• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.32 no.2 s.125
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• pp.163-167
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• 2001

Prunella vulgaris L. aqua-acupuncture solution (PVAS) was tested for cancer chemopreventive activity using chemoprevention-associated biochemical end points. The following effects were measured. : (a) inhibition of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced cytochrome P4501A1 activity (b) inhibition of $[^3H]B[a]P-DNA$ binding (c) inhibition of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA)-induced free radical formation in HL-60 cells (d) inhibition of polyamine metabolism. PVAS inhibited cytochrome P4501A1-mediated ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity. The binding of $[^3H]B[a]P$ metabolites to DNA of NCTC-clone 1469 cells was inhibited significantly by PVAS. There is 22% inhibition of TPA-induced free radical formation in human leukemic cells with 5 mg/ml PVAS. Proliferation of Acanthamoeba castellanii was inhibited by PAVS at concentration of 30 mg/ml. PAVS positive in these assays may inhibit the carcinogenesis process and is considered very promising cancer-preventing agent because of its multiple activities.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2012

This study evaluated ecological health, using various biomarkers and bioindicators, of pale chub (Zacco platypus) as a sentinel species, in Daejeon Stream, South Korea, during AprilMay 2011. The biomarkers and bioindicators were compared among three sites of control: Reference ($C_z$), transition ($T_z$), and the urban zones ($U_z$); and the 7-Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, DNA damage, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and vitellogenin (VTG) concentrations were more significantly increased in the $U_z$ than in the $C_z$. Also, physiological markers such as condition factor, liver somatic index, visceral somatic index, and gonad somatic index were significantly increased in the $U_z$ than in the $C_z$. For the health assessments, three categorized parameters of blood chemistry, molecular biomarkers, and physiological bioindicators were standardized and calculated as a star-plot, representing values of Integrated Health Response (IHR). Values of IHR had more significant (P<0.05) increases in the $U_z$ than any other zones, indicating an impairment of ecological health by organic matter, nutrients (N, P), and toxic chemicals. This study is based on low levels of biological organization approach of molecular and physiological biomarkers and bioindicators, so further study of high-levels of biological organization approach such as community and population is required for overall range of health assessments. The approach of IHR values, however, may be useful in providing early warning of future impacts on ecological health.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 2003

The effect of xenobiotics on cytochrome P450 (CYP) and 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) in hepatopancreatic microsome of surf clam, Coelomactra anti-quata, were investigated. The microsome isolated from the digestive gland of the surf clam, collected from the east coast of Korea, was in vitro exposed to p, p -DDT (0.1,0.4 and 1.0 mM) for 30 min and 2,3,7,8-TCDD (0.01, 0.04 and 0.1 ppb) and PCB-153 (0.01, 0.04 and 0.1 ppb) for 7 hr. In the case of DDT exposure, the CYP content and EROD activity of 1.0 mM exposure group increased up to about 117% and 120% of the DMSO solvent control group after 10 min. exposure, respectively. After 2 hr exposure of TCDD, the CYP content and EROD activity were also induced to the range of 103∼110% and 121∼139%, respectively. The PCB-153 exposure group showed 107∼115% of CYP content and 129∼140% of EROD activity after 2 hr exposure. Three test chemicals apparently induced CYP and EROD activity in the microsome of surf clam. The inducing potentials depend en the test chemicals.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 1998

