• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.110-122
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• 1987

The rabbits were infected with Clonorchis sinensis and were treated with praziquantel at the dose of $50{\;}mg/kg{\times}2회{\times}2$ days after 1,2,4,8 weeks and 7 months from the infection. Their livers were observed histopathologically 1, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment. The findings are summarized as below. 1. The changes of the liver in control rabbits were relatively mild until 2 weeks after infection. However, widening and thickening of bile ducts, proliferation of biliary epithelium and periductal fibrosis were moderate after 4 weeks from infection and those changes were severe after 8 weeks and 7 months. Goblet cell metaplasia was found after 8 weeks from infection. 2. The mild changes of 2-week infection group were completely recovered by 4 weeks after the treatment. In the groups of 4 or more weeks after infection, the changes of bile ducts became milder in the degree after the treatment, but were still found 12 weeks after the treatment. As the infection duration was passed, more severe changes were observed after the treatment. In this context, it is concluded that the liver changes of acute clonorchiasis in the early two weeks are reversible by treatment while chronic biliary epithelial changes are irreversible. Therefore, early treatment should be recommended as possible to minimize the remaining histopathological changes of liver in clonorchiasis.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.484-493
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• 2012

Since the 1980s, there have been many research activities devoted to quantitatively characterizing and imaging human tissues based on sound speed, attenuation coefficient, density, nonlinear B/A parameter, etc., but those efforts have not yet reached the stage of commercialization. However, a new imaging technology termed elastography, which was proposed in the early 1980s, has recently been implemented in commercial clinical ultrasound scanners, and is now being used to diagnose prostates, breasts, thyroids, livers, blood vessels, etc., more quantitatively as a complementary adjunct modality to the conventional B-mode imaging. The purpose of this article is to introduce and review various elastographic algorithms for use in quasistatic or static compression type elasticity imaging modes. Most of the algorithms are based on the crosscorrelation or autocorrelation function methods, and the fundamental difference is that the time shift is estimated by changing the lag variable in the former, while it is directly obtained from the phase shift at a fixed lag in the latter.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.245-252
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• 2007

This study investigated the effects of conjugated linoleic acid(CLA) on the fat deposition, triglyceride levels and the expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1(SCD1) in the livers of male ICR mice that were fed with either soybean oil or beef tallow supplemented with CLA. Mice weighing $25{\sim}30$ g were divided into four groups; soybean oil(SBO), and SBO supplemented with 1% CLA(SBOC), beef tallow(BT) and BT supplemented with 1% CLA(BTC). Each group consisted of 10 mice that were fed the experimental diets for 4 weeks. The experimental diets consisted of 64% carbohydrate, 20% protein, and 16% fat in terms of their contributions to total calories. All other nutrients were identical in the diets. Triglyceride measurements were completed using a kit. Fatty acid compositions were analyzed in the liver using gas chromatography. The levels of SCD1 expression were analyzed by RT-PCR in the liver. No significant differences were found for food intake level, body weight and food efficiency among the experimental groups. However, the weights of epididymal fat pads and plasma triglyceride levels were significantly lower in SBOC and BTC(p<0.05) compared to the SBO and BT groups. These effects were similar in the CLA supplemented groups. The expression level of SCD1 gene and ${\Delta}9$ desaturase index were not significantly different, regardless of the fat used for CLA supplementation. Based on these results, addition of CLA showed decreasing effects on the fat depots weight and the concentration of triglyceride regardless of the fat sources. The SCD1 gene expression and ${\Delta}9$ desaturase index were not influenced by the types of fats with respect to the CLA effects.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.495-502
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate effects of dietary folic acid supplementation on plasma homocysteine levels, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance s (TBARS) level s and liver SAM/SAH ratio in hyperhomocysteinaemia-induced pregnant rats. Forty-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided three groups (C: control diet, HFD: $0.3\%$ homocystine and 0 mg folic acid diet, HFS: $0.3\%$ homocystine and 8 mg/kg folic acid diet) according to homocystine and folic acid levels in the diet. They were fed experimental diets for 5 weeks prior to the mating and also during the entire period of pregnancy till gestational day 20. Dietary folic acid supplementation caused a significant decrease in plasma homocysteine levels which had been increased by a homocystine-diet, with a concomitant increase in plasma and liver folate levels. Liver TBARS levels in homocysteine-folic acid-deficient group (HFD) were higher than those in control group. Dietary folic acid supplementation increased hepatic SAM/SAM ratio in homocysteine-folic acid- sopplemetantion group (HFS) when compared to the HFD (p < 0.05). These data suggest that folate depletion and elevated plasma homocysteine may promote oxidative stress in rat livers and influence the remethylation cycle of the homocysteine metabolism detrimentally. In conclusion, dietary folic acid supplementation was found to be effective for lowering plasma homocysteine levels, relieving oxidative stress, and improving the methylation status in the body.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2006

