• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2014

Arecoline is a major alkaloid of areca nuts which are widely chewed by southeast Asian and it manifests various toxic effects in different organs of human and animals. In this work, mature mice were treated by vitamins C plus E, arecoline, or both daily for four weeks. The results showed that arecoline significantly increased the levels of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and significantly decreased the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the liver tissues. Additionally, the body weight, testis weight, sperm counts, motility and normal sperms also were significantly decreased. The supplement of vitamins C and E can bring the activities of ALP and GPT to normal levels and partially restore the sperm counts compared to the arecoline-treated group but have no other positive effects. In conclusion, the vitamins C and E partially attenuated the arecoline-induced hepatotoxiciy but basically had on protective effects against the arecoline-induced testicular toxicity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.3 s.142
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• pp.224-228
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• 2005

Protective effects of various natural flavonoids on carbon tetrachloride $(CCl_4)-induced$ hepatotoxicity were investigated in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Some of these flavonoids decreased the ALT and LDH releases induced by $CCl_4$ in A dose-dependent manner. Neohesperidin, hesperetin, baicalin, baicalein and quercetin inhibited $CCl_4-induced$ alanine aminotransferase (ALT) release. In addition, quercetin, quercitrin, neohesperidin, baicalin, baicalein and naringin reduced $CCl_4$ induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. Among these flavonoids, quercitrin, quercetin, baicalin and baicalein possessed potent protective effects and were selected for the further investigation on lipid peroxidation. These four flavonoids inhibited dose dependently $CCl_4-induced$ lipid peroxidation. Especially, the protective effects of quercetin and baicalein were similar to silybin as a well-known hepatoprotective agent. These results suggest that these four flavonoids have significant cytoprotective effects and possibility of therapeutic effect on chemical-induced liver diseases.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.2.1-2.9
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• 2019

In the present study, the protective effects of Hizikia fusiforme and Chlorella sp. extracts on lead acetate-induced hepatotoxicity were investigated. Hepatic damage was induced in rats by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of lead acetate and the protective effects of H. fusiforme (HZK) and Chlorella sp. (CHL) extracts on lead acetate-induced hepatic damage in rat liver were examined. The results revealed significantly increased glutamic oxaloacetate and glutamic pyruvic transaminase levels in the group treated with lead acetate only (Pb group); oral administration of HZK and CHL extracts tended to decrease the enzyme levels similar to those observed in the control group. Regarding antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase activity was increased in the Pb group and decreased in a concentration-dependent manner in the HZK- and CHL-treated groups. Glutathione levels were increased in a concentration-dependent manner in the HZK- and CHL-treated groups. There was no significant difference in catalase activity. Western blot analysis showed inflammation-related protein expression in mitogen-activated protein kinase and Nrf2 pathways was affected in the HZK- and CHL-treated groups. Therefore, HZK and CHL extracts exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects against lead acetate-induced hepatotoxicity. Development of functional health foods containing HZK and CHL extracts, which have hepatoprotective effects against inhaled lead acetate, should be considered.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.193-198
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• 1984

Rice, the staple food in Korea, is deficient to some extent in protein, lipid and vitamins. This study was carried out in order to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation to the rice diet of cellulose, ginseng, and ${\alpha}$-tocopherol on lead toxicity in rats. Using male rats fed the rice diet with the distilled drinking water containing 750mg of lead as nitrate per liter, for 11 weeks, organ weights, hemoglobin levels, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity and accumulation of lead in liver, blood and kidney were observed. Supplementation of cellulose, ginseng and ${\alpha}$-tocopherol to the lead groups showed the protective effect significantly in the weight of liver but no influence in hemoglobin levels. Ginseng especially decreased the serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity to normal level. The three supplemented diets reduced the lead accumulation in kidney and blood, but not in liver.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.712-717
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• 1998

This study was undertaken to investigate the inhibition effects of Auricularia auricula-judae methanol extract in edible mushroom on lipid peroxidation and liver damage in benzo(a)pyrene(B(a)P)-treated mice. The activities of serum aminotransferase, cytochrome P-450, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and the hepatic content of lipid peroxide after B(a)P-treatment was markedly increased than control but those levels were significantly decreased by the treatment of Auricularia auricula-judae methanol extract. Glutathione S-transferase activity and the hepatic glutathione content were decreased by B(a)P-treatment than control, but those were also inhibited by the treament of Auricularia auricula-judae methanol extract. These results suggest that Auricularia auricula-judae methanol extract have a protective effect on liver damage by B(a)P.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 1991

This study designs to investigate effects of onion diet on carbon tetrachloride toxicity of rats. Experiments were performed with week's feeding, body weight, food intake, ratio of orgen weight/dody weight, serum lipid levels, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity and malondialdehyde(MDA) content in liver and kidney were determined. The content of serum total cholesterol in each group were lower than those of control group(p<0.05), especially at onion juice treated group. Serum HDL-cholesterol level of CBB and CBJ groups was significantly lower than that of control group (p<0.05). Superoxide dismutase activities of liver and kidney were significantly increased by carbon tetrachloride treatment and decreased by onion feeding. MDA contents in liver and kidney of CCl4 treated rats were significantly decreased by boiled and fresh onion fed group, compared with CCl4 treated control group. This result suggested that onion diet has a protective effect of CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity of rat.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.221-229
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• 2019