Drug-metabolizing activities of Korean native cattle and swine were investigated from viewpoints of the cytochrome P-450's level, their dependent mixed function oxidase activities, the reactive oxygen species formation and cytosolic enzyme acitivities from each liver homogenates. Level of cytochrome P-450 in the liver microsome of Korean native cattle was $0.28{\pm}0.05nmole/mg$ and that in pigs $0.35{\pm}0.03nmole/mg$. Level of cytochrome $b_5$ of Korean native cattle was $0.24{\pm}0.06nmole/mg$, and that of pigs $0.2{\pm}0.05nmole/mg$, showing no difference between two species. NADPH P-450 reductase were higher in Korean native cattle ($58.3{\pm}5.3nmole/mg/min$) than in pigs ($29.9{\pm}3.8nmole/mg/min$)(p<0.01). The activities of cytochrome P-450 dependent monooxygenases such as ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (cattle, $96.5{\pm}12.5nmole/mg/min$ ; pigs, $13.6{\pm}2.1nmole/mg/min$), N-benzphetamine N-demethylase (cattle, $5.23{\pm}0.82nmole/mg/min$ ; pigs, $0.76{\pm}0.3nmole/mg/min$) and aniline hydroxylase (cattle, $0.95{\pm}0.1nmole/mg/min$ ; pigs, $0.33{\pm}0.08nmole/mg/min$) were much higher in Korean native cattle than in swine(p<0.01). However, the activity of testosterone $7{\alpha}$-hydroxylase was higher in swine ($90.4{\pm}1.2nmole/mg/min$) than cattle (cattle, $32.8{\pm}1.2nmole/mg/min$). Interestingly, testosterone $16{\alpha}$-hydroxylase, a marker enzyme for P-450 IIA was not detected in both animal species. These results suggest that Korean native cattle and pigs have high contents of P-450 IA1 and P-450 IIIA. Total sulfhydryl compound (cattle, $10.3{\pm}1.1nmole/mg$ ; Pigs, $14.5{\pm}1.8nmole/mg$) and glutathione related enzymes except glutathione reductase (cattle, $38.1{\pm}7.9nmole/mg/min$; swine, $22{\pm}3.6nmole/mg/min$) showed higher levels in swine than in Korean native cattle. Superoxide dismutase (cattle, $7.64{\pm}0.84nmole/mg/min$ ; pigs, $4.47{\pm}0.94nmole/mg/min$) and catalase (cattle, $30.4{\pm}3.7nmole/mg/min$ ; pigs, $17.2{\pm}1.8nmole/mg/min$) were remarkably higher in Korean native cattle than in swine (p<0.05).

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.94-98
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• 2003

Quercetin and naringenin are representative flavonoids that not only exert anti estrogenic, cholesterol-lowering and antioxidant activities but also can modulate the metabolism of many xenobiotics. The activity of the specific form(s) of CYP450 is likely to be a major determinant of susceptibility to chemically induced carcinogenesis between which varies among between individuals due to different dietary habits as well as genetic characteristics. People consume cooked meat or fish together with various vegetables containing substantial amounts of quercetin and naringenin that can modify the enzyme activity of CYP1A2 to stimulate or to inhibit the mutagenic activities of HCAs. Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced by cooking meat products at high temperatures are promutagens that are activated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) lA2. Using a newly developed Salmonella typhimurium TA1538/1A2bc-b5 strain, we tested the effect of quercetin and naringenin on the mutagenicity of 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ). TA1538/1A2bc-b5 bears two plasmids, one expressing human CYP1A2 and NADPH-P450 reductase (NPR), and the other plasmid which expresses human cytochrome b5 (cyp b5). TA1538/1A2bc-b5 cells showed high activities of 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and methoxyresorufin O-demethylase (MROD) associated with CYP1A2 and are very sensitive to mutagenesis induced by several HCAs. MeIQ was found to be the strongest mutagen among the HCAs tested in this system. Mutagenicity of MeIQ was enhanced 50 and 42% by quercetin at 0.1 and 1 mM, respectively, but suppressed 82% and 96% at 50 mM and 100 mM. Naringenin also increased the MeIQ-induced mutation about 37% and 22% at 0.1 and 1 mM, but suppressed it 32% and 63% at 50 mM and 100 mM concentrations, respectively, in TA 1538/1A2bc-b5 cells. Thus, they stimulated the MeIQ induced mutation at low concentrations, but strongly suppressed it at high concentrations. This biphasic effect of flavonoids was due to the stimulation or the inhibition of CYP1A2 activity in a dose-dependent manner judging by the activities of EROD or MROD in the Salmonella cells. Collectively, it is likely that the biphasic effects of quercetin and naringenin on the MeIQ-induced mutagenesis in S. typhimurium TA1538/CYP1A2bc-b5 were due to their differential modification of the CYP1A2 activity in these cells.