• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.619-627
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• 1997

It is known that 2-methyl-1,4-naphtoquinone(menadione, MD) induces hepatotoxicities both in vivo and in vitro. These toxic effects are believed to result from oxidative damages to hepatocytes by "active oxygen" species via one-electron reduction of the naphtoquinone. The ginsenoside(GS) is a complex mixture of individual ginsenosides which is known to produce a range of effects on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. In particular, GS has an antioxidant effect. In this experiment we studied the effect of GS from red panax ginseng(red ginseng total saponin, RGTS) on free radical-induced liver injuries by MD. Administration of MD($150{\mu}M$) caused an increase in aspartate aminotransferase(AST) activities and lipid peroxidation, decrease in alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activities and total bilirubin levels in blood, caused depletion of GSH and changes of antioxidant enzyme(superoxide dismutase, catalase) activities are shown in liver tissue. Administration of RGTS restored the AST levels that increased by MD, but catalase showed no significant changes. RGTS also had an effect of restoring the GSH level and had some synergistic effects with SOD. These data suggest that RGTS may have some protective effects on liver injury which is related with the oxygen free radical.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1145-1151
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate liver function test results in admitted patients before and after herbal treatment. Methods: 54 subjects admitted to hospital had liver function tests (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin) before and after herbal treatment from 1 March 2017 to 30 June 2019. Results: Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were not significantly changed (p>0.05). On admission, 11 patients had abnormal liver function, while seven patients had abnormal results in alkaline phosphatase upon discharge. Three of the seven were normal when they were hospitalized. Conclusions: This study suggests that herbal treatment may have no effect on liver injury.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.555-563
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• 2017

Objectives: This case report describes a patient who had suffered a stroke and who was treated for a long period with herbal medicine in combination with a Western medicine. Methods: Changes in liver function and renal function laboratory tests were measured while the patient took herbal medicine during the 1190 days of hospitalization. Results: During the hospitalization period, the liver function test (LFT) levels were elevated two fold, but after taking the herbal medicine, the LFT levels were stabilized and have remained stable since. Conclusions: The high risk of prescribing herbal medicine by an unlicensed person and the possibility of long-term herbal medicine usage for stabilizing liver function test were shown.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2021.04a
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• pp.5-5
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• 2021

Alcoholic and nonalcoholic steaohepatitis is a leading form of chronic liver disease with few biomakers ad treatment options currently available. a progressive disease of NAFLD may lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently, we extracted HIMH0021, which is an active flavonoid component in the Acer tegmentosum extract, has been shown to protect against liver damage caused by hepatic dysfunction. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate whether HIMH0021 could regulate steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis during alcoholic or nonalcoholic metabolic process. HIMH0021, which was isolated from the active methanol extract of A. tegmentosum, inhibited alcohol-induced steatosis and attenuated the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) during hepatocellular alcohol metabolism, both of which promote lipogenesis as well as liver inflammation. Treatment with HIMH0021 conferred protection against lipogenesis and liver injury, inhibited the expression of cytochrome P4502E1, and increased serum adiponectin levels in the mice subjected to chronic-plus-binge feeding. Furthermore, in hepatocytes, HIMH0021 activated fatty acid oxidation by activating pAMPK, which comprises pACC and CPT1a. These findings suggested that HIMH0021 could be used to target a TNFα-related pathway for treating patients with alcoholic hepatitis.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 2023

