• CELLMED
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.35.1-35.11
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• 2012

The homeopathic remedy Chelidonium majus 200C (Chel-200) is traditionally used by homeopathic practitioners in liver ailments arising out of hepatotoxicity. The present investigation was aimed at examining whether vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid or AA), used in both traditional and orthodox medicines, can show better effects when used in combination with Chel-200, in favorably modifying the toxicological effects induced by the chronic feeding of p-dimethylaminoazobenzene (p-DAB, initiator) and phenobarbital (PB, promoter) in mice for 7 days through 120 days to induce hepatotoxicity and liver tumors. Mice were euthanized at 7, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days of carcinogen feeding to assess various cytogenetical, biochemical and histological changes occurring in them. In a placebo controlled study, Chel-200 or the respective placebo (Alcohol-200C or Alc, "vehicle" of homeopathic drug), was orally administered to toxicant-fed mice. Sub-groups of the mice receiving Chel-200 were also fed either AA or an Alc placebo and their individual and conjoint effects were studied against the respective controls, to evaluate if the combination therapy of Chel-200 with AA can be of additional help in the amelioration of the toxicities generated by the toxicants. The combined feeding of Chel-200 and AA appeared to reduce the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects significantly, when compared to either only the Chel-200 or AA fed group. A similar trend was also obtained in the results of scanning and transmission electron microscopic studies of the livers. Experiments in other mammalian models are warranted to confirm if these drugs in combination could be used in palliative care of human patients with liver diseases including cancer.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.504-508
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• 1995

The electrophoretic patterns of plasma membrane surface proteins of normal rat liver cells and rat hepatomas were compared in 10% non-denaturing and 7-15% gradient non-denaturing gel. Chemical carcinogens, 2-Me DAB (2-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene) and DENA (diethylnitrosamine), were used to induce hepatoma in rats. One protein which disappeared in hepatoma was identified in normal rat liver by non-denaturing gel electrophoresis. Rabbit antisera were raised against this specific protein, and the protein was purified by Sephacryl S-200 column and immunoaffinity chromatography using the purified antibody. The purified protein showed two bands of molecular weights approximately 50 $kD_{\alpha}$ and 52 $kD_{\alpha}$ by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which reacted specifically with the antibody. However only one band was observed in non-denaturing gel and also in isoelectric focusing with a pI value of 6.6. This study showed the existence of an unique protein on the plasma membrane surface of normal rat liver cells which disappeared in rat hepatomas induced by chemical carcinogens.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.114-122
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• 1998

This study was designed to observe the effect of hot water soluble polysaccharides extract(PS) from Lentinus edodes on the enzyme activities related with hepatic function and peroxidation in the rats fed better yellow. The four groups of male SD rats were fed with the diets contained 15% casein(basal diet; NO group), added butter yellow(BO group) or /and PS(NP, BP group) for 6 weeks. The activities of ${\gamma}$-GTP and GPT in BP were significantly lower compared with BO. The activities of glutathione peroxidase, catalase and lactate dehydrogenase were not significantly different between NP and NO, while those activities were significantly lower value in BP than BO. The activities of glutathione S-transferase of the microsomal and cytosol fractions were significantly lower in BP than in BO. The contents of glutathione and malondialdehyde in the liver were considerably low value in BP. In a view of these results the PS of Lentinus edodes prevents the lipid peroxidation and diminishes the liver toxicity caused with better yellow. The superoxide dismutase activity in cytosolic fraction of liver was not found any effect in all groups. But hepatic function enzyme activities such as catalase and glutathione peroxidase, LDH activities were remarkably decreased in the groups 2(basal diet + PS) and the ${\gamma}$-GTP, GOT and GPT activities, too. In liver, the contents of glutathione decreased by PS supplementation but HDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol ratio in plasma decreased at the groups 3, 4. The ${\gamma}$-GTP, GOT and GPT in plasma were remarkably higher in the rats fed the p-DAB than the control group, too. But above enzyme activities significantly decreased in the groups fed PS.