• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.10b
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• pp.3-4
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• 2001

Residents of Qidong, Peoples Republic of China, are at high risk for development of hepatocellular carcinoma, in part due to consumption of foods contaminated with aflatoxins. Chlorophyllin, a mixture of semi-synthetic, water-soluble derivatives of chlorophyll that is used as a food colorant and over-the-counter medicine, has been shown to be an effective inhibitor of aflatoxin hepatocarcinogenesis in animal models.(omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.46-47
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• 2001

Residents of Qidong, Peoples Republic of China, are at high risk for development of hepatocellular carcinoma, in part due to consumption of foods contaminated with aflatoxins. Chlorophyllin, a mixture of semi-synthetic, water-soluble derivatives of chlorophyll that is used as a food colorant and over-the-counter medicine, has been shown to be an effective inhibitor of aflatoxin hepatocarcinogenesis in animal models.(omitted)

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 1999

Following peripheral nerve injury, rats will show a tactile allodynia and hyperalgesia. But the mechanism of allodynia is still obscure. The present studies, using rats rendered allodynia by loosely constrictive ligation of the common sciatic nerve (Bennett Model) and tight ligation of L5 & L6 spinal nerve (Chung Model), aimed to investigate the changes of metabotrophic glutamate receptor type 5 on the development of tactile allodynia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (130~200 g) were anesthetized with halothane, the rats were randomly divided into one of these three groups, Group 1 (Sham operation), Group 2 (Bennett model) and Group 3 (Chung model). Seven days after surgical procedure, the animal was reanesthetized and decapitated. The spinal cord was quickly removed and stored at deep freezer for polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In Group 2&3, rats showed that tactile allodynia checked by up-down method with calibrated 8 von Frey hair. The level of gene expression of mGluR5 mRNA was significantly increased in group 2 and 3. These increases was significantly different from sham operation, group 1. It was also showed that the increasing patterns of group 2 and 3 in the gene expression were similar correlation with the results of the threshold for tactile allodynia on von Frey hair test. Even though there were some differences between Bennett model and Chung model, these results suggested that mGluR5 had partly attributed to making a tactile allodynia from these models.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2020

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disease, worldwide, whose true prevalence is uncertain because it is a difficult disease to diagnose. Endometriosis is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and infertility, and is also associated with ovarian cancer. Although the risk factors for endometriosis are unclear, there is increasing evidence that exposure to environmental contaminants, especially phthalates, could affect the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Phthalates are industrial chemicals, used to make flexible plastics, and are present in numerous common plastic products, including medical devices and materials. Several in vitro studies have suggested a positive association between exposure to phthalate, or phthalate metabolites, and the risk of endometriosis. Since the 2000s, studies based on human plasma and urinary concentrations of various phthalate metabolites have been published, but there are still limitations to our understanding of the pathophysiology of phthalates and endometriosis. This report aims to review the current state of knowledge about a possible role of phthalates in the pathogenesis of endometriosis based on cell culture, animal models, and human data.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.565-570
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• 1997

High levels of extracellular phospholipase $A_2$ (Plase $A_2$) associated with inflammatory process in man and animal models have been extensively reported elsew here. Thus, a logical approach to the treatment of inflammatory diseases should involve the inhibitors of Plase $A_2$. To develop new Plase $A_2$ inhibitors from natural products, two hundred crude drugs were screened using group II PLA$A_2$ inhibitory activity. Among them, methanol extract of 5 medicinal plants such as, Raphani Semen, Moutan cortex radicis, Arecae semen, Caryophylli Cortex and Betulae Cortex inhibited more than 90% of PLase $A_2$ activity at a concentration 2.5${\mu}g/ml$. Then, 10 methanol extracts sample were transferred into organic solvents, PLase $A_2$ inhibitory effects were found mainly in CHCl3 and EtoAc fractions.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.621-626
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• 1998

Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica var saboten Makino) is a tropical or subtropical plant, which is widely used as folk medicine for burned wound, edema and indigestion. We previously found that the ethanol extract of cactus stem showed anti-inflanunatory action. This investigation was designed to isolate the active fraction of anti-inflanimatory action from cactus stem by solvent extraction and colunm chromatography. Carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice were used as animal models to search anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. respectively. The ethanol extract of cactus stem was consecutively extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The hexane fraction was the most effective in carrageenan-induced paw edema, and then was separated in colunm chromatography of silica gel by the elution with hexane/ethyl acetate mixture. The most effective fraction 1 was separated in a second colunm chromatography by eluting with hexane/diethyl ether mixture. The most effective fraction 1-5 was obtained, and separated in a third column chromatography by eluting with hexane/chloroform mixture. It produced the most effective fraction 1-5-1. Moreover, fraction 1-5-1 showed an inhibitory effect on acetic acid-induced writhing in the doses of 30mg/kg and 60mg/kg,p.o.,indicating that it also contained analgesic activity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1061-1066
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• 2003

