• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2018

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is a collection of symptoms caused by prolonged exposure to excess cortisol. Chronically elevated glucocorticoid (GC) levels contribute to hepatic steatosis. We hypothesized that histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) could attenuate hepatic steatosis through glucocorticoid receptor (GR) acetylation in experimental CS. To induce CS, we administered adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH; 40 ng/kg/day) to Sprague-Dawley rats by subcutaneous infusion with osmotic mini-pumps. We administered the HDACi, sodium valproate (VPA; 0.71% w/v), in the drinking water. Treatment with the HDACi decreased steatosis and the expression of lipogenic genes in the livers of CS rats. The enrichment of GR at the promoters of the lipogenic genes, such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase (Acc), fatty acid synthase (Fasn), and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (Srebp1c), was markedly decreased by VPA. Pan-HDACi and an HDAC class I-specific inhibitor, but not an HDAC class II a-specific inhibitor, attenuated dexamethasone (DEX)-induced lipogenesis in HepG2 cells. The transcriptional activity of Fasn was decreased by pretreatment with VPA. In addition, pretreatment with VPA decreased DEX-induced binding of GR to the glucocorticoid response element (GRE). Treatment with VPA increased the acetylation of GR in ACTH-infused rats and DEX-induced HepG2 cells. Taken together, these results indicate that HDAC inhibition attenuates hepatic steatosis through GR acetylation in experimental CS.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.419-428
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• 2018

Background: Despite the large number of studies on ginseng, pharmacological activities of ginseng seed oil (GSO) have not been established. GSO is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, mostly oleic and linoleic acids. Unsaturated fatty acids are known to exert a therapeutic effect in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we investigated the protective effect and underlying mechanisms of GSO against NAFLD using in vitro and in vivo models. Methods: In vitro lipid accumulation was induced by free fatty acid mixture in HepG2 cells and by 3 wk of high fat diet (HFD)-feeding in Sprague-Dawley rats prior to hepatocyte isolation. The effects of GSO against diet-induced hepatic steatosis were further examined in C57BL/6J mice fed a HFD for 12 wk. Results: Oil Red O staining and intracellular triglyceride levels showed marked accumulation of lipid droplets in both HepG2 cells and rat hepatocytes, and these were attenuated by GSO treatment. In HFD-fed mice, GSO improved HFD-induced dyslipidemia and hepatic insulin resistance. Increased hepatic lipid contents were observed in HFD-fed mice and it was lowered in GSO (500 mg/kg)-treated mice by 26.4% which was evident in histological analysis. Pathway analysis of hepatic global gene expression indicated that GSO increased the expression of genes associated with ${\beta}$-oxidation (Ppara, Ppargc1a, Sirt1, and Cpt1a) and decreased the expression of lipogenic genes (Srebf1 and Mlxipl), and these were confirmed with reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase-chain reaction. Conclusion: These findings suggest that GSO has a beneficial effect on NAFLD through the suppression of lipogenesis and stimulation of fatty acid degradation pathway.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2003

Objectives : The aim of this study was to characterize the effect of Injinchunggan-tang on $TGF-{\beta}1-induced$ hepatic fibrosis. Methods : mRNA and protein expression levels of $TGF-{\beta}1$ in Injinchunggan-tang-treated HepG2 cells were compared to untreated cells using quantitative RT-PCR and ELISA assay, respectively. mRNA expression levels of the TGF-1 pathway genes (TR-1, TR-II, Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, and PAI-1) and fibrosis-associated genes (CTGF, fibronectin, and collagen type 1) were evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR. The effect of Injinchunggan-tang on cell proliferation of T3891 human fibroblast was evaluated using [$^3H$]thymidine incorporation assay. Results : Expression of $TGF-{\beta}1$ mRNA and protein was inhibited by Injinchunggan-tang in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Whereas $TGF-{\beta}1-mediated$ induction of PAI-1 was suppressed by Injinchunggan-tang, expression of the $TGF-{\beta}1$ pathway genes such as TR-1, TR-II, Smad2, Smad3, and Smad4 was not affected by Injinchunggan-tang treatment. Injinchunggan-tang was found to inhibit $TGF-{\beta}1-induced$ cell proliferation of T3891 human fibroblast, and also abrogated $TGF-{\beta}1-mediated$ transcriptional up-regulation of CTGF, fibronectin, and collagen type I. Conclusions : This study strongly suggests that the liver cirrhosis-suppressive activity of Injinchunggan-tang may be derived at least in part from its inhibitory effect on $TGF-{\beta}1$ functions, such as blockade of $TGF-{\beta}1$ stimulation of fibroblast cell proliferation and fibrosis-related gene expression as well as expression of $TGF-{\beta}1$ itself.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.811-823
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• 2021

