• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.432-438
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• 2009

In this paper, we evaluated the performance of the automatic classifier applied for the discrimination of acute alcoholic liver injury and chronic liver fibrosis. The classifier uses the discriminant peaks of the preprocessed Raman spectrum as a feature set. In preprocessing step, we subtract baseline and apply Savitzky-Golay smoothing filter which is known to be useful at preserving peaks. After identifying discriminant peaks from the spectra, we carried out the classification experiments using MAP and neural networks. According to the experimental results, the classifier shows the promising results to diagnosis alcoholic liver injury and chronic liver fibrosis. Classification results over 80% means that the peaks used as a feature set is useful for diagnosing liver disease.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.158-166
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of berberine on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We searched seven electronic databases for studies through October 2022. All randomized controlled trials (RTCs) of berberine were included. Data extraction and risk of bias assessments were performed by two independent reviewers. The RevMan 5.4.1 program was used for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 279 relevant studies were identified, and 6 eligible RCTs were included to study the efficacy berberine on NAFLD. The six selected trials are studies on the effect between berberine and conventional treatment combined treatment versus conventional treatment. Liver function tests, blood lipid levels, and blood glucose levels were assessed. Combination treatment with berberine, ursodeoxycholate acid, metformin, and monascus purpureus showed statistically significant improvements in liver function levels, blood lipid levels, and blood glucose levels compared to conventional treatment alone. However, there was no significant efficacy of berberine combination dietary, exercise than control group on NAFLD. The meta-analysis results of examining 4 RCTs comparing the therapeutic efficacy of berberine showed statistically significant improvement in the liver function test, blood lipids levels, blood glucose levels. Conclusions: This study suggests that berberine has positive efficacy on blood lipids, blood glucose liver function, fatty liver condition of NAFLD. However, the level of evidence is low because of small effect size,so further investigation is needed.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.110-117
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease and is closely associated with metabolic syndrome. In the present study, we observed the effect of ethanol extract of Allium fistulosum (EAF) on NAFLD and have suggested the possibility of using EAF as a natural product for application in the development of a treatment for NAFLD. MATERIALS/METHODS: The preventive effect on hepatic lipid accumulation was estimated by using an oleic acid (OA)-induced NAFLD model in vitro and a Western diet (high-fat high-sucrose; WD)-induced obese mouse model. Animals were divided into three groups (n = 7): normal diet group (ND), WD group, and WD plus 1% EAF group. RESULTS: EAF reduced OA-stimulated lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells in the absence of cellular cytotoxicity and significantly blocked transcriptional activation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 and fatty acid synthase genes. Subsequently, we investigated these effects in vivo in mice fed either ND or WD in the presence or absence of EAF supplementation. In comparison to the ND controls, the WD-fed mice exhibited increases in body weight, liver weight, epididymal fat weight, and accumulation of fat in hepatocytes, and these effects were significantly attenuated by EAF supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: Allium fistulosum attenuates the development of NAFLD, and EAF elicits anti-lipogenic activity in liver. Therefore, EAF represents a promising candidate for use in the development of novel therapeutic drugs or drug combinations for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.385-394
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• 2020

Eupatilin is known to possess anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties. We report here that eupatilin has a protective effect on the ethanol-induced injury in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups: control, vehicle, silymarin, eupatilin 10 mg/kg, eupatilin 30 mg/kg, and eupatilin 100 mg/kg. Plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were analyzed to determine the extent of liver damage. Total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were analyzed to determine the level of liver steatosis. Malondialdehyde level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and glutathione (GSH) level were analyzed to determine the extent of oxidative stress. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β were quantified to verify the degree of inflammation. Based on our findings, chronic alcohol treatment significantly changed the serum indexes and liver indicators of the model rats, which were significantly improved by eupatilin treatment. Rats in the eupatilin-treatment group showed reduced levels of AST, ALT, TG, TC, TNF-α, and IL-1β, increased SOD activity and GSH levels, and improved overall physiology compared to the alcoholic liver disease model rats. H&E staining also verified the eupatilin-mediated improvement in liver injury. In conclusion, eupatilin inhibits alcohol-induced liver injury via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

• Archives of Obesity and Metabolism
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2023

