• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.5-24
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• 2011

Objective: This study was performed to analyse four weeks repeated -dose toxicity of Sweet Bee Venom (SBV-pure melittin, the major component of honey bee venom) in rats. Methods: All experiments were conducted under the regulations of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) at Biotoxtech Company, a non-clinical study authorized institution. Male and female rats of 5 weeks old were chosen for the pilot study of four weeks repeated-dose toxicity and was injected at the level of 0.56 mg/kg body weight (eighty times higher than the clinical application dosage as the high dosage), followed by 0.28 and 0.14 mg/kg as midium and low dosage, respectively. Equal amount of normal saline was injected as the control group every day for four weeks. Results: 1. No mortality was witnessed in all of the experiment groups. 2. All experiment groups appealed pain sense in the treating time compared to the control group, and side effects such as hyperemia and movement disorder were observed around the area of injection in all experiment groups, and the higher dosage in treatment, the higher occurrence in side effects. 3. Concerning weight measurement, neither male nor female groups showed significant changes compared to the control group. 4. Concerning to the CBC and biochemistry, all experiment groups didn't show any significant changes compared to the control group. 5. Concerning weight measurement of organs, experiment groups didn't show any significant changes compared to the control group. 6. To verify abnormalities of organs and tissues, those such as cerebellum, cerebrum, liver, lung, kidney, and spinal cords were removed and we conducted histologocal observation with H-E staining. Concerning the histologocal observation of liver tissues, some fatty changes were observed around portal vein in 0.56 mg/kg experiment group. But another organs were not detected in any abnormalities. 7. The proper high dosage of SBV for the thirteen weeks repeated test in rats may be 0.28 mg/kg in one time. Conclusion: Above findings suggest that SBV is relatively safe treatment medium. Further studies on the subject should be conducted to yield more concrete evidences.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.223-243
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• 2014

Objectives: To provide information on the safety of GST (GamiSasangja-tang; CnidiiFructus, Sophora Root, Angelica Gigas Root, Clematidis Radix, Stemonae Radix, Spirodelae Herba), we carried out a 13-week repeated oral dose toxicity and a 4-week recovery test of GST in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: Female and male rats were treated with GST at oral doses of 1,250, 2,500, and 5000 mg/kg. The GST was administered for 13 weeks. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, food consumption, ophthalmologic findings, urinalysis, hematological and biochemical parameters, gross findings, organ weights and histological markers were monitored during the study period. The rats were then monitored for 4 extra weeks to determine recovery time after the study period. Results: We found no mortality or abnormalities among clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmologic findings, urinalysis, hematological and biochemical parameters, gross findings, organ weights or histological markers in any of the rats tested. Conclusions: The no-observed adverse effects level (NOAEL) is considered as over 5000 mg/kg for male and female rats.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.143-160
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• 2012

Objectives : To provide information on the safety of ACM, we carried out a 13-week repeated oral dose toxicity and a 4-week recovery test of ACM in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods : Female and male rats were treated with ACM with oral doses of 800, 2000, and 5000 mg/kg. The ACM was administered for 13 weeks. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, food consumption, ophthalmologic findings, urinalysis, hematological and biochemical parameters, gross findings, organ weights and histological markers were monitored during the study period. Moreover, the rats were monitored for 4 extra weeks to determine recovery time after the study period. Results : We found no mortality and no abnormalities in clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmologic findings, urinalysis, hematological and biochemical parameters, gross findings, organ weights and histological markers in any of the rats tested. Conclusions : The no-observed adverse effects level (NOAEL) was considered as over 5000 mg/kg for male and female rats.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.180-197
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• 1999

