• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.98 no.5
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• pp.602-608
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• 2009

We investigated whether cadmium (Cd) toxicity affects phosphorus (P) concentration and growth of poplar, which might be related to the ectomycorrhizal associations. Populus ${\times}$tomentoglandulosa cuttings were treated with 0.1 mM and 0.4 mM $CdSO_4$ and inoculated with ectomycorrhizal fungus, Pisolithus tinctorius (Pt) and grown in autoclaved peat vermiculite mixture for five months under greenhouse conditions. Ectomycorrhizal plants showed significantly higher Cd concentration in leaves, stems and roots than in non-mycorrhizal plants. Likewise, P contents in leaves and roots of ectomycorrhizal plants were higher than those of non-mycorrhizal plants. Acid phosphatase activity in leaves of ectomycorrhizal plants, however, was significantly lower than that of non-mycorrhizal plants. 0.1 mM Cd significantly increased P content in leaves and stems of non-mycorrhizal plants. In spite of high P concentration, which is accompanied by lower acid phosphatase activity, plant growth was not improved by inoculation with P. tinctorius. Total plant dry weight was lower than the non-mycorrhizal counterpart. The results imply that this might be caused by the large amount of energy consumption to alleviate Cd toxicity resulted from high Cd accumulation in their tissues.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.127-132
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• 2010

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Xanthium sibiricum Patr. on carcinogenesis. Method: Water extract from Xanthium sibiricum Patr. (XPW) was prepared and investigated for the potential antitumor activity and inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adduct formation and free radical formation. Result: It was shown that the water possess considerable toxicity toward tumor cell lines. Concentration of XPW at 1.0 mg/mL and 2.5 mg/mL resulted in more than 30% inhibition of growth in HeLa cells. Toxicity of XPW to A549 revealed that 54% inhibition of growth at concentration of 2.5 mg/mL. At concentrations of 0.5 mg/mL, 1.0 mg/mL and 2.5 mg/mL of XPW, the binding of [$^3H$]B[a]P metabolites to DNA of human Chang cell was inhibited by 19%, 33%, and 41%, respectively. There 18% and 32% inhibition in the free radical formation with XPW at the concentration of 1.0 mg/mL and 2.5 mg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: Water extract from Xanthium sibiricum Patr. (XPW) has antitumor and cancer chemopreventive activities.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.91-101
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• 1996

Exposure indices are important tools which enable scientists to reliably predict and detect exposures to xenobiotics and resultant cell injury. Since the de novo synthesis of stress proteins can be detected early after exposure to some agents, analysis of toxicant-induced changes in gene expression, i.e. alterations in patterns of protein synthesis, may be useful to develop as biomarkers of exposure and toxicity. The acute and chronic effects of cadmium(Cd, $CdCl_2$ 20 mg/kg) on Wistar male rats were evaluated concerning cadmium contents, tissues enzyme activity, HSP expression. The results of the study were as follows: 1. Less cadmium was absorbed through the digestive tracts, but the ratio of contents in renal to hepatic cadmium was higher at 8 weeks after treatment. 2. ALT(alanine aminotransferase), AST(aspartate aminotransferase), glucose, BUN(blood urea nitrogen), creatinine, the key indices of the clinical changes in hepatic and renal function were significantly changed by the cadmium treatment after 1 week in liver, after 4 weeks in kidney. 3. Enhanced synthesis of 70 KDa relative molecular mass proteins were detected in 2 hours after cadmium exposure, with maximum activity occurring at 8~48 hours. Induction of $HSP_{70}$ was evident at proximal tubules and glomeruli in kidney. Testicular cells produced enough HSP to be detected normally. From the above results, it could be concluded that $HSP_{70}$ induction by the cadmium treatment was a rapid reaction to indicate the exposure of xenobiotics.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 1996

The renal toxicity of the extract of Polygalae Radix was investigated in rats. Rats were treated with 3.5 mg/Kg of the extract, i.p., for 7 days. Changes in consumatory behavior, 24 hour-urine and the activities of urinary enzymes were determined during the administration of the extract. Significant decrease in body weight and food consumption and increase in 24 hour-urine volume were observed during the administration. However, the quantity of total creatinine in urine was decreased significantly. Those indicate that subacute treatment with the extract might induce diuresis and the ditiresis might be due to the decrease in water reabsorption. In the activities of urinary enzymes, the activities of alanine aminopejotidase (AAP) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were increased 4.3 and 3.5 times and then returned to the control. The activity of N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) was increased 7.2 times and then decreased slowly. But, it was significantly higher than that of the control evea after the last administration. The activity of factate dehydrogenase (LDH) was increased continuozlsly during the treatment. It showed 32 times higher than the control. These results suggested that the extract of Polygalae Radix had toxic effect on kidney. Furthermore, the result suggested that the subacute administration of the extract induced resistance against the toxicity of Polygalae Radix.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.23-30
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• 2011