Obesity is closely related to chronic diseases and cancer. The present case report aims to discuss the anti-obesity treatment strategy and the evaluation of the clinical progress in a patient with obesity and concurrent fatty liver disease. Following five months of treatment with liraglutide and rosuvastatin, the patient had a weight reduction of 3 kg (4.7%), a decrease in fasting blood sugar by 42 mg/dl (26.6%), a decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 82 mg/dl (60.2%), and decrease in alanine transaminase. This case report documented the treatment of a patient with common chronic diseases encountered in the outpatient setting. Based on the therapeutic effects documented in clinical and laboratory indices, the anti-obesity treatment plan significantly aided in managing chronic diseases.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Probiotics have been extensively studied for their beneficial effects on human health. In particular, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains have gained considerable attention as major groups of probiotic bacteria that improve gastrointestinal health. However, emerging evidence suggests that probiotics offer benefits beyond those observed in the gut recent studies suggest that probiotics and/or their components exert favorable effects on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) pathogenesis such as decreasing intestinal permeability, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria growth, increasing the activity of alcohol metabolism enzymes, modulating the adaptive immune system, and suppressing fatty acid synthesis genes. In this review, we discuss the results of in vivo and in vitro studies that have examined the use of probiotics to prevent ALD, primarily focusing on those that explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the activities of promising probiotic strains. The evidence presented in this review could help in screening for probiotic strains that have protective effects in ALD patients and in further elucidating the mechanisms of their actions.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.74-79
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• 2015

Objectives: Here we investigated the anti-lipogenic potential of kaurenoic acid (KA), a diterpene derived from Aralia continentalis, in a cellular model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with palmitate for 24h to induce intracellular lipid accumulation. To assess the influence of KA on steatotic HepG2 cells, various concentration of KA was co-administered. After palmitate treatment, Intracellular triglyceride content was measured. Expression level of several lipogenic genes, sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1c (SREBP-1c), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1) were measured using Western-blot analyses or RT-PCR. Results: Palmitate markedly increased intracellular triglyceride level and expression of related lipogenic genes in HepG2 cells, and which was relieved by co-administered KA. Conclusions: It is conceivable that that KA may have a pharmacological potential to reduce lipid accumulation in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.204-209
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• 2008

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is typically associated with obesity and insulin resistance. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a more serious form of NAFLD. Although fibrosis is common in pediatric NASH, cirrhosis has been rarely reported. Patients with hypothalamic or pituitary dysfunction are at risk for obesity and insulin resistance with subsequent development of NAFLD. We report a case of NAFLD progressing to cirrhosis in an obese 16 year-old boy with hypopituitarism.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.237-246
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate of the associations of Alcoholic & Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(AFLD & NAFLD) with metabolic syndrome(MS) defined by IDF criteria. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 799 adult males with alcohol consumption underwent laboratory investigation(control 297, alcoholic 206, nonalcoholic 296). The ultrasound scan of the liver was performed to determine the presence and the severity of FLD. We analyzed the association between the severity of AFLD & NAFLD and MS by logistic regression analysis. The distribution of metabolic syndrome was 7.4%, 48.8%, 34.9% in control, AFLD & NAFLD. The association of blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, obesity were risk factor in AFLD & NAFLD. According to the severity of FLD, AFLD was significantly increased with MS, Obesity, low HDL-cholesterol. MS, High triglycerides was increased significantly in NAFLD(p<0.05). The prevalence of AFLD & NAFLD was increased with increasing the number of features of metabolic syndrome. This study shows that AFLD & NAFLD was closely associated with MS and its components. The patients of AFLD & NAFLD should managed and monitored to prevent metabolic abnormalities.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.253-263
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• 2023

The biogenesis and biological roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the progression of liver diseases have attracted considerable attention in recent years. EVs are membrane-bound nanosized vesicles found in different types of body fluids and contain various bioactive materials, including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and mitochondrial DNA. Based on their origin and biogenesis, EVs can be classified as apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, and exosomes. Among these, exosomes are the smallest EVs (30-150 nm in diameter), which play a significant role in cell-to-cell communication and epigenetic regulation. Moreover, exosomal content analysis can reveal the functional state of the parental cell. Therefore, exosomes can be applied to various purposes, including disease diagnosis and treatment, drug delivery, cell-free vaccines, and regenerative medicine. However, exosome-related research faces two major limitations: isolation of exosomes with high yield and purity and distinction of exosomes from other EVs (especially microvesicles). No standardized exosome isolation method has been established to date; however, various exosome isolation strategies have been proposed to investigate their biological roles. Exosome-mediated intercellular communications are known to be involved in alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease development. Damaged hepatocytes or nonparenchymal cells release large numbers of exosomes that promote the progression of inflammation and fibrogenesis through interactions with neighboring cells. Exosomes are expected to provide insight on the progression of liver disease. Here, we review the biogenesis of exosomes, exosome isolation techniques, and biological roles of exosomes in alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.