• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.427-433
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• 2006

We investigated the effect of propolis on the activity of antioxidant enzymes in rat liver exposed by X-ray irradiation. The dosage of propolis showed the effect of lowering the concentration of superoxide anion in irradiated rat liver, suggesting that propolis has a significant role to remove superoxide anion as an antioxidant and/or by activating the antioxidant enzyme. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR), disturbed by X-ray irradiation, were restored in 30 days to normal status in the group which dosed propolis before X-ray irradiation. Interestingly, catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPOX) activities were highly increased with feeding propolis to rat compared to untreated group, whereas glutathione s-transferase (GST) activity was little affected. Taken together, it suggests that the propolis has a protective role in the rat liver cells against X-ray irradiation by increasing and recovering the activities of antioxidant enzymes.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 1984

The methanol extracts of five medicinal plant materials selected were tested for antihepatotoxic activity. Protective effects on the liver defect caused by $CCl_4$ can be proved by liver enzyme activities of serum GOT, GPT, LDH and ALP. The curative effects of these materials against $CCl_4-induced$ liver damage in albino rats were compared with those of control groups. It was shown that the extracts of Hepatica asiatica and Stellaria media showed antihepatotoxic effect on $CCl_4-induced$ liver damage; however, the extract of Gleditschia officinalis had no effect.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.270-277
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• 1988

Gamiinjinoryung-San is composed of eight crude drugs including Artemisiae capillaris Herba which is widely used for the treatment of acute jaundice, acute and chronic hepatitis at the Oriental hospital of Kyung-Hee Medical Center. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of water extract of Gamiinjinoryung-San on the liver function. The results obtained were as follows; the extract markedly reduced LDH and ALP activities, but slightly decreased GOT and GPT activities elevated with D-galactosamine in rat serum. The liver protective activities were shown in $CCl_4-intoxicated\;rats$. The extract prevented the prolongation of sleeping time in $CCl_4-intoxicated\;rats$. The bile flow and the biliary bile acid secretion were significantly increased in normal rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.385-394
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• 2020

Eupatilin is known to possess anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties. We report here that eupatilin has a protective effect on the ethanol-induced injury in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups: control, vehicle, silymarin, eupatilin 10 mg/kg, eupatilin 30 mg/kg, and eupatilin 100 mg/kg. Plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were analyzed to determine the extent of liver damage. Total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were analyzed to determine the level of liver steatosis. Malondialdehyde level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and glutathione (GSH) level were analyzed to determine the extent of oxidative stress. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β were quantified to verify the degree of inflammation. Based on our findings, chronic alcohol treatment significantly changed the serum indexes and liver indicators of the model rats, which were significantly improved by eupatilin treatment. Rats in the eupatilin-treatment group showed reduced levels of AST, ALT, TG, TC, TNF-α, and IL-1β, increased SOD activity and GSH levels, and improved overall physiology compared to the alcoholic liver disease model rats. H&E staining also verified the eupatilin-mediated improvement in liver injury. In conclusion, eupatilin inhibits alcohol-induced liver injury via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.203-209
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of $ACTIValoe^{(R)}$ N-931 complex, a mixture of Aloe vera and Silybum marianum, against acute liver injuries. Acute liver damages were induced by intraperitoneal injection of galactosamine (GalN, 700 mg/kg), naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT, 40 mg/kg) and ethionine (500 mg/kg). $ACTIValoe^{(R)}$ N-931 (85, 170 and 340) was administered orally 48 h, 24 h, 2 h before and 6 h after the injection of hepatotoxins. At 24 h after GalN treatment the levels of serum aminotransferases and hepatic lipid peroxidation were significantly elevated, whereas hepatic glutathione, serum triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol were decreased. These changes were attenuated by $ACTIValoe^{(R)}$ N-931 complex. The serum aminotransferase activities and total bilirubin significantly increased at 48 h after ANIT treatment, but were attenuated by $ACTIValoe^{(R)}$ N-931 complex. The bile flow was lower after ANIT treatment, which was restored by $ACTIValoe^{(R)}$ N-931 complex. $ACTIValoe^{(R)}$ N-931 complex reduced the ethionine-induced elevated hepatic TG contents. Histopathological analysis revealed that signs of liver injury were prominent at 24 h as result of ethionine injection, demonstrated by extensive areas of fatty change and microvesicular steatosis were observed around cells. These changes were attenuated by $ACTIValoe^{(R)}$ N-931 complex. Our results suggest that the $ACTIValoe^{(R)}$ N-931 complex has a protective effect on acute liver injury.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1415-1423
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• 2007

Carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver injury depends on a toxic agent that has to be metabolized by the liver NAPDH-cytochrome P450 enzyme system to a highly reactive intermediate. Alternations in the activity of cytochrome P450 enzymes affect the susceptibility to hepatic injury from $CCl_4$. In this study, we evaluated the potential protective activity of the traditional Korean medicinal herb, Corni fructus (CF), against an experimental model of hepatotoxicity induced by $CCl_4$. The CF exhibited a hepatoprotective activity against $CCl_4-induced$ liver damage in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, as measured by GOT, GPT, ALP and histological observation. The CF also showed significant decrease of malodialdehyde (MDA) and increase of glutathion (GSH), catalase activity in rat liver homogenate. In addition, the expression of CYP2E1, as measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis, was significantly decreased in the liver of CF treated SD rats. But $CCl_4$ and CF has no significant effect on 1A1 and 3A1 isoform of cytochrome P450. Based on these findings, it is suggested that hepatoprotective effects of CF possibly related to antioxidative effects and regulation of CYP2E1 expression.

• 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 Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.230-236
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• 2009

An extract of Allomyrina dichotoma larva (ADL), one of the insects used most frequently in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of liver diseases such as hepatocirrhosis and hepatofibrosis, was assessed for antioxidant bioactivity in this study. In the current work, we have investigated the protective effects of ADL extracts on tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced hepatotoxicity in cultured hepa1c1c7 cells and in the mouse liver. The treatment of the hepa1c1c7 cells with ADL extracts induced a significant reduction of t-BHP-induced oxidative injuries, as determined by cell cytotoxicity, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and reactive oxygen species contents, in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, ADL extracts evidenced a protective effect against t-BHPinduced oxidative DNA damage, as revealed by the results of the Comet assay in hepa1c1c7 cells. ADL extracts also protected against hydroxyl radical-induced 2-deoxy-d-ribose degradation by ferric ion-nitrilotriacetic acid and $H_2O_2$. In addition, ADL extracts were shown to be able to quench 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. Our in vivo study revealed that ADL extracts pretreatment applied prior to t-BHP administration significantly prevented an increase in the serum levels of hepatic enzyme markers and reduced LPO in the mouse liver in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that the protective effects of ADL extracts against t-BHP-induced hepatotoxicity may be attributable, at least in part, to its ability to scavenge free oxygen radicals, and to protect against DNA damage due to oxidative stress.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.11 no.3_4
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• pp.65-68
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• 1996

Selaginellae Herba has been used as folk medicine for antineoplastics, coagulants, antidotes and invigorants. To find an in vitro screening method for liver protective effect of Selaginellae Herba in benzo(a)pyrene intoxicated injury were examined in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Using MTT assay, herba concentration showed dose dependently viability. The lowest concentration of benzo(a)pyrene giving cytotoxicity revealed around 50gM. The hepatoprotective effect of Selaginellae Herba in both water and chloroform extracts was also increased dose dependently.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.154-158
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• 1996

To investigate the protective effect of Korean red ginseng (RG) against oxidative damage, rats were intoxicated by carbon tetrachloride and liver tissues and blood were taken and analyzed histopathologically and biochemically. Light microscopy of the liver showed that RG prevented the necrosis of hepatocytes remarkably and reduced the change of fat. RG increased the capability for serum to suppress oxygen radical in the generating system. It is suggested that RG enhanced the antioxidative potential of the body against $CCl_4$, which would prevent the necrosis of hepatocytes in vivo.