• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2020

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play essential roles in normal and pathophysiological function in liver. In steady state, HSCs contribute to retinoid storage, immune tolerance, and extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. Upon liver injury, they become activated and lead to morphological and functional changes. Studies have demonstrated that activation of HSCs by various stimuli such as toxins, microbial infection, or metabolic overload can promote the fibrotic changes in liver by production of ECM. Herein, we provide current knowledge about the basic characteristics of HSCs and the mechanism by which they are activated.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1994 no.12
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• pp.117-120
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• 1994

수술 전 간 기능이 저하되어 있는 간암환자의 경우 너무 많은 간 조직을 절제하면 남아있는 조직의 기능만으로는 생존하기 어려울 때가 있다 그러므로 수술전 간 기능의 평가를 정확히 할 수 있고 간절제 후에 잔여세포의 기능을 정확히 측정하는 것은 매우 중요한 의미를 갖게 된다. 현재의 일반적인 간 기능 검사나 Indocyanine 등을 이용하는 방법으로는 수술 후 잔여 간세포의 기능을 예측할 수 없다. 그리하여 본 연구에서는 수학적 deconvolution 방법을 이용하여 Hepatic extraction fraction(HEF)를 구하여 수술 후 잔여 간세포의 기능을 정량적으로 예측할 수 있는 software를 개발하고자 한다. 그리하여 간암 환자의 수술여부 및 절제부위의 크기를 결정할 수 있으며 또한 HEF로 신생아 황달의 원인인 간염과 간담도 폐쇄를 식별할 수 있다.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2003

To investigate the cyclohexane and xylene mixture treatment on the liver damage, the rats were treated by the mixture of cyclohexane and xylene (CH＋X) and then, liver damage was demonstrated by liver function findings based on liver weight/body weight, serum level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), xanthine oxidase (XO) and then compared with cyclohexane treated group (CH group) and xylene-treated group (X). The CH＋X group showed merely severer liver damge than CH or X group. On the other hand, CH＋X group showed lower activity of hepatic cytochrome P-450 dependent aniline hydroxylase (CYPdAH) than CH or X group, but no statical differences were demonstrated among three experimental groups. Especially the hepatic GSH content was merely declined than CH or X group and the activity of hepatic GST was higher in CH＋X group than CH or X group. In conclusion, cyclohexane and xylene mixture treated animals showed merely severer liver damage than cyclohexane or xylene treated group and such a fact may be caused by inhibition of cyclohexane or xylene metabolism and oxygen free radical.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.41-53
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• 1970

Although the radioisotope liver scan has primarily been of use in the detection of the intra-hepatic space occupying lesions, there has been an increasing awareness of its use in evaluation of liver function. In this study, the degree of hepatomegaly, changes in shape and mottling radiodensity on each lobe and splenic visualization in the liver scans done with colloidal radiogold were numerically expressed as scores under the arbitrary standard in 210 patients with liver cirrhosis. The clinical value of this scoring system was studied with special regards to the correlation between the radiogold hepatic uptake half time and conventional liver function tests. Following were the results; 1) The normal scan appeared in 6.7% of 210 patients with liver cirrhosis. 2) The colloidal radiogold hepatic uptake half time was abnormally and progressively prolonged in parallel to severity of hepatocellular dysfunction. The mean hepatic uptake half time in cirrhosis showing normal scan was $2.76{\pm}0.73$ minutes. 3) The scoring system was well correlated with the serum albumin and globulin levels, A/G ratio and BSP retention. There was some correlative tendency in alkaline phosphatase activity. 4) There was no correlation with the thymol turbidity test, cholesterol levels, transaminase activities and bilirubin levels. 5) The spleen was visualized in 38.6% of total patients with liver cirrhosis. Excluding normal scans in liver cirrhosis, the spleen was visualized in 41.3%. 6) The scoring system appears to confirm the clinical diagnosis and to give a reliable estimate of the degree of hepatocellular dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 1993