Risk based pollution level of Pb and Cd in metal contaminated soils depending on physicochemical properties of soil in a target site was assessed using biotic ligand model. Heavy metal activity in soil solution defined as exposure activity (EA) was assumed to be toxic to Vibrio fischeri and soil organisms. Predicted effective activity (PEA) determined by biotic ligand model was compared to EA value to calculate risk quotient. Field contaminated soils (n = 10) were collected from a formes area and their risk based pollution levels were assessed in the present study using the calculated risk quotient. Concentrations of Pb determined by aqua regia were 295, 258, and 268 mg/kg in B, H and J points and concentrations of Cd were 4.73 and 6.36 mg/kg in G and I points, respectively. These points exceeded the current soil conservation standards. However, risk based pollution levels of the ten points were not able to be calculated because concentrations of Pb and Cd in soil solution were smaller than detection limits or one (i.e., non toxic). It was because heavy metal activity in soil solution was dominant toxicological form to organisms, not a total heavy metal concentration in soil. In addition, heavy metal toxicity was decreased by competition effect of major cations and formation of complex with dissolved organic carbon in soil solution. Therefore, it is essential to consider site-specific factors affecting bioavailability and toxicity for estimating reliable risk of Pb and Cd.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.313-322
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• 2018

Objectives: Wild ginseng pharmacopuncture is widely used in oriental medicine. However, there is no standard method for efficiently extracting the active ingredient. In this study, in order to determine an efficient extraction method, wild ginseng was extracted by the distillation and 70% ethanol reflux methods, respectively. In comparing each extract, the index compounds were analyzed, and antioxidant activity was measured. Methods: The index compounds, ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rb1, were detected using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Antioxidative activities of total phenolic compounds, DPPH (${\alpha}$, ${\alpha}$-diphenyl-${\beta}$-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) were measured to compare their bioactivities. Since saponin is known to be hemolytic, the hemolytic activity of each extract was compared. Results: The index compounds were analyzed. Nothing was detected in the wild ginseng distilled extracts (WGDE). In the wild ginseng 70% ethanol reflux extracts (WGEE), ginsenoside Rg1 was 3.66 mg/g, and ginsenoside Rb1 was 16.70 mg/g. WGEE showed higher levels than WGDE in all antioxidative activities. In the hemolytic test, the extracts showed almost no toxicity, but WGEE showed lower toxicity than WGDE. Conclusions: In this study, it was concluded that WGEE is more advantageous than WGDE in the detection of index compounds and bioactivity. However, additional studies of additional extraction methods and other bioactivity tests are needed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 1993

This study aimed at evaluating the preventive effect of Glycyrrhizae Radix and Glycine Semen Extract (GGE) against NAC intoxication. NAC is widely used pesticide in many countries and derivative of carbamats and GGE is well-known antidote to some kinds of toxicants which was referenced from oriental medicine text. The results obtained were as follows: 1) After injecting NAC (100,140 mg/kg), determined Ch.E activities decrease 44.77~50.86% for all experimental groups at one hour after exposure, and were gradually recovered in the course of time. 2) In toxicity test of GGE, there were no sign of death or poisoning up to 5000 mg/kg of GGE for p.o. in mice. From this, we suggest that the LD$_{50}$ of GGE would be above 5000 mg/kg. 3) The Ch.E activity in control group was 471.43 $\pm$ 4.85 luff, group I was 215.27 $\pm$ 23.13 IU/l, group II and group III were 304.03 $\pm$ 9.03 IU/l, 433.81 $\pm$ 21.73 IU/l, respectively. Compare to the control group with experimental group I, remarkable difference revealed (p< 0.01), but the Ch.E activities of group II and III were similar to those of control group. This is indicate that GGE possess a potent activity of recovering Ch.E. GGE had a very remarkable preventive effect on NAC toxicity, and it was able to know that Ch.E activity dramatically increased according to GGE dosage increasing. 4) When GGE and NAC were administered by p.o. simultaneously, LD$_{50}$ and confidence intervals of each group were as follows: the control group: 270 mg/kg, 234.99~310.23 mg/kg, group I and II (GGE 500 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg by p.o.): 310 mg/kg, 271.69~353.71mg/kg, and 325 mg/kg, 285.09~370.50 mg/kg, respectively. In the comparison with the control group, the protective index was 1.1 and 1.2, respectively. From the above result, GGE has reactivation effect to decreasing Ch.E activity induced by exposure to NAC. Furthermore, GGE shows a preventive effect on NAC intoxication.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1039-1049
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• 2007

