• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.357-364
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• 2011

To evaluate hepatoprotective effect of Epimedium Koreanum nakai (EKN) on liver-damaged animal model, rats were intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride (1 ml/kg) for 9 weeks orally. Liver-damaged rats were divided into 2 groups: liver-damaged control (LDC) group and EKN group were administered vehicle (saline), EKN extract per os for 4 weeks respectively. Normal control (NC) group was administered saline as the same process of LDC group. The weights of prostate (absolute), testis (relative), epididymis (relative) and packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of EKN group significantly (P < 0.05) increased compared with LDC group. But Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpusulcar hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) decreased. Fibrotic regions in hepatic parenchyma of EKN group significantly (P < 0.01) decreased compared with LDC group and mean diameters of hepatic lobules significantly (P < 0.01) increased. Percentages of degenerative kidney regions and number of degenerative kidney tubules, number of vasodilated atrophic glomerulus of EKN group was significantly (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) decreased compared with LDC group. Number of atrophic seminiferous tubules and epididymal tubules showing oligospermatozoa of EKN group were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased compared with LDC group. In conclusion, EKN extract has a favorable effect on the $CCl_4$-induced liver damage.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1415-1423
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• 2007

Carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver injury depends on a toxic agent that has to be metabolized by the liver NAPDH-cytochrome P450 enzyme system to a highly reactive intermediate. Alternations in the activity of cytochrome P450 enzymes affect the susceptibility to hepatic injury from $CCl_4$. In this study, we evaluated the potential protective activity of the traditional Korean medicinal herb, Corni fructus (CF), against an experimental model of hepatotoxicity induced by $CCl_4$. The CF exhibited a hepatoprotective activity against $CCl_4-induced$ liver damage in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, as measured by GOT, GPT, ALP and histological observation. The CF also showed significant decrease of malodialdehyde (MDA) and increase of glutathion (GSH), catalase activity in rat liver homogenate. In addition, the expression of CYP2E1, as measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis, was significantly decreased in the liver of CF treated SD rats. But $CCl_4$ and CF has no significant effect on 1A1 and 3A1 isoform of cytochrome P450. Based on these findings, it is suggested that hepatoprotective effects of CF possibly related to antioxidative effects and regulation of CYP2E1 expression.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.100-108
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate whether dietary factors, normal fat and genistein leads to beneficial improvement of lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in adult hyperlipidemic male rats. Seven wk-old male SD rats were fed high fat diet (15% fat, 1% cholesterol) for 4 wks for induction of hyperlipidemic model rat. Weight-matched rats were then assigned to four groups according to dietary fat level (7% or 15% fat) and genistein contents (0 or 320 mg/kg diet). Food intake was significantly decreased by both high fat intake and genistein supplementation compared with normal fat intake and genistein no supplementaion. But weight gain was significantly decreased by genistein supplementation in normal fat intake compared with the other groups. Total lipid, total cholesterol and triglyceride in serum and liver were significantly decreased by normal fat intake compared with high fat intake. But total cholesterol in liver was significantly increased by genistein supplementation in both high fat and normal fat intake. TBARS in serum and liver was less produced by normal fat intake compared with high fat intake but TBARS in liver was significantly increased by genistein supplementation compared with genistein no supplementation in normal fat intake. Glutathione reductase activity in erythrocytes was significantly reduced by genistein supplementation in normal fat intake compared with the other groups. Glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities in liver were significantly inhibited by normal fat intake compared with high fat intake. Catalase activity in liver was significantly increased by genistein supplementation compared with genistein no supplementation in high fat intake. Nitrite was significantly decreased by normal fat intake compared with high fat intake. These results suggest that normal fat intake has the treatment effect against risk factors related with cardiovascular disease by reducing lipid profiles, lipid peroxidation. And genistein shows action as a antioxidant replacing antioxidant enzymes but also may act as prooxidant causing the production of TBARS.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.1240-1249
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• 2008

Kamigingansikpung-tang(KGST) has been used for many years as a therapeutic agent for acute stage of cerebrovascular disease and hypertension in oriental medicine. But the effect of KGST on hypertension and vascular system is not well-known. This study was done to investigate the effects of KGST on hypertension. The results were obtained as follow: KGST showed scavenging activity on DPPH free radical. KGST showed the inhibitory effect on ROS and ACE, and the accelerated SOD activity. KGST significantly decreased the blood pressure and pulse in DOCA-salt induced hypertensive rat. KGST significantly decreased the levels of aldosterone in DOCA-salt induced hypertensive rat. KGST significantly decreased the levels of dopamine, epinephrine in DOCA-salt induced hypertensive rat. KGST significantly decreased the levels of potassium(K+) and chloride(Cl-) in DOCA-salt induced hypertensive rat. KGST significantly decreased the levels of uric acid and creatine in DOCA-salt induced hypertensive rat. KGST has an effect on inhibiting cell damage of the heart, liver, kidney, and adrenal gland. results suggest that KGST might be effective in treatment and prevention of hypertension.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.265-270
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• 2017

