• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.109-112
• /
• 2013

Azole fungicides are one of the most wide-spread antifungal compounds in agriculture and pharmaceutical applications. Their major mode of action is the inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis, giving depletion of ergosterol, precursors and abnormal steroids. However, metabolic consequences of such inhibition, other than steroidal metabolitesare not well established. Comprehensive metabolic profiles of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been presented in this study. Wild type yeast was treated either with glucose as control or azole fungicide (ketoconazole). Both polar metabolites and lipids were analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Approximately over 180 metabolites were characterized, among which 18 of them were accumulated or depleted by fungicide treatment. Steroid profile gives the most prominent differences, including the accumulation of lanosterol and the depletion of zymosterol and ergosterol. However, the polar metabolite profile was also highly different in pesticide treatment. The concentration of proline and its precursors, glutamate and ornithine were markedly reduced by ketoconazole. Lysine and glycine level was also decreased while the concentrations of serine and homoserine were increased. The overall metabolic profile indicates that azole fungicide treatment induces the depletion of many polar metabolites, which are important in stress response.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.8 no.1_2
• /
• pp.19-29
• /
• 1993

The toxicity and histopathologic changes of diazinon (O, O-diethy-O-(2-isopropyl-6-methyl-4-pyrimidinyl)phosphorothioate) was investigated in rat. Rat was treated with diazinon (100 mg/kg/day) by oral administration for 12 days. The experimental results were summarized as follows. Biochemical parameters such as ALT, AST, LDH and glucose in serum were significantly increased and hematological parameters such as Hb, Hct and PLT in blood were slightly increased in treated groups. Also the activities of serum cholinesterase were very significantly decreased in treated groups. In the histopathological changes, the normal lobular architectural pattern of the liver was well preserved in all treated groups. However, vacuolation or fatty change were represent in hepatocytes. Sections of liver from rats treated with diazinon for 3 and 6 days contained slight lipid infiltration in the form of small droplets randomly distributed that were graded minimal (＋) or moderate (＋＋) compared with the respective control condition. After 9 days, there were numerous small and large vacuoles in the terminal hepatic venule and perilobular areas of many serial sections of these rats indicative of fatty infiltration which were graded moderate (＋＋) and severe (＋＋＋). After 12 days, fatty infiltration progressed periportal tract areas and graded severe (＋＋＋) and very severe (＋＋＋＋) in experimental groups. Note absence of cellular necrosis or inflammation.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.53 no.5
• /
• pp.250-258
• /
• 2009

Male reproductive function seems to have deteriorated considerably in the past 4 to 5 decades. It was observed a significant decline in mean sperm counts from $113{\times}10^6/ml$ in 1940 to $66{\times}10^6/ml$ in 1990; a fall of $0.94{\times}10^6/ml/year$. We reported that Yacon tuber extracts have spermatogenic effects in rat. In the present study, we tested the spermatogenic effect of Yacon tuber extracts in healthy male volunteers. Subjects were assigned randomly to the control group and the Yacon ethanol extracts administered group (each 12 subjects). And, placebo or Yacon tuber extracts (100 ml) were administered two times daily, by oral for 3 months. Sperm numbers, biochemical parameters and hormone levels were recorded before starting administration, then every month. The Yacon tuber extracts administered group showed significant time dependant increases in according to administration period. Especially, the numbers of sperm increased by 54% after 3 months of administration. And, in Yacon tuber extracts administered group, testosterone and estradiol level were significantly higher than placebo group. On the other hands, Yacon tuber extracts didn't show any toxicity in glucose and lipid metabolism and liver and kidney function. The results of the present study suggest that Yacon tuber extract is a possible therapeutic for the treatment of sperm deficiency.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.107-120
• /
• 2008

Objectives : This study investigated the antioxidant effect of electro-acupuncture at $KI_6$ on rats treated with 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride(AAPH). Methods : After electro-acupuncture at $KI_6$ on 48 rats that were given AAPH(50mg/kg) every day, the author observed several changes in weight, liver index, albumin, total bilirubin, LDL-cholesterol, LDH, glucose, GOT, GPT, SOD and catalase activity, and glutathione, NO, and MDA concentrations. Results : 1. In the $KI_6-EA$ group, the albumin level increased and LDL-cholesterol decreased compared with the control and holder groups. 2. In the $KI_6-EA$ group, SOD activity increased compared with the holder group, glutathione concentration increased compared with the control and holder groups, and catalase activity increased compared with the control group. 3. In the $KI_6-EA$ group, NO concentration decreased compared with the control and holder groups. Conclusions : This case shows that electro-acupuncture at $KI_6$ plays a significant antioxidant role by elevating defenses against cell toxicity caused by oxidative stress and suppressing oxidative injury.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.94-99
• /
• 2007

