• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.314.1-314.1
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• 2001

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.10 no.3_4
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• pp.15-20
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• 1995

The protective and therapeutic effects of Alismatis Rhizoma extracts on rat liver injury induced by carcinogenic polycyclic hydrocarbon, benzo(a)pyrene were investigated in rats. Serum and liver triglyceride, total-cholesterol level and serum HDL-cholesterol content were measured. Alismatis Rhizoma extracts inhibited the enhanced production of lipid in chemically induced liver injury. Among 4 fractions, CHCh fraction revealed the most powerful liver-protective effect. Our results strongly suggest that Alismatis Rhizoma be a promising liver-protective agent.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.20 no.2 s.49
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• pp.161-165
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• 2005

The present study was carried out to find the possible protective effects of Angelica koreana water extract on biochemical parameters in benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P)-induced liver injury in rats. B(a)P treatment (0.1 mg/kg, 1.p.) caused a liver damages, which led to biochemical alterations in serum and liver enzyme activities and serum lipid levels. The activities of liver marker enzymes, especially, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were markedly changed in B(a)P treatment. Oral administration of Angelica koreana (50 mg/kg) recovered these biochemical Parameters to near normal levels. Therefore, the present results have revealed that Angelica koreana water extract might have the antihepatotoxic effect and consequently ameliorate liver damage associated with B(a)P in rats.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.236-243
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• 2006

Microarray analysis of gene expression has become a powerful approach for exploring the biological effects of drugs, particularly at the stage of toxicology and safety assessment. Acetaminophen (APAP) has been known to induce necrosis in liver, but the molecular mechanism involved has not been fully understood. In this study, we investigated gene expression changes of APAP using microarray technology. APAP was orally administered with a single dose of 50 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg into ICR mice and the animals were sacrificed at 6, 24 and 72 h of APAP administration. Serum biochemical markers for liver toxicity were measured to estimate the maximal toxic time and hepatic gene expression was assessed using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays capable of determining the expression profile of >30,000 well-substantiated mouse genes. Significant alterations in gene expression were noted in the liver of APAP-administered mice. The most notable changes in APAP-administered mice were the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, cell cycle, and calcium signaling pathway, cystein metabolism, glutatione metabolism, and MAPK pathway. The majority of the genes upregulated included insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1, heme oxygenase 1, metallothionein 1, S100 calcium binding protein, caspase 4, and P21. The upregulation of apoptosis and cell cycle-related genes were paralleled to response to APAP. Most of the affected gene expressions were returned to control levels after 72 hr. In conclusion, we identified potential hepatotoxicity makers, and these expressions profiling lead to a better understanding of the molecular basis of APAP-induced hapatotoxicity.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 2003

The possibility that liver and kidney function is adversely affected by current levels of environmental exposure to cadmium (Cd) as investigated in adult men and women in the general population in Seoul. From February to August in 2001, blood and morning spot urine samples were collected from 136 not occupationally exposed group (age range 20∼75 years) at 4 survey sites throughout seoul. Liver and kidney function parameters in serum and urine were examined by conventional methods. The questionnaire included factors, i.e. sex, age, smoking, alcohol, diet habit etc. The geometric mean values for Cd in blood (Cd-B) were 1.43 $\mu\textrm{g}$/1, It seemed prudent to conclude that liver and kidney function as not disturbed by the current environmental exposure to Cd in study.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 1999

Cell proliferation and c-Jun expression pattern in liver exposed by nongenotoxic carcinogens phenobarbital (PB) and clofibrate, and genotoxic carcinogen 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f] quinoline (IQ) were investigated to see whether differential effects of genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens on the development of neoplastic foci may be related to differential effect on cell proliferation. Male F344 rats were initially given a single intraperitioneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (200 mg/kg body weight), and 2 weeks later, animals were fed diets containing 0.03% IQ or 0.5% CE or 0.05% PB or basal diet as a control for 6 weeks. All rats were subjected to the two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) at week 3. Sequential sacrifice of rats was performed until 8 weeks. Cell proliferation was examined by immunohistochemical staining of bromodeoxyuridine and c-Jun expression was determined by northern blotting. The increase of cell proliferation rate after PH was significant in the rats fed 0.05% IQ and continued until 8 weeks, while the increase was not significant in the rats fed phenobarbital and clofibrate compared to that in the rats fed control diet. mRNA level of c-Jun in the liver treated with IQ was about 7 fold higher than that of control and peak at 5 hours after rH. In the liver treated with CE, mRNA level of c-Jun was 3-4 fold higher than that of control and the highest level of mRNA of c-Jun was seen at 24 hours after PH. These results show that differential effects of genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens on the development of neoplastic foci may be related to differential effect on cell proliferation pattern.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.54-58
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• 2015

