• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.44-52
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• 2013

This study investigated hepatic functional improvement and anti-fibrotic effects of water extracts of black tea. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (normal, control, and two experimental subgroups: Ba, Bb) and observed for 3 weeks. Liver fibrosis in rats developed from carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) administration, except for the normal group. Except for the normal and control group, the two experimental subgroups were fed water extracts of black tea. The food efficiency ratio significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the control group. The experimental group had a significantly lower liver weight compared to the control group. The ratio of liver weight to body weight was significantly lower in the experimental group than the control group. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, blood urea nitrogen, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in serum significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to the control group. The values of hydroxyproline and malondialdehyde in liver were even lower in the experimental group than the control group. In observations on liver histology, weaker inflammation and fibrosis were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group. In conclusion, water extracts of black tea help hepatic cells keep their functions, restraining and protecting the liver from impairments caused by $CCl_4$ administration, and can be effective as anti-fibrotic agents.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2009

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of zinc proteases that serve the function of breaking down extracellular matrix (ECM). The present study evaluated the role of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the increased deposition of ECM in hepatic and glomerular fibrosis caused by carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$). The activity of MMPs increased and the levels of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases 1 and 2 (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) decreased in the liver and kidney of $CCl_4$-treated rats. Rats treated with $CCl_4$ and NAC showed increased activities of MMPs and decreased levels of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the liver and kidney. Treatment with NAC resulted in the effective degradation of ECM due to an increase in the activities of MMPs and a decrease in the levels of TIMPs.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.10 no.1 s.22
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• pp.101-107
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was aimed at investigating liver protection mechanism of Cultivated Ginseng and Cultivated Wild Ginseng of Korean and Chinese by inducing liver toxicity through $CCl_4$ and t-BHP in mice and evaluated serological findings. Methods : Experiment groups was categorized into untreated normal group, treated control group, and orally administered Cultivated Ginseng and Cultivated Wild Ginseng of Korean and Chinese experimental groups. At the termination of experiment, gross examination of the liver as well as Total bilirubin, AST, and ALT contents in the serum were evaluated. Results : 1. In the $CCl_4$ induced acute hepatotoxicity test, total bilirubin, AST and ALT didn't show significant differences between the control and experimental groups. 2. In the t-BHP induced acute hepatotoxicity test, total bilirubin, AST and ALT didn't show significant differences between the control and experimental groups. Conclusion : Taken together, Cultivated Ginseng and Cultivated Wild Ginseng of Korean and Chinese cannot be effectively used for recovering the liver functions in acute hepatotoxicity tests using $CCl_4$ and t-BHP. Further researches, for example treated long period, must be tried to verify the efficacies.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.193-196
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• 1997

Matricaria Chammomillal L., Foemiculum Vulgare mill, and Plantago Psylium L. have been screened for their hepato protective activities against liver damge induced by $CCl_4$ intoxication in mice. Hydroalcoholic extractions (2:8) of herbal drugs were concentrated in vacuo and concentrated crude extracts of Matrica Chammomilla L. and Foeniculum Vulgare mill were orally administered at doses of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and 800 mg/kg. Plantago Psyllium was given at doses of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg. Liver protective activities of these herbs were determined after administration of $CCl_4$ Liver size, serum enzyme activities, sleeping time, and histopatology of the liver were examined one hour after administration of $CCl_4$. ALT and AST activities, liver weight and sleeping time decreased in groups that received 400 mg/kg of Matricaria Chammomilla L. or Foeniculum Vulgare. Histological investigation showed significant increase in hepatic cell regeneration and reduction in liver injury. The group that received 100 mg/kg Plantago Psylium showed liver protection but protection was not significant in other doses.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2006

The methanol extracts of the roots, root bark and stem of Berberis tinctoria, were investigated for their hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride $(CCl_4)$ induced toxicity in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes, HEp-G2 cells and animal models. The methanol extracts were able to significantly normalise the levels of aspartate amino transferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, total proteins, albumin, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin, which were altered due to $CCl_4$ intoxication in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes and also in animal models. The anti-hepatotoxic effect of the methanol extracts in vitro were observed at $600\;-\;1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentrations. A dose dependent increase in the percentage viability was observed when $CCl_4$ exposed HEp-G2 cells were treated with different concentrations of the methanol extracts. The highest percentage viability of HEp-G2 was observed at a concentration of $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. The results from the present investigations also indicate good correlation between the in vivo and in vitro studies.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.96-107
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• 2003

