• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.84-88
• /
• 1996

Alnus japonica cortex has been used as antidiarrhea, antihemorrhage and the remedy of indigestion. This study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of the methanol extracts of the Alnus japonica cortex on the gastric lesion and ulcer. The methanol extract was fractionated with hexane, chloroform and butanol, followed by bioassay on antigastritic and antiulcer activity. The methanol extract showed low acute toxicity with minimum lethal dose of more than 5000 mg/kg, p.o. in mice. The chloroform and the butanol fraction reduced gastric lesion in HCI. ethanol induced gastritic model. On gastric secretion in pylorus ligated rat, the hexane and chloroform fraction decreased the volume and acidity. The butanol fraction had significant inhibitory effects on aspirin and Shay's ulcer. The butanol fraction showed a tendency to inhibit the decrease of mucin secretion due to ingestion of absolute ethanol.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.221-226
• /
• 1999

In this study, 75% ethanol extract from the flowers of Carthamus tinctorius was prepared and biological activities were examined. The extract showed the inhibitory activity of vascular smooth muscle contraction and antithrombotic activity judged by bleeding time measurement. It also showed anti-inflammatory and potent analgesic activities in vivo. By oral administration of the extract, no acute toxicity was observed up to 5 g/kg in mice and rats. All these results strongly suggest that this extract may be beneficial for postmenopausal disorder by enhancing blood circulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.1204-1210
• /
• 1998

This study was focused on the purification, characterization and promotion mode of an anticoagulant polysaccharide from Hizikia fusiforme. The anticoagulant crude polysaccharide(HF 0) was obtained by using hot water extraction at 100oC for 3 hrs after homogenizing desalted Hizikia fusiforme. The anticoagulant polysaccharide(HF 2 3 1a) was purified from the crude extract(HF 0) through stepwise gradient ethanol precipitation(HF 2), DEAE Toyopearl 650C(HF 2 3), Sephadex G 75(HF 2 3 1), Sepharose CL 6B(HF 2 3 1a) chromatography and HPLC to homogeneity. HF 2 3 1a was estimated at 5.3$\times$105 Da molecular weight and composed of fucose(51.92%), galactose(19.34%), mannose(13.92%), xylose (7.14%), arabinose(3.95%) and rhamnose(3.78%), and comprimised 29.7 % sulfate residue. The sulfated anticoagulant polysaccharide from HF 2 3 1a was proposed to inhibit via the intrinsic pathway and common pathway in the blood coagulation. The HF 2 3 1a exhibited the anticoagulant activity by activating an antithrombin III and the activity depended on the concentration of HF 2 3 1a. Acute toxicity of HF 2 in mice was not detected. Only 14 of 33 control mice(11.4%) that had taken saline survived for 30 min after injecting thrombin(100 NIH unit/ml).

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.146-152
• /
• 2007

The present study was carried out to investigate the potential acute toxicity of ethanol extracts of the aleurone layer of Oryza sativa cvs. Obongbyeo, Ilpumbyeo, and Aranghyangchalbyeo by a single oral dose in ICR mice. The test article was orally administered once by gavage to male and female mice at dose levels of 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 g/kg body weight (n=10 for male and female mice for each dose). We examined numbers of deaths, general signs, weight measurement and biochemical analysis for sexes and doses of mice control and experimental groups. All mice were alive during the experimental period so can not yield death rate and $LD_{50}$. Any significant clinical symptom was not observed in all treated groups. No significant body weight changes in treatment groups in comparison with those of control groups was observed at any dose levels in experimental groups. Plasma glucose levels were valued both control and treated groups and there were no significant differences between groups. The activities of ALT and AST were not increase in all sample treated groups when compared with the control groups. The results suggest that the toxicity of Oryza sativa cvs. Obongbyeo, Ilpumbyeo, and Aranghyangchalbyeo are low and its $LD_{50}$ is over 10.0 g/kg body weight in both male and female mice.

