• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2014

Objectives: The use of indium compounds, especially those of small size, for the production of semiconductors, liquid-crystal panels, etc., has increased recently. However, the role of particle size or the chemical composition of indium compounds in their toxicity and distribution in the body has not been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of particle size and the chemical composition of indium compounds on their toxicity and distribution. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to two different-sized indium oxides (average particle sizes under 4,000 nm [IO_4000] and 100 nm [IO_100]) and one nano-sized indium-tin oxide (ITO; average particle size less than 50 nm) by inhalation for 6 hr daily, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks at approximately $1mg/m^3$ of indium by mass concentration. Results: We observed differences in lung weights and histopathological findings, differential cell counts, and cell damage indicators in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid between the normal control group and IO- or ITO-exposed groups. However, only ITO affected respiratory functions in exposed rats. Overall, the toxicity of ITO was much higher than that of IOs; the toxicity of IO_4000 was higher than that of IO_100. A 4-week recovery period was not sufficient to alleviate the toxic effects of IO and ITO exposure. Inhaled indium was mainly deposited in the lungs. ITO in the lungs was removed more slowly than IOs; IO_4000 was removed faster than IO_100. IOs were not distributed to other organs (i.e., the brain, liver, and spleen), whereas ITO was. Concentrations of indium in the blood and organ tissues were higher at 4 weeks after exposure. Conclusions: The effect of particle size on the toxicity of indium compounds was not clear, whereas chemical composition clearly affected toxicity; ITO showed much higher toxicity than that of IO.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.45-54
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• 2002

Objectives: In order to investigate the relationship of Radix Trichosanthis components and the melanin synthesis, the author has analyzed the cell viability and tyrosinase activity, melanin content and morphologic changes in n-hexane, EtOAc, n-BuOH, and H2O fraction. Methods: At first, in order to determine the concentration of the Radix Trichosanthis component, the author investigated the viability of B16 melanoma cell. To measure the effects of Trichosanthes kirilowii extracts (n-BuOH, n-Hexane, EtOAc, H2O fractions) on the viability of A549 cells, A549 cells were treated with various concentrations (from 0.5 to $25{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$) of components of Trichosanthes kirilowii. After 24hrs, the cell viability was measured by MTT assay. The EtOAc components of Trichosanthes kirilowii decreased the viability of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. H2O and n-BuOH components had no cell toxicity till $25{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$, the n-hexane component showed minor cell toxicity at $25{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ and the EtOAc component cell toxicity was revealed at $5{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ concentration. Results: 1. The results of tyrosinase activity and the Radix Trichosanthis component; n-hexane and EtOAc components controlled it effectively; the n-BuOH components were less effective. 2. The results of melanin content analysis showed that the n-hexane and EtOAc components effectively inhibited, the n-BuOH fraction inhibited less, and H2O component didn't inhibit the terminal melanin formation. 3. In the n-BuOH and H2O component there were no changes, but in the n-hexane component the melanin content was effectively inhibited. 4. In the EtOAc fraction, although the melanin content was inhibited, the cell count was evidently suppressed, Of all of the Radix Trichosanthis components, the n-Hexane and EtOAc fractions inhibited the melanin synthesis best, but owing to its toxicity, the EtOAc components inhibited the cell count. Conclusion: The above results demonstrated that Radix Trichosanthis n-hexane fraction efficiently inhibited the tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 1981

Thirty species of Korean medicinal plants which have been frequently used in Oriental herb prescriptions were evaluated on their acute toxicity and potential antitumor activities against P-388 lymphocytic leukemia. The criteria for toxicity evaluation of measuring weight loss, toxicity day survivors and computing log cell kill indicated that 11 species possessed acute toxicity according to the doses administered. No significant antitumor activities were observed while the root of Angelica gigas Nakai (Umbelliferae) exhibited only 24% increased life span.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2024

Recent amendments to regulatory frameworks have placed a greater emphasis on the utilization of in vitro testing platforms for preclinical drug evaluations and toxicity assessments. This requires advanced tissue models capable of accurately replicating liver functions for drug efficacy and toxicity predictions. Liver organoids, derived from human cell sources, offer promise as a reliable platform for drug evaluation. However, there is a lack of standardized quality evaluation methods, which hinders their regulatory acceptance. This paper proposes comprehensive quality standards tailored for liver organoids, addressing cell source validation, organoid generation, and functional assessment. These guidelines aim to enhance reproducibility and accuracy in toxicity testing, thereby accelerating the adoption of organoids as a reliable alternative or complementary tool to animal testing in drug development. The quality standards include criteria for size, cellular composition, gene expression, and functional assays, thus ensuring a robust hepatotoxicity testing platform.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.76-94
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• 2003

