• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2931-2936
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• 2013

Background: Doxorubicin is an anthracycline antibiotic commonly used to treat a variety of cancers as a most effective antitumor. However, its clinical use is associated with the toxic effects in numerous healthy tissues. Here we investigated the pretreatment effect of regular aerobic exercise on oxidative stress in rats acutely exposed to DOX-induced hepatotoxicity. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight Wistar male rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: control and training. The training protocol included treadmill running between 25 to 54 min/day and 15 to 20m/min, 5 days/week for 6 weeks. At the end of the exercise training protocol, rats from the control and trained groups were again randomly separated into 3 subgroups: DOX10mg/kg, DOX20mg/kg and saline. All treatments were carried 24 h after the last exercise bout and animals were sacrificed 24 h after DOX and saline injections. Results: Administration of DOX (10 and 20 $mg.kg^{-1}$) resulted in imbalance in biomarkers related to oxidants and antioxidants in liver tissue, as compared to control groups. Six weeks of pretreatment training led to a significant increase in nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) as compared to the control+DOX 10 mg/kg group. Training before DOX 20 mg/kg administration also led to a significant increase in NO and SOD, and a significant decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA). In addition, there was a significant difference between DOX 10 mg/kg and DOX 20 mg/kg treatments in MDA levels, only. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that pretreatment with aerobic exercise induces positive adaptations and has a potential protective effect against doxorubicin (DOX)-induced hepatotoxicity with doses of 10 and 20 mg.kg.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2009

Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen and an ability of a biological system, to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or easily repair the resulting damage. It has been suggested that developmental alloxan-induced liver damage is mediated through increases in oxidative stress. The anti-diabetic effect and antioxidant activity of Phaleria macrocarpa (PM) fractions were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. After two weeks administration of PM, the liver antioxidant enzyme and hyperglycemic state were evaluated. The results showed that oral administration of PM treatments reduced blood glucose levels in diabetic rats by oral administration (P < 0.05). Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (sGOT) and serum glutamic-pyruvate-transaminase (sGPT) were also diminished by PM supplementation. The superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-peroxidase (GPx) activities, and glutathione (GSH) level in the alloxan-induced diabetic rats were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) compared to those in the normal rats but were restored by PM treatments. PM fractions also repressed the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver. Glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and $\gamma$-glutamylcysteine synthase (GCS) were also reduced in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. PM fractions could restore the GR and GST activities, but the GCS activity was not affected in rat livers. From the results of the present study, the diabetic effect of the butanol fraction of PM against alloxan-induced diabetic rats was concluded to be mediated either by preventing the decline of hepatic antioxidant status or due to its indirect radical scavenging capacity.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.586-592
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the antioxidant effects of Korean soybean paste extracts (SPE) on 2,2-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced liver damage in rats. Thirty healthy Sprague Dawley rats were selected and divided into 5 groups. Isoflavone contents were measured using HPLC technique. The antioxidant activity was measured in the plasma and liver of the rats with the following results. Levels of isoflavone in fermented soy paste, red pepper paste and soy sauce were 28.9, 30.3 and $3.4\;{\mu}g/g$ for daidzein and 244.3, 187.7 and $6.1\;{\mu}g/g$ for genistein, respectively. The activities of glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were significantly higher in the AAPH-treated group in the SPE-AAPH group (p<0.05). The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) production was significantly increased in the AAPH-treated liver tissue (P<0.05). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and catalase in the liver were significantly (p<0.05) decreased by AAPH administration. The glutathione (GSH) concentration was higher in the SPE-treated (Ed- confirm) group than in the control and other groups (p<0.05). These results suggest that SPE led to increased anti oxidative activities against AAPH-induced peroxyl radical.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.142-153
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• 2021