• Herbal Formula Science
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.123-132
• /
• 2009

Acetaminophen (AP) is widely used as an over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic drug. AP-induced hepatotoxicity is a common consequence of AP overdose and may lead to acute liver failure. In this study, we investigated the liver damage in mice using single dose (300 mg/kg) of AP and the possible protective effects of administration (50-200 mg/kg body weight) of Joo-Juk on acetaminophen-induced liver damage in mice. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were determined in the plasma of mice. The effect of Joo-Juk on lipid peroxidation product thiobarbituric reacting substances (TBARS) and some antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, d-aminolevulinate dehydratase ($\sigma$-ALA-D) activities, and gluthathione peroxidase (GPx), were also evaluated in the mouse liver homogenate. AP caused liver damage as evident by statistically significant increased in plasma activities of AST and ALT. There were statistically significant losses in the activities of SOD, catalase, $\sigma$-ALA-D, and GPx and an increase in TBARS in the liver of AP-treated group compared with the control group. However, Joo-Juk was able to counteract these effects. These results suggest that Joo-juk can act as hepato-protectant against AP toxicity and is a good candidate for further evaluation as an effective chemotherapeutic agent.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2001

We have synthesized $^{99m}$Tc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG3)-biocytin as a new imaging agent for hepatobiliary scintigraphy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of $^{99m}$Tc-MAG3-biocytin scintigraphy in differentiating carbon tetrachloride ( $CCl_4$)-induced hepatotoxicity from $\alpha$-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced cholestasis in mice, which reflecting the differential diagnosis of neonatal jaundice caused by neonatal hepatitis from congenital biliary atresia in humans. Methods: Balb/c mice (female, 20 g, n=4-6) were pretreated with $CCl_4$(0.5 or $1.0m\ell$/kg) and ANIT ($150 or 300 m\ell$/kg) 18 h before scintigraphy. Biochemical and histopathological examinations showed a pattern of typical acute hepatitis (increase of transaminases and hepatocellular necnsis) in $CCl_4$-treated mice and cholestasis (increase of alkaline phosphatase and ${\gamma}$-glutamyltransferase, and biliary hyperplasia) in ANIT-treated mice, respectively, Mice were fasted at least 4 hr prior to the intravenous injection of $^{99m}$Tc-MAG3-biocytin (18.5 MBq/20$\mu\textrm{g}$) in 2% human serum albumin in saline. Scintigraphy was performed with a ${\gamma}$-camera equipped with a 1-mm diameter pin-hole collimator for 30 min and images were acquired every 15 s. We compared the values of physical parameters, such as peak liver/heart ratio ($${\gamma}$_{max}$) and peak ratio time ($t_{max}$) far $^{99m}$Tc-MAG3-biocytin scintigraphy. Results: Scintigraphic parameters of the $CCl_4$-pretreated (0.5 $m\ell$/kg) group showed a 81.9% decrease of r$_{max}$, and 42.2% decrease of $t_{max}$, whereas the ANIT-pretreated ( $150m\ell$/kg) group showed a 53% decrease of $r_{max}$, and 2.36-fold increase of $t_{max}$, (P<0.05). These results demonstrate that the decrease of $r_{max}$ and the shortening of $t_{max}$ are characteristic features for hepatotoxicity, in contrast to the increase of $t_{max}$ and decrease of $r_{max}$ for biliary hyperplasia. Conclusion: $^{99m}$Tc-MAG3-biocytin hepatobiliary scintigraphy can distinguish hepatitis from cholestasis in mice model and may be similarly useful in humans which differentiating the cause of neonatal jaundice in clinical study.cal study.cal study.cal study.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.34-40
• /
• 2004

Hovenia dulcis which is distributed in Korea, China and Japan is known to show hepatoprotctive effect and reduce the acute alcohol toxicity. In this study, the hepatoprotective effect against the chemically induced experimental liver injury models and lowering effect of blood alcohol level in animal models acutely administered alcohol by the peduncle extracts of Hovenia dulcis var. koreana were investigated. HdfHW-1, and HdfM-1 which are the extracts of fruit peduncles and young branches with hot water or 70％ methanol and followed with 100％ methanol, were significantly reduced the $CCl_4$ or D-galactosamine/LPS induced damage in sliced liver. The hot water or methanol extracts of fruit peduncle protected dose-dependently against $CCl_4$ induced toxicity in primary hepatocyte culture and particularly, the amount of LDH release was reduced to the control level at 500 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml of hot water extracts. HdfHW-1 also decreased the hepatotoxicity induced by $CCl_4$ in rats. The active components of HdfHW-1 seemed to be high molecular weights because 0.2 M NaCl HdfHW-1 fraction was the most effective among NaCl fractions of HdfHW-1 eluted with various concentrations of NaCl on DEAE 650C column chromatography. HdfM and HdfHW were significantly reduced the levels of blood alcohol in rats and mice administered 40％ alcohol. These results indicated that the hot water or methanol extracts of fruit peduncle of Hovenia dulcis var. koreana have hepatoprotective effect and may be reduce alcohol toxicity.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.127-133
• /
• 2015

