• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.479-491
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• 2006

Heme oxygenase (HO), the rate limiting enzyme in the breakdown of heme into carbon monoxide (CO), iron and bilirubin, has recently received overwhelming research attention. To date three mammalian HO isozymes have been identified, and the only inducible form is HO-1 while HO-2 and HO-3 are constitutively expressed. Advances in unveiling signal transduction network indicate that a battery of redox-sensitive transcription factors, such as activator protein-1 (AP-1), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) and nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), and their upstream kinases including mitogen-activated protein kinases play an important regulatory role in HO-1 gene induction. The products of the HO-catalyzed reaction, particularly CO and biliverdin/bilirubin have been shown to exert protective effects in several organs against oxidative and other noxious stimuli. In this context, it is interesting to note that induction of HO-1 expression contributes to protection against liver damage induced by several chemical compounds such as acetaminophen, carbon tetrachloride and heavy metals, suggesting HO-1 induction as an important cellular endeavor for hepatoprotection. The focus of this review is on the significance of targeted induction of HO-1 as a potential therapeutic strategy to protect against chemically-induced liver injury as well as hepatocarcinogenesis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.478-483
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• 2013

Objectives : To observe the therapeutic effects of an oriental herbal prescription in a hepatocellular carcinoma patient with splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Methods : Modified Sipjeondaebo-tang was prescribed three times a day to a hepatocellular carcinoma patient with splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Laboratory tests were carried out regularly to observe the therapeutic effects of the oriental herbal prescription for pancytopenia. Results : When treated with modified Sipjeondaebo-tang including Cinnamomi Cortex, the levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit increased. However, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamic transpeptidase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin levels also increased. Conclusions : Administering modified Sipjeondaebo-tang with Cinnamomi Cortex showed effect in improving pancytopenia but an increase in liver enzyme levels was also observed.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.216-222
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• 2009

1. Objectives: This case study described a process of the patient diagnosed as acute hepatitis A treated by medication based on the Sasang Constitutional Medicine and acupuctural theraphy and obtained improved effects about several symptoms. 2. Methods: We diagnosed the male patient with acute hepatitis A as Tae-Eumin Exterior-Cold-Disease by the Cold in the Esophagus, and administered Mahwangbalpyo-tang and Handayeolso-tang according to clinical progress. And we evaluated the results by liver function test(LFT; AST, ALT, $\gamma$-GTP ), total bilirubin level and the visual analog scale(VAS) of symptoms. 3. Results and Conclusion: Almost symptoms (except for jaundice) at the time of admission were disappeared, and also jaundice (estimated by color of scleras and color of urine) was alleviated. Also level of AST, ALT, $\gamma$-GTP and total bilirubin decreased in laboratory test. We obtained positive effects to the therapy but we considered necessities of further comparative studies with control group.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.79-83
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• 2010

Herbal hepatotoxicity is a one of the most often encountered controversial issues in medical society. Some believe herbs are totally safe while others regard treatment with herbs as a very common cause of hepatotoxicity. But there are no comparative clinical hepatotoxicity studies between herbal and conventional medicines. We investigated incidence of patients with abnormal liver function who were treated with herbal or conventional medicine at Dongguk University International Hospital. Each group consisted of 300 patients, who were admitted for longer than 30 days during the year 2008. We compared albumin, total bilirubin, AST (aspartate aminotransferase), and ALT (alanine aminotransferase) levels, and excludes patients who had abnormal liver function test or liver-related disease when admitted. As a result, incidence of total bilirubin, AST, and ALT elevation in the CT (conventional treatment) group was more frequent than in the TKM (traditional Korean medicine) group (p<0.05) during admission. Albumin level also decreased more frequently in the CT group than in the TKM group (p<0.05). According to these results, herbal medicine is not more hepatotoxic than conventional medicine, and not a main cause of liver injury in inpatients.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.307-310
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• 1988

This experiment was carried out to provide the data of blood chemistry in use of application to clinical diagnosis in racehorses. Blood was collected from 30 racehorses(♀ 17, ♂ 13). Calcium, inorganic phosphorus, blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, bilirubin, fibrinogen and ketone body in serum were analyzed as follows. 1. The values of calcium and inorganic phosphorus were maintained a certain level without much variation regardless of sex and species, Ca/P ratio was in the range of 3.13~3.35. 2. The value of blood glucose was 60 mg/100ml, Age and sex of racehorses make no difference in the value. 3. The value of blood urea nitrogen and total cholesterol showed a tendency to increase according to the age. Total cholesterol value was somewhat higher in male than in female. 4. The value of total bilirubin showed a tendency to increase according to the age. There was no difference between sexes in the value. 5. The value of fibrinogen showed no apparent difference with age and sex. 6. Ketone body was negative in all of the cases. 7. There was no variation in the species of the racehorses.

