-1 mM, which were prevented by addition of 0.005% CSA. The protective effect of CSA was dose-dependent in concentration range of 0.001 to 0.01%. The increase of ALT activity and lipid peroxidation induced by 0.5 mM Hg were almost completely decreased by addition of 0.01% CSA. When the liver tissues were exposed to 0.5 mM Hg, GSH content was decreased, which was significantly restored by 0.01% CSA. 0.5 mM Hg caused decrease in the amount of total and nonprotein sulfhydryl groups, and 0.01% CSA prevented Hg-induced reduction of nonprotein sulfhydryl group but not protein sulfhydryl group. Conclusions : These results suggest that CSA exerts protective effect against Hg-induced cell injury by antioxidant action resulting from enhancement of nonprotein sulfhydryl group content including GSH in liver.