• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2018

Ethanol-induced fat accumulation, the earliest and most common response of the liver to ethanol exposure, may be involved in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), an important constituent of Glycyrrhizae Radix, is a chalcone derivative that exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and phytoestrogenic activities. However, the effect of ISL treatment on lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and alcoholic hepatitis remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the effect and underlying mechanism of ISL on ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis by treating AML-12 cells with 200 mM ethanol and/or ISL ($0{\sim}50{\mu}M$) for 72 hr. Lipid accumulation was assayed by oil red O staining, and the expression of sirtuin1 (SIRT1), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha ($PPAR{\alpha}$) was studied by western blotting. Our results indicated that ISL treatment upregulated SIRT1 expression and downregulated SREBP-1c expression in ethanol-treated cells. Similarly, oil red O staining revealed a decrease in ethanol-induced fat accumulation upon co-treatment of ethanol-treated cells with 10, 20, and $50{\mu}M$ of ISL. These findings suggest that ISL can reduce ethanol induced-hepatic lipogenesis by activating the SIRT1-AMPK pathway and thus improve lipid metabolism in alcoholic fatty livers.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to detect cell death in the liver of mice treated with thioacetamide (TAA) using fluorescence bioimaging and compare this outcome with that using conventional histopathological examination. At 6 weeks of age, 24 mice were randomly divided into three groups: group 1 (G1), control group; group 2 (G2), fluorescence probe control group; group 3 (G3), TAA-treated group. G3 mice were treated with TAA. Twenty-two hours after TAA treatment, G2 and G3 mice were treated with Annexin-Vivo 750. Fluorescence in vivo bioimaging was performed by fluorescence molecular tomography at two hours after Annexin-Vivo 750 treatment, and fluorescence ex vivo bioimaging of the liver was performed. Liver damage was validated by histopathological examination. In vivo bioimaging showed that the fluorescence intensity was increased in the right upper part of G3 mice compared with that in G2 mice, whereas G1 mice showed no signal. Additionally ex vivo bioimaging showed that the fluorescence intensity was significantly increased in the livers of G3 mice compared with those in G1 or G2 mice (p < 0.05). Histopathological examination of the liver showed no cell death in G1 and G2 mice. However, in G3 mice, there was destruction of hepatocytes and increased cell death. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining confirmed many cell death features in the liver of G3 mice, whereas no pathological findings were observed in the liver of G1 and G2 mice. Taken together, fluorescence bioimaging in this study showed the detection of cell death and made it possible to quantify the level of cell death in male mice. The outcome was correlated with conventional biomedical examination. As it was difficult to differentiate histological location by fluorescent bioimaging, it is necessary to develop specific fluorescent dyes for monitoring hepatic disease progression and to exploit new bioimaging techniques without dye-labeling.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 2001

Silk fibroin (SF) derided from the domestic silk worm, bombyx mori, is the natural protein and widely used as bio-functional materials as well as apparels. We studied the livers protective effect of SF from alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity in the alcohol preference mouse. To increase more absorption of SF in experimental animals, molecular weight of SF was lowered by 2N of HCI aqueous solution at 10$0^{\circ}C$ for 48 hrs. SF was added to liquid diet with alcohol and fed to the alcohol preference mice for 4 weeks. To assess the liver function, the concentration of alanine aminotransferase (AlT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and cholesterol present in either blood or liver tissue were measured. As compared with non-SF treated groups the SF-treated showed significantly low concentrations of ALT, AST, cholesterol and triacylglycerol values, respectively. Histopathological examination revealed that the extent of hepatocyte injury in the SF-treated group was reduced when it was compared with non SF-treated group. These results suggest that SF may have liver protective effects against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.37-38
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• 2004

