• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.91-100
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• 2003

In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of the Lycii Fructus water extracts (LFE) against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity and the mechanism underlying these protective effects in the rats. The pretreatment of LFE has shown to possess a significant protective effect by lowering the serum alanine and aspartate aminoteansferase (AST and ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). This hepatoprotective action was confirmed by histological observation, In addition, the pretreatment of LFE prevented the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and the depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) content and catalase activity in the liver of CC1₄-injected rats. The LFE also displayed hydroxide radical scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 = 83.6 μg/ml), as assayed by electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping technique. Moreover, the expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) mRNA, as measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), was significantly decreased in the liver of LFE-pretreated rats when compared with that in the liver of control group. Based on these results, it was suggested that the hepatoprotective effects of the LFE may be related to antioxidant effects and regulation of CYP2E1 gene expression.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.265-277
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• 2008

In order to investigate the protective effects of Gami Yugan-tang on liver damage in rats induced by $CCl_{4}$ and d-galactosamine, the serum transaminase(ALT & AST), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), lactic dehydrogenase(LDH), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase, glutathione S-transferase(GST), glutathione peroxidase(GPX) for enzyme activities, and lipid peroxidation were measured. All animals were divided into 4 groups: normal group (untreated), control group (treated with 0.9% saline solution), sample I group (treated with 740mg/kg Gami Yugan-tang), and sample II group (treated with 1,480mg/kg Gami Yugan-tang). The results were as follows : 1. The results of liver damage in rats induced by $CCl_4$ : The protective effects of ALT were displayed in sample I and sample II, and AST, ALP, LDH, SOD, catalase, GST, GPX, and lipid peroxidation were noted in sample II group. It showed slight necrosis of hepatic cell and pathologic changes, for example, inflammatory cells infiltration were improved in sample II group compared to the control group. 2. The results of liver damage in rats induced by d-galactosamine : The inhibitory effects of AST, ALT, LDH, and ALP activities were noted in both sample I and sample II groups. The findings from this experiment suggests that Gami Yugan-tang has protective effects against liver damage in rats induced by $CCl_{4}$ and d-galactosamine.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.327-330
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• 1997

Hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by viral infection are among the most prevalent causes of death in Korea. Several medicines have been in use despite their nonsatisfactory effects on these disease. Some herbal medicines put to use recently have not shown beneficial effects, either. This paper evaluates the effects of extracts from 10 traditional Korean herbal medicines on rats with hepatic damage induced by galactosamine. Rubus coreanus showed an anti-inflammatory effect as shown on the data of activities of serum transaminases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.650-658
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• 2016

Chronic alcohol consumption causes alcoholic liver disease, which is associated with the initiation of dysregulated lipid metabolism. Recent evidences suggest that dysregulated cholesterol metabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic fatty liver disease. Ecklonia stolonifera (ES), a perennial brown marine alga that belongs to the family Laminariaceae, is rich in phlorotannins. Many studies have indicated that ES has extensive pharmacological effects, such as antioxidative, hepatoprotective, and antiinflammatory effects. However, only a few studies have investigated the protective effect of ES in alcoholic fatty liver. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal diet (ND) (fed a normal diet for 10 weeks) and ethanol diet (ED) groups. Rats in the ED group were fed a Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet (containing 5% ethanol) for 10 weeks and administered ES extract (50, 100, or 200 mg/kg/day), silymarin (100 mg/kg/day), or no treatment for 4 weeks. Each treatment group comprised of eight rats. The supplementation with ES resulted in decreased serum levels of triglycerides (TGs), total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase. In addition, there were decreases in hepatic lipid and malondialdehyde levels. Changes in liver histology, as analyzed by Oil Red O staining, showed that the ES treatment suppressed adipogenesis. In addition, the ES treatment increased the expression of fatty acid oxidation-related genes (e.g., PPAR-${\alpha}$ and CPT-1) but decreased the expression of SREBP 1, which is a TG synthesis-related gene. These results suggest that ES extract may be useful in preventing fatty acid oxidation and reducing lipogenesis in ethanol-induced fatty liver.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 2009

Isoniazid was discovered in 1950's and since then it has been widely used as a synthetic bactericidal agent in the treatment of tuberculosis. However, the adverse effect of isoniazid has been reported to show significant hepatotoxicity in approximately 1-2% of patients. Nitrofurantoin {1-(5-nitro-2-furfurylideneamino)-hydantoin} is a synthetic nitrofuran that is commonly used for the treatment and prophylaxis of urinary tract infections, but its use is associated with liver cirrhosis and fatal liver necrosis. Therefore, studies for natural products with protective effect on the isoniazid- and/or nitrofurantoin-induced hepatotoxcity would be valuable as the potential therapeutic use. 107 plants sources were collected at Mt. Baekdu, and extracted with methanol. These extracts had been screened for the protective effects against isoniazid- and/or nitrofurantoin-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells at the both 100 and $300{\mu}g/ml$. Five methanolic extracts, Acanthopanax senticosus, Acer mono, Asparagus schoberioides, Fagopyrum tataricum, Potentilla centigrana, showed significant protective effects against isoniazidinduced hepatotoxicity. Two methanolic extracts, Acer mono and Leonurus artemisia, showed significant protective effects against nitrofurantoin-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.368-376
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• 1995