To evaluate an effect of dietary protein on the intoxication of methanethiol in rats, the methanethiol was intraperitoneally injected to the rats fed a low or high protein diet and then the liver weight per body weight and seurm levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were determined to investigate the differences in liver damage between the animal groups fed low protein diet and that fed high protein diet. On the other hand, the hepatic glutathione content and its conjugating enzyme, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity were determined to clarify the cause of difference in liver function between the two groups. The increasing rate of liver weigh/body wt., serum levels of ALT to its control group were higher in methanethiol-treated rats fed low protein diet than those fed high protein diet. The hepatic content of glutathione and GST activity were higher in rats fed high protein diet than those fed low protein diet and the decreasing rate of hepatic glu-tathione content to its control group was higher in rats fed low protein diet than those fed high protein diet. Furthermore, the hepatic GST activity in methanethiol-treated rats was higher in rats fed high protein diet than those fed low protein diet. In case of control group, the GST activity was also higher in rats fed high protein diet than those fed low protein diet.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.1936-1942
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• 2010

To examine the effect of overdosed functional food in liver-injured patients, we tried to investigate the dose effect of Allium sativum L. (also called garlic) extract on rats with CCl4-induced liver damage, by comparatively examinating the hepatic function of each group. 42 male Sprague-Dawley rats were selected and divided equally (n=7) into normal, control, positive control, and three experimental subgroups (E1, E2 and E3), respectively. For each kg of body weight, hepatic injury was induced by intraperitoneal administration of $0.5\;m{\ell}$ (0.20 g/kg/day) $CCl_4$, which was diluted in equal amount of olive oil, once a day on every other day for total 5 times. Hot water extraction was performed using domestically cultivated organic garlics, and the obtained extract was injected by sonde, once daily during 4 weeks, to each experimental subgroups by different dosage of 0.35 g/kg(E1), 0.70 g/kg(E2), 1.40 g/kg(E3), respectively. Results showed that the injection of garlic extract positively influenced the physiological activation which lowered the oxidative stress, changed the toxicity, and functionally improved the hepatic condition. Comparing the dose effect between the three experimental subgroups (E1, E2, E3), results of the maximal-dosed subgroup (E3) showed less significance compared with the lower-dosed subgroups(E1 and E2), which seems to resulted from the (increased) toxicity of garlic.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.135-149
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• 1999

This study was concerned with assessment of dietynitrosamine (DEN) induced liver cell carcinogenesis by measurement of changes preceding the development of neoplasms. The changes of hepatic morphology in rats(Sprague-Dawley) were detected by hematoxylin-eosin stain and immunohistochemistry(PCNA). The results were as follows ; 1. Minor behavioral change, brittleness of hair and decreased amount of water and diet intake. were observed in rats 7 weeks after DEN administration. 2. Variable size of liver tumor and hepatomegaly were observed in rats treated with DEN after 10 weeks. 3. Numerous vacuoles were showed on the midzonal and or peripheral areas of hepatic lobules. The large and polymorphological hepatocytes with eosinophilic cytoplasm or densely basophilic mitotic nucleoli were showed. 4. Several proliferative small round cells were shown on vacuolated and necrotic areas in peripheral hepatic lobules or portal areas. 5. PCNA-positive cells were showed on the vacuolated portal areas and peripheral areas of hepatic lobules. Maximal positivity was 23.6% in the areas of small round cells. In conclusion, this result confirmed that the DEN was one of the potent hepatocarcinogens. In histopathological analysis, the altered foci, hyperplastic nodules, neoplastic nodules, adenomas and carcinomas were observed in liver tumors induced by administration of DEN in rats.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.239-247
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• 2019

