• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.263-266
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• 2001

Metallothionein (MT) is induced in the regenerating rat liver. We have investigated expression of MT gene by RT PCR as well as specific localization of MT by immunocytochemistry in regenerating rat liver after partial hepatectomy (PH). MT mRNA level started to increase from 1 h and reached the peak at 8 h after PH. The level decreased gradually by 24 h, and became similar to that of control group. In the immunocytochemical study, in all groups treated with primary antibody, immunogold particles indicating the presence of MT were evenly distributed throughout both cytoplasm and nucleus of the rat hepatocytes. Within the nucleus, the gold particles appeared to be intensely localized in the areas of euchromatin and nucleolus. Within the cytoplasm, gold particles did not seem to adhere to mitochondria or Iysosomes, but were freely distributed. However, rough endoplasmic reticulum was the obvious compartment on which the gold particles were localized. Time course of MT immunoreactivity revealed that distribution of gold particles in hepatocytes increased gradually by 24 h, and decreased at 48 h after PH. Briefly, PH resulted in the sharpest increase in the expression of MT mRNA at 8 h and in the immunoreactivity of MT at 24 h, respectively. It is suggested that the increase of MT mRNA expression, the intensity of immunoreactivity and the specific localization of MT may be associated with the compensatory cell proliferation followed by PH.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.451-459
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• 2016

The development of radioprotector is being actively conducted in order to reduce the damage from over radiation exposure at radiation accident or radiation therapy. So this study was confirmed for radiation protective effects using the Cynanchi wilfordii Radix that has been known to be effective for antioxidant activity, anti-cancer, immune enhancing effects. The method of this study was administered orally Cynanchi wilfordii Radix ethanol extracts to Sprague Dawley Rat(SD Rat) for 14 days once a day, while measuring changed blood cell, spleen index, liver and uterus tissue along the change in time of 1, 4, 7 and 21 days after X-ray beam of 7 Gy irradiation. As the result of the experiment, the experimental group's rats which are administered with Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix ethanol extracts showed a rapid recovery in white blood cell count(p < 0.05) and spleen index(p < 0.05). In addition, condensation of nuclei, cytoplasmic swelling, and inflammatory cell infiltration in experimental group's liver cell was decreased more than in irradiation group's component. Further, experimental group's Uterine gland decreased the apoptosis more than irradiation group's components did. It is expected that Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix extracts will be useful as a new radioprotector. With above in mind, this paper may provide appropriate implications with the field of emergency management such as radiation accident.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.264-268
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• 2001

Aggregates of specific cells are often regarded as better from in artificial organs and mammalian cell bioreactors in terms of cell-specific functionality. In this study, the morphology and liver specific functions of freshly harvested primary rat hepatocytes, which were cultivated as spheroids and entrapped in a synthetic thermo-reversible extracellular matrix, were examined and compared to a control (hepatocytes in single cell form). A copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide(98 mole % in feed) and acrylic acid (poly (NiPAAm-co-AAC)), a thermo- reversible copolymer gel ma- trix, was used to entrap hepatocytes either in spheroids or single cells. During a 7-day culture pe-riod, the spheroids maintained higher viability and produced albumin and urea at a relatively con-stant rate, while, the single cell culture showed a slight increase in cell numbers and a reduction in albumin secretion Hepatocytes cultrured as spheroids present a potentially useful three-dimensional cell culture system for application in bioartificial liver device.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.167-167
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• 2003

Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and the derived myofibroblasts are known to playa central role in liver fibrosis. Rhus verniciflua Strokes (RVS) has traditionally been used in Korea herbal medicine for a stomachic tonic. In this study, we observed the effect of RVS acetone extract (Ra) on the proliferation, the collagen synthesis, and hepatic fibrosis related proteins mRNA levels in HSC-T6 cells which is a fully acivated rat hepatic stellate cell line.(omitted)

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.22-38
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• 1998