Objective: Eggshell color is an important indicator of egg quality for consumers, especially for brown eggs. Various factors related to laying hens and their environment affect brown eggshell coloration. However, there have been no studies investigating hepatic functions of laying hens with variable intensity of brown eggshell color. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify potential factors affecting brown eggshell coloration in aged laying hens at the hepatic transcriptomic level. Methods: Five hundred 92-wk-old Hy-line Brown laying hens were screened to select laying hens with different intensity of brown eggshell color based on eggshell color fans. Based on eggshell color scores, hens with dark brown eggshells (DBE; eggshell color fan score = 14.8) and hens with light brown eggshells (LBE; eggshell color fan score = 9.7) were finally selected for the liver sampling. We performed RNA-seq analysis using the liver samples through the paired-end sequencing libraries. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) profiling was carried out to identify their biological meaning by bioinformatics. Results: A total of 290 DEGs were identified with 196 being up-regulated and 94 being down-regulated in DBE groups as compared to LBE groups. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that these DEGs belong to several biological pathways including herpes simplex infection (toll-like receptor 3 [TLR3], cyclin-dependent kinase 1, etc.) and influenza A (TLR3, radical S-adenosyl methionine domain containing 2, myxovirus [influenza virus] resistance 1, etc.). Genes related to stress response (ceremide kinase like) and nutrient metabolism (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy-kinase 1, methylmalonic aciduria [cobalamin deficiency] cblB type, glycine receptor alpha 2, solute carrier family 7 member 11, etc.) were also identified to be differentially expressed. Conclusion: The current results provide new insights regarding hepatic molecular functions related to different intensity of brown eggshell color in aged laying hens. These insights will contribute to future studies aiming to optimize brown eggshell coloration in aged laying hens.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.49-55
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• 2013

Objectives : Mori Folium was popularly used as one of the traditional medicinal herbs. Although M. Folium has been cultivated for rearing silkworm historically, it's use has been expanded as natural therapeutic agent for the treatment of filariasis, diabetes and dropsy in East Asia. However, little has been known about the effect of M. Folium on liver fibrosis. Therefore, we would like to explore an anti-fibrogenic potential of M. Folium extract (MFE) using immortalized human hepatic stellate cell line, LX-2 cells. Methods : We examined the effects of MFE on the transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$ ($TGF{\beta}1$)-induced liver fibrosis in LX-2 cells. Cell viability, Smad binding element-driven luciferase activity, phosphorylations level of Smad 2/3, and expression level of $TGF{\beta}1$-dependent target genes were monitored in the MFE-treated LX-2 cells. Results : Up to 30 ${\mu}g/ml$ MFE treatment did not show any possible toxic effect in LX-2 cells. MFE inhibited $TGF{\beta}1$-inducible Smad binding element-driven luciferase activity and decreased the $TGF{\beta}1$-inducible phosphorylations of Smad 2 and Smad 3 in hepatic stellate cell in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, increases of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1, $TGF{\beta}1$ and matrix metalloproteinases 2 genes by $TGF{\beta}1$ were also attenuated by MFE treatment. Conclusions : These findings suggested that MFE would be used as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment liver fibrosis, which might be mediated by the inhibition of $TGF{\beta}1$-inducible Smad 2/3 transactivation and target genes expression.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.365-377
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• 2022

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine-threonine kinase member of the cellular phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, which is involved in multiple biological functions by transcriptional and translational control. mTOR is a downstream mediator in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and plays a critical role in cell survival. In cancer, this pathway can be activated by membrane receptors, including the HER (or ErbB) family of growth factor receptors, the insulin-like growth factor receptor, and the estrogen receptor. In the present work, we congregated an electronic network of mTORC1 built on an assembly of data using natural language processing, consisting of 470 edges (activations/interactions and/or inhibitions) and 206 nodes representing genes/proteins, using the Cytoscape 3.6.0 editor and its plugins for analysis. The experimental design included the extraction of gene expression data related to five distinct types of cancers, namely, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, hepatic cirrhosis, cervical cancer, glioblastoma, and anaplastic thyroid cancer from Gene Expression Omnibus (NCBI GEO) followed by pre-processing and normalization of the data using R & Bioconductor. ExprEssence plugin was used for network condensation to identify differentially expressed genes across the gene expression samples. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to find out the over-represented GO terms in the network. In addition, pathway enrichment and functional module analysis of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were also conducted. Our results indicated NOTCH1, NOTCH3, FLCN, SOD1, SOD2, NF1, and TLR4 as upregulated proteins in different cancer types highlighting their role in cancer progression. The MCODE analysis identified gene clusters for each cancer type with MYC, PCNA, PARP1, IDH1, FGF10, PTEN, and CCND1 as hub genes with high connectivity. MYC for cervical cancer, IDH1 for hepatic cirrhosis, MGMT for glioblastoma and CCND1 for anaplastic thyroid cancer were identified as genes with prognostic importance using survival analysis.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.398-402
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• 2022