The protective effect of EtOAc fraction of Limonium tetragonum extract (EALT) against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity was assessed following acute ethanol intoxication in Spraque-Dawley rats. EALT (200 mg/kg p.o.) was administrated once before alcohol intake (8 g/kg, p.o.). Blood ethanol concentration, and the activities of alcohol metabolic enzymes, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the liver were measured. Also, the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px), catalase were determined after acute alcohol exposure. Pretreatment of rats received ethanol with EALT significantly decreased blood ethanol concentration and elevated the activities of ADH and ALDH in liver. The increased MDA level was decreased, and the reduced activities of SOD, GSH-px and catalase were markedly preserved by the treatment with EALT. This study suggests that EALT prevent hepatic injury induced by acute alcohol which is likely related to its modulation on the alcohol metabolism and antioxidant enzymes activities.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2013

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by several species of Fusarium that are found in cereals and agricultural products. ZEN has been implicated in mycotoxicosis in farm animals and in humans. The toxic effects of ZEN are well known, but the ability of an alkaline Comet assay to assess ZEN-induced oxidative DNA damage in Chang liver cells has not been established. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the Comet assay for the determination of cytotoxicity and extent of DNA damage induced by ZEN toxin, and the second aim was to investigate the ability of N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA) to protect cells from ZEN-induced toxicity. In the Comet assay, DNA damage was assessed by quantifying the tail extent moment (TEM; arbitrary unit) and tail length (TL; arbitrary unit), which are used as indicators of DNA strand breaks in SCGE. The cytotoxic effects of ZEN in Chang liver cells were mediated by inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of oxidative DNA damage. Increasing the concentration of ZEN increased the extent of DNA damage. The extent of DNA migration, and percentage of cells with tails were significantly increased in a concentration-dependent manner following treatment with ZEN toxin (p < 0.05). Treatment with a low concentration of ZEN toxin (25 ${\mu}M$) induced a relatively low level of DNA damage, compared to treatment of cells with a high concentration of ZEN toxin (250 ${\mu}M$). Oxidative DNA damage appeared to be a key determinant of ZEN-induced toxicity in Chang liver cells. Significant reductions in cytolethality and oxidative DNA damage were observed when cells were pretreated with NACA prior to exposure to any concentration of ZEN. Our data suggest that ZEN induces DNA damage in Chang liver cells, and that the antioxidant activity of NACA may contribute to the reduction of ZEN-induced DNA damage and cytotoxicity via elimination of oxidative stress.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.54-54
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• 1998

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2024

Cordyceps militaris L. (C. militaris) has been traditionally used as tonic medicine for metabolic syndrome. Cordycepin, has been reported with immunomodulatory, antitumor, and hepatoprotective effect, is the main extract from C. militaris. This study was conducted to evaluate the alcohol degradation and hepatoprotective effect of cordycepin-enriched C. militaris extract (CM) powder in chronic and binge ethanol (ethanol Lieber-DeCarli diet)-fed male C57BL/6 Mice. Cordycepin-enriched C. militaris extract powder was orally administered once daily at dose levels of 0, 125, 250, and 500 mg·kg^-1·day^-1 for 16 days. For evaluating alcohol degradation, ethanol concentration and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity were measured in serum. Serum ethanol (EtOH) concentration was decreased at CM treated groups, and the activities of ADH and ALDH were increased dose-dependently at CM treated groups compare to EtOH model group. In clinical chemistry, the values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were lower in CM treated groups than those in EtOH model group. Additionally, absolute and relative (to body weight) liver weights were statistically decreased in the CM treated groups compared to the EtOH model group. In conclusion, our study showed that cordycepin-enriched C. militaris extract powder exhibits hepatoprotective effect by upregulating the ADH and ALDH enzyme in an alcoholic liver disease model.