This study was to investigate the hepatoprotective and anticirrhotic effects of Ganyeumilhobang(GIE) on the acute and chronic liver injury induced by various agents. Chronic liver injury induced by dimethylnitrosamine(DMN) ; a new experimental model for cirrhosis and the intraperitoneal injection of dimethylnitrosamine in the rat. Acute liver njury induced by carbon tetrachloride$(CCl_4)$ and D-galactosamine ; a experimental model for acute liver injury, the administration of $CCl_4$ and the intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine in the rat. The development of fibrosis and acute liver injury by the three prescriptions were examined by the chemical analysis of AST, ALT, prothrombin time and hydroxyproline. The results obtained were as follows. 1. The increasing level of hydroxyproline volume induced by DMN in mice was decreased by the oral administration of GIB. 2. The degree of histological fibrosis and hepatic inflammatory cell infiltration induced by $CCl_4$ decreased by the oral administration of GIB. 3. The increase of senun AST and ALT of mice with acute liver damage induced by $CCl_4$ and D-galactosamine was inhibited by the administration of GIB. 4. The prolongation of prothrombin time(seconds) of mice acute liver damage induced by $CCl_4$ was shortened by the oral administration of GIB. 5. The liver of mice was hepatectomized partial1y after the oral administration of GIB. The mitotic index(% of nuclei), weight of liver, contents of protein, RNA and DNA synthesis of the liver tissue were increased by the oral administration of GIB.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.261-265
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• 2007

Hydroxyproline (HYP) is a post-translational product of proline hydroxylation catalyzed by an enzyme prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H) which plays a crucial role in the synthesis of all collagens. Considering the role of collagen and its significance in many clinically important diseases such as liver fibrosis, a great deal of attention has been directed toward the development of an assay at cell-based system. The reason is that cell-based assay system is more efficient than enzyme-based in vitro system and takes much less time than in vivo system. Several assay procedures developed for P4H are laborious, time-consuming and not feasible for the massive-screening. Here, we report the cell-based assay method of prolyl 4-hydroxylase in immortalized rat hepatic stellate HSC-T6 cells. To optimize the cell culture condition to assay for HYP content, various concentrations of reagents were treated for different times in HSC-T6 cells. Our data showed that the treatment with ascorbate in a hypoxic condition for 24 h resulted in the maximal increase of HYP by 1.8 fold. Alternatively, cobalt chloride ($5\;{\mu}M$) and ascorbate ($50\;{\mu}M$) in normoxic states exhibited similar effect on the production of HYP as in a hypoxic condition. Therefore, cobalt chloride can be substituted for a hypoxic condition when an anaerobic chamber is not available. Rosiglitazone and HOE077, known as inhibitors of collagen, synthesis decreased P4H enzyme activity by 32.3% and 15%, respectively, which coincided with previous reports from liver tissues. The level of the smooth muscle ${\alpha}$-actin, a marker of activated stellate cells, was significantly increased under hypoxia, suggesting that our experimental condition could work for screening the anti-fibrotic compounds. The assay procedure took only 3 days after treatment with agents, while assays from the primary stellate cells or liver tissues have taken several weeks. Considering the time and expenses, this assay method could be useful to screen the compounds for the inhibitor of prolyl 4-hydroxylase.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.157-161
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• 1998

The mechanism of active aldehyde-induced liver disease and the enzymatic basis of detoxification were investigated using normal rat liver cell, Ac2F. Aliphatic alcohols including l-decyl alcohol, l-nonanol, l-heptanol, l-hexanol, l-propanol and allyl alcohol exerted a dose- and time-de-pendent toxicity to Ac2F cells. The extent of their toxicities in buthionine sulfoximine (inhibitor of glutathione synthesis) pretreated cells was greater than in pargyline (inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase, ALDH). On the other hand, the toxicity of these alcohols were not affected by 4-methylpyrazole (inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, ADH). These results suggest that the contents of glutathione (GSH) seems to be very important in protecting the cells from toxicants such as aliphatic alcohols.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.97-102
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• 2005

