• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.718-722
• /
• 1998

Scopoletin (7-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin), a coumarin, was isolated from the aerial part of Solanum lyratum Thunb. by the activity-guided fractionation employing carbon te trachloride-intoxicated primary cultured rat hepatocytes as a screening system. Its hepatoprotective activity was first evaluated by measuring the release of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase from carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated rat hepatocytes into the culture medium. Scopoletin significantly reduced the releases of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase from the carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated primary cultured rat hepatocytes by 53% and 58%, respectively, from the toxicity in a dose-dependent manner over concentration ranges of 1mcM to 50mcM. Further studies revealed that at the concentration of 10mcM, scopoletin significantly preserved glutathione content by 50% and the activity of superoxide dismutase by 36% and also inhibited the production of malondialdehyde to the degree as seen in the control.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.271-274
• /
• 1996

The antihepatotoxic activity of Bezoar Bovis and Moschus was investigated by in vitro assay method using galactosamine and carbon tetrachloride-induced cytotoxicity in primary-cultured rat hepatocytes. The antihepatotoxic activity was evaluated by measuring the level of glutamate pyruvate transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase which were released from the necrotic hepatocytes to the culture medium. In galactosamine-intoxicated hepatocytes, the chloroform fraction of Bezoar Bovis reduced the level of glutamate pyruvate transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase resulting in 65% and 59% protection, respectively. The n-Hexane fraction of Moschus resulted in 45% and 40% protection, respectively in this system. In the case of carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated rat hepatocytes, Bezoar Bovis did not have significant effect and only the aqueous fraction of Moschus showed 42% and 40% protection, respectively.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.185-188
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) on toxification/detoxification metabolic pathway in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. We measured the activities of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450s) and UDP-glucuronyltransferase, sulfotransferase and glutathione-S-transferase in CSC-treated rat hepatocytes. CSC significantly increased the activities of hepatic CYP4501A1 and CYP4501A2 to 7.5 fold and 1.6 fold respectively, compared with control level. However, CSC did not affect the activities of conjugation enzymes. We a1so examined if treatment of CSC could change thc cytotoxicity of acetaminophen (AA) through modulation of metabolizing enzymes. In rat hepatocytes, pretreatment with CSC potentiated the cytotoxicity of AA. This result indicates that potentiation of AA toxicity by CSC pretreatment may be related to induction of CYP4501A1 and CYP4501A2.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.173-181
• /
• 1991

Membrane transport of brazilin was investigated i primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Brazilin was transported into hepatocytes very slowly and reached plateau at about 60 minutes. Saturation of transport process was not observed and the transport was not affected by ouabain, metabolic inhibitors, and its structural analog. The amount of brazilin transported into hepatocytes was decreased when the environmental temperature was decreased. These results suggest that brazilin might be transported into hepatocytes by simple diffusional process.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.104-104
• /
• 2004

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.365-369
• /
• 1995

The acute cytotoxicities of chloroquine sulfate, propranolol, ascorbic acid, acetylsalicylic acid and acrylamide on cultured adult rat hepatocytes were evaluated by the use of LDH leakage and NR uptake test. On the basis of $IC_{50}$ values, the rank order of cytotoxicities of these drugs in both tests was chloroquine sulfate > propranolol > acetylsalicylic acid > ascorbic acid. The $IC_{50}$ of LDH test was very similar to that of NR uptake test. Thus, we concluded that both tests are reliable and sensitive methods in detecting toxicity in adult cultured rat hepatocytes.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.453-461
• /
• 1996

We compared the effects of two different systems of collagen matrix protein application on the survival and the biological functions of cultured primary hepatocytes. The rat liver primary hepatocytes were grown for approximately 40 days in vitro either on single collagen gel or between collagen sandwich gels. The morphological changes were observed for this culture period. While the hepatocytes grown on single gel began to die around at 7 days of culture, the cells grown between collagen gels still maintained their viability and began to die after 15 days. As markers for liver hepatic functions, we determined the biochemical activities of hepatocytes such as the secretions of albumin, fibronectin, fibrinogen, urea, and the reduction of secreted ammonia. We found that the rat hepatocytes cultured between collagen gels maintained fairly good biochemical functions than the hepatocytes cultured on single gel did. Therefore, the application of an extracellular matrix protein, collagen, in sandwich form was confirmed as a better choice for maintaining the functional hepatocytes culture for long term in vitro.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.499-503
• /
• 1993

Betaine, a major component of Lycii Fructus, was evaluated for its anti-hepatotoxic activity on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Betaine was found to attenuate carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity both morphologically and biochemically. Typical hepatocyte necrosis due to carbon tetrachloride seemed to be reduced by 50 to 500 $\mu{M}$ of betaine under microscopical observation. The value of glutamic pyruvic transaminase released from the hepatocytes into the medium significantly decreased as betaine concentration increased. Betaine also significantly elevated the reduced activities of some enzymes, cytochrome P-450, 7-ethoxycoumarin-0-deethylase and glutathione-S-transferase, involved in xenobiotic metabolism due to carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity. These results demonstrate a possible hepato-protective role of betaine against fatty liver that could be easily induced by carbon tetrachloride.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.174-177
• /
• 2003

The present experiment was performed to investigate the protective effects of paeonol isolated from Moutan Cortex Radicis on primary cultured rat hepatocytes exposed to Br-A23187 ($Ca^{2+}$ ionophore). Br-A23187 is frequently used as a model of cell killing as inducing both necrotic and apoptotic cell death. Hepatocytes were isolated by collagenase perfusion from livers of fasted male Sprague Dawley rats and cultured overnight. Cell viability was determined by propidium iodide using fluorocytometry in Krebs-Ringer-HEPES buffer at pH 7.4. In addition, intracellular calcium was measured by excitation at 340 and 380 nm and emission at 505 nm using a luminescence spectrophotometer. Paeonol (20-100 ${\mu}M$) inhibited cell killing induced by 10 ${\mu}M$ Br-A23187, in a dose-dependent manner. Paeonol also reduced increased intracellular calcium level when hepatocytes were exposed to Br-A23187. Therefore, the present results suggest that paeonol protects the hepatocytotoxicity induced by Br-A23187, via inhibiting the influx of calcium into into rat hepatocytes.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.341-347
• /
• 1990

The anti-hepatotoxic activity of Panax ginseng was studied using galactosamine (GalN)-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Panax ginseng was fractionated into dammarane glycosides and protein fractions. The dammarane glycosides was further fractionated into panaxadiol and panaxatriol glycosides fractions. The protein fraction was further fractionated into four groups according to the molecular weight; larger than 10,000 dalton, between 5,000 and 10,000 dalton, between 1,000 and 5,000 dalton and between 500 and 1,000 dalton. A significant lowering action on the elevated glutamicpyruvic transaminase (GPT) activity in the culture medium of hepatocytes treated with 1.5 mM GalN was noticed with all four protein fractions studied at the concentration of both $50\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $100\;{\mu}g/ml$. However, the effect of dammarane glycosides fractions was not significant. It was noted that the addition of $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ of protein fractions smaller than 5,000 dalton significantly enhanced the syntheses of protein and RNA in the damaged hepatocytes induced by the treatment of 1.5 mM GalN. Dammarane glycosides fractions significantly enhanced protein synthesis at the concentration of $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ in the damaged hepatocytes by treatment of 1.5 mM GalN.