• Toxicological Research
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.211-215
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the acute oral toxicity of a crude extract derived from fruiting body of Phellinus gilvus (PGE) using male and female SD rats. Groups consisted of five male and female rats were treated with a single dose of the test substance intragastrically at 0, 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 mg/kgaj, respectively. Clinical signs, body weight change, and food and water consumption change were observed for 14 days after administration. No mortality or abnormal clinical signs in animals were shown during the observation period at the dose used in this study. Also there was no difference in net body weight gain, water and food consumption or gross pathological findings at terminal sacrifice among the groups of rat treated with different doses of the test substance. The results suggested that acute oral toxicity of PGE in rats is very low at the conditions employed in this study and $LD_{50}$ of PGE was estimated to be over 5,000 mg/$\textrm{m}{\ell}$ in both sexes of rats.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.111-124
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• 2008

In the present study, an attempt has been made to assess whether the effect of benzene extract of Ocimum sanctum leaves on the ultrastructural changes in the epithelial cells of the cauda epididymis, its subsequent recovery in the seminiferous epithelium and fertility of male albino rats. Wistar strain male albino rats were orally administered benzene extract of 250 mg/kg body weight of O. sanctum leaves followed by subsequent recovery maintaining suitable controls for 48 days. Results indicate decrease in the weights of testis, epididymis and seminal vesicles. Other accessory organs were not affected. Total count, cell and nuclei diameters of germ cells and Leydig cells were reduced. Cauda epididymis exhibited significant reduction in epithelial height and nuclei diameter of epithelial cells. Cells showed vacuolization with exhibit of signs of degeneration. Ultra study revealed that, in general, the cauda epididymis was affected and in particular, the principal, clear and basal cells were highly disturbed. Further, there was decrease in the size of lipid droplets, mitochondria, Golgi complex, endoplasmic reticulum and accumulation of lysosomal bodies. Fertility performance test showed no implantation in female rats mated with O. sanctum treated rats. Moreover, their recovery after withdrawal of treatment was observed suggesting that the effect of the treatment is transient and reversible. A recovery period resulted in normal spermatogenesis and fertility, suggesting reversible antispermatogenic and antifertility effects of the plant.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.51-58
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• 2015

Objectives: Bufonis venonum (BV) is the dried white secretions of the auricular and skin glands of the toads Bufo bufo gargarizans or Bufo melanosticus Schneider. This study was performed to evaluate the toxicity of intramuscularly-administered Bufonis venonum pharmacopuncture (BVP) and to calculate its approximate lethality through a single-dose test with Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Methods: Twenty male and 20 female 6-week-old SD rats were injected intramuscularly with BVP or normal saline. The animals were divided into four groups with five female and five male rats per group: the control group injected with normal saline at 0.5 mL/animal, the low-dosage group injected with 0.125 mL/animal of BVP, the medium-dosage group injected with 0.25 mL/animal of BVP and the high-dosage group injected with 0.5 mL/animal of BVP. All injections were in the left thighs of the rats. After administration, we conducted clinical observations everyday and body weight measurements on days 3, 7 and 14 after the injection. We also carried out hematology, serum biochemistry, and histological observations on day 15 after treatment. Results: No mortalities were observed in any experimental group. No significant changes in weight, hematology, serum biochemistry, and histological observations that could be attributed to the intramuscular injection of BVP were observed in any experimental group. Conclusion: Lethal dose of BVP administered via intramuscular injection in SD rats is over 0.5 mL/animal.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.76-82
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• 2004