Objectives : Previous studies have shown that the amount of melittin, the main active ingredient in bee venom pharmacopuncture, tends to decrease substantially with time during pharmacopuncture manufacture. This study aimed to assess whether the stability of bee venom pharmacopuncture improved with pharmacopuncture additives. Methods : Components were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Acute toxicity and antigenicity tests by subcutaneous and venous routes were conducted at Korea Pharmaceutical Test & Research Institute and mortality, adverse reactions, and body weight changes were assessed. Results : Stability tests using additives revealed that bee venom without additives was most stable. Bee venom pharmacopuncture without additives was further tested for toxicity in subcutaneous and venous administration in mice and no changes pertaining to toxicity were found over the testing period. Conclusions : Bee venom pharmacopuncture without additives was found to be most stable, and further, it did not show toxicity or antigenicity in subcutaneous and venous administration in mice.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.66-80
• /
• 1984

The organic phosphorus compounds have been widely used as an insecticide, since toxicity of these compounds is especially drastic to the insects than to men and other mammals. The organic phosphates are rapidly hydrolized and hence have little cumulative and ecologic effects. However, due to their acute toxic effects organophosphate have recorded rather high fatalities in men and domestic animals. The organic phosphorus compounds are powerful inhibitors to the carboxylic esterase enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase and pseudocholinesterase. As a result of firm binding characteristics of phosphate radicals to the active sites of enzyme, the activities of these enzymes are inhibited by the organophosphates. The organophosphates such as diazinon is easily observed from skin, gastrointestinal tract, conjunctivas and respiratory tract, and it is converted to more toxic form during metabolism in the liver The present study was carried out in order to investigate the hepatotoxicity of diazinon by observing the changes in the ultrastructure of cytoplasmic organelles of hepatic cells in albino mice. The animals were killed at 6, 12 and 24 hours after administration of 25mg/kg diazinon. The piece of hepatic tissue obtained from each animal was ultrathinly sectioned. The specimens stained by uranyl acetate and lead citrate double contrast methods were observed with JEM model 100B electron microscope. The results obtained were as follows: 1) A prominent dilatation and sacculation of the cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum associated with detachment of membrane bound-ribosomes, and disaggregation of the free ribosomes were recognized. 2) The hypertrophy of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum associated with depletion of the glycogen particles was observed. 3) The atrophy of cisternae of Golgi complex was observed. 4) A large number of secondary lysosomes (autophagic vacuoles and residual bodies) were formed. Consequently it is suggested that diazinon would induce disorganization of the cytoplasmic organelles of hepatocytes in albino mice.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.26 no.10
• /
• pp.1207-1213
• /
• 2016

Schisandrae fructus (SF) and Mori folium (MF) have been used as traditional medicines for thousands of years in parts of Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan. Recent researches on SF and MF have documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, including anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenesis effects. However, the toxicity and safety of SF and MF, and their mixture (medicinal herber mixture, MHMIX) were not confirmed. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the acute toxicity and safety of SF, MF and MHMIX. SF, MF and MHMIX were orally administered at a dose of 5,000 mg/kg in ICR mice. Animals were monitored for the mortality and changes in the body weight, clinical signs and gross observation during the 14 days after dosing, upon necropsy. We also measured parameters of organ weight, clinical chemistry, and hematology. No dead and no clinical signs were found during the experiment period after administration of a single oral dose of SF, MF and MHMIX. There were no adverse effects on clinical signs, body weight, or organ weight and no gross pathological findings in any treatment group. Therefore, LD50 value of SF, MF and MHMIX may be over 5,000 mg/kg and it may have no side toxic effect to ICR mice. The results on the single-dose toxicity of SF, MF and MHMIX indicate that it is not possible to reach oral dose levels related to death or dose levels with any harmful side effects.