• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.243-250
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• 2009

Fifty percent ethanol extract of Lythrum salicaria Linne root (LSR) was tested in vitro on antioxidant activity, and furthermore was investigated on antioxidative and fibrosis protecting activities in $CCL_4$-induced liver fibrosis rat model. Ratio of hepatic GSH/GSSG (reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione) as bio-parameter of antioxidant level in $CCL_4$ plus LSR-treated rats for 6 weeks significantly increased from 2.8- to 5.7-fold than that of $CCL_4$-treated rats at p < 0.05. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) contents in $CCL_4$ plus LSR-treated rats ranged from 1.57- to 2.19-fold of normal rats and were lower than those in $CCL_4$ plus silymarin-treated rats ($1.78{\sim}2.46$-fold of normal rats) (p < 0.05). Amounts of hydroxyproline of liver tissue showing the content of total collagen, a parameter of fibrosis, in $CCL_4$ plus LSR-administrated rat livers were $4.9{\sim}8.8{\mu}g$/mg ($-47{\sim}-71%$, compared with that in $CCL_4$-treated rat livers ($16.6{\mu}g$/mg tissue), which were significantly lower than those in $CCL_4$ plus silymarin-administrated rats being $8.4{\sim}11.7{\mu}g$/mg ($-30{\sim}-50%$). This collagen reducing effect of liver tissue in $CCL_4$ plus LSR-treated rats was supported by histological observation using microscopy assay. From the results, we conclude that the root of L. salicaria have efficient antioxidant potential and effective antifibrotic activities.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.386-398
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• 2020

Tissue fibrosis is an eventual pathologic change of numerous chronic illnesses, which is characterized by resident fibroblasts differentiation into myofibroblasts during inflammation, coupled with excessive extracellular matrix deposition in tissues, ultimately leading to failure of normal organ function. Now, there are many mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis, which facilitate the discovery of effective antifibrotic drugs. Moreover, many chronic diseases remain a significant clinical unmet need. For the past five years, many research works have undoubtedly addressed the functional dependency of ginsenosides in different types of fibrosis and the successful remission in various animal models treated with ginsenosides. Caveolin-1, interleukin, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), liver X receptors (LXRs), Nrf2, microRNA-27b, PPARδ-STAT3, liver kinase B1 (LKB1)-AMPK, and TGF-β1/Smads are potential therapy targeting using ginsenosides. Ginsenosides can play a targeting role and suppress chronic inflammatory response, collagen deposition, and epitheliale-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as myofibroblast activation to attenuate fibrosis. In this report, our aim was to focus on the therapeutic prospects of ginsenosides in fibrosis-related human diseases making use of results acquired from various animal models. These findings should provide important therapeutic clues and strategies for the exploration of new drugs for fibrosis treatment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.202-202
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• 1994

G009의 hepatic cirrhosis animal model중 bile duct ligation/scission (BDL/S) rat에서의 항섬유화 효과를 조사하였다. BDL/S 수술 후 4주간 투약군에는 G009 saline soln.(5mg/rat/day)을, 대조군에는 saline을 경구투여하였다. fibrosis가 최고에 달하는 4주후 rat를 도살하여, 혈청중 N-terminal procollagen type III peptide(PIIINP) level, 간 조직중 hydroxy proline content, serum biochemical value(ALT, AST, choleterol, total bilirubin, creatinine) 측정 및 간조직검사를 실시하였다. 그 결과 1) 혈청중 PIIINP의 경우, 투약군 BDL/S group(10.3ng/ml$\pm$2.2)이 대조군 (20.5ng/m1$\pm$3.9)에 비해 약 50%정도 유의성 있게 감소하였다(p<0,01). 2) 간 조직중 hydroxy proline치 측정 결과, 투약군 BDL/S group(471$\pm$160$\mu\textrm{g}$/g liver)이 대조군(566$\pm$42.9$\mu\textrm{g}$/g liver)에 비하여 약 13%정도 유의성있게 감소하였다(p<0.05). 3) 간조직검사 결과 투약군의 BDL/S op. group이 대조군보다 necrosis, inflammetion, bile duct proliferation, connective tissue 침착 등이 약화되었다. 위 실험을 종합한 결과 G009는 biliary cirrhosis model에서 antifibrotic effect가 있음이 사료된다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2002