The leaf of Phyllostachys bambusoides S. et Z. (Gramineae) has been used in traditional herbal medicine as a antipyretics, antitussives and antidiuretcs, etc, in Korea, China and Japan. In order to investigate the effects on antilipoperoxidation and liver protective effect, the leaf of Phyllostachys bambusoides S. et Z. was extracted by water and then fractionated with butanol. The water extract and BuOH soluble fraction strongly exhibited antilipoperoxidatant effect in rat liver homogenate intoxicated with $CCl_4$. The BuOH fraction significantly suppressed the increases of s-GOT, s-GPT and s-LDH activities in injuried rats induced by $CCl_4$. And the BuOH fraction inhibited significantly the decrease of the body weight and showed the antilipoperoxidatant effect in liver and kidney in $CCl_4$ intoxicated rats.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.261-265
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• 2013

Scutellaria barbata D. Don (S. barbata), a traditional Chinese medicine, is used to treat cancers, inflammation, and urinary diseases. This study aimed to determine any protective effects of S. barbata crude extract (CE-SB) against rat liver tumorigenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine (DENA). Liver malfunction indices in serum were measured by biochemical examination. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to examine liver pathology. Contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured in liver homogenates to evaluate oxidative stress. The levels of liver malfunction indices in the CE-SB groups, especially in the CE-SB high dose group, were lower than that of the model group (P<0.05). The results from histological examination indicated that the number of liver nodules in the CE-SB groups decreased compared with the model group (P<0.05). Content of MDA determined in liver was significantly decreased, and level of SOD elevated by CE-SB. CE-SB can inhibit experimental liver tumorigenesis and relieve hepatic injury in rats.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.5071-5074
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• 2016

Background: Azoxymethane (AOM) is a well-known colon cancer-inducing agent in experimental animals via mechanisms that include oxidative stress in rat colon and liver tissue. Few studies have investigated AOM-induced oxidative stress in rat liver tissue. Red seaweeds of the genera Hypnea Bryodies and Melanothamnus Somalensis are rich in polyphenolic compounds that may suppress cancer through antioxidant properties, yet limited research has been carried out to investigate their anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant influence against AOM-induced oxidative stress in rat liver. Objective: This study aims to determine protective effects of red seaweed (Hypnea Bryodies and Melanothamnus Somalensis) extracts against AOM-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress. Materials and Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal injections of AOM, 15 mg/kg body weight, once a week for two consecutive weeks and then orally administered red seaweed (100 mg/kg body-weight) extracts for sixteen weeks. At the end of the experiment all animals were overnight fasted then sacrificed and blood and liver tissues were collected. Results: AOM treatment significantly decreased serum liver markers and induced hepatic oxidative stress as evidenced by increased liver tissue homogenate levels of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde, decreased total antioxidant capacity and glutathione, and inhibition of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase). Both red seaweed extracts abolished the AOM-associated oxidative stress and protected against liver injury as evidenced by increased serum levels of liver function markers. In addition, histological findings confirmed protective effects of the two red seaweed extracts against AOM-induced liver injury. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that red seaweed (Hypnea Bryodies and Melanothamnus Somalensis) extracts counteracted oxidative stress-induced hepatotoxicity in a rat model of colon cancer.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2008

Acetaminophen (N-acety1-p-aminophenol, paracetamol) is widely used as an over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic drug. Intake of a over dose of acetaminophen may result in severe hepatic necrosis. In this study, we investigated the liver damage in mice using single dose (300 mg/kg) of acetaminophen and the possible protective effects of administration (50-200 mg/kg body weight) of SB-Ex on acetaminophen-induced liver damage in mice. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were determined in the plasma of mice. The effect of SB-Ex on lipid peroxidation product thiobarbituric reacting substances (TBARS) and some antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, d-aminolevulinate dehydratase (${\sigma}$-ALA-D) activities, and gluthathione peroxidase (GPx), were also evaluated in the mouse liver homogenate. Acetaminophen caused liver damage as evident by statistically significant increased in plasma activities of AST and ALT. There were general statistically significant losses in the activities of SOD, catalase, ${\sigma}$-ALA-D, and GPx and an increase in TBARS in the liver of acetaminophen-treated group compared with the control group. However, SB-Ex was able to counteract these effects. These results suggest that SB-Ex can act as hepatoprotectives against acetaminophen toxicity and is a good candidate for further evaluation as an effective chemotherapeutic agent.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 2007

The protective effects of Rubus coreanum Miquel (RCM) extract against LPS-induced hepatotoxicity were studied in rats. Squrague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally administered the RCM at 100 mg/kg per day for three weeks. Then single dose of LPS (5 mg/kg) was injected into rats. Four hours later, they were anesthesized with ether and dissected. We examined the levels of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (AST), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in sera, superoxide dismutase (SOD) in mitochondrial fraction and catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in liver homogenate. LPS-treatment markedly increased the levels of AST, ALT, ALP, LDH and significantly decreased those of SOD, CAT and GPx. But RCM-pretreatment decreased the levels of AST, ALT, ALP and LDH by 57.9%, 37.4%, 62% and 69% respectively and increased those of SOD, CAT and GPx by 82.9%, 64.2% and 96.7% respectively. Subsequently, the protective effects of RCM was evaluated through histopathological examination of liver tissue. The LPS treatment increased the state of necrosis and cirrhosis surrounding the central veins (CV) and sinusoid, but RCM-treatment decreased the state of necrosis and cirrhosis in the liver tissue. These results demonstrated that protective effects of RCM against LPS-induced hepatotoxicity.