• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1979-1985
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• 2016

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine has been highly appreciated as a supportive regimen for classical treatment strategies. Here we offer a nutrition-based adjuvant therapy for liver fibrosis, a major risk factor for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Aim of the study: To evaluate the possible hepatoprotective effects of Jerusalem artichoke tubers (JAT) in combination with interferon and ribavirin. Materials and Methods: Twelve groups of rats were administered JAT, interferon and ribavirin either separately or in combination from day one of $CCL_4$ administration until the end of the study. Animals were killed after 8 weeks of $CCL_4$-induced hepatotoxicity. Results: Hepatocytes from rats treated with triple combination of interferon, ribavirin, and JAT showed more less normal architecture compared to $CCL_4$-treated rats. We also detected significantly higher hepatic protein expression levels of p53, BAX and transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$) in the $CCL_4$-intoxicated group compared to normal controls, as evidenced by immunohistochemical staining and western blotting analyses. Addition of JAT as a supportive regimen improved response to ribavirin and interferon and effectively participated in retaining normal histopathological and biochemical criteria and significantly lowered protein expression of p53, BAX, and TGF-${\beta}$. Conclusions: We suggest that addition of JAT as a supportive r egimen to interferon and ribavirin effectively potentiates their anti-fibrotic effects.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.375-380
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• 2006

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a cyanobacterial hepatotoxin mainly produced by Microcystis aeruginosa. The current study examined the effects of a single intraperitoneal dose of MC-LR in rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with MC-LR ($100{\mu}g/kg$ body weight) and they were sacrificed at 0, 20, 40, 80, 160 min, or 12 h after injection. Clinically, animals showed lethargy and had ruffled hair beginning at 40 min post injection. In the gross findings, liver was enlarged and its color was changed into dark red beginning at 40 min post injection. Microscopically, dissociation of centrilobular hepatocytes and hemorrhage was observed in the hepatic central legions and such pathological changes were then extended to the portal regions of liver by time course manner. Interestingly at 80 min after MC-LR injection, the entrapped eosinophilic materials that may be necrotic fragments of dissociated hepatocytes were found in the capillaries of lung and renal glomerulus. Ultrastructurally, microvilli of the hepatocytes were disrupted or lost at all time points. Furthermore, the Disse space and gap junctions were widened beginning at 40 min post injection. These results suggest that liver is the major target organ of MC-LR and isolated hepatocytes by the effects of such hepatotoxin may secondarily reduce the physiological function of lung and kidney.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.619-627
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• 1997

It is known that 2-methyl-1,4-naphtoquinone(menadione, MD) induces hepatotoxicities both in vivo and in vitro. These toxic effects are believed to result from oxidative damages to hepatocytes by "active oxygen" species via one-electron reduction of the naphtoquinone. The ginsenoside(GS) is a complex mixture of individual ginsenosides which is known to produce a range of effects on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. In particular, GS has an antioxidant effect. In this experiment we studied the effect of GS from red panax ginseng(red ginseng total saponin, RGTS) on free radical-induced liver injuries by MD. Administration of MD($150{\mu}M$) caused an increase in aspartate aminotransferase(AST) activities and lipid peroxidation, decrease in alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activities and total bilirubin levels in blood, caused depletion of GSH and changes of antioxidant enzyme(superoxide dismutase, catalase) activities are shown in liver tissue. Administration of RGTS restored the AST levels that increased by MD, but catalase showed no significant changes. RGTS also had an effect of restoring the GSH level and had some synergistic effects with SOD. These data suggest that RGTS may have some protective effects on liver injury which is related with the oxygen free radical.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.460-465
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• 2013

