• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.609-614
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• 2012

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a common cause of acute hepatitis. Regarding the risk of DILI from herbal preparations, there are controversial issues such as exaggerated reports straying far from the truth and lack of discrimination between herbal drugs and folk remedies or food supplements. This study reported one case of a patient with DILI caused by Smilacis Chinae Radix and cured in an Oriental hospital. Smilacis Chinae Radix has been used as an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, detoxification and anticancer compound, as a folk remedy. This report would provide helpful information for management of DILI by folk remedies or herbal drugs.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.78-89
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• 2004

Background : A report published by the National Institute of Toxicological Research (NITR) in January 2004 about toxic hepatitis in Korea contained the result of analysis on 55 cases of severe toxic hepatitis from 7 university hospitals for 8 months. NITR claimed that the extrapolated annual frequency of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea was 1904 cases per year. They also claimed that the most frequent etiology of severe toxic hepatitis were herbal medications and similar plant preparations (61.7%), contrasted with traditional therapeutic preparations and healthy foods (29.1%). I have investigated that report to be certain of the result because it is a very important subject for public health and society in Korea. Results : The NITR report has too many problems to have faith in its results. They include the following: 1. The report uses only 55 cases to estimate annual prevalence rate of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea. 2. There was a large regional preponderancy in the NITR report (2 cases in Seoul from a population of 10.17 million, 19 cases in Gwangju from a population of 1.4 million) 3. There was another preponderancy that selected much fewer cases caused by western medication (9.1%) than other reasons. 4. The NITR report used a modified scale than that officially recognized to diagnose toxic hepatitis. 5. There was a mistake using the scale to adapt the right indications. 6. They collected cases before beginning the study, although it was a prospective study. There was also not any questionnaire or other materials concerned with alcohol, drugs, or history of past liver disease. Conclusions : NITR is one of the important official arms of the government of Korea. Nevertheless, there is a severe problem in validity because of selection bias, uncertain accuracy, and insufficiency of raw materials in the report. Therefore it seems incorrect to generalize the results of the report and there is a lack of confidence in it as a national study publishing by the NITR.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.110-116
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• 2008

Purpose: Acute toxic hepatitis is a common cause of acute liver failure (ALF). We investigated the causes, clinical manifestation, and outcomes of ALF patients who underwent liver transplantation due to acute toxic hepatitis caused by herbal medicines and preparations. Methods: Between January 1992 and May 2008, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 24 patients who were transplanted due to acute toxic hepatitis caused by herbal medicines and preparations. We applied the RUCAM score to patients with acute toxic hepatitis and assessed the relationship between herbal preparations and liver injury. We studied the patients' medication history, liver function tests, and clinical outcomes. Results: The type of liver injury was divided into three groups: hepatocellular type, 14 patients (58.3%); cholestatic type, 4 patients (16.7%); and mixed type, 6 patients (25%). Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg (3 cases) was the most common cause of acute toxic hepatitis, followed by Acanthopanax senticosus (2 cases), pumpkin juice (2 cases), Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz (2 cases), Hovenia dulcis (1 case), Phellinus linteus (1 case), and Artemisia capillaries (1 case). One year survival after liver transplantation was 76%. Conclusion: We identified the herbal preparations leading to acute liver failure. Many patients consider herbal remedies to be completely free of unwanted side effects. However, we found that many herbal products have biological activities that can lead to severe hepatotoxicity.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.400-405
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• 2014

Recently, cases of Aloe vera induced-toxic hepatitis have been reported. However, the precise inflammatory effects of Aloe vera extract have not been clearly elucidated yet. In this study, the inflammatory effects and the mechanism of 70% ethanolic Aloe vera extract on liver were evaluated by in vitro assays using human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Cell viability was investigated using MTT assay at $0.001{\sim}100{\mu}g/mL$ of Aloe vera extract. To evaluate inflammatory effect of the Aloe vera extract, the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin 8 (IL-8) and Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were detected. Aloe vera extract did not induce cell death at concentrations of $0.001{\sim}100{\mu}g/mL$. However, Aloe vera extract significantly increased the IL-8 secretion by 15.7~25.8% and the M-CSF secretion by 36.6~61.5% at the same concentrations. These results indicate that Aloe vera extract shows an inflammation-related mild hepatotoxicity than a severe toxicity such as cell death and this hepatitis is mediated by the secretion of inflammatory cytokine IL-8 and M-CSF.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.344-347
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• 2021

In this study, the hepatotoxic mechanism of chaparral (Larrea tridentata) was investigated through in vitro experiments that measured cell death, inflammatory cytokine secretion, and intracellular fat accumulation by treating HepG2 hepatocytes with a 70% ethanol extract of chaparral at concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 100 ㎍/mL. Cell death was observed after treatment with chaparral extract at concentrations of 1-100 ㎍/mL (p<0.05). The secretion of the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-8 and macrophage-colony stimulating factor, and fat accumulation were significantly increased even at a concentration of 0.1 ㎍/mL, which was 10 times lower than the observed concentration resulting in cell death (p<0.05). Hepatitis caused by inflammatory cytokine secretion and fat accumulation was shown to be a form of hepatotoxicity induced by chaparral extract. Hepatitis was expressed at a concentration lower than that causing serious toxicity such as cell death, suggesting that hepatotoxicity, including hepatitis, may be caused by ingestion of low concentrations of chaparral.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2024

