• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.107-113
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• 1998

This study was performed to investigate the effects of chitin, chitosan and dithiocarbamate chitosan on the cadmium accumulation in liver and kidney of catfish. The experimental groups were divided into four independent groups which were one control group and three experimental groups by cadmium alone treatment or chitin, chitosan and dithiocarbamate chitosan which cadmium. in order to investigate the effects of chitin, chitosan and dithiocarbamate chitosan on the cadmium accumulation in liver and kidney of catfish, the cadmium concentration, the metallothionein level were measured. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The cadmium concentrations in liver and kidney of catfish in cadmium alone treatment group were similar to that of the chitin treatment group, but chitosan and dithiocarbamate chitosan treatment groups were significantly decreased. 2. The metallothionein levels in liver and kidney of catfish alone treatment group were similar to that of the chitin treatment group, but chitosan and dithiocarbamate chitosan treatment groups were significantly increased. In conclusion, this study revealed the effect of chitin, chitosan and dithiocarbamate chitosan against cadmium accumulation in liver and kidney of catfish. It exhibited the highest effect at dithiocarbamate chitosan treatment group.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.380-385
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• 2012

Background: Manganese (Mn) has been found to increase the signal intensity of the globus pallidus (GP) on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI). We performed this study in order to determine the features of liver disease that correlate with pallidal signal intensities. Methods: We assessed blood Mn levels and pallidal signals in T1-weighted MRI in 49 patients with liver cirrhosis and 23 healthy controls. Results: Increased signal intensity in the GP was observed in 30 of 49 (61.2%) patients with liver cirrhosis, with the pallidal index (PI) in patients with Child-Pugh classes B and C differing significantly from the PI in controls. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that blood Mn concentrations and Child-Pugh scores in cirrhotics were significantly associated with increased PI after controlling for other confounders (p<0.05 each). Conclusions: Pallidal signals on T1-weighted MRI are mainly observed in advanced liver cirrhosis. The present study suggests that advanced liver cirrhosis may be a human model for manganism.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.87-95
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• 1995

The concentrations of cadmium, metallothionein(MT), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) were investigated in liver and kidney of rats which were fed the water containing 100 ppm cadmium chloride with basal diet and 5% Agaricus bisporus diet during 16 weeks. Cadmium concentrations in liver and kidney increased during 16 weeks, and there were significantly higher accumulation of cadmium in the kidney than in the liver. The concentrations of MTs in liver and kidney decreased linearly during 16 weeks, but there was no significant difference between control and experimental group. MT concentrations of liver were significantly higher than those of kidney. The superoxide dismutase activities and lactate dehydrogenase activities were not affected by the diet, but there was a significant difference by the duration of administration. These data indicate that the kidney is a major target organ of chronic cadmium poisoning, and suggest that Cd-induced hepatic injury, via release of Cd-MT, may play an important role in the nephrotoxicity. In conclusion, induction of MT occurs in both the liver and the kidney after administration of $CdCl_2$. However, the kidney is less responsive than the liver to the induction of MT by cadmium, which may contribute to making the kidney the target organ of toxicity during chronic Cd exposure.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.4953-4960
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• 2013

Primary liver cancer is one of the most common cancers at the global level, accounting for half of all cancers in some undeveloped countries. This disease tends to occur in livers damaged through alcohol abuse, or chronic infection with hepatitis B and C, on a background of cirrhosis. Various cancer-causing substances are associated with primary liver cancer, including certain pesticides and such chemicals as vinyl chloride and arsenic. The strong association between HBV infection and liver cancer is well documented in epidemiological studies. It is generally acknowledged that the virus is involved through long term chronic infection, frequently associated with cirrhosis, suggesting a nonspecific mechanism triggered by the immune response. Chronic inflammation of liver, continuous cell death, abnormal cell growth, would increase the occurrence rate of genetic alterations and risk of disease. However, the statistics indicated that only about one fifth of HBV carries would develop HCC in lifetime, suggesting that individual variation in genome would also influence the susceptibility of HCC. The goal of this review is to highlight present level of knowledge on the role of viral infection and genetic variation in the development of liver cancer.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 1992

Effect of freeze drying leek against cadmium poisoning on glutathione peroxidase, on glutathione reductase and on glutathione-s-transferase in liver, kidney and testes of the male rats during the administered period. In this experiment, male rats of Sprague-Dawley strain were used. The rats which were fed for 15 weeks were divided into 4 groups basal diet 3% leek added diet basal diet and cadmium in water and 3% leek added diet and cadmium in water. Cadmium was administered ad libitum 100ppm CdCl$_{2}$ in distilled water. The followings are the result of this experiment. 1. Leek enhanced the glutathione peroxidase activities which were reduced by cadmium treatment in liver, kidney and testes but not significance. 2. Leek reduced glutathione reductase activities which were incresed by cadmium in liver, kidney and testes. 3. Leek incresed the activities of glutathfone-s-transferase in liver but not in kidney and but not in testes. 4. Leek incresed glutathione concentration which was decresed by cadmium treatment in liver and kidney but not testes. This experiment showed that leek-addition group had protective effect against cadmium poisoning and alleviated GR and glutathione-s-transferase activities in tissues. Leek incresed activities of glutathione peroxidase in liver, kidney and testes but not significance. Therefore, this experiment concluded that leek defensive power against long term cadmium poisoning.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.79-83
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• 2001