The hepatoprotective activity of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai extract (AE) was investigated against D-Galactosamine/Lipopolysaccharide (D-GalN/LPS)-induced liver failure rats compared with that of acanthoic acid (AA) isolated from AE. Although D-GalN/LPS (250 mg/kg body weight/$10{\mu}g/kg$ body weight, i.p.) induced hepatic damage, pretreatments with AE (1 and 3% AE/g day) and AA (0.037% AA, equivalent to 3% AE/g day) alleviated the hepatic damage. This effect was the result of a significant decrease in the activity of alanine transaminase. Concomitantly, both the nitric oxide and IL-6 levels in the plasma were significantly decreased by high-dose AE (AE3) treatment compared to the GalN/LPS control (AE0). This response resulted from the regulation of pro-inflammatory signaling via a decrease in TLR4 and CD14 mRNA levels in the liver. While a high degree of necrosis and hemorrhage were observed in the AE0, pretreatment with AE3 and AA reduced the extent of hepatocyte degeneration, necrosis, hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltrates compared to the AE0. In conclusion, these results suggest that especially high-dose AE are capable of alleviating D-GalN/LPS-induced hepatic injury by decreasing hepatic toxicity, thereby mitigating the TLR 4-dependent cytokine release. The anti-inflammatory effect of AE could be contributing to that of AA and AE is better than AA.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2003

The effects of Saururus chinensis Baill administration on the biochemical parameters of function in liver of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) treated rats were investigated. Saururus chinensis Baill (200mg/kg) was administered into rats intraperitoneally for four weeks, seven days after the injection of TCDD(1 ${\mu}g/kg$). We examined the antioxidative enzymatic activity by measuring the level of AST and ALT in serum and SOD, Catalase, GPx, GSH and GSSG in liver tissue of rats. STT group showed 70.7% of inhibitive effect in AST acrivity compared to TTA group. ALT level of STT group was decreased to the level of NTT group. SOD and Catalase in TTA group were lower than in NTT group, but SOD and Catalase in STT group were increased by 82% and 55.45% respectively compared to TTA group. GSH contents in STT group were 74.20% increased compared to TTA group. GSSG contents in STT group were 61.08% decreased compared to TTA group. These results suggest that Saururus Chinensis Baill has a potent hepathprotective effect against TCDD intoxicated rats.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.51-64
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• 2015

Objectives This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Gyejigabuja-tang extracts on the Monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) induced osteoarthritis in rats. Methods Osteoarthritis was induced by injection of MIA into knee joint cavity of rats. Rats are divided into 4 groups (normal, control, positive comparison group, GBT group, each n=5). Normal group was injected by normal saline into knee joint cavity only. Control group was induced for osteoarthritis by MIA and oral medicated with distilled water. Positive comparison group was injected with MIA and taken Joins tablet 25 mg/kg. GBT group was injected with MIA and taken Gyejigabuja-tang extracts 300 mg/kg. Positive comparison group and GBT group were oral medicated for each substance once a day for 4 weeks. ALT, AST and creatinine were evaluated for hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Hind paw weight bearing ability was examined and inflammatory cytokines (IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$), $PGE_2$, $LTB_4$, osteocalcin and deoxypyridinoline (DPD) within serum were analysed. Knee joint structures were observed by Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E), Safranin-O staining method. Results 1. Function of liver and kidney was not affected. 2. Hind paw weight bearing ability was significantly improved. 3. IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ in experimental group were significantly decreased compared with control group. 4. $PGE_2$, $LTB_4$, Osteocalcin and DPD in experimental group were decreased compared with control group. 5. In histopathologic observation, injury on synovial membrane and cartilage of experimental group was lesser than control group (H&E, Safranin-O staining). Conclusions Based on these results, it can be suggested that Gyejigabuja-tang has anti-inflammation effects on the MIA-induced osteoarthritis in rats.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.114-118
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• 2001