Salmonella gallinarum is a pathogen that is capable of causing disease in Korean native chicken. Although Salmonella gallinarum is important world-wide pathogens of poultry, little is understood of the mechanisms of pathogenesis of Salmonella gallinarum in the chicken. This study was to investigate chicken liver proteins affected by infection of Salmonella gallinarum in Korean native chicken. The differentially expressed proteins of chicken livers were identified by using 2-dimensional electro- phoresis (2D-E) and mass spectrometry (MS). We detected more than 300 protein spots on silver stained 2D gels using pH 3∼10 gradients. Three differentially expressed protein spots were analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS and MS/MS. The obtained MS and MS/MS data were searched against a protein database using the Mascot search engine. Further researches on the identified proteins can give valuable information of mechanism of pathogenesis in chicken.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 1994

Chronic Clonorchis sinensis (CS) infection Is etiologically related to cholangiocarcinoma (CHCA) in human and animals. This study was carried out to clarify the role of CS Infection on dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced cholanglocarcinogenesis. Fifteen hamsters were administered with 15 ppm DMN for 4 weeks and one week later, the hamsters were infected with 15 metacercariae of CS (DMN→CS group). The other 15 hamsters were infected with CS and after 5 weeks they were treated with the drug, praziquantel. Again one week later, the hamsters were administered with DMN (CS→DMN group). The other IS hamsters were adulnistered with DMN and CS simultaneously (CS + DMN group) . Histopathological examination of the livers showed CHCA with papillary or adenomatous hyperplasia of bile ductules in 3 of 15 hamsters of DMN→CS group and in 11 of 15 hamsters of DMN + CS group. These results suggest that CS infection to hamsters may have a promoting effect on the development of CHCA.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.593-599
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• 1994

This study was carried out to investigate the necrotic enteritis of chicken in Korea. Epidemiological, pathological and microbiological examination were done on 12 naturally occurred cases of necrotic enteritis of chicken. And the susceptibility of isolated bacteria to antimicrobial agents was also examined. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The Clostridium perfringens infection, necrotic enteritis of chicken, occurred in the chickens mainly raised in floor pens. Necrotic enteritis of chicken was occurred coincidently with coccidiosis and Gumboro disease frequently. And several cases were recurred at 2-3 weeks after recovery. 2. Clinical signs of the infected chickens were depression, decreased appetite, reluctance to move, diarrhea, ruffled feathers and acute death within several hours. 3. The characteristic biochemical properties of isolates were 2-band hemolysis, no motility, positive reaction of reverse CAMP test and the formation of LV precipitate in egg yolk medium. 4. Gross lesions of the infected chickens were distention of intestine with gas, thickened mucosa and formation of thick pseudomembrane in intestine. Livers were friable with yellowish brown color and, in some case, showed demarcated necrotic foci. 5. Histopathological findings of the infected chickens were severe necrosis of the intestinal mucosa and attachment of numerous large bacilli to the mucosal surface of necrotic villi. In liver, necrosis of liver tissue and numerous large bacilli in the necrotic foci were also observed. 6. In susceptibility test to antimicrobial agents, 12 isolates of Clostridium perfringens were highly sensitive to ampicillin, baytril, cephalothin and penicillin.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.376-381
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• 2003

Acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACS4) is an arachidonate-preferring enzyme abundant in steroidogenic tissues. We examined ACS4 in rat liver, which contains a variety of pathways that use acyl-CoAs, in order to determine subcellular locations. We demonstrate that ACS4 protein was present most abundantly in the mitochondria and to a much lesser extent in the peroxisomes and microsomes. To determined the dietary effects on the level of ACS4 mRNA, northern blotting was carried out using total RNA from the livers of adult male rats fed various diets. Fasting, high fat diet, and fat-free high sucrose diet increased the hepatic level of ACS4 mRNA approximately 2-fold. Furthermore, the levels of ACS4 mRNA were induced by DEHP[Di- (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate]. These data suggest that ACS4 expression in the liver is regulated with a variety of pathways, including $\beta$-oxidation, hormone, and insulin.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2001

