• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.367-373
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• 2007

Livers of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) were investigated on the food compositional characteristics and also compared to that of Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma). The proximate compositions of skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna livers were high in crude protein, carbohydrate, and crude ash, while were low in crude lipid when compared to that of Alaska pollack liver. The results of heavy metal suggested that tuna livers appeared safe as a food resource. The total amino acid contents of skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna livers were 17.7 and 17.1 g/100 g, respectively, and the major amino acids in both livers were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine, valine, leucine, and lysine. Tuna livers were good sources of iron and zinc, while have low lipid content. The extractive nitrogen contents of skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna livers were 526.5 and 468.2 mg/100 g, respectively, and their major free amino acids were taurine, glutamic acid, and alanine. From the results of taste value, the major taste active compounds among free amino acids were glutamic acid and aspartic acid.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.417-428
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• 1996

In order to know the toxic effect and carcinogenic activity in rats and mice fed with juice of Korean native Petasites japonicus Maxim of its pellet(4% or 8%) which were dried, milled and mixed with basal diet, the investigations were carried out by macroscopy and histopathology. Macroscopically, although remarkable changes were not observed in the liver of mice, there were slight to moderate swelling of rat livers in the whole groups at 12 to 14 weeks after feeding and milky spots in rats fed with its juice and 8% pelleted Petasites japonicus Maxim diet and a normal diet for 1 week alternatively for 14 weeks. Moreover, moderate to severe swelling and milk spots were recognized in livers of all rats fed with its juice and 8% pellet or 8% pelleted Petasites japonicus Maxim for 16 weeks. But, in cases of rats fed with its juice and 4% pellet or 4% pelleted Petasites japonicus Maxim, only swelling of livers was recognized moderately or severely. Histopathologically, major lesions were found in livers of both rats and mice. There were congestion, hemorrhage, fatty change, focal necrosis, megalocytosis and hyperplasia of endothelial cell in livers of mice and rats, the additional lesions such as proliferation of bile duct and nodular regeneration with diffuse regenerating cells were seen in livers of rats. In addition, preneoplastic lesions, the areas of milky spots macroscopically, were observed in livers of rats fed with Petasites japonicus Maxim for 14 to 16 weeks. In a few cases, haemangioendothelial sarcoma in livers was detected in rats fed with Petasites japonicus Maxim for 16 weeks. Petasites japonicus maxim growing naturally in Korea seem to exhibit toxic effect especially in liver and it contained a causative agent of primary liver tumors.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.127-132
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• 2005

We investigated whether ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protects liver against cold ischemic injury using isolated perfused rat liver. Rat livers were preconditioned by 5 minutes of ischemia and 5 minutes of reperfusion and preserved for 30 hours at $4^{\circ}C$ in University of Wisconsin solution. Livers were then reperfused for 120 minutes. Oxygen uptake and bile flow in ischemic livers markedly decreased during reperfusion. These decreases were prevented by IPC. Portal pressure was elevated in cold ischemic and reperfused livers and this elevation was prevented by IPC. Lactate dehydrogenase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase activities markedly increased during reperfusion. These increases were prevented by IPC. The ratio of reduced glutathione to glutathione disulfide was lower in ischemic livers. This decrease was prevented by IPe. Our findings suggest that IPC protects the liver against the deleterious effect of cold ischemia/reperfusion, and this protection is associated with the reduced oxidative stress.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.2022-2025
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• 2019

Several animal species including pigs are directly involved in the zoonotic transmission of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) to humans. This study was conducted to detect HEV in bovine and porcine raw livers by nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Zoonotic HEV strains were identified in 1.0 and 3.0% of the tested bovine and porcine livers, respectively. HEV-4 was detected in the bovine livers, but both HEV-3 and HEV-4 were identified in the porcine livers. These results indicate that zoonotic transmission of HEV may occur via consumption of raw or undercooked livers of pigs and cattle.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 1992

The Taenia species in East Asia, hitherto identified as Taenia saginata, has been recognized as differing from the classical descriptions of life cycles and was recently named Taenia saginata taiwanensis (tentatively until 1992) . Major differences between T. saginata and the newly recognized Asian T. saginata are their intermediate hosts and the infected tissues. Asian T. saginata metacestodes are found in the livers of pigs rather than in the muscles of cattle. In this study, we observed the natural infection status of Asian T saginata metacestodes in the livers of 25,358 pigs at an abattoir in Cheongju City, Korea, from 1989 to 1990. Total 256 livers(1.01%) were infected with 1∼96 (mean 2.5 per capita) metacestodes. Most of the metacestodes, however, were either calcified (87.1%) or highly degenerated (12.9%). Living metacestodes were found in only 0.01% (3/25,358) of the examined livers. And these were distributed randomly in each lobe of the livers. The liver of pigs in Korea was con- firmed as an organ hosting the Asian T. saginata metacestode. But its epidemiological significance as a source of human infections should be properly evaluated because of the rarity of the living metacestodes.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.51-64
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• 1988