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate Acute$\cdot$Subacute Toxicity and Anti-cancer Effect of K-Herbal-acupuncture in mice and rats. Methods : Balb/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with K-herbal-acupuncture for $LD_{50}$ and acute toxicity test. Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intraperitoneally with K-herbal-acupuncture for subacute toxicity test. K-Herbal-acupuncture was injected on abdomen of mice with S-180 cancer cell line. Result : 1. $LD_{50}$ of K-Herbal-acupuncture was limited $4{\times}10^{-3}$ml/kg~$2{\times}10^{-3}$ml/kg by the test. 2. In acute toxicity test, all of mice were down to the moving reflex, but the weight of mice was increased in treatment group, compared with the normal group. (P<0.05) 3. In acute toxicity test of serum biochemical values of mice, glucose was increased in treatment II group, total cholesterol was increased both treatments.(P<0.05) 4. In subacute toxicity test, the clinical signs of toxication was down to the moving reflex, but it is not severe like acute toxicity test, and observed weight loss at the treatments. 5. In subacute toxicity test, liver weight was decreased compared with the normal group. (P<0.05) 6. In subacute toxicity test of complete blood count test (CBC) of rat, HCT was decreased in treatments, compared with the normal group.(P<0.05) 7. In subacute toxicity test of serum biochemical values of rat, uric acid and triglyceride were decreased, and glucose was increased in treatment groups compared with the control group. (P<0.05) 8. Median survival time was increased about $45\%$ in treatment groups compared with the control group.(P<0.05) 9. Natural killer cell activity was increased in B16F10 lung cancer model, but it was not in sarcoma-180 abdomen cancer. 10. In interleukin-2 productivity test, treatment groups didn't show significant change in lung cancer and abdomen cancer, compared with the normal group.(P<0.005) 11. In making an examination of metastatic cancer with the naked eye, melanoma metastasized in the Lung of C57BL/6 mice. The treated group showed more Melanoma than the control in the numbers and volume. Conclusion : According to the result, K-herbal-acupuncture need further study to know the function and effect in cancer.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.114-124
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• 2021

The objective of this study was to characterize the enzymatic hydrolysis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by wheat phytase and to investigate the effects of wheat phytase-treated LPS on in vitro toxicity, cell viability and release of a pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin (IL)-8 by target cells compared with the intact LPS. The phosphatase activity of wheat phytase towards LPS was investigated in the presence or absence of inhibitors such as L-phenylalanine and L-homoarginine. In vitro toxicity of LPS hydrolyzed with wheat phytase in comparison to intact LPS was assessed. Cell viability in human aortic endothelial (HAE) cells exposed to LPS treated with wheat phytase in comparison to intact LPS was measured. The release of IL-8 in human intestinal epithelial cell line, HT-29 cells applied to LPS treated with wheat phytase in comparison to intact LPS was assayed. Wheat phytase hydrolyzed LPS, resulting in a significant release of inorganic phosphate for 1 h (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the degradation of LPS by wheat phytase was nearly unaffected by the addition of L-phenylalanine, the inhibitor of tissue-specific alkaline phosphatase or L-homoarginine, the inhibitor of tissue-non-specific alkaline phosphatase. Wheat phytase effectively reduced the in vitro toxicity of LPS, resulting in a retention of 63% and 54% of its initial toxicity after 1-3 h of the enzyme reaction, respectively (p < 0.05). Intact LPS decreased the cell viability of HAE cells. However, LPS dephosphorylated by wheat phytase counteracted the inhibitory effect on cell viability. LPS treated with wheat phytase decreased IL-8 secretion from intestinal epithelial cell line, HT-29 cell to 14% (p < 0.05) when compared with intact LPS. In conclusion, wheat phytase is a potential therapeutic candidate and prophylactic agent for control of infections induced by pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria and associated LPS-mediated inflammatory diseases in animal husbandry.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.919-924
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• 2006