Silymarin and curcumin have been used for supportive treatment of liver disease of difffrent etiology due to their hepatoprotective activities. The present study was carried out to investigate the hepatoprotective efffcts of silymarin and/or curcuma extract against hepatotoxins induced liver injury. To investigate hepatoprotective effects, the silymarin and/or curcuma extract were pre-treated orally to experimental animals. And thereafter a single dose of hepatotoxin, carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) and acetaminophen were administered through oral or intraperitoneal route, respectively. Chronic liver damage was induced by subcutaneous injection of $CCl_4$ for 3 weeks (2 times/week). Hepatoprotective and therapeutic effects were monitored by estimating serurn ALT and AST levels and by measuring hepatic glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA)levels. Collagen type 1 was detected with irnrnunostaining to assess fibrosis. The results showed that the mix-ture of silymarin and curcuma extract significantly reduced serum biochemistry levels and MDA levels com-pared with those of control group in both acute and chronic animal models. In antifibrotic effect, the relative hepatic collagen content was significantly decreased by silymarin and/or curcuma extract treatment. It was concluded that the complex of silymarin and curcuma extract have a both hepatoprotective and therapeutic effect synergically in rat liver injury induced by heptotoxins.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.391-400
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• 2020

Objective: Increased gingival elasticity has been implicated as the cause of relapse following orthodontic rotational tooth movement and approaches to reduce relapse are limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of sulforaphane (SFN), an inhibitor of osteoclastogenesis, on gene expression in gingival fibroblasts and relapse after rotational tooth movement in beagle dogs. Methods: The lower lateral incisors of five beagle dogs were rotated. SFN or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were injected into the supra-alveolar gingiva of the experimental and control group, respectively, and the effect of SFN on relapse tendency was evaluated. Changes in mRNA expression of extracellular matrix components associated with gingival elasticity in beagles were investigated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Morphology and arrangement of collagen fibers were observed on Masson's trichrome staining of buccal gingival tissues of experimental and control teeth. Results: SFN reduced the amount and percentage of relapse of orthodontic rotation. It also decreased the gene expression of lysyl oxidase and increased the gene expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1 and MMP 12, compared with DMSO control subjects. Histologically, collagen fiber bundles were arranged irregularly and were not well connected in the SFN-treated group, whereas the fibers extended in parallel and perpendicular directions toward the gingiva and alveolar bone in a more regular and well-ordered arrangement in the DMSO-treated group. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that SFN treatment may be a promising pharmacologic approach to prevent orthodontic rotational relapse caused by increased gingival elasticity of rotated teeth in beagle dogs.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.78-84
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• 2007

The anti-fibrotic effects of hot water extract of adventitious root culture of Panax ginseng (ARCP) and the possible mechanisms were investigated on $CCl_4-induced$ hepatotoxicity model mice. Fibrosis was induced by a mild treatment of $CCl_4$. Then silymarin as a positive control drug and ARCP or carrier alone as a negative control were treated. Serum GPT, GOT and ALP activity levels were lowered by 25, 21 and 11% for silymarin treated group and by 48, 39 and 14% for ARCP treated group compared to carrier treated alone. Hepatic collagen for ARCP treatment group was reduced by 18% and MDA contents decreased a little more. Pro-fibrotic gene ($TGF-{\beta}1$, TIMP-1 and ${\alpha}-SMA$) expression increased following the $CCl_4$ treatment, but both the silymarin and the ARCP treatments decreased the expressions of these genes by 20% to 50%. The antioxidant effect of ARCP was studied by DPPH free radical scavenging activity. In addition, a generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also reduced in $H_2O_2-treated$ HepG2 cells upon the ARCP treatment. In summary, ARCP has antioxidant property, and can have some protection against oxidative stress; more importantly, ARCP can efficiently protect mice against $CCl_4-induced$ fibrosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.79 no.4
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• pp.257-266
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• 2016

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a common interstitial lung disease; it is a chronic, progressive, and fatal lung disease of unknown etiology. Over the last two decades, knowledge about the underlying mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis has improved markedly and facilitated the identification of potential targets for novel therapies. However, despite the large number of antifibrotic drugs being described in experimental pre-clinical studies, the translation of these findings into clinical practices has not been accomplished yet. NADH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is a homodimeric enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of NADH to $NAD^+$ by various quinones and thereby elevates the intracellular $NAD^+$ levels. In this study, we examined the effect of increase in cellular $NAD^+$ levels on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were treated with intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. The mice were orally administered with ${\beta}$-lapachone from 3 days before exposure to bleomycin to 1-3 weeks after exposure to bleomycin. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected for analyzing the infiltration of immune cells. In vitro, A549 cells were treated with transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$) and ${\beta}$-lapachone to analyze the extracellular matrix (ECM) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Results: ${\beta}$-Lapachone strongly attenuated bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis, characterized by histological staining, infiltrated immune cells in BALF, inflammatory cytokines, fibrotic score, and TGF-${\beta}1$, ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin accumulation. In addition, ${\beta}$-lapachone showed a protective role in TGF-${\beta}1$-induced ECM expression and EMT in A549 cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that ${\beta}$-lapachone can protect against bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis in mice and TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EMT in vitro, by elevating the $NAD^+$/NADH ratio through NQO1 activation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2015