It has been suggested that calcium is only one of many metals that compete with toxic metals in the body. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the influence of water hardness on accumulation of heavy metals in rats. The seventy-five rats were divided into control and case groups. Case group was subdivided into four subgroups in proportion to the concentration of water hardness respectively, such as, 0, 250, 500, 1000ppm. Control group was fed on only deionized water, but case groups were fed on hard water with ionized heavy metals (Cd 150mg + Pb 300mg + Cu 300mg/l) for 20, 40, 60 days. The concentrations of cadmium, lead and copper were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (Perkin Elmer 2380) in livers and kidneys. The results of the study are summarized as following 1. The concentration of cadmium accumulation showed the tendency of decrease in proportion to water hardness in both livers and kidneys of rats having been fed for only 60 days, respectively. 2. In only livers of rats having been fed for 60 days, essential metal, copper had the tendency of decrease according as hardness in water. 3. It was impossible to compare case with control about the tendency of lead accumulation because there was no difference between the two in livers and kidneys respectively.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.495-500
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• 2000

We investigated whether S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) treatment improved ischemic injury using perfused rat liver after sequential periods of 24 h cold and 20 min re-warming ischemia. SAM (100 $\mu\textrm{mol/L}$) was added to University of Wisconsin (UW) solution and Ringers lactate solution. After cold and sequential warm ischemia, releases of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) markedly increased during repefusion. The increase in PNP was significantly reduced by SAM treatment. While the concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH) in ischemic livers significantly decreased, the concentration of glutathione disulfide (GSSG) increased. This decrease in GSH and increase in GSSG were suppressed by SAM treatment. Lipid peroxidation was elevated in cold and warm ischemic and reperfused livers, but this elevation was also prevented by SAM treatment. Hepatic ATP levels were decreased in the ischemic and reperfused livers to 42% of the control levels. However, treatment with SAM resulted in significantly higher ATP levels and preserved the concentration of AMP in ischemic livers. Our findings suggest that SAM prevents oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation and helps preserve hepatic energy metabolism.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.379-385
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• 1998

The study was designated to investigate the gross findings following treatment with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in rats. Forty four male rats (Sprague Dawley), initially 5 to 6 weeks of age and 120 to 150gm in body weight were continuously given water containing 0.01% DEN for 13 weeks and 3~6 rats per week were randomly sacrified at intervals of a week from 8 weeks to 17 weeks. The numbers of rats died until 17 weeks were 11 rats and first death occurred at 10 weeks. Body, liver and spleen weights were weighed and the relative weight levels of the liver and spleen per body weights were increased from 4.4% and 0.5% at control groups to 15.1% and 1.1% at 17 weeks. The numbers of RBC were not varied but PCV were decreased from 44.5% in control group to 27.5% in 16 weeks. A few of greyish-white foci or nodules of tumors were developed or not on the surfaces of the livers at 8 weeks but were developed on all livers after 9 weeks. The diameter of the largest tumor from all rat livers was 35.8 mm at 12 weeks. The numbers of developed tumors per a rat liver were appeared to be about 20 in 13 weeks and about 50~60 in 17 weeks. The diameter of some larger tumors were found to be 3~9mm in 13 weeks and 7~15mm in 17 weeks and more number of tumors were developed in the visceral surfaces than in the diaphragmatic surfaces of the livers. The parenchymae of livers were fragility.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.639-645
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• 2018

Liver transplantation is recommended for patients with liver failure, but liver donors are limited. This necessitates the development of artificial livers, and hepatocytes are necessary to develop such artificial livers. Although induced hepatocyte-like cells are used in artificial livers, the characteristics of mouse induced hepatocyte-like cells (miHeps) reprogrammed with embryonic fibroblasts have not yet been clarified. Therefore, this study investigated the mechanisms underlying the survival, function, and death of miHeps. miHeps showed decreased cell viability, increased cytotoxicity, decreased hepatic function, and albumin and urea secretion at passage 14. Addition of necrostatin-1 (NEC-1) to miHeps inhibited necrosome formation and reactive oxygen species generation and increased cell survival. However, NEC-1 did not affect the hepatic function of miHeps. These results provide a basis for development of artificial livers using hepatocytes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1286-1294
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• 2004

In a previous study by the current authors, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was determined to be epidemiologically sex-dependent, and the incidence and multiplicity of HCC found to decrease in estradiol-3 benzoate (EB)-treated F344 rats. Therefore, to ascertain the anticancer mechanism of EB, a commercially available cDNA microarray, with a total of 14,815 cDNA rat gene clones, was used to determine the differentially expressed genes in nontreated livers, EB-treated livers, and diethynitrosolamine (DEN)-induced HCC. In the sequenced experiment, a total of 85 genes were differentially expressed at either two or more times the rate of the normal expression, where 33 genes were downregulated by EB, and 52 genes upregulated. Candidate genes were selected according to significant changes observed in the mRNA expression in the EB-treated livers compared with the nontreated livers, then these genes were filtered according to their different expression patterns in the DEN-induced tumors compared to the estrogen-treated livers. To confirm the microarray data, a real-time PCR analysis was performed for ten selected genes: the H-ras revertant protein 107 (H­rev107), insulin-like growth factor binding protein (lOFBP), parathyroid hormone receptor (PI'HR), SH3 domain binding protein (SH3BP), metallothionein, src-suppressed C-kinase substrate (SSeCK) gene, phosphodiesterase I, CD44, epithelial membrane protein 3 (EMP3), and estrogen receptor a (ERa). The SSeCK and phosphodiesterase I genes were both upregulated in the DEN-induced hepatocarcinomas, yet their possible carcinogenic functions remain unknown. Meanwhile, the other genes were downregulated, including the genes related to growth regulation (IOFBP, H-revI07, ER$\alpha$), adipogenesis inhibition (PTHR), and tumor suppression (metallothionein).