Objectives : Present study investigated the hepatoprotective effects and the optimal mixing ratio of fermented Schizandrae Fructus Pomace (fSFP) and Hoveniae Semen Cum Fructus (HSCF) extract combination in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced acute liver injury mice. Methods : ICR mice were orally administered with 200 mg/kg of fSFP, HSCF and mixtures of fSFP and HSCF [MSH (w:w); 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:6, 2:1, 4:1, 6:1, and 8:1] for 7 consecutive days. Silymarin (100 mg/kg) was administered as a reference drug. 0.5 mL/kg of CCl₄ was injected intraperitoneally to induce acute liver injury. Body weight gain, relative liver weight, serum chemistry, histopathological analysis, and hepatic endogenous antioxidants capacities were observed. Results : All diverse combinations of MSH significantly reduced relative liver weight increase by CCl₄. In addition, MSH administrations significantly decreased the elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities by CCl₄. Histopathological observation indicated that all MSH treatments significantly reduced the increase of degenerated hepatocytes, inflammatory cell infiltration, and histological activity index score by CCl₄. Moreover, all MSH administrations reduced the elevation of malondialdehyde contents, and ameliorated the reduction of hepatic glutathione contents, superoxide dismutase activity, and catalase activity. Among the various mixing ratio of MSH combinations, MSH 1:1 and 2:1 showed the most potent anti-oxidative stress, and hepatoprotective effect. Conclusion : Present results suggest that 1:1 and 2:1 combinations of MSH is promising herbal formulation with the hepatoprotective effect against oxidative stress.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.40-48
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate safety of postpartum herbal medicine by assessing the effect of taking herbal medicine of postpartum period on liver function. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 167 mothers who underwent liver function tests (LFT) within 3 months before and after childbirth among mothers who gave birth at ○○ Hospital between January 1, 2016 and May 31, 2018. Mothers with abnormally elevated LFT during pregnancy were excluded. Among 167 women, 6 women are herbal-medicine-group took herbal medicine for 5-6 weeks during postpartum period, and 161 patients are general -group who did not take herbal medicine. LFT Variation of Subjects before and after childbirth were compared between the two groups. And subjects who had elevated liver levels above the normal range after delivery were classified separately, the characteristics and causes of changes in liver levels were analyzed, and the presence or absence of drug-induced liver damage was confirmed. Results: Among a total of 167 subjects, there were 5 women in the herbal-medicine-group and 150 women in the general-group who had changes in liver values within the normal range after childbirth. Aspartate transaminase (AST) change before and after childbirth in the herbal-medicine-group was 3.40±1.82, and AST change in the general-group was 2.92±8.59, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.901). Increase of Alanine transaminase (ALT) before and after childbirth in the herbal-medicine-group was 5.60±3.65, and ALT change in the general-group was 8.01±11.81, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.651). There were 12 subjects who had elevated AST, ALT above the normal range after delivery, including 1 in the herbal-medicine-group and 11 in the normal mothers group. Valuation of 1 Subject of the herbal-medicine-group before and after delivery was 17 IU/L of AST and 52 IU/L of ALT. Because results of AST, ALT is under the standard to diagnose to liver damage, she was observed without any treatment. However the cause of AST, ALT elevation was not found in the chart, she was receiving treatment for diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The general-group had an average increase of AST 35.64±22.67 IU/L and ALT 53.00±26.80 IU/L. As a result of analyzing the cause, there were direct causes such as autoimmune hepatitis, chronic hepatitis B, and acute pyelonephritis. Abnormal elevations in liver levels were also found in mothers with hypothyroidism, diabetes, and fever of unknown cause, although they were not direct causes. Conclusions: To investigate the safety of taking herbal medicines, we assess the variation in AST and ALT within 3 months before and after delivery in the herbal-medicine-group and general-group. There was no significant difference between two groups.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.83-91
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• 2015

Objectives : The present study was conducted to examine whether Cynanchi wilfordii radix (CWR) with or without fermentation has an ameliorative effect on hyperlipidemia in rats.Methods : We analyzed the contents of Conduritol F on Cynanchi wilfordii radix. The experimental animals were divided into six groups; normal diet fed group (N), high cholesterol fed control group (Con), Lovastatin 20 mg/kg (L), CWR-W 300 mg/kg (CWR-W), and CWR-F 300 mg/kg on hyperlipidemia model induced by feeding 1.25% cholesterol. Rats were administrated orally every day for 8 weeks. And lipid profile of serum and weight change were observed.Results : The vehicle displayed a markedly increased body weight and significantly increased liver and epididymal fat weight, however, the administration of CWR improved the body, liver, and epididymal fat weights. All drug treatment reduced significantly the serum level of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol elevated by intake of high cholesterol diet. TG displayed a reducing tendency all drug treatment, however, CWR-W decreased significantly. Atherogenic index and cardiac risk factor increased high cholesterol diet fed control group, while the administration of CWR-W and CWR-F decreased significantly. The major index of liver injury such as AST and ALT improved in all drug treatment.Conclusions : These results suggest that CWR extended the effect of lipid enhanced. Therefore CWR with or without fermentation may be useful for therapeutic treatment of clinical conditions associated with hyperlipidemia. Finally, these require more investigations about the action mechanism of CWR in the future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1997.04a
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• pp.98-98
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• 1997