Objectives : This study investigated the hepatoprotective effect of herbal mixture including Lycii fructus (HML) in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Methods : To confirm the liver protective effect, induced by TAA for 3 days injection at 100 mg/kg mice, HML were treated for 8 weeks at 300 mg/kg/day, 1000 mg/kg/day. Positive control was treated silymarin 50 mg/kg/day after TAA injection. The changes of mortality rate, clinical signs, organ weight, relative liver, blood chemistry and histopathological findings were analyzed after experiment. Results : Body weight gain was observed in all groups, but TAA treated group at 4th week and all treated groups decreased weight compared to the untreated group. As a result of organ weight measurement, organ weight gain due to hepatic injury was observed statistically significantly in TAA-treated group and TAA+Silymarin treated group, and the herbal mixture-treated group showed a tendency to decrease compared to the TAA treated group. Blood biochemistry showed that total cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased statistically in TAA+low-dose and high dose herbal mixture treated group compared to the TAA-treated group. Histopathological examination showed that liver abnormalities were not observed in untreated group, liver fibrosis was observed in liver injury with TAA treated and herbal mixture treated group. And, TAA+high dose herbal mixture group showed relaxation tendency on liver calcification compared to the TAA treated group. Conclusions : According to the above results, HML provided hepatoprotective effects on the hepatic injury by reduction of inflammatory responses.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.2 s.149
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• pp.176-180
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• 2007

Five liglans, sauchinone (1), di-0-methyltetrahydrofuriguaiacin B (2), manassantin A (3), manassantin B (4) and saucerneol B (5), have been isolated from the MeOH extract of Saururus chinesis roots. The evaluation for protective effect of compounds 1-5 against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in human liver-derived Hep G2 cells was conducted. Compounds 1,2, and 5 showed significant protective effects with the EC$_{50}$ values of74.2${\pm}$0.9, 111.3${\pm}$0.8,64.3${\pm}$0.8 ${\mu}$M, respectively. Silybin, one of the well-known hepatoprotective agents, used as a positive control, and also showed protective effect with an EC$_{50}$ value of 86.2${\pm}$0.5 ${\mu}$M.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.684-687
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• 2002

Water and methanol extracts of cricket were examined for their liver protective effects against $CCl_4-intoxication$ in ICR-mice. Serum transaminases (S-GOT and S-GPT), lactate dehydrogense (LDH) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities and TBARS (Thiobarbiturate-reactive substances) content were measured for evaluation of liver protective effects. The activities of GOT, GPT, LDH and hepatic content of lipid peroxide after $CCl_4-treatment$ were higher than normal control but those levels decreased th 74, 50, 101 and 40%, respectively, by the treatment of cricket methanol extract. The anti-fatigue effects of water and methanol extracts investigated by an acute weight-loaded forced swimming test showed significantly prolonged swimming time in the mice administered cricket extracts. These results suggest us that water/alcohol extract of G. bimaculatus may be used as a liver protective food.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10413-10420
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• 2015

Side effects are an unavoidable consequence of chemotherapy drugs, during which liver injury often takes place. The current study was designed to investigate the protective effect of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) against the hepatotoxicity induced by frequently-used chemical therapy agents, cyclophosphamide (CTX), docetaxel (DTX) and epirubicin (EPI)) in mice. Mice were divided into five groups, controls, low or high dose groups ($DTX_L$, $CTX_L$, $EPI_L$ or $DTX_H$, $CTX_H$, $EPI_H$), and low or high dose chemotherapeutics+APS groups ($DTX_L$+APS, $CTX_L$+APS, $EPI_L$+APS or $DTX_H$+APS, $CTX_H$+APS, $EPI_H$+APS). Controls were treated with equivalent normal saline for 28 days every other day; low or high dose group were intraperitoneal (i.p) injected with low or high doses of CTX, DTX and EPI for 28 days every other day; low or high dose chemotherapeutics+APS group were separately intraperitoneal (i.p) injected with chemotherapeutics for 28 days every other day and i.p with APS (100 mg/kg) for 7 days continually from the 22th to the 28th days. The body weight, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), histopathological features, and ultrastructure morphological change of liver tissues, protein expression level of caspase-3 were estimated at different time points. With high dose treatment of DTX, CTX and EPI, weight gain was inhibited and serum levels of ALT and AST were significantly increased. Sections of liver tissue showed massive hepatotoxicity in $CTX_H$ group compared to the control group, including hepatic lobule disorder, granular and vacuolar degeneration and necrosis in hepatic cells. These changes were confirmed at ultrastructural level, including obvious pyknosis, heterochromatin aggregation, nuclear membrane resolution, and chondrosome crystal decrease. Western blotting revealed that the protein levels of caspase-3 increased in $CTX_H$ group. The low dose groups exhibited trivial hepatotoxicity. More interestingly, after 100 mg/kg APS, liver injury was redecued not only regarding serum transaminase activities (low or high dose chemotherapeutics+APS group), but also from pathological and ultrastructural changes and the protein levels of caspase-3 ($CTX_H$+APS group). In conclusion, DTX, CTX and EPI induce liver damage in a dose dependent manner, whereas APS exerted protective effects.