Toxicity evaluation systems for various chemicals and their metabolites have been developed during last decades. In this study, the acute toxicity of endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as endosulfan, bisphenol A, vinclozolin, and 3,5-dichloroaniline, was evaluated using HepG2 cell line, Lumbricus rubellus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively. The extents of toxicity of the chemicals in different bioassay systems varied substantially, such as endosulfan>3,5-dichloroaniline> bisphenol A in HepG2 cell line system, endosulfan>bisphenol A>3,5-dichloro aniline in L. rubellus system, and 3,5-dichloroaniline>endosulfan>bisphenol A in S. cerevisiae system. Meanwhile, no cytotoxicity was observed by treatment of vinclozolin in the evaluation systems. Our results suggest that earthworm and yeast are useful to evaluate acute toxicity of endocrine disrupting chemicals, and direct comparison of toxicity data from different bioassay systems is unattainable. Based on our results, we propose that the bioassay system with earthworm or yeast, a rapid, simple and economic system, could be applied as pre-test for the toxicity evaluation using human cell line or animals.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 1989

This study was performed to investigate the toxicity of ochratoxin A (OA) to the chromosomes of $K_{562}$ tumor cell-line in vitro. The results of this experiment were as follows: 1) Chromosomes of $K_{562}$tumor cell-line resulted in pseudotriploidy on the control group. Chromosomes of $K_{562}$ tumor cell-line treated with OA resulted in heteroploidy compared with the control group. The mean number of chromosomes in the karyotype of the control group (60) were 7 in the A group, 5 in the B group, 20 in the C+X group, 7 in the D group, 9 in the E group, 6 in the F group, and 6 in the G+Y group respectively. The number of chromosomes were increased as follows: Treating with $0.7{\mu}M$ OA, the number of chromosomes were increased one in E and F group, two in G+Y group compared with control group. In treated with $1.5{\mu}M$ OA, the increasing number of chromosome was one in E and F group. In treated with $3{\mu}M$ OA, E and F group was increased one and G+Y group were increased two chromosomes compared with control group. But in treated with $6{\mu}M$ OA, the number of chromosome in G+Y group was decreased one. 2) $K_{562}$ tumor cell line treated with OA showed Philadelphia-Chromosome in the long arm of the G group karyotype chromosome. The rate of chromosome aberration in $K_{562}$ tumor cell-line treated with OA was 77% in $0.7{\mu}M$ OA group, 71% in $1.5{\mu}M$ OA group, 82% in $3{\mu}M$ OA group and 94% in $6{\mu}M$ OA group respectively. The rate of chromosome aberration of $K_{562}$ tumor cell-line treated with OA was high in the high dose level of OA, and chromosome aberration of $K_{562}$ tumor cell-line treated with OA showed deletion, minute, dicentric-chromosome and translocation in the long arm of the C-group karyotype. As a result of this study, the toxicity of OA showed deletion, minute, dicentric-chromosome and translocation in the long arm of the C-group karyotype, and then, the toxicity of OA resulted in the damage to RNA and protein synthesis in $K_{562}$ tumor cell-line, and the C-group karyotype of $K_{562}$ tumor cell-line was target of the toxicity of OA.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.263-269
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• 2006

Deficiencies in the early ADMET(absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination and toxicity) information on drug candidate extract a significant economic penalty on pharmaceutical firms. Microscale cell culture analogue-microscale gastrointestinal(${\mu}CCA-{\mu}GI$) device using Caco 2, L2 and HEp G2/C3A cells, which mimic metabolic process after absorption occurring in humans was used to investigate the toxicity of the model chemical, acetaminophen(AAP). The toxicity of acetaminophen determined after induction of CYP 1A1/2 in Caco 2 cells was not significant. In a coculture system, although no significant reduction in viability of HEp G2/C3A and L2 cells was found, approximately 5 fold increase in the CYP 1A1/2 activity was observed. These results appear to be related to organ-organ interaction. The oral administration of a drug requires addition of the absorption process through small intestine to the current ${\mu}CCA$ device. Therefore, a perfusion coculture system was employed for the evaluation of the absolution across the small intestine and resulting toxicity in the liver and lung. This system give comprehensive and physiologic information on oral uptake and resulting toxicity as in the body. The current ${\mu}CCA$ device can be used to demonstrate the toxic effect due to organ to organ interaction after oral administration,

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.10.1-10.5
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• 2009

Toxicity is usually investigated using a set of standardized animal-based studies which, unfortunately, fail to detect all compounds that induce human adverse events and do not provide detailed mechanistic information of observed toxicity. As an alternative to conventional toxicology, toxicogenomics takes advantage of currently advanced technologies in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics to gain a molecular level understanding of toxicity and to enhance the predictive power of toxicity testing in drug development and risk/safety assessment. In addition, there has been a renewed interest, particularly in various government agencies, to prioritize and/or supplement animal testing with a battery of mechanistically informative in vitro assays. This article provides a brief summary of the issues, challenges and lessons learned in these fields and discuss the ways forward to further advance toxicology using these technologies.