Objectives : The present study aimed to examine the analgesic effect of electroacupuncture(EA) applied to the brook point of the Liver meridian in the rat model of inflammatory pain and to investigate involvement of endogenouse opioid in the EA-induced analgesia. Methods : Knee arthritis was induced by injection of $125{\mu}l$ of complete Freund's adjuvant into the knee joint cavity unilaterally. To examine the level of pain, weight bearing forces(WBFs) of affected limb was measured. EA treatment was given at the LR2, LI4 or non-acupoint on the contralateral limb with frequency of 2 Hz and intensity of 2 mA under gaseous anesthesia. Results : After induction of arthritis, rats subsequently showed a reduced stepping force of the affected hindlimb due to a painful knee. EA applied to the LR2 point on the contralateral hind limb produced a significant improvement of stepping force of the hind limb lasting for at least 2 h, and this effect was equivalent to that obtained by 5 mg/kg of oral indomethacin. The effect of EA was specific to the acupoint since it could not be mimicked by EA applied to the LI4 point or the arbitrary non-acupoint. The analgesic effect was blocked by pretreatment with naltrexone(10 mg/kg, i.p.). Conclusions : These results suggest that acupuncture applied to LR2, brook point of Liver meridian suppresses inflammatory pain in a rat model of knee arthritis and this effect seems to be mediated by endogenous opioid systems.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.55-68
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• 2009

Objectives : To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi pharmacopuncture in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory rat model. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups; LPS control (n=6), LPS+Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi pharmacopuncture at BL23 (n=6, BL23), LPS+Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi pharmacopuncture at CV12 (n=6, CV12), and LPS+Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi pharmacopuncture at GV4 (n=6, GV4). Pharmacopuncture was given every two days for 4 weeks followed by inflammation induction by intraperitoneal LPS injection (5mg/kg). Blood, liver tissue, and peritoneal lavage fluid were taken and proinflammatory cytokines and other related factors were analysed. Results : For proinflammatory cytokines, CV12 pharmacopuncture group was significantly different compared with the control group in plasma IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$, and IL-10 5 h after LPS injection (P<0.05). For plasma IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6, CV12 pharmacopuncture group also showed significant difference at 2 h compared with the control (P<0.05). GV4 pharmacopuncture group was significantly different compared with the control at 5 h in plasma IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, and TNF-$\alpha$ and at 2 h in IL-10 (P<0.05). Liver cytokines were analyzed at 5 h after LPS injection; only CV12 pharmacopuncture group showed significant difference in IL-$1{\beta}$ (P<0.05) and others including IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$, and IL-10 had no difference compared with the control group. CD4/CD8 ratio and the phagocytic activities of polymorphonuclear neutrophils were not different from those of control group in all pharmacopuncture groups (P>0.05). Plasma NO3-/NO2- and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 of CV12 pharmacopuncture group were significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). In the plasma concentration of prostaglandin E2, all 3 pharmacopuncture groups had significantly lower values than that of the control group (P<0.05), but there was no difference among pharmacopucnture groups. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and cytokine-induced neutorphil chemoattractant-1 in peritoneal lavage fluid was significantly decreased in CV12 pharmacopuncture group compared with the control group (P<0.05). Conclusions : These results indicate that Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi pharmacopuncture at CV12 may have a potent anti-inflammatory effect in an LPS-induced inflammatory rat model.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.791-798
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• 2005

The hepatoprotective activity of flavonol glycosides rich fraction (F-2), prepared from 70% alcohol extract of the aerial parts of V calcarata Desf., was evaluated in a rat model with a liver injury induced by daily oral administration of $CCl_4$ (100 mg/kg, b.w) for four weeks. Treatment of the animals with F-2 using a dose of (25 mg/kg, b.w) during the induction of hepatic damage by $CCl_4$ significantly reduced the indices of liver injuries. The hepatoprotective effects of F-2 significantly reduced the elevated levels of the following serum enzymes: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The antioxidant activity of F-2 markedly ameliorated the antioxidant parameters including glutathione (GSH) content, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), plasma catalase (CAT) and packed erythrocytes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) to be comparable with normal control levels. In addition, it normalized liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and creatinine concentration. Chromatographic purification of F-2 resulted in the isolation of two flavonol glycosides that rarely occur in the plant kingdom, identified as quercetin-3,5-di-O-$\beta$-D-diglucoside (5) and kaempferol-3,5-di-O-$\beta$-D-diglucoside (4) in addition to the three known compounds identified as quercetin-3-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnosyl- (${\rightarrow}6$)-$\beta$-D-glucoside [rutin, 3], quercetin-3-O-$\beta$-D-glucoside [isoquercitrin, 2] and kaempferol-3-O-$\beta$-D-glucoside [astragalin, 1]. These compounds were identified based on interpretation of their physical, chemical, and spectral data. Moreover, the spectrophotometric estimation of the flavonoids content revealed that the aerial parts of the plant contain an appreciable amount of flavonoids (0.89%) calculated as rutin. The data obtained from this study revealed that the flavonol glycosides of F-2 protect the rat liver from hepatic damage induced by $CCl_4$ through inhibition of lipid peroxidation caused by $CCl_4$ reactive free radicals.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.521-527
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• 2001