The present study is aimed at finding the effect of B-20 drops, a homoeopathic formulation, in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. B-20 drops comprises of the constituents derived from plants and other natural sources, and are generally prescribed by the homoeopathic physician, in cases of hyperglycemia and diabetes. The elevated levels of fasting blood glucose and pancreatic lipid peroxides observed in rats treated with STZ were significantly reduced by the treatment of B-20 drops. The reduced liver glycogen contents were also brought back to near normal level by B-20 drops treatment in STZ diabetic rats. STZ induced histopathological changes in pancreas and liver was also partially reversed by B-20 drops. The findings indicate that B-20 drops help in improving the glycogen stores in the liver and prevents STZ induced damage through free radicals by decreasing the pancreatic lipid peroxides levels.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.363-371
• /
• 2007

The methanol extract of the seed of Swietenia macrophylla (Meliaceae) seeds were investigated for its hypoglycaemic activity in normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats. Seed extract suspended in aqueous Tween 80 solution, the graded doses were administered to normal and experimental diabetic rats for 10 days. Fasting blood glucose levels, serum lipid profiles and changes in body weight were evaluated in normal rats while the hepatic marker enzymes and liver glycogen levels were evaluated additionally in diabetic rats. The diabetic groups treated with the seed extract were compared with standard drug glibenclamide. The findings showed the significant antidiabetic potential of the extract in ameliorating the diabetic conditions in diabetic rats. The extract also has hypoglycaemic action in normal rats. A toxicity study has been performed for the extract, which revealed that the extract is safe to use even at the doses of 3.2 mg/kg of body weight orally. The result from the present investigation indicates good correlation between the folk use and scientific investigation.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.138-144
• /
• 2001

This study was performed to investigate the influence of Chlorella which effected the change of Pb contents, enzyme activity and lipid compounds on the rats fed the beverage involved Pb and the different contented Chlorella added-diets for 18weeks. The rat's weight of 200ppm Pb group was decreased 6.04% and the cause of that was Pb intake. But the rat's weight of Chlorella added-diets +200ppm Pb group was increased 4.02% (p<0.01). When feeding the different(0%, 2%, 5%, 10% ) Chlorella added-diets with the Pb contented beverage to the rats, we could know that the Pb contents accumulated on tissue were decreased to 20.70(0%), 12.88(2%), 14.83 (5%) and 19.56(10%), compared with the quantity of Pb taken in. Total-cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose content and AST, ALT, ALP, LDH enzyme activity in serum were the highest on 200ppm Pb group and those were decreased by the order of different(2%∼5% >10%) Chlorella contents + 200ppmPb group. A significance was recognized on the level of 1%. Therefore, when rats were exposed to Pb, it was thought that the amount of Chlorella intake was adequate on content 2∼5% for reducing the lead toxicity.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.175-179
• /
• 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-diabetic effects of the water extract of Lespedeza cuneata (LCW) using rat insulinoma (RIN) m5F cells and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The effect of LCW on the protection of pancreatic beta cells was assessed using MTT assay, and nitric oxide production was assessed using Griess reagent. STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with 100 and 400 mg/kg body weight of LCW for 5 weeks. In results, LCW significantly protected cytokine-induced toxicity and NO production, and increased insulin secretion in RINm5F cells. LCW significantly decreased serum blood glucose, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) levels, and renal fibronectin expression in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Also, LCW effectively improved BW loss in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Thus, our results suggest that LCW has a beneficial effect on cytokine-induced pancreatic beta cell damage and biomarkers of diabetic complication in hyperglycemic rats.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.293-299
• /
• 2008

To screen the differentially expressed genes in cadmuim-exposed marine medaka fish (Oryzias javanicus), a candidate marine test fish for ecological toxicity, the differential display polymerase chain reaction (DD-PCR) was carried out, since the genome-wide gene expression data are not available in this fish species yet. A total of 35 clones were isolated from cadmium-exposed fish and their nucleotide sequences were analyzed. The differentially expressed gene candidates were categorized to response to stimulus (3); ion binding (3); DNA binding (1); protein binding (6); carbohydrate binding (1); metabolic process (4); biological regulation (3); cellular process (2); protein synthesis (2); catalytic activity (2); sense of sight (1); immune (1); neurohormone (1); signaling activity (1); electron carrier activity (1) and others (3). For real-time quantitative RT-PCR, we selected catalase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, heat shock protein 70, and metallothionein and confirmed that cadmium exposure enhanced induction of these four genes.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.840-846
• /
• 2014

This study investigated growth and hematological changes in parrotfish Oplegnathus fasciatus (~200 g/fish) reared under different total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentrations (0, 4, or 8 mg/L) for 6 weeks. Survival rates of parrotfish in all experimental groups did not significantly differ, as they were all ~100%. Although specific growth rate (SGR), weight gain, and daily feed intake in the high TAN concentration group (TAN8) were significantly lower than in the other two groups, there was no significant difference between the TAN4 group and the control group, (TAN0), indicating that parrotfish have a strong resistance to ammonia toxicity. As for temporal changes of the major blood components, cortisol increased as a result of stress caused by the high ammonia concentration in the TAN8 group. For this reason, the concentrations of energy sources such as glucose and total cholesterol were reduced. However, there was little difference among all experimental groups in concentrations of liver function glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), and nutrient factors, such as total protein and albumin.