Crocin is a major carotenoid of the Gardenia jasminoides fruit and Crocus sativus stigma (saffron), which are used in various cuisines as flavoring and coloring agents, as well as in phytomedicine for the treatment of several disorders, including headache, fever, edema, fatty liver, viral hepatitis, respiratory disease, menstruation disorders, insomnia, and hypertension. Crocin (C₄₄H₆₄O₂₄) is a chemical diester composed of the dicarboxylic acid crocetin and disaccharide gentiobiose. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have been conducted about the biological and pharmacological function and toxicity of crocin. Crocin has been revealed to have no genotoxicity and pathological manifestation. Crocin acts as an antioxidant, anti-cancer, memory enhancer, anxiolytic, antidepressant, aphrodisiac, anti-atherosclerotic, cardioprotector, and hepatoprotector. Here, an inclusive review of crocin is introduced based on previously explored studies referred to in the literature. Different studies have confirmed the protective role of crocin in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases, gastritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and depression. It is surmised that crocin suppresses inflammatory, antioxidant, and apoptotic processes through multiple mechanisms. Crocin is considered a safe and effective therapeutic choice for patients with inflammatory conditions, although more research investigating its mechanisms and results acquired in clinical trials are needed.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.13 no.3_4
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• pp.63-70
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• 1998

In order to elucidate the prevalence of anti-HEV, anti-HCV and HBsAg in ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase)-elevated patient group and healthy person control group, we examined anti-HEV, anti-HCV and HBsAg in 92 persons, respectively. The prevalence of anti-HEV in ALT-elevated patient group (4.3%) was not significantly higher than that (2.2%) of healthy person control group(P>0.05). While in healthy person control group the prevalence of anti-HEV in female (2.4%) was higher than that (2.0%) in male, and in ALT-elevated group male (4.8%) was higher than female (3.3%), there were no significances. The positive rate of anti-HEV was not significantly increased with age between healthy person control and ALT-elevated patient group. The odds ratio's of HEV, HCV and HBV with ALT-elevated patient group were 2.05 (95% CI: 0.31-16.54), 8.67 (95% CI: 1.06-188.63) and 7.23 (95% CI: 2.47-22.71), respectively, but had no significance. It was turned out that HCV and HBV were significantly correlated with ALT-elevated patient group, but HEV had no significance with it in this paper.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.307-313
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• 1998

Dimethyl dimethoxy biphenylate (DDB) is an agent used to treat hepatits. DDB-S (DDB-soluble), a new DDB derivative, was synthsized to increase water solubility of the original DDB. In the present study, the antigenic potential of DDB-S was examined by active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA), passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) and passive hemagglutination (PHA) tests. The experimental groups consist of a low dosage group, a high dosage group, he group emulsified with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA, ASA test) or an alum (PCA and PHA tests) and the macromolecule conjugate group emulsified with FCA or an alum. In the ASA test, all experimental groups showed negative responses whereas the positive control group given ovalbumin plus FCA showed severe anaphylactic responses. In the heterologous PCA test using mice and rats, positive responses were not detected in any of the experimental groups. In the PHA test, all experimental groups showed negative responses whereas the positive control group given ovalbumin plus an alum showed 512~2048 PHA titers. These results demonstrated that DDB-S does not have any antigenic potential. These can be utilized as a part of preclinical data for the development of DDB-S as an intravenous injection.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2001

Object : Hepatitis Treatment-tang No.1 has been used for the treatment of Liver disease and Jaundice. Long-term EtOH exposure leads to immunoregulatory and detoxification impairment. This study aimed to determine the relationship between TNF-${\alpha}$ production and expression, and EtOH-induced cytotoxicity on Hep G2 cells. Method : Cells were incubated with EtOH in the presence or absence of HT. The cells were tested after 24 hours and, again, after 48 hours. Cytoviability and TNF-${\alpha}$ release were analyzed by MTT assay and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. After 24 hours of EtOH exposure, the cytoviability decreased, and the release of TNF-${\alpha}$ was increased. Increased amounts of TNF-${\alpha}$ contribute to EtOH-induced cytotoxicity. The Anti-TNF-${\alpha}$ antibody almost abolished it. Interestingly, EtOH-induced cytotoxicity and TNF-${\alpha}$ production were inhibited by HT. Moreover, when HT was used in combination with the anti-TNF-${\alpha}$ antibody, there was a marked inhibition of EtOH-induced cytotoxicity. Results : These results suggest that HT may prevent the cytotoxicity through partial inhibition of the TNF-${\alpha}$ secretion.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1710-1714
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• 2005

This study was designed to report the clinical effects of oriental medical therapy on a patient of jaundice with a toxic hepatitis and liver failure. Herbal medication, acupuncture and cupping therapy were applied to the patient for 18 weeks. Symptoms were checked repeatedly, and clinicopathologic test(such as total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, AST, ALT ect.) were done to evaluate improvement. After 18 weeks treatment with oriental medical therapy, most symptoms disappeared or improved. Clinicopathologic examinations showed improvement. The above results that oriental medical therapy is beneficial for the patient with jaundice.