The present study was undertaken to investigate whether or not the hepatoprotective activity of acetylbergenin was superior to bergenin in carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-intoxicated rat. Acetylbergenin was synthesized by acetylating bergenin, which was isolated from Mallotus japonicus. The hepatoprotective effects of acetylbergenin were examined against $CCl_4$-induced liver damage in rats by means of serum and liver biochemical Indices. Acetylbergenin was administered orally once daily for 7 successive days, then a 0.5 ${m/kg}$ mixture of $CCl_4$in olive oil (1:1) was intraperitoneally injected at 12 h and 36 h after the final administration of acetylbergenin. Pretreatment with acetylbergenin reduced the elevated serum enzymatic activities of alanine/aspartate aminotransferase, sorbitol dehydrogenase and $\gamma$-glutamyltransferase in a dose dependent fashion. Acetylbergenin also prevented the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde formation and depletion of glutathione content dose dependently in $CCl_4$-intoxicates rats. In addition, the decreased activities of glutathione S-transferase and glutathione reductase were restored to almost normal levels. The results of this study strongly suggest that acetylbergenin n has potent hepatoprotective activity against $CCl_4$-induced hepatic damage in rats by glutathione-mediated detoxification as well as having free radical scavenging activity. In addition, acetylbergenin doses of 50 ${mg/kg}$showed almost the same levels of hepatoprotection activity as 100 ${mg/kg}$ of bergenin, indicating that lipophilic acetylbergenin is more active against the antihepatotoxic effects of $CCl_4$ than those of the much less lipophilic bergenin.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1415-1423
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• 2007

Carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver injury depends on a toxic agent that has to be metabolized by the liver NAPDH-cytochrome P450 enzyme system to a highly reactive intermediate. Alternations in the activity of cytochrome P450 enzymes affect the susceptibility to hepatic injury from $CCl_4$. In this study, we evaluated the potential protective activity of the traditional Korean medicinal herb, Corni fructus (CF), against an experimental model of hepatotoxicity induced by $CCl_4$. The CF exhibited a hepatoprotective activity against $CCl_4-induced$ liver damage in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, as measured by GOT, GPT, ALP and histological observation. The CF also showed significant decrease of malodialdehyde (MDA) and increase of glutathion (GSH), catalase activity in rat liver homogenate. In addition, the expression of CYP2E1, as measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis, was significantly decreased in the liver of CF treated SD rats. But $CCl_4$ and CF has no significant effect on 1A1 and 3A1 isoform of cytochrome P450. Based on these findings, it is suggested that hepatoprotective effects of CF possibly related to antioxidative effects and regulation of CYP2E1 expression.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.173-179
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• 1997

A water-soluble DDB derivative (Bis{2-(methylamino)ethyl}-4,4-dimethoxy-5,5',6,6'-dimethylenedioxy-biphenyl-2,2'-dicarboxylate, DDB-S) was synthesized and its therapeutic effects on the liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats were evaluated. Oral administration of DDB-S reduced the aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT) activities and increased total protein and albumin contents in the serum of the carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rat. Therapeutic effects of DDB-S by intravenous injection was also investigated using carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rats. Histological studies showed that IV injection of DDB-S had improved the typical necrosis around centrilobular area in liver tissue due to the carbon tetrachloride intoxication and also prevented the elevation of liver weigh/body weight ratio. IV administration of DDB-S to $CCl_4-treated$ rats significantly decreased AST & ALT activities and also prevented the decrease of aniline hydroxylation activity of the liver. These results indicate that i.v. administration of DDB-S is very effective in recovering the liver function in $CCl_4-treated$ rats.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 2005

Objectives : To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of manual acupuncture at Sam-hwang points on hepatotoxicity in $CCl_4$-intoxicated rats. Methods : Rats were injected intraperitoneally with $CCl_4$(1ml/kg) and treated with manual acupuncture at left Sam-hwang points 3 times a week for 10 weeks. A non-acupoint in left Gluteal area was selected as a sham point. Acupuncture was performed by an experienced acupuncture doctor using tonifying manipulation technique. To estimate the effects on hepatotoxici쇼, body weight and liver weight of rats were measured, and biochemical assays(ALT, AST, ALP, Total cholesterol, etc.) and blood cell analysis were performed. Results : Manual acupuncture with tonifying technique at Sam-hwang points reduced liver weight, ALT, AST, ALP activities and total cholesterol in serum significantly compared with control group. In blood cell analysis, WBC and lymphocytes were reduced but neutrophil was increased by manual acupuncture at Sam-hwang points in rats. Conclusions : Manual acupuncture with tonifying technique at Sam-hwang points has an hepatoprotective effect on $CCl_4$-induced liver damage in rats.