Liver fibrosis is a wound-healing response to chronic liver injury, which is caused by the continuous and excess deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). The aim of this study is to investigate whether Uncaria rhynchophylla water extract (UR) can ameliorate thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis. The liver fibrosis model was induced on C57BL/6 mice by intraperitoneal injection with TAA three times a week for 8 weeks. UR (200 mg/kg) or silymarin (50 mg/kg) was administered orally daily for 8 weeks. Biochemical analyses including AST, ALT, MPO, and Ammonia levels were measured in serum. In the mice liver tissues, western blot and histological staining were analyzed. As a result, UR dramatically reduced the levels in serum AST, ALT, MPO, and Ammonia levels. UR treatment regulated NADPH oxidase factors expression, and antioxidant enzymes except for GPx-1/2 were significantly increased via Nrf2 activation. Furthermore, pro-inflammatory mediators, such as COX-2 and iNOS were markedly suppressed through the inhibition of NF-κB activation. Expressions of ECM-related protein including α-SMA and Collagen I were noticeably decreased. The additional histological evaluation confirmed that hepatocyte damage and collagenous fiber accumulation were attenuated. Taken together, these data suggest that UR possessed hepatoprotective effects in TAA-induced liver fibrosis via the NF-κB inactivation and Nrf2 activation. Therefore, UR may act as a potential therapeutic drug against liver fibrosis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.229-237
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and hangover cure effects of compound prescription containing Phyllanthus emblica and Azadirachta Indica leaf extract (CP). In vitro experiments, HepG2 cells were induced oxidative stress by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and treated with CP at 50, 100, 200 ㎍/㎖ concentration. Antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalse (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) activity and glutathione (GSH) content were decreased by hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress, but CP was increased that. In vivo experiments, experiment rats were orally administered alcohol 3 g/kg and, after 30 min administered CP 200 mg/kg. After 1 and 3 h of alcohol administration, blood was collected from the tail vein, while after 5 h, blood was collected from the heart. CP modulates alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde level, thereby decreased alcohol level in serum. Also, CP decreased the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). These results suggest that CP has antioxidant effects and alleviates alcohol hangover symptoms.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.109-123
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• 2023

Preterm birth (PTB) is defined as giving birth prior to the 37th week of pregnancy and is a major cause of infant mortality. Studies have indicated that the vaginal microbiota's composition and its dysbiosis, particularly during pregnancy, may play a major role in PTB. While previous research work concentrated on well-studied microorganisms such as Lactobacillus, Prevotella, Gardnerella, various other microbes, and their significance in the vaginal microbiota's stability remain unknown. Moreover, current studies have focused primarily on the relative abundances of the microbes found, without considering their interactions with other members of the vaginal microbiota. In this work, we developed a novel computational approach and performed taxonomic classification of vaginal microbiota samples stratified longitudinally (Term/PTB) to observe compositional disparities and find underexamined microbes that may be contributing to PTB. Furthermore, we carried out a correlational analysis to build a microbial co-interaction network and investigated the functional implications of the genes present in both Term and PTB samples. The co-occurrence network revealed that Lactobacillus acts in solidarity to maintain the stability of the vaginal microbiota and did not have strong co-interactions with any of the other microbes. Similarly, microbes with strong interactions with Atopobium, a well-known marker microbe of PTB, were also observed. Additionally, several genes such as PTXA, FANCM, GPX, and DUSP were found to be playing an important role in the occurrence of PTB. This study provides a novel conceptual framework revealing distinct vaginal microbiota signatures that could be potential therapeutic targets for the prevention of PTB.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.1043-1053
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• 2013

We investigated the ability of soybean curd residue (SCR) and its fermented products to inhibit obesity and improve the blood lipid profiles of obese mice fed a high-fat diet. Samples were prepared by fermenting SCR with Aspergillus oryzae var effuses KACC 44990 (ASCR), a microbe used for the fermentation of traditional Korean Meju, and with Monascus pilosus IFO 4480 (MSCR), a microbe used for the production of red rice. In addition, AMSCR, a mixture composed of equal amounts of ASCR and MSCR, was also prepared. Male mice were divided into six groups and fed with either a normal diet, a high-fat diet, or a high-fat diet supplemented with SCR, ASCR, MSCR, or AMSCR. After 8 weeks, body weight gain, serum and hepatic lipid profiles, and the activities of enzymes that generate or scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated. Compared with the high-fat diet group, all the test groups showed a significant reduction in body, organ, and epididymal fat weight gain. These effects were observed with supplements in the order AMSCR>ASCR>MSCR>SCR. Similarly, supplements of test samples reduced high levels of serum and hepatic triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol caused by hight-fat diet, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was increased. Interestingly, the ability of ASCR to lower serum TG was stronger than that of MSCR, while MSCR showed a stronger hypocholesterolemic effect than ASCR. Meanwhile, AMSCR returned comprehensively serum lipid levels to normal. In addition, hepatic damage was prevented with effects in the order AMSCR>ASCR>MSCR>SCR. Hepatic ROS generating system including xanthine oxidase (XO) and ROS scavenging system including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were recovered to normal level by all test diets. In conclusion, this study suggests that SCR and its fermented products can inhibit obesity and improve lipid profiles.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.437-442
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• 2012