The effects of dietary restriction (DR) on antioxidant enzymes were studied in liver, lung and erythrocytes of diabetic rats. Experimental animals used Sprague-Dawley (SD; body weight 350$\pm$20g) male rats and Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETE; body weight 5--$\pm$30g) male rats, as a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type I diabetes was induced in SD rats by intramuscular injection of alloxan (80 mg/kg BW). Animals were randomly assigned either to continue the ad libitum diet or 40% DR (60% intake of ad libitum diet) groups. The body weight was measured at every 2 weeks to 4 months following DR. The activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) were measured in liver, lung and erythrocytes and the concentration of TBARS as a marker of reactive oxygen species-induced tissue injry was also measured in rats after 4 months 40% DR. The body weight 4 months after 40% DR of control SD, alloxian-diabetid SD and OLETE rats were 80%, 98% and 75% of each control groups, respectively. The activities of SOD, catalase and GSHPx in lung and erythrocytes of rats were not change by 40% DR but in 4 month 40% DR rat liver, the activities of SOD and catalase were increased in control SD, alloxan-diabetic SD, and OLETF groups. The concentration of TBARS in lung and erythrocytes was also not changed by 40% DR, while liver TBARS concentration was decreased in OLETF and control SD rats compared to each non-DR control rats. These results suggested that the body weight changes in diabetic rats by DR was more prominent in type 2 diabetes and changes of antioxidant enzymes is most prominent in liver by DR either type 1 and 2 diabetic rats.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.1317-1332
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• 2024

Objective: Rare study of the non-coding and regulatory regions of the genome limits our ability to decode the mechanisms of fatty liver hemorrhage syndrome (FLHS) in chickens. Methods: Herein, we constructed the high-fat diet-induced FLHS chicken model to investigate the genome-wide active enhancers and transcriptome by H3K27ac target chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) profiles of normal and FLHS liver tissues. Concurrently, an integrative analysis combining ChIP-seq with RNA-Seq and a comparative analysis with chicken FLHS, rat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and human NAFLD at the transcriptome level revealed the enhancer and super enhancer target genes and conservative genes involved in metabolic processes. Results: In total, 56 and 199 peak-genes were identified in upregulated peak-genes positively regulated by H3K27ac (Cor (peak-gene correlation) ≥0.5 and log2(FoldChange) ≥1) (PP) and downregulated peak-genes positively regulated by H3K27ac (Cor (peak-gene correlation) ≥0.5 and log2(FoldChange)≤-1) (PN), respectively; then we screened key regulatory targets mainly distributing in lipid metabolism (PCK1, APOA4, APOA1, INHBE) and apoptosis (KIT, NTRK2) together with MAPK and PPAR signaling pathway in FLHS. Intriguingly, PCK1 was also significantly covered in up-regulated super-enhancers (SEs), which further implied the vital role of PCK1 during the development of FLHS. Conclusion: Together, our studies have identified potential therapeutic biomarkers of PCK1 and elucidated novel insights into the pathogenesis of FLHS, especially for the epigenetic perspective.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.275-283
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• 2007

Objective : Although hypothyroidism is a common disease in the endocrinology system, it is reported that there are a lot of difficulties in treating it effectively. Aconiti Ra얕 traditionally has been used in treatment of coldness, fatigue, and bradycardia. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of Aconiti Radix on hypothyroidism rat model induced by 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU). Methods : Two-month-old rats were used with administration of PTU which induced hypothyroidism in the rats. After 2 weeks, Aconiti Radix and thyroxine were administered, respectively. The body weights were measured every week. After 4 weeks, the blood samples of all rats were taken from their hearts. They were analyzed biochemically and $T_4$ (thyroid hormone) & TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) was measured by ELISA kits. Results : In comparison with normals, controls showed hypothyroidism with significantly low $T_4$ and high TSH the statistics. In Aconiti Radix administration groups significantly increased $T_4$ was observed in the statistics and its effects were dose-dependent. There was no difference statistically in TSH of Aconiti Radix treatment groups from controls, nor were statistical differences observed significantly in biochemical labs and weight of each group. Conclusions : These findings suggest that Aconiti Radix protects thyroid cells and makes thyroid cells produce thyroid hormones. It is also very safe in the view of liver, kidney function, and other metabolism. It may be a useful agent for treating hypothyroidism.