The fruit of Actinidia polygama (AP) has long been used as a folk medicine in Korea for treating pain, rheumatic arthritis and inflammation. The present investigation was carried out to determine the in vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of AP using several animal models of inflammation. The 70% ethanol extract of the fruit of AP significantly inhibited acetic acidinduced, vascular permeability in a dose dependent manner (23%, 38%, and 41 % inhibition at doses of 200 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg, respectively). This effect was maintained in AP water-soluble fraction (APW). The APW fraction also showed significant inhibitory activity against the rat paw edema induced by a single treatment of carrageenan. In vitro experiments were performed to demonstrate the inhibitory activities of APW (100 $\mu$ g/ml) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) production. The results showed that APW dose-dependently suppressed LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages without a notable cytotoxic effect and also decreased inducible NO synthase (iNOS) protein expression. APW also showed a significant inhibitory effect in LPS-induced $PGE_2$ production and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.101-116
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• 2008

In order to investigate the effect of HGCS on Hypercholesterolemia in rats diagnosed with hypertension, changes of related factors in blood and tissues of animal models were studied. The results are as following: At 250 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$ or lower doses of HGCS, human fibroblast cells showed a survival rate of more than 90%. HGCS significantly reduced the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in blood observed in hypercholesterolemia rats. On the other hand, HGCS signicantly increased the blood HDL cholesterol level, compared to that of the control group. HGCS significantly reduced triglycerides caused by hypercholesterolemia. However, glucose level was decreased insignificantly. Significant decrease of hyperoxidative lipid level in tissues due to hypercholesterolemia was observed in HGCS treated group. Significant increase of SOD and catalase activities in tissues due to hypercholesterolemia were observed in HGCS treated group. From the results above, the anti-hypercholesterolemic effect of clinically used HGCS has been experimentally proved. More active prescription of HGCS to hypercholesterolemia and related patients should be available in the future.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.127-136
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• 2007

Ginseng, the root of Panax species, is a well-known herbal medicine. It has been used as traditional medicine in Korea, China and Japan for thousands of years and now is a popular and worldwide natural medicine. The active principles of ginseng are ginsenosides which are also called ginseng saponins. Traditionally ginseng has been used primarily as a tonic to invigorate weak body functions and help the restoration of homeostasis. Current in vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate its beneficial effects in a wide range of pathological conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, immune deficiency and hepatotoxicity. Moreover, recent research indicates that some of ginseng's active ingredients exert beneficial actions on aging and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson´s disease. Essentially, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anti-apoptotic and immunostimulant activities are mostly underlying the postulated ginseng-mediated protective mechanisms. Next to animal studies, data from neural cell cultures contribute to the understanding of these mechanisms which involve decreasing nitric oxide, scavenging of free radicals and counteracting excitotoxicity. This paper focuses on own and other neuroprotective data on ginseng for dopaminergic neurons and intends to show aspects where neuroprotection e.g. by ginsenosides, additionally or preceding standard Parkinson therapy, could come about as a valuable contribution to slow neurodegenerative processes.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2017

The steaming process of Panax ginseng has been reported to increase its major known bioactive components, ginsenosides, and, therefore, its biological properties as compared to regular Panax ginseng. Biological functions of red Panax ginseng attenuating pro-oxidant environments associated with chronic diseases are of particular interest, since oxidative stress can be a key contributor to the pathogenesis of chronic diseases. Additionally, proper utilization of various biomarkers for evaluating antioxidant activities in natural products, such as ginseng, can also be important to providing validity to their activities. Thus, studies on the effects of red ginseng against various diseases as determined in cell lines, animal models, and humans were reviewed, along with applied biomarkers for verifying such effects. Limitations and future considerations of studying red ginseng were been discussed. Although further clinical studies are warranted, red ginseng appears to be beneficial for attenuating disease-associated symptoms via its antioxidant activities, as well as for preventing oxidative stress-associated chronic diseases.