Objective : This study was undertaken to determine if Pyunggangaeuljihyul-tang (Pinggankaiyuzhixue-tang, PG) has a protective effect against cell injury induced by various toxic agents in rabbit liver, Methods : Cell injury in vitro was estimated by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and that in vivo was estimated by measuring alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity in serum. Lipid peroxidation was examined by measuring malondialdehyde, a product of lipid per oxidation. Results : PG prevented the LDH release by $CCl_4$, mercury, menadione, and tert-butyl hydroperoxide treatment in vitro in liver slices. The extent of protection by 2% PG was similar to that of $10{\mu\textrm{M}}$ N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenedianline, a potent antioxidant, in tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced LDH release. PG also prevented lipid peroxidation and depletion of cellular ATP induced by Hg. Hg causes motphological changes including cell necrosis and its effect was significantly prevented by PG. When rats were treated intraperitoneatly with 0.5 ml/kg of $CCl_4$, serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities were increased compared with the control, which was significantly inhibited by pretreatment of PG. PG also prevented reduction in GSH and lipid peroxidation induced by $CCl_4$ Conclusion : These results suggest that PG exerts aprotective effect against various toxic agents by its antioxidant action in liver tissues. Thus, PG may be used in prevention and treatment of drug-induced liver cell injury. However, the precise mechanisms of PG protection remain to be determined.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.133-139
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• 1987

These studies were attempted to investigate the preventive effect of Ganoderma lucidum extract administered concurrently with glutathione on the liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) in rats. S-GOT and S-GPT activities of all the pre-treatment groups were significantly decreased, as compared with those of the control intoxicated by $CCl_4$. The concurrent administrations of Ganoderma lucidum extract with glutathione (100+100mg/kg, 200+100mg/kg, and 400+100mg/kg, respectively) were more effective than the individual administrations. i.e., Ganaderma lucidtcm extract (100, 200 and 400mg/kg, respectively) and glutathione (100, 200 and 400mg/kg, respectively). On the determination of lipid-peroxidation in liver, the concurrent administrations of Ganoderma lucidum extract with glutathione (100+100mg/kg, and 200+100mg/kg, respectively) significantly reduced the liver TBA values. Although hepatic cellular necrosis and fatty acid deposit were remarkably increased by $CCl_4$ intoxication, the concurrent administration of Ganoderma lucidum extract with glutathione (200+100mg/kg) reduced the pathological changes of parenchymal cell necrosis and fatty changes around centrilobalar area of the control. These findings indicate that the concurrent administrations of Ganoderma lucidum extract with glutathione showed better improvements than the individual administrations of them in all pathological aspects, in particular, against hepatitis and hepatic necrosis due to the cellular necrosis and fatty infiltration.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 1980

Bromphenol blue (BPB) was studied with rabbits in normal and disease states to understand the basic principles of hepato-biliary transport process, and the effect of disease states on the drug disposition. The time course of plasma concentration and of biliary excretion was studied in normal and $CCl_4$ intoxicated rabbits. A conspicuous retention of BPB clearance from the plasma was observed, and the slope of the first-phase of plasma curve was decreased in the intoxicated rabbits. The shape of biliary excretion was same in normal and intoxicated states, but the amount of BPB excreted into bile in the intoxicated states was much smaller than in normal states. A relationship was found which enables one to predict the pattern of uptake of BPB by the liver, and the pattern of excretion into the bile in normal states, but was not in $CCl_4$ intoxicated states. It may be that the application of this experiments would extend the effect of disease states on the drug disposition.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.105-109
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• 2007

Alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna [TA] was evaluated far its hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride (CCl$_4$)-induced hepatic damage in rats. The hepatoprotective activity of TA was evaluated by measuring levels of serum marker enzymes like serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP). The serum levels of total proteins(TP), total albumins (TAL) and bilirubin (BILN) were also estimated. The histological studies were also carried out to support the above parameters. Silymarin (SM) was used as standard drug. Administration of TA (250 and 500 mg/kg/po) markedly prevented CCl$_4$-induced elevation of levels of SGOT, SGPT, SALP, TP, TAL and BILN. These biochemical observations were supplemented by histopathological examination of liver sections. Alcoholic extract of TA also shown significant in-vitro free radical scavenging activity against 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide (NO) radicals. Thus, the present study provides a scientific rationale for the traditional use of this plant in the management of liver diseases.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2004

Effect of Siho (Bupleurum falcatum L.) extracts on liver function were investigated in CCl4 intoxicated rats. Plasma $\alpha$-fetoprotein and total protein concentration showed a tendency to decrease in Siho extracts groups. However plasma albumin concentration showed no significantly different in all treatment groups. Activities of plasma asparate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in Siho extracts groups showed a lower values than control group. Alkan phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase activities showed a tendency to decrease in Siho extracts groups. However ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transferase activity showed no significantly different in all treatment groups. Concentration of plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol showed no significantly different in all treatment groups.