• Mycobiology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.255-259
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• 2008

The effect of aflatoxin-contaminated corn on albino mice was investigated using the sperm morphology assay. Blood parameter levels including; total white blood cells (WBC), total red blood cells (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), serum bilirubin (SB) and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were also determined in the tested mice. Test mice were exposed to aflatoxin-contaminated corn (contamination level of 100 ppb) for $1{\sim}4$ weeks while aflatoxin-free corn and cyclophosphamide were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. Sperm cells showed varieties of morphological abnormality when assessed after 5 weeks. The percentage frequencies of the negative and positive controls were 18.8% and 48.87%, respectively, while the percentage abnormalities for the 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks exposures were 41.38%, 48.17%, 57.13% and 61.67%, respectively. PCV, WBC, total bilirubin and glucose level values of mice in all concentrations were higher and statistically significant as compared to the negative control values using Dunnett's test. Therefore, abnormal sperm cell induction is concentrationdependent such that continuous consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated corn is capable of negatively affecting spermatogenesis by inducing or increasing the frequency of morphologically abnormal sperm cells produced.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2006

The methanol extracts of the roots, root bark and stem of Berberis tinctoria, were investigated for their hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride $(CCl_4)$ induced toxicity in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes, HEp-G2 cells and animal models. The methanol extracts were able to significantly normalise the levels of aspartate amino transferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, total proteins, albumin, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin, which were altered due to $CCl_4$ intoxication in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes and also in animal models. The anti-hepatotoxic effect of the methanol extracts in vitro were observed at $600\;-\;1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentrations. A dose dependent increase in the percentage viability was observed when $CCl_4$ exposed HEp-G2 cells were treated with different concentrations of the methanol extracts. The highest percentage viability of HEp-G2 was observed at a concentration of $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. The results from the present investigations also indicate good correlation between the in vivo and in vitro studies.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.778-788
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• 2017

Objective: We conducted this study to report the clinical manifestations of integrative treatment with Korean and conventional medicines in a patient with acute hepatitis A after conventional medicine therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia. Methods: A patient was treated with herbal medicine, western medicine, and moxibustion. The liver function tests (GOT, GPT, ALP, ${\gamma}-GT$), total bilirubin, and 4-scale scoring (none, mild, moderate, and severe) of symptoms were used to assess any improvement in symptoms. Results and Conclusion: The symptoms at the time of admission were improved. The levels of GOT, GPT, ALP, ${\gamma}-GT$, and total bilirubin were decreased in laboratory tests. We obtained positive effects for the integrative treatment of acute hepatitis A.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.428-436
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• 1996

The protective effect of Carthamus tinctorius L. Semen on the carbon tetrachloride induced liver damaged rats were studied. First, methanol extract was prepared and the extract was fractionated with hexane, $CHCl_3$, BuOH and $H_2O$ respectively. Animals were divided into 6 groups and each group was treated with each fraction respectively. To investigate the hepato-protective effect of Carthamus tinctorius L. Semen AST, ALT, albumin, TP, cholesterol, TG, creatinine and total bilirubin values were measured in each treated group and compared with those of control group. GST activity was increased in BuOH group compared with the control group. In malondialdehyde levels, all fractions was decreased compared with the control group. In histopathologic examination, hexane and $H_2O$ fractions of Carthamus tinctorius L. Semen observed mild degree of ballooning degeneration. The results show the protective effect of Hexane,$CHCl_3$, BuOH and $H_2O$ fractions on hepatotoxicity of $CHl_4$ by decreasing ALT, AST, bilirubin, cholesterol, TG and BUN. It seems that the decrease of MDA are related to the recovery effect. The protective effects of Carthamus tinctorius L. Semen fractions in hepatotoxic pathogenesis by $CHl_4$ was suggested in blood chemistry analysis and histopathologic examination.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 1996

The studies were attempted to investigate the therapeutic effect of Solanum lyratum extract(SLE) on the liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats. Male rats (Sprangue-Dawley) were treated with subchronic concentration of $CCl_4$, which was 1 mg/kg of $CCl_4$ via per oral administration daily for three days. The level of serum cholesterol, transaminase, bilirubin and BSP were measured. Treatment of SLE significantly decreased the increment in serum transaminase activities, total cholesterol and enlargement of liver but serum bilirubin was not reduced. The protective effect was observed when SLE was given daily for 4 weeks after $CCl_4$ treated for 3 days. SLE administration to rats prevented the development of fatty change, necrosis, and fibrosis induced by $CCl_4$. The results suggest that SLE has appreciable therapeutic effect on $CCl_4$ induced hepatotoxicity.