Red yeast rice (RER) has been used in China for centuries for its medicinal properties and is an increasingly popular alternative lipid-lowering treatment. This study was carried out to estimate the antioxidant properties of RER extracts. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited the DPPH radical scavenging activity of 85% at 0.2 mg/mL and $IC_{50}$ 0.13 mg/mL. A significant proportion of hydroxyl radicals in a cuvette were scavenged: 44.2% at 2.5 ${\mu}g$/mL, 74.1% at 5.0 ${\mu}g$/mL, and >100% at 10 ${\mu}g$/mL. The $HepG_2$ cells pre-treated with RER ethyl acetate extract reduced the hydroxyl radicals significantly compared to the control cells. Oxidative DNA damage was measured using a Comet assay. The RER ethyl acetate extract did not induce any DNA damage per se, and appeared to enhance the resistance to DNA damage caused by an oxidant challenge with $H_2O_2$, whereas lovastatin increased the level of DNA damage in the cells in both the unstressed (no oxidant) and those stressed with $H_2O_2$. The relative gene expression of the antioxidant enzymes in $HepG_2$ cells were also affected by the RER ethyl acetate extract. The $HepG_2$ cells were pre-incubated with the RER ethyl acetate extract, and then stressed with $H_2O_2$ or left unstressed (no oxidant). In the unstressed cells, superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were increased significantly 3.25-fold and 2.67-fold, respectively, whereas in the stressed cells, the catalase (CAT) level was increased by 4.64-fold and 7.0-fold at 5 ${\mu}g$/mL and 10 ${\mu}g$/mL, respectively, compared to those of the control. From these results, RER appears to be effective in suppressing oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.171-185
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation of Allium hookeri (AH) root powder on the gut microbiome, immunity, and health in broiler chickens fed experimental diets from d 10 to 28. A total of 60 10-day-old Ross 308 broilers were weighed and assigned to two dietary treatments with 5 birds per cage in a randomized complete block design based on body weight. The two experimental diets consisted of a control diet based on corn-soybean meal and the control diet supplemented with 0.3% AH root powder. All birds were fed ad libitum with experimental diets and water for 18 d. At 28 d, two birds near the median weight from each cage were selected for cecal content and small intestinal tissue sample collection. The addition of AH changed the gut microbiome by increasing probiotic candidate beneficial bacteria such as Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Limosilactobacillus, Cuneatibacter, and Ruminoccoides. Regarding gut immunity, the supplementation of AH resulted in changes in intestinal immune cells, including reduced CD3+CD4+ T cells, which are a type of helper T cell, in the small intestine of birds (P=0.049). Additionally, there was a tendency to increase the expression of antioxidant function-related gene such as GPX2 (P=0.060), but no significant changes were observed in cytokines such as IL1b, IL6, and IL10. Overall, the addition of AH root powder may have positive effects on the microbiome of the chickens. This may help promote gut health in broiler chickens at the age of d 10 to 28.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2014

Oxygen consumption is a useful parameter for evaluating mammalian embryo quality, since individual bovine embryos was noninvasively quantified by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Recently, several approaches have been used to measure the oxygen consumption rates of individual embryos, but relationship between oxygen consumption and pregnancy rates of Hanwoo following embryo transfer has not yet been reported. In this study, we measured to investigate the correlation between oxygen consumption rate and pregnancy rates of Hanwoo embryo using a SECM. In addition to, the expression of pluripotent gene and anti-oxidant enzyme was determined using real-time PCR by extracting RNA according to the oxygen consumption of in vivo embryo. First, we found that the oxygen consumption significantly increased in blastocyst-stage embryos (blastocyst) compared to early blastocyst stage embryos, indicating that oxygen consumption reflects the embryo quality (Grade I). Oxygen consumption of blastocyst was measured using a SECM and total cell number of in vitro blastocyst was enumerated by counting cells stained by propidium iodide. The oxygen consumption or GI blastocysts were significantly higher than those of GII blastocysts ($10.2{\times}10^{15}/mols^{-1}$ versus $6.4{\times}10^{15}/mols^{-1}$, p<0.05). Total cell numbers of in vitro blastocysts were 74.8, 90.7 and 110.2 in the oxygen consumption of below 10.0, 10.0~12.0 and over $12.0{\sim}10^{15}/mols^{-1}$, respectively. Pregnant rate in recipient cow was 0, 60 and 80% in the transplantation of embryo with the oxygen consumption of below 10.0, 10.0~12.0 and over $12.0{\times}10^{15}/mols^{-1}$, respectively. GPX1 and SOD1 were significantly increased in over -10.0 group than below 10.0 groups but in catalase gene, there was no significant difference. On the other hand, In OCT-4 and Sox2, pluripotent gene, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the below-10.0 ($0.98{\pm}0.1$) and over 10.0 ($1.79{\pm}0.2$). In conclusion, these results suggest that measurement of oxygen consumption maybe help increase the pregnant rate of Hanwoo embryos.