Pine needles are known as a traditional medicine and their ingestion has been shown to be beneficial to human beings. Following induction of the neoplastic process in rats by azoxymethane (AOM), we determined the effects of pine needle supplementation on colon carcinogenesis and on antioxidant systems in the blood and liver. Five week old male Fisher 344 rats were injected with AOM (15 mg/kg) once a week for two weeks. After the second injection, 18 rats were randomly assigned into two groups and were fed a casein-based high-fat diet (120 g fat and 1 g cholesterol/kg diet) with or without pine needle powder (10%w/w). After 6 weeks, rats receiving pine needle powder showed a 40% lower incidence of the number of colonic preneoplastic lesions (aberrant crypts) and a 52% lower incidence of aberrant crypt foci (p<0.01). A significantly elevated level of erythrocyte catalase activity was observed in the pine needle supplemented group (17.4$\pm$1.1 vs. 24.5$\pm$1.5, p<0.01). Pine needle supplementation also increased liver glutathione peroxidase activity (7.5$\pm$0.6 vs. 14.6$\pm$0.6, p<0.01). Other antioxidant parameters such as erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase, liver catalase activity, and plasma total antioxidant potential (TRAP), showed no statistical differences between the two groups. Our data demonstrate that pine needle supplementation improves the antioxidant system and suppresses the formation of colonic preneoplastic lesions in AOM-treated rats. This result provides additional insights into the chemo-preventative properties of pine needles.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.347-355
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• 2008

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a member of the perfluoroalkyl acids that have wide commercial applications, is persistent organic pollutants widely spread throughout the environment and human population. But little is known about the adverse biological effects of the PFOA. In the present study, the toxicological effects of PFOA were investigated in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 10 in each group) were orally administered with PFOA in drinking water for 4 weeks (0, 100, 200, or 400 ppm in male, and 0, 200, 400, or 800 ppm in female). Three female rats given 800 ppm died during the study. PFOA treatment decreased the body weight gain and increased the liver weights in both genders. Serum biochemical investigations revealed significant increases in the aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, blood urea nitrogen, total cholesterol, and total bilirubin in male but in female. Serum estradiol (E2) levels were increased in all treated rats. Histopathologically, hepatocellular hypertrophy around central vein was noted in the liver of treated rats. No significant histopathological changes were noted in other organs. In conclusion, PFOA induced toxicological changes in the liver and increased serum E2 level which was not related to histopathological changes of endocrine and reproductive system.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.279-284
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• 2009

This research aimed to investigate the time-course effect of epichlorohydrin (ECH) on epididymal histopathology in Sprague-Dawley rats. Twenty-four male rats were randomly assigned to four groups with 6 rats in each group and were administered a single oral dose of ECH (70 mg/kg) or its vehicle. Six animals each were sacrificed on days 0 (control), 1, 2, and 7 after treatment. During the study period, clinical signs, body weights, reproductive organ weights, testicular spermatid count, epididymal sperm count, motility and morphology, and histopathology were examined. No treatmentrelated effects on body weights and reproductive organ weights were noted at any time point. On the contrary, sperm motility decreased slightly on days 1 and 2 after treatment and then decreased significantly on day 7 after treatment. The first signs of histological changes were the appearance of cell debris in the ducts and vacuolization of the epithelial cells observed in the proximal caput epididymis on day 1 after treatment. The incidences and grades of the histological changes including cell debris in the ducts, epithelial vacuolization, oligospermia, and epithelial disruption increased on day 2 and then decreased slightly on day 7 after treatment. These results show that a single oral dose of 70 mg/kg ECH to male rats results in cell debris in the ducts and vacuolization of the epithelial cells in the proximal caput epididymis, followed by reversible oligospermia, epithelial disruption, and decreased sperm motility.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.179-193
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• 2007

Objectives: It has been demonstrated that acupuncture treats diseases while that the widespread use of that clinically and experimentally. It also has shown that electro-acupuncture(EA) is more effective than manual-acupuncture (MA). The purpose of this study was to investigate effect of EA and MA at combined acupoints on sex and age in rats. Methods: This study measured the effects of acupuncture treatment on small intestinal motility in rats. MA and EA(intensity, 5 times muscle twitch threshold) was applied for 30 minutes to the combined left and right sides acupoints on ST36, ST37, ST39 under enflurane anesthesia. EA and MA applied to the ST36, ST37, ST39 acupoints produced an elevation of small intestinal motility. Results: In experimental groups of combined left and right sides acupoints, only specified groups show elevation of small intestinal motility in male rats, 5 weeks age. Furthermore, combined left and right sides acupoints in EA and MA show differences effects according to the sex, male and female, and the age as 5, 6, 7, 8 weeks. Conclusion : Although these different according to the sex and age in rats do not have a established tendency, the present study suggest that effect of EA and MA are experimentally dependent upon the sex and age on small intestinal motility in rats.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.258-268
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• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate preventive effects of extracts of cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, against the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin(TCDD)-induced toxicity in 7-week-old Sprague-Dawley male rats. Thirty five male rats were divided into 5 groups: one normal control group treated with vehicle and saline (G1); one TCDD-treated group by single intraperitoneal injection (G2); three preventive groups (G3, G4, and G5). The last three groups, G3, G4, and G5, were fed on cricket extracts (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively) for 2 weeks before TCDD treatment. Various harmful effects were shown by TCDD treatment. The body weights of rats were lost by TCDD. In addition, severe hypertrophy and color change, and the weights gaining were found in the livers of TCDD-treated rats. It was observed that the cytoplasmic vacuolizations and inflammatory cell infiltration around portal triad in the liver. TCDD also elevated the serum activity levels of alanine transaminase(ALT) and aspartate transaminase(AST). However, those losses were compensated by cricket extracts treatment at the level of 200 mg/kg. These findings indicate that cricket extracts may have protective effects against TCDD-induced toxicities in rats.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.73-80
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• 2015