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), a rich source of polyphenols, exerts hypocholesterolemic effects. However, little is known about its effects on the regulation of the hepatic cholesterol metabolism and the underlying mechanisms. In the present study, the effects of polyphenol-rich black chokeberry extract (CBE) on hepatic cholesterol metabolism were investigated by measuring the expression of genes involved in the absorption, de novo synthesis, and efflux of cholesterol in HepG2 cells. There was a significant reduction in the expression levels of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism, the low-density lipoprotein receptor, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2, in CBE-treated HepG2 cells. Meanwhile, CBE increased the expression levels of genes involved in cholesterol and bile acid efflux. The expression levels of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation genes increased, whereas those of lipogenic genes decreased following CBE treatment. These data suggest that the consumption of black chokeberry may be beneficial for the prevention of hypercholesterolemia.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.477-486
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Consumption of pine nut oil (PNO) was shown to reduce weight gain and attenuate hepatic steatosis in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of PNO on both intestinal and hepatic lipid metabolism in mice fed control or HFD. MATERIALS/METHODS: Five-week-old C57BL/6 mice were fed control diets containing 10% energy fat from either Soybean Oil (SBO) or PNO, or HFD containing 15% energy fat from lard and 30% energy fat from SBO or PNO for 12 weeks. Expression of genes related to intestinal fatty acid (FA) uptake and channeling (Cd36, Fatp4, Acsl5, Acbp), intestinal chylomicron synthesis (Mtp, ApoB48, ApoA4), hepatic lipid uptake and channeling (Lrp1, Fatp5, Acsl1, Acbp), hepatic triacylglycerol (TAG) lipolysis and FA oxidation (Atgl, Cpt1a, Acadl, Ehhadh, Acaa1), as well as very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) assembly (ApoB100) were determined by real-time PCR. RESULTS: In intestine, significantly lower Cd36 mRNA expression (P<0.05) and a tendency of lower ApoA4 mRNA levels (P = 0.07) was observed in PNO-fed mice, indicating that PNO consumption may decrease intestinal FA uptake and chylomicron assembly. PNO consumption tended to result in higher hepatic mRNA levels of Atgl (P = 0.08) and Cpt1a (P = 0.05). Significantly higher hepatic mRNA levels of Acadl and ApoB100 were detected in mice fed PNO diet (P<0.05). These results suggest that PNO could increase hepatic TAG metabolism; mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and VLDL assembly. CONCLUSIONS: PNO replacement in the diet might function in prevention of excessive lipid uptake by intestine and improve hepatic lipid metabolism in both control diet and HFD fed mice.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.519-529
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the effects of Injinchunggan-tang on cell growth and apoptosis in human hepatic stellate cell line LX2. Materials and Methods : Hepatic stellate cells were treated with various concentrations of Injinchunggan-tang extract for 24, 48 and 72 hours. The extraction was done with distilled water. After the treatment, cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, caspase activity, caspase inhibitor and the mRNA of the Bcl-2, and Bax with ${\beta}$-actin were measured by using MTT assay, apoptosis assay and RT-PCR. Results : Proliferation, and mRNA expression of the hepatic stellate cells were inhibited by Injinchunggan-tang treatment in a dose-dependent manner. This indicates the prescription has inhibitory effect on fibrogenesis of the liver by regulating the fibrogenesis-associated genes in transcription. Cell viability was inhibited in time- and dose-dependent manners. Conclusions : These results suggest that Injinchunggan-tang would be beneficial in the treatment of cirrhotic patients as well as for the patients with chronic hepatitis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.504-518
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the anti-fibrogenic effect of greater celandine on cultured rat hepatic stellate cells. Materials and Methods : Hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6) were treated with various concentrations of greater celandine extract for 24, 48, and 72 hours. The extraction was done with distilled water. After the treatment, cell viability, proliferation, mRNA of the ${\alpha}SMA$, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, collagen I ${\alpha}$ 1, MMP-2, IL-6, TGF-${\beta}1$, PDGFr-${\beta}1$, Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-xl, caspase-3, caspase-9 and the activities of SOD and catalase were measured by using MTT assay, BrdU assay, real-time PCR, superoxide dismutase assay and catalase assay. Results : The viability, proliferation, mRNA expression and synthesis of collagen of the hepatic stellate cells were inhibited as the concentration increased, which indicates the herb has an inhibitory effect on fibrogenesis of the liver by regulating the fibrosis associated genes in transcription. Conclusions : These results suggest that greater celandine would be beneficial in the treatment of fibrotic patients as well as for patients with chronic hepatitis.