Objectives : Cordyceps Sinensis (CS) was tested for the effects of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in the liver. Methods : We measured the changes in body weight, enzyme activity, lipid peroxide and the death rate in the hydrocortisone acetate-treated rats. Results : In vitro, CS didn't effect levels of lipid peroxide. the activities, and the ratio of type conversion of xanthine oxidase. In the hydrocortisone acetate-treated rats, lipid peroxide, the activities, the ratio of type conversion of xanthine oxidase, and the death rate all increased. But, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase decreased. In vitro, after CS was administered to hydrocortisone acetatetreated rats, the levels of lipid peroxide in the liver, and the death rate decreased. However, the activities, and the ratio of type conversion of xanthine oxidase decreased. The body weight, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in+creased. The effects of Sinensis Cordyceps Broth did better than the effects of Sinensis Cordyceps Mycelia. Conclusions : These results suggest that CS decrease the activities of free radical generating enzymes which form lipid peroxide and increase the activities of oxygen free radical scavenging enzymes.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 1994

Indolo[3,2-b]carbazole(ICZ) is a potent Ah receptor agonist with biological activities similar in several respects to those of the potent environmental toxin, TCDD. ICZ is produced during the oilgomerization of indole-3-carbinol(I3C), a breakdown product of the glucobrassicin present in food plants of the Brassica genus. In the present study we examined ICZ levels in tissues and excreta of rats treated with I3C or dietary cabbage of established glucobrasicin content, and in feces of conventional and germfree rats fed on a basal diet, and of humans. We also examined the levels of cytochrome P4501A1 induction, as determined by the ethoxyresorufin ο-deethylase assay, in tissues of animals that received cabbage-supplemented diets, or which were treated with purified I3C or ICZ. Our findings indicated that incorporation of either homogenized or whole freeze-dried cabbage in the feed led to large increases(16-60 fold) in the levels of ICZ in the feces and lower gastrointestinal tract of rats. We observed that whereas ICZ is readily detectable at about the same levels(2.00$\pm$0.50 ppb) in the feces of conventional rats fed on a purified diet and in human feces, levels of ICZ in the feces of germfree animals fed on the basal diet were at the limits of detection(0.40$\pm$0.20 ppb), indication that gut bacteria are important for the production of ICZ from essential dietary constituents in the basal diet. We showed that in contrast to the near 7000-fold difference in CYP1A1 inducing potencies of ICZ and TCDD in cells in culture, their inducing potencies differ by only about an order of magnitude in rats. Nonetheless, the levels of ICZ remaining in livers twenty hours after I3C treatment appear too low to account for the induced activity. This result indicates that ICZ may be rapidly cleared from the liver or that substances other than, or in addition to, ICZ be responsible for the enzyme-inducing activity of orally administered I3C or its precursors.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.135-150
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• 2016

Research Methods: This research analyzed the data on those aged 20 and older from the Report on Korean Medicine Usage Research, which was conducted in 2011. The definitions of toxicity were defined by the presence of toxicity listed in the survey. The questions used in analysis were sex, age, household income, health insurance, medical fees, satisfaction rates on treatments, as well as the types of diseases and the presence of toxicity from treatments. The analysis was done through frequency analysis using SAS 9.2 and Fisher's Exact Test. Results: Toxicity occurred in 2.1% patients out of the 3518 studied. The types of toxicity were skin problems, such as hives and pruritus (34.7%), gastrointestinal problems (20.8%), neurological diseases (4.2%), liver(1.4%), kidney toxicity(1.4%), and others (22.2%). There were no differences in toxicity by sex, age, household income and the types of health insurances. However, toxicity were positively correlated with the increase in standard of education (p=0.0124). In addition, as treatment costs increased (p<0.0001) and satisfaction rates decreased, toxicity increased (p<0.0001). Toxicity increased in patients with low back pain (p=0.0429), hwabyung (p=0.0392), lumbar sprain (p=0.0004), correction body type (p=0.0118), growth (p=0.0045), and from motor accidents (p=0.0448). In logistic regression analysis, Toxicity were positively correlated with medical fees, and cancer treatment and negatively correlated with satisfaction rate on treatments. Conclusion: The toxicity that occurred in outpatients who used Korean medical clinics mostly happened in skin, digestive organs, nerves, livers, and kidneys toxicity. The occurrences differed by the Educational lengths, expensive costs of treatments, low satisfaction rates of the treatments, and cancer.