Curcumin, a major polyphenolic compound of turmeric, is well known to prevent non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) related to obesity. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of curcumin on hepatic fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) in obese mice. $CCl_4$ was administrated in mice fed a normal diet (ND) or a high fat diet (HFD) for 7 weeks together with or without curcumin. It was conducted to examine for metabolic profiles, adipocyte size, and liver fibrosis by serum biochemistry, histology and immunohistochemistry. Also, Apoptosis of hepatic cells was determined by the TUNEL method. Treatment with curcumin significantly lowered the body weight, fasting glucose, serum AST and ALT, and decreased the adipocyte size, the number of macrophage and mast cells in adipose tissue, and collagen deposition in liver tissue in the HFD+$CCl_4$ group compared with the findings of the HFD+$CCl_4$ group. In contrast, treatment with curcumin on the ND+$CCl_4$ group did not show a significant difference except the body weight and mast cell number when compared with the ND+$CCl_4$ group. Furthermore, curcumin significantly reduced the number of parenchymal apoptotic cells, whereas it increased the number of non-parenchymal apoptotic cells, especially resembling an activated hepatic stellate cell in the liver. Taken together, this data suggests that curcumin might be an effective antifibrotic drug for the prevention of liver disease progression in obese mice. Thus, the development of curcumin as a therapy for obesity and liver fibrosis is supported.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2002

Purpose: Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor increases the cellular content of cAMP, and cAMP suppresses connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression induced by TGF-${\beta}1$. Therefore, we investigated whether PDE inhibitor suppresses renal fibrosis without suppression of TGF-${\beta}1$. Materials and Methods : Renal interstitial fibrosis was produced by ligation of left ureter in Sprague-Dawley rats. Cilostazol, a selective PDE3 inhibitor, and dipyridamole, a hybrid PDE5, PDE6, and PDE8 inhibitor, were provided in drinking water for 7 days. In addition to the Masson-trichrome score of renal tissue, the concentration of fibronectin and TGF-${\beta}1$ in renal tissue- conditioned media was measured by ELISA. Results : Masson- trichrome score and fibronectin concentration were significantly lower in cilostazol-treated group compared to the control group (P<0.05). Though dipyridamole treatment seemed to suppress the Masson- trichrome score and fibronectin concentration too, the decrements were not statistically significant. There was no difference in TGF-${\beta}1$ concentration among the groups. Conclusion: A selective PDE3 inhibitor cilostazol suppresses renal fibrosis without alteration of TGF-${\beta}1$ expression. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2002 ;6 : 85-91)

• Toxicological Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2009

We investigated the pathogenesis of liver tissue damage during the lipid peroxidation and fibrogenesis with the observation of correlations between the parameters of collagen synthesis (and deposition) and lipid peroxidation in liver fibrosis (cirrhosis) rats. Rats were randomly divided into two groups, normal and $CCl_4$-thiopental sod. intoxicated group. And the one group was treated intragastrically with the mixture of $CCl_4$-thiopental sod. 3 times per week for 3 weeks. The liver tissue and sera were used for the measurement of hydroxyproline (HYP), malonedialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Biochemical parameters such as aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total-bilirubin and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured. Additionally, the expression of collagen ${\alpha}1$(III) and $\beta$-actin mRNA was observed by RTPCR. The histological change in liver tissue was also observed by Masson's trichrome and H&E staining. Correlation analysis was carried by Spearman's rho method. All biochemical parameters except total-bilirubin were significantly higher in the $CCl_4$-thiopental sod. treated group than that of the normal group (p < 0.01). In the $CCl_4$-thiopental sod. treated group, Hyp as a parameter of collagen synthesis (deposition) and MDA as a metabolite of lipid peroxidation, were significantly elevated by 1.98 and 2.11 times higher than that of the normal group (p < 0.001) respectively. The activity of SOD in the $CCl_4$-thiopental sod. treated group is decreased significantly by 44.8% (p < 0.001). And collagen ${\alpha}1$(III) mRNA was more expressed in the $CCl_4$-thiopental sod. treated group than that of the normal group. However, the expression of $\beta$-actin mRNA is showed similar in both of groups. A good correlation was observed between the content of hyp and MDA concentration (r = 0.70, n = 40) in the two groups. And the correlation between the levels of hyp and SOD (r = -0.71, n = 25) is also reliable. However, no correlation were observed between MDA concentration and SOD (r = -0.40, n = 25) in the two groups. Elevated levels of MDA in $CCl_4$-thiopental sod. treated rats indicated enhancement of lipid peroxidation, which is accompanied by a decrease in SOD activity. Moreover, we could confirm that the parameters of collagen synthesis (and deposition) is in good correlation with the metabolite of lipid peroxidation (MDA) and the lipid peroxidation antagonizing enzyme (SOD). Hence, we propose that (1) lipid peroxidation and collagen synthesis (and deposition) could be enhanced by intragastrically application of $CCl_4$-thiopental sod. during a short terms. And (2) the intoxication of $CCl_4$-thiopental sod. could be used for monitoring of lipid peroxidation and collagen synthesis (and deposition) for test of antioxidant and antifibrotic agent.