This study was done to investigate the effect of vitamin E on hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced hepatic injury in isolated perfused rat liver. Rats were pretreated with vitamin E or vehicle(soybean oil). Isolated livers from fasted 18 hours were subjected to 45min of low flow hypoxia or N$_2$ hypoxia followed by reoxygenation for 30min. The perfusion medium used was KHBB(pH 7.4) and 50${\mu}$㏖/$\ell$ of ethoxycoumarin was added to the perfusate to determine the ability of hepatic drug-metabolizing systems, In low flow hypoxia model, total glutathione and oxidised glutathione levels were significantly increased by hepoxia/reoxygenation with slight increase in LDH levels. These increases were prevented by vitamin E pretreatment. In N$_2$ hypoxia model, LDH, total glutathione and oxidized glutathione levels were increased significantly by hypoxia but restored to normal level by reoxygenation. Vitamin E had little effect on this hypoxic damage. There were no significant changes in the rate of hepatic oxidation of 7-EC to 7-HC in both hepoxic models. But, the subsequent conjugation of 7-HC by sulfate or glucuronic acid were significantly decreased by hypoxia, but restored by reoxygenation in both hypoxia models. As opposed to our expectation, treatment with vitamin E aggrevated the decrease of the rate of conjugation and even inhibited the restoration by reoxygenation. Our findings suggest that hypoxia/reoxygenation diminishes phase II drug metabolizing function and this is, in part, related to decreased energy level.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.78-89
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• 2004

Background : A report published by the National Institute of Toxicological Research (NITR) in January 2004 about toxic hepatitis in Korea contained the result of analysis on 55 cases of severe toxic hepatitis from 7 university hospitals for 8 months. NITR claimed that the extrapolated annual frequency of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea was 1904 cases per year. They also claimed that the most frequent etiology of severe toxic hepatitis were herbal medications and similar plant preparations (61.7%), contrasted with traditional therapeutic preparations and healthy foods (29.1%). I have investigated that report to be certain of the result because it is a very important subject for public health and society in Korea. Results : The NITR report has too many problems to have faith in its results. They include the following: 1. The report uses only 55 cases to estimate annual prevalence rate of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea. 2. There was a large regional preponderancy in the NITR report (2 cases in Seoul from a population of 10.17 million, 19 cases in Gwangju from a population of 1.4 million) 3. There was another preponderancy that selected much fewer cases caused by western medication (9.1%) than other reasons. 4. The NITR report used a modified scale than that officially recognized to diagnose toxic hepatitis. 5. There was a mistake using the scale to adapt the right indications. 6. They collected cases before beginning the study, although it was a prospective study. There was also not any questionnaire or other materials concerned with alcohol, drugs, or history of past liver disease. Conclusions : NITR is one of the important official arms of the government of Korea. Nevertheless, there is a severe problem in validity because of selection bias, uncertain accuracy, and insufficiency of raw materials in the report. Therefore it seems incorrect to generalize the results of the report and there is a lack of confidence in it as a national study publishing by the NITR.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.374-380
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• 2016

Objective: Although the incidence of chronic hepatitis B has decreased around the world due to widespread national preventative control measures, mortality from the same condition can increase if the condition leads to liver cancer or liver cirrhosis. In most cases, herbal medicine does not show any statistically significant effects related to liver damage, but preconceptions do exist that herbal medicine can be toxic and cause such liver damage. To investigate this situation, this study therefore investigated a patient with hepatitis B who had combined traditional Korean medicine therapy and the use of analgesic drugs during a hospitalization period.Method: A patient with hepatitis B was given combined traditional Korean medicine therapy and the use of analgesic drugs during a hospitalization period.Results: Within 26 days, the patient was free from liver damage during the hospitalization period. She was followed up with a liver function test and was discharged after her condition improved; she also reported decreased back pain.