Overdoses of acetaminophen cause hepato-renal oxidative stress. The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effect of a 43 kDa protein isolated from the herb Cajanus indicus, against acetaminophen-induced hepatic and renal toxicity. Male albino mice were treated with the protein for 4 days (intraperitoneally, 2 mg/kg body wt) prior or post to oral administration of acetaminophen (300 mg/kg body wt) for 2 days. Levels of different marker enzymes (namely, glutamate pyruvate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase), creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were measured in the experimental sera. Intracellular reactive oxygen species production and total antioxidant activity were also determined from acetaminophen and protein treated hepatocytes. Indices of different antioxidant enzymes (namely, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase) as well as lipid peroxidation end-products and glutathione were determined in both liver and kidney homogenates. In addition, Cytochrome P450 activity was also measured from liver microsomes. Finally, histopathological studies were performed from liver sections of control, acetaminophen-treated and protein pre- and post-treated (along with acetaminophen) mice. Administration of acetaminophen increased all the serum markers and creatinine levels in mice sera along with the enhancement of hepatic and renal lipid peroxidation. Besides, application of acetaminophen to hepatocytes increased reactive oxygen species production and reduced the total antioxidant activity of the treated hepatocytes. It also reduced the levels of antioxidant enzymes and cellular reserves of glutathione in liver and kidney. In addition, acetaminophen enhanced the cytochrome P450 activity of liver microsomes. Treatment with the protein significantly reversed these changes to almost normal. Apart from these, histopathological changes also revealed the protective nature of the protein against acetaminophen induced necrotic damage of the liver tissues. Results suggest that the protein protects hepatic and renal tissues against oxidative damages and could be used as an effective protector against acetaminophen induced hepato-nephrotoxicity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.192-198
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• 1998

In this study, we intended to evaluate the modulatory effects of natural products, ${\beta}-carotene$, aloesin and semiessential amino acid, taurine on the toxicitiy of paraquat. In the taurine treated groups, serem glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (s-GOT), serem glutamic pyruvic transaminase (s-GPT). blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, malondialdehyde (MDA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in serum and MDA, ALP activity, collagen in lung tissue were decreased to the normal values. In the aloesin treated groups, s-GPT, BUN, creatinine, MDA level in serum were decreased to the normal values significantly. In the ${\beta}-carotene$ treated group, only s-GPTactivity was reduced to the normal values. In the lung tissue of taurine treated groups, MDA value, G-6-phosphatase activity and collagen synthesis were recovered to the normal valuse and ALP activity was increase about 40%. From these results, we concluded that taurine is an effective agent to inhibit the pulmonary and internal organs toxicities induced by paraquat and the inhibition effects of taurine are due to remove free radicals directly.

• Genes and Genomics
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.1199-1211
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• 2018

Soil acidification is one of major problems limiting crop growth and especially becoming increasingly serious in China owing to excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer. Only the STOP1 of Arabidopsis was identified clearly sensitive to proton rhizotoxicity and the molecular mechanism for proton toxicity tolerance of plants is still poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to investigate the transcriptomic change in plants under the low pH stress. The low pH as a single factor was employed to induce the response of the wheat seedling roots. Wheat cDNA microarray was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A total of 1057 DEGs were identified, of which 761 genes were up-regulated and 296 were down-regulated. The greater percentage of up-regulated genes involved in developmental processes, immune system processes, multi-organism processes, positive regulation of biological processes and metabolic processes of the biological processes. The more proportion of down-regulation genes belong to the molecular function category including transporter activity, antioxidant activity and molecular transducer activity and to the extracellular region of the cellular components category. Moreover, most genes among 41 genes involved in ion binding, 17 WAKY transcription factor genes and 17 genes related to transport activity were up-regulated. KEGG analysis showed that the jasmonate signal transduction and flavonoid biosynthesis might play important roles in response to the low pH stress in wheat seedling roots. Based on the data, it is can be deduced that WRKY transcription factors might play a critical role in the transcriptional regulation, and the alkalifying of the rhizosphere might be the earliest response process to low pH stress in wheat seedling roots. These results provide a basis to reveal the molecular mechanism of proton toxicity tolerance in plants.