Objectives: Allium jesdianum (Aj) is a medicinal plant that has highlighted pharmacological features. In this study, the effects of Aj extract were examined on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatic failure in rats. Methods: Methanolic fraction of hydro-alcoholic extract of Aj was obtained by silica gel column chromatography method. Animals were randomly divided into four groups each containing six rats and treated by gavage as follows: the first and second groups received normal saline, the third and fourth groups were received with 50 and 100 mg/kg of Aj extract, respectively. After two consecutive weeks, the groups 2-4 were given a single dose of APAP (2 g/kg). After 48 hours, blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical and histological examinations. Results: The findings of the study demonstrated that APAP caused a significant increase in ALT (P < 0.001), AST (P < 0.001), LDH (P < 0.001), ALP (P < 0.001) serum levels, hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO; P < 0.001) and nitric oxide (NO; P < 0.001). In this regard, APAP led to the depletion of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC; P < 0.001), glutathione and total thiol groups (TTGs; P < 0.001), and structural change in the liver. In the Aj extract groups, a considerable improvement was found in the hepatic function alongside the histopathologic changes. Conclusion: This investigation indicated that the influential effects of Aj extract in APAP-induced hepatic failure might depend on its effect on improving oxidant/antioxidant balance in hepatic tissue.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.768-774
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• 2007

To study the effect of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enrichment on the expression of hepatic genes in pigs, weaned, crossbred pigs (30 d old) were fed diets supplemented with either 2% tallow or DHA oil for 18 d. Hepatic mRNA was extracted. Suppression subtractive hybridization was used to explore the hepatic genes that were specifically regulated by dietary DHA enrichment. After subtraction, we observed 288 cDNA fragments differentially expressed in livers from pigs fed either 2% DHA oil or 2% tallow for 18 d. After differential screening, 7 genes were found to be differentially expressed. Serum amyloid A protein 2 (SAA2) was further investigated because of its role in lipid metabolism. Northern analysis indicated that hepatic SAA2 was upregulated by dietary DHA enrichment (p<0.05). In a second experiment, feeding 10% DHA oil for 2d significantly increased the expression of SAA2 (compared to the 10% tallow group; p<0.05). The porcine SAA2 full length cDNA sequence was cloned and the sequence was compared to the human and mouse sequences. The homology of the SAA2 amino acid sequence between pig and human was 73% and between pig and mouse was 62%. There was a considerable difference in SAA2 sequences among these species. Of particular note was a deletion of 8 amino acids, in the pig compared to the human. This fragment is a specific characteristic for the SAA subtype that involved in acute inflammation reaction. Similar to human and mouse, porcine SAA2 was highly expressed in the liver of pigs. It was not detectable in the skeletal muscle, heart muscle, spleen, kidney, lung, and adipose tissue. These data suggest that SAA2 may be involved in mediation of the function of dietary DHA in the liver of the pig, however, the mechanism is not yet clear.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.207-217
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• 2013

This study was conducted in order to investigate the effects of Artemisia capillaris (AC) extract on disorders of hepatic functions and lipid metabolism induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an endocrine disrupter, using male rats (SD, five weeks old) for a period of three weeks. These 37 animals were divided into four groups. AC extract was added as 1.5% or 3% levels to basal diets, respectively. TCDD (40 ug/kg B.W) was administered by intraperitoneal injection into rats after a week from the beginning of the experiment. AC extract alleviated the increase of rat's relative liver weights induced by TCDD. Thymuses of all rats treated with TCDD were apparently shrunken by approximately 80%. Levels of white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrits were significantly increased by treatment with TCDD, however, WBC tended to decrease by AC extract diets. In hepatic function, the elevation of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase activities by TCDD treatment was diminished by AC extract diets. Serum HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly elevated by AC extract diets. The apparent increase of triglyceride levels of rat livers induced by TCDD was significantly suppressed in the AC extract diet groups. Hepatic cytosolic catalase activities significantly decreased by treatment with TCDD showed a recovering trend by AC extract diets. In histochemical observation, the fat droplets and apoptosis of hepatocytes treated with TCDD were markedly alleviated by AC extract diets. These results indicated that AC could exert recovering effects on some disorders of hepatic functions, lipids metabolism, and antioxidant activities resulting from TCDD treatment.