Objectives To assess the safety of Shinbaro3 Pharmacopuncture by analyzing the potential single-dose intramuscular toxicity of Shinbaro3 Pharmacopuncture at various dose levels in SD (Spraque-Dawley) rats and Beagle dogs. Methods For evaluation of single-dose intramuscular toxicity of Shinbaro3 Pharmacopuncture, 40 SD rats (20 male and 20 famale) and 4 Beagle dogs (2 male and 2 female) were used. The rats were divided in four groups of 10 each, and treated intramuscularly with Shinbaro3 Pharmacopuncture at doses of 0.3, 0.6 and 1.2 mg/kg in distilled water, and distilled water as a vehicle control group, respectively. The Beagle dogs were divided into two groups of 2 each, and treated intramuscularly with Shinbaro3 Pharmacopuncture at doses of 0.15, and 0.3 mg/kg in distilled water, respectively, and signs of toxicity were observed. After a wash-out period of 3 days, the procedure was repeated with Shinbaro3 Pharmacopuncture at doses of 0.6, and 1.2 mg/kg in distilled water, respectively. Mortality, body weight changes, and necropsy findings were examined during the study period. Results There were no mortalities in either the SD rats or Beagle dogs. There were also no significant differences in adverse effects, body weight, or necropsy findings between the Shinbaro3 Pharmacopuncture and control groups. Conclusions There results suggest that the lethal dose 50 ($LD_{50}$) and approximate lethal dose (ALD) value of the test substance Shinbaro3 Pharmacopuncture are higher than 1.2 mg/kg in SD rats and Beagle dogs.

• 약학회지
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.190-204
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• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate for its effects on reproductive and developmental toxicity of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Male rats were administered rhEGF at doses of 1, 10, 100, and 1000$\mu$g/kg/day, respective1y, by subcutaneous injection from 63 days before and throughout to mating period until the day before sacrifice. Female rats were administered rhEGF at the same doses from 14 days before mating to day 20 of gestation or to day 21 of lactation. We examined the male and female fertility indices and maternal toxicity of F0 parental animals. Also, we examined the external, visceral, or skeletal malformation of fetuses, growth and development, behavior, and/or reproductive performance of F1 animals. At the highest dose (1,000 $\mu$g/kg), the mean body weights of F0 animals were significantly increased in males and females at 3 or 2 weeks after treatment, respective1y. No clinical signs and food intakes were observed at any time during the experimental period by rhEGF treatment. In autopsy examination, the relative and absolute liver weights significantly increased in both sexes of 1,000 $\mu$g/kg. At the highest dose (1,000 $\mu$g/kg), there was a statistically significant increase of pregnancy period and the number of dead fetuses. Moreover, significant increase of mean fetal body weight and decrease of number of live fetuses, which related to the difficult dilivery were observed in highest dose group. In Fl examination, no adverse effects on external, visceral, and skeletal malformation, physical and functional development, behavior or reproductive ability of Fl animals were observed in any group. Also, there was no significant difference between control and treated groups in copulation or fertility indices of Fl animals. These results indicate that rhEGF had no adverse effect on fertility and reproductive ability of Sprague-Dawley rats.