Purified rat liver aryl sulfotransferase IV (AST IV) was found to be inhibited in vitro by zinc, copper, cadmium and terbium. Among these four elements, zinc, copper and cadmium were all strongly inhibitory to the AST IV activity at very low concentrations (2.5 $\mu$M to 0.025 $\mu$M). In rat liver cytosol, zinc, copper and cadmium at 25 $\mu$M to 0.025 $\mu$M also decreased the AST IV activity to $50\%$ of the controls. In order to assess the possible effects of these metals on the AST IV activity recovery pattern in vivo, studies on the relationship between these minerals and dietary 2-acetylaminofluorene were conducted. Total of forty rats were fed one of five diets for 6 weeks: diet 1, Control diet plus 2-acetlyaminofluorene ($0.05\%$); diet 2, zinc-deficient diet plus 2-acetlyaminofluorene; diet 3, zinc-supplement diet plus 2-acetylaminofluorene; diet 4, copper-supplement diet plus 2-acetylaminofluorene; diet 5, cadmium-supplement diet plus 2-acetylaminofluorene. Half of the rats from each diet were changed to individual diet after 3 weeks of 2-acetylaminofluorene feeding. Placement of rats on the control diet following one cycle of 2-acetylaminofluorene feeding of 3 weeks without 2-acetylaminofluorene resulted in nearly full recovery of AST IV activity within 3 or 4 weeks. However, the rats fed diets that supplemented with zinc, copper or cadmium without 2-acetylaminofluorene showed a new pattern of lowered AST IV activity as early as the first cycle. Also, lowering in cytosolic AST IV contents was appeared in the livers from the rats, following one cycle of 2-acetylaminofluorene feeding of 3 weeks, fed one of the diets that supplemented with copper, cadmium or zinc without 2-acetylaminofluorene for ensuing 3 weeks.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.466-471
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: Currently, natural products have been shown to exhibit interesting biological and pharmacological activities and are used as chemotherapeutic agents. The purpose of this study, conducted on Wistar rats, was to evaluate the beneficial effects of Artemisia arborescens oil on oestroprogestative treatment induced damage on liver. MATERIALS/METHODS: A total of 36 Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups; a control group (n = 9), a group of rats who received oestroprogestative treatment by intraperitoneal injection (n = 9), a group pre-treated with Artemisia arborescens then injected with oestroprogestative treatment (n = 9), and a group pre-treated with Artemisia arborescens (n = 9). To minimize the handling stress, animals from each group were sacrificed rapidly by decapitation. Blood serum was obtained by centrifugation and the livers were removed, cleaned of fat, and stored at $-80^{\circ}C$ until use. RESULTS: In the current study, oestroprogestative poisoning resulted in oxidative stress, which was demonstrated by 1) a significant increase of lipid peroxidation level in hepatic tissue 2) increased levels of serum transaminases (aspartate amino transferase and serum alanine amino transferase), alkaline phosphatase, glycemia and triglycerides and a decrease in the level of cholesterol 3) alteration of hepatic architecture. Pre-administration of Artemisia arborescens oil was found to alleviate oestroprogestative treatment induced damage by lowering lipid peroxidation level and by increasing activity of catalase, superoxide-dismutase, and glutathione-peroxidase in liver and by reducing disruption of biochemical parameters. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the results obtained in this study confirmed that Artemisia essential oil protects against oestroprogestative administration induced hepatotoxicity by restoration of liver activities.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.156-161
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• 1991