To evaluate an effect of toluene application to skin on the enhancement of liver damage in $CCl_4$-pretreated rats, toluene (35 mg/$cm^2$) was sequentially applied for 5 days to the skin of liver damaged rats with $CCl_4$ (6 times every other day: 0.1 ml/100 g body weight-50% $CCl_4$ in olive oil) On the basis of the functional and morphological findings in rat liver, appling toluene to the skin in liver damaged animals led to the more enhanced liver damage. In addition, by applying toluene to skin of liver damaged rats, the hepatic cytochrome P450 content was somewhat more increased, but the hepatic benzylalcohol dehydrogenase activity was significantly decreased (P<0.001), whereas benzaldehyde dehydrogenase activity was not statistically changed. In conclusion, the toluene application to skin in liver-damaged rat led to enhancement of liver injury that may be due to the accumulation of toluene metabolite in liver.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.194-204
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• 2011

This study was carried out to compare the histopathological differences of liver lesions in carbon tetrachloride ($CCI_4$), dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), thioacetamide (TAA) and bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced rats. $CCl_4$, DMN and TAA were administered intraperitoneally and conducted bile duct ligation for 4 weeks to induce hepatic fibrosis. Indices of liver cell injury (steatosis, hydropic degeneration, bile duct hyperplasia, hemorrhage & hemosiderin deposition), the extent of liver fibrosis (fibrotic area) and the rate of regeneration (number of PCNA-positive cells) were investigated in each group. Liver tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE), sirius red, prussian blue and immunostained with ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin (${\alpha}$-SMA), transforming growth factor-${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$), proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and quantified using a computerized image analysis system. Liver cell steatosis was significantly increased in $CCl_4$ and TAA groups, and hydropic degeneration and bile duct hyperplasia were significantly increased in TAA and BDL groups when compared with that in normal control, respectively. Fibrosis area was significantly increased in all four groups, especially in $CCl_4$ group. Correlation between ${\alpha}$-SMA and TGF-${\beta}1$ expressions in four groups was good. Hemorrhage area in liver parenchyma was significantly increased in DMN group only when compared with that in normal control, while hemosiderin deposition area was significantly increased in TAA and BDL groups as well as DMN group. The Number of PCNA-positive cells was significantly increased in all four groups, especially in TAA group. These results indicate that the duration and methods of hepatotoxic drug treatment are very important factors to make plans for animal experimentation on the induction of hepatic fibrogenesis in rats.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.166-168
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• 2005

The induction of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) by ultraviolet(UV) radiation provides a protective defense against oxidative stress, and has been well demonstrated in UVA-irradiated skin, but not UVB. In this study in mice, we show that the UVB(290-320nm) radiation can be attributed to the induction of cutaneous heme oxygenase-1. The expression of HO-1 mRNA was assessed in vivo by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, and HO-1 enzyme activity was measured in microsomal preparation from irradiated mice. The mRNA level of HO-1 increases in liver and skin from 24h to 72h after UVB($3KJ/m^3$) radiation. The results of gene expression were same pattern of HO enzyme activity in skin, but not in liver. HO-1 mRNA in liver resulted in a progressive increase to 96h after UVB radiation, but HO activity in liver increased to 48h. This finding indicates that UVB radiation is an important inducer of HO-1 and increases in HO activity may protect tissues directly or indirectly from oxidative stress.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.333-339
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• 2014

Exendin-4 (Ex-4), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, has been known to reverse hepatic steatosis in ob/ob mice. Although many studies have evaluated molecular targets of Ex-4, its mechanism of action on hepatic steatosis and fibrosis has not fully been determined. In the liver, glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) is mainly expressed in hepatocytes, endothelial cells and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In the present study, the effects of Ex-4 on GLUT4 expression were determined in the liver of ob/ob mice. Ob/ob mice were treated with Ex-4 for 10 weeks. Serum metabolic parameters, hepatic triglyceride levels, and liver tissues were evaluated for hepatic steatosis. The weights of the whole body and liver in ob/ob mice were reduced by long-term Ex-4 treatment. Serum metabolic parameters, hepatic steatosis, and hepatic fibrosis in ob/ob mice were reduced by Ex-4. Particularly, Ex-4 improved hepatic steatosis by enhancing GLUT4 via GLP-1R activation in ob/ob mice. Ex-4 treatment also inhibited hepatic fibrosis by decreasing expression of connective tissue growth factor in HSCs of ob/ob mice. Our data suggest that GLP-1 agonists exert a protective effect on hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in obesity and type 2 diabetes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.185-187
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• 2004

The co-administration of BPA and BBP induced slow weight gain compared with single administration in dams. Also, such mixture induced low neonatal body weights in next generation. The dams treated with BPA and BBP showed significant organ weight changes in liver, spleen exposed during lactational periods. But the dams exposed during lactational periods showed significant organ weight changes not only in liver, spleen but also in kidney, uterus and ovary. The F1 female rats exposed during lactation periods showed significant organ weight changes in liver, spleen, ovary. The F1 male rats showed significant organ weight changes in liver, kidney, epididymis, vesicular glands, prostate. However no clear synergistic effects of BPA and BBP could be found. Estrogen receptor ${\alpha}$ expression by BPA and BBP in the uterus(dam, F1 female) and testis(F1 male) were studied. There was no significant different $ER{\alpha}$ expression pattern between control and treated groups. But $ER{\alpha}$ expression were increased in F1 male testis and female uterus. F1 male showed distinct $ER{\alpha}$ expression, especially in the group of lactational combined exposure. Synergistic $ER{\alpha}$ expression was found by combined treatment of BPA and BBP.