The protective effect of Yangguksanwha-tang (YST) against hypoxia-reperfusion insult was investigated in PC12 cells. To elucidate the mechanism of the protective effect of YST, cell viability, the changes in activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, caspase 3 and the production of malondialdehyde were observed after treating PC12 cells with YST which was metabolized by rat liver homogenate. Pretreatment of YST with liver homogenate appeared to increase its protective effect against hypoxia-reperfusion insult. The result showed that YST had the highest protective effect against hypoxia/reperfusion at the dose of $2\;{\mu}g/ml$ in PC12 cells, probably by recovering the redox enzyme activities and MDA to control level.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2010

The present study was conducted to investigate the antimutagenic potential of the methanolic extract from the leaves of sweet potato (Ipomea batatas, IB) with the SOS chromotest (umu test) and Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100. The anticarcinogenic effects were also studied by calculation of the $IC_{50}$ on human cancer cell lines and investigating the function of gap junction in rat liver epithelial cells. The IB extract inhibited dose-dependently the ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity induced spontaneously at concentration of more than 200 mg/ml in S. typhimurium TA 1535/pSK 1002, and decreased significantly (p < 0.01) the ${\beta}$-galactosidase activities induced by mutagen 6-chloro-9-[3-(2-chloroethylamino)proylamino]-2-methoxyacridine dihydrochloride (ICR) at dose of more than 0.4 mg/0.1 ml. The IB extract showed no effect on the spontaneous reversions of S. typhimurium TA 98 and 100 but benzo(${\alpha}$)pyrene (BaP)-stimulated reversions were decreased dose-dependently (p < 0.01) at the concentration of more than 100 mg/ml. The $IC_{50}$ value of stomach cancer cells was lower than that of normal rat liver epithelial cells, but the values of colon and uterine cancer cell lines were similar to those of normal rat liver epithelial cells. The transfer of dye through gap junctions was not affected by treatment of the IB extracts at any concentration during treatment periods. The simultaneously treatment of IB extract and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) effectively prevented the inhibition of dye transfer induced by TPA 1 hour after treatment at all exposed concentrations. The number of gap junctions was significantly (p < 0.01) increased by the treatment with IB extract at concentrations of more than 40 ${\mu}g$/ml. The inhibition of the expression of gap junction proteins by TPA (0.01 ${\mu}g$/ml) was recovered dose dependently by the simultaneous treatment of IB extracts. Our data suggest that Ipomea batatas has antimutagenic and anticarcionogenic activity in vitro.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.123-143
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• 2005

Objective : This study was carried out to evaluate the liver toxicities of Wild Aconiti Tuber decoction. Methods : The amounts of aconitine in the methanol extract of Wild Aconiti Tuber was measured by HPLC. Safeties was studied by LD50 in mice. Liver toxicities were evaluated histologically and by CBC, blood chemistry after 2 weeks of 0.4g/kg/day clinical dosage oral administrations in rat. Results : 1. The amounts of aconitine in the methanol extract of Wild Aconiti Tuber is $1.697{\pm}0.052mg/g$. But aconitine was not detected in the water decoction of Wild Aconiti Tuber. 2. To evaluate LD50 and safeties of Wild Aconiti Tuber decoction, ICR mice were given high dose of 2, 5, 10g/kg for single time and were observed for 2 weeks. There were no dead animal and abnormal clinical sign and no abnormalities at the autopsy. So, LD50 was admitted to higher than 10g/kg. 3. After 2 weeks of 0.4g/kg/day clinical dosage oral administrations in rat, there was no significant change in the CBC and blood chemistry. 4. In the liver tissues of clinical dosage, mitotic figures, apoptosis and individual cell death were observed, but clear liver toxicities like fatty liver or necrosis were not observed. the liver tissues of high dose in mice, hydropic changes were getting severe as dose grows. Conclusions : According to the results, though aconitine was not detected in the Wild Aconiti Tuber decoction, 0.4g/kg/day 2 weeks p. o (clinical dosage) group showed weak changes in the liver tissues and high dose group showed liver toxicities like hydropic changes.