The mutagenic, comutagenic and antimutagenic effects of red pepper powder were studied by using Ames mutagenicity test. extracts(3 fractions) of the red pepper powder did not show any mutagenicity with or without S9 mix in Salmonella typhimurium strains of TA100 and TA98. These extracts did not show any comutagenicity on N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG). Capsaicin also did not exhibit any mutagenicity in the absence or presence of S9 mix prepared from rat or hamster livers. However, the red pepper powder showed antimutagenicity aganist aflatoxin $B_1(AFB_1)$ mediatdd mutagenicity. Especially first fraction of the pepper powder inhibited strongly the mutagenicity of $AFB_1$. There was no difference of these activities between hotter tasted pepper powder and plain hot tasted pepper powder.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.81-85
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of fermented blackberry drinks (BD) on carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver injury in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups with 6 rats per group: control, $CCl_4$, $CCl_4$ plus BD $3ml\;kg^{-1}$, and $CCl_4$ plus BD $6ml\;kg^{-1}$. We found that the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were significantly increased and the activity of antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the liver was decreased in rats treated with $CCl_4$ alone when compared with the control group. However, the administration of BD attenuated the levels of serum AST and ALT in $CCl_4$-treated rats. Moreover, the administration of BD significantly increased the activity of GPx in $CCl_4$-treated rat livers. Taken together, these results suggest that BD could protect the liver from $CCl_4$-induced hepatic damage.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.769-775
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• 2004

Hepatic ischemia and reperfusion (l/R) predisposes the liver to secondary stresses such as endotoxemia, possibly via dysregulation of the hepatic microcirculation secondary to an imbalanced regulation of the vascular stress genes. In this study, the effect of hepatic I/R on the hepatic vasoregulatory gene expression in response to endotoxin was determined. Rats were subjected to 90 min of hepatic ischemia and 6 h of reperfusion. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally after reperfusion. Plasma and liver samples were obtained 6 h after reperfusion for serum aminotransferase assays and RT-PCR analysis of the mRNA for the genes of interest： endothelin-1 (ET-1), its receptors $ET_A$ and $ET_B$, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), cyciooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-${\alpha}$). The activities of serum aminotransferases were significantly increased in the I/R group. This increase was markedly potentiated by LPS treatment. The ET-1 mRNA was increased by LPS alone, and this increase was significantly greater in both the I/R alone and I/R ＋ LPS groups compared to the sham. There were no significant differences in ETA receptor mRNA levels among any of the experimental groups. $ET_B$ mRNA was increased by both LPS alone and I/R alone, with no significant difference between the I/R alone and I/R ＋ LPS groups. The eN OS and HO-1 transcripts were increased by I/R alone and further increased by I/R ＋ LPS. The iNOS mRNA levels were increased by I/R alone, but increased significantly more by both LPS alone and I/R ＋ LPS compared to I/R alone. The TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA levels showed no change with I/R alone, but were increased by both LPS alone and I/R ＋ LPS. The COX-2 expression was increased significantly by I/R alone and significantly more by I/R ＋ LPS. Taken collectively, significantly greater induction of the vasodilator genes over the constriction forces was observed with I/R ＋ LPS. These results may partly explain the increased susceptibility of ischemic livers to injury as a result of endotoxemia.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.627-641
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• 2020

Intensive farming methods that do not guarantee animal welfare can induce stress in pigs. Stress, in turn, can reduce their disease resistance and influence their hormones and metabolites in such a manner that productivity is negatively affected. This study was conducted to compare the stress related factors and blood characteristics of pigs raised on conventional farms and those raised on animal welfare farms. We measured the levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, biochemical parameters in blood and glycogen, L-lactate and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in muscle, as physiological markers of indicating the stress in conventional farm pigs (Control, n=10) and animal welfare farm pigs (Welfare, n=10). We found that there was a significant difference in the albumin-globulin ratio (A/G ratio), as well as the albumin (ALB), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels between the two farms. Epinephrine was significantly higher in conventional farm, while level of norepinephrine was higher in animal welfare farm. There was no significant difference in cortisol, which is known as a stress hormone, across the two groups of farms. Muscular glycogen content was significantly high in animal welfare farm pigs. While L-lactate tended to be low in the animal welfare farm pigs, the difference between them and the conventional farm cohorts was not significant. HSP70 showed high levels of expression in conventional farm. Thus, we suggested that blood parameter results showed a stress response in the livers of conventional farm, and that catecholamine hormones, glycogen, L-lactate and HSP70 can be used as physiological factors of assessing animal welfare.