Acute and subacute oral toxicity of $HELIKIT^{TM}$ ($^{13}C-urea$) were carried out in Sprague-Dawley rats of both sex. The toxicity of $HELIKIT^{TM}$ was compared with urea($^{12}C-urea$ which is used for control). In acute toxicity studies, we daily examined number of deaths, clinical signs, body weights and pathological examination for 14 days after single oral administration of HELIKIT or urea($^{12}C-urea$) at a dose of 5000 mg/kg. The subacute oral toxicity was investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats treated with $HELIKIT^{TM}$ at a dose of 40, 200 and 1,000 mg/kg/day or $^{12}C-urea$ at a dose of 1,000 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. In acute toxicity studies, $HELIKIT^{TM}$ and urea did not show any toxic effect in rats and oral LD50 value was over 5,000 mg/kg rats. In subacute toxicity studies, no death occured and no drug-related changes were found in clinical observations; body weight, food consumption, opthalmoscopy. auditory test, urinalysis, hematology, blood chemistry, gross pathological examination or organ weight between $HELIKIT^{TM}$, urea and control groups. In histopathological examinations, the slight thickening of mucosa of the limiting ridge in the stomach was noted in the animals treated with $HELIKIT^{TM}$ at a dose of 1,000 mg/kg/day and also the changes in urea group at a dose of 1,000 mg/kg/day was found, but all of these changes in the changes in ures group at a dose of 1,000 mg/kg/days was found, but all of these changes in the stomach regressed after withdrawal of the test article for 2 weeks and reversibility of the effect was revealed. These results indicate that the non toxic dose level of $HELIKIT^{TM}$ was 1,000 mg/kg/day in the 4 weeks-repeated dose study, suggesting that the substitution of $^{13}C$ for carbon in urea molecule has no effect on the toxicity of urea and changes in stomach are reversible.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.717-724
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• 2020

Background: Malignant arrhythmias require drug therapy. However, most of the currently available antiarrhythmic drugs have significant side effects. Ginsenoside Rg2 exhibits excellent cardioprotective effects and appears to be a promising candidate for cardiovascular drug development. So far, the oral toxicity and antiarrhythmic effects of Rg2 have not been evaluated. Methods: Acute oral toxicity of Rg2 was assessed by the Limit Test method in mice. Subchronic oral toxicity was determined by repeated dose 28-day toxicity study in rats. Antiarrhythmic activities of Rg2 were evaluated in calcium chloride-induced arrhythmic rats. Antiarrhythmic mechanism of Rg2 was investigated in arrhythmic rats and H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Results: The results of toxicity studies indicated that Rg2 exhibited no single-dose (10 g/kg) acute oral toxicity. And 28-day repeated dose treatment with Rg2 (1.75, 3.5 and 5 g/kg/d) demonstrated minimal, if any, subchronic toxicity. Serum biochemical examination showed that total cholesterol in the high-dose cohort was dramatically decreased, whereas prothrombin time was increased at Day 28, suggesting that Rg2 might regulate lipid metabolism and have a potential anticoagulant effect. Moreover, pretreatment with Rg2 showed antiarrhythmic effects on the rat model of calcium chloride induced arrhythmia, in terms of the reduced duration time, mortality, and incidence of malignant arrhythmias. The antiarrhythmic mechanism of Rg2 might be the inhibition of calcium influx through L-type calcium channels by suppressing the phosphorylation of Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Conclusion: Our findings support the development of Rg2 as a promising antiarrhythmic drug with fewer side effects for clinical use.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.1406-1413
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• 2016

This study was carried out to evaluate the toxicity of ethanolic extracts of Morus alba L. branch (ME). In the reverse mutation test, Salmonella Typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1357, and Escherichia coli WP2uvrA were used to estimate the mutagenic potential of ME. Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered ME at levels of 1,250, 2,500, and 5,000 mg/kg for the single-dose toxicity test and 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg/d for the repeated-dose toxicity test for 28 consecutive days. As expected, reverse mutation was not detected at any concentration of ME, regardless of application of the metabolic activation system with or without S9 mix. In the single-dose toxicity test, ME caused neither significant visible signs of toxicity nor mortality in rats, and $LD_{50}$ was estimated to be over 5,000 mg/kg. In the repeated-dose toxicity test, ME administration at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg for 28 days to male or female rats did not result in mortality. Similarly, no toxicologically significant treatment-related changes in body weight, food intake, or organ weights were noted. Several hematological and biochemical parameters in both genders showed significant differences, but these were within normal ranges. These results support the safe use of ME.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 2002

This study was conducted to evaluate the safety of a recombinant human Factor VIII(GC-$\gamma$ AHF) manufactured by Korea Green Cross Company with different technology according to the Regulation of Korean Food and Drug Administration (l 998. 12. 3). In acute toxicity test, both genders of Sprague-Dawley rats and Beagle dogs were administered intravenously with GC-$\gamma$ AHF of three doses (3,125, 625 and 125 IU/kg), and single dose of 3,125 IU/kg, respectively. No dead animal and abnormal autopsy findings were found in Control and GC-$\gamma$ AHF treated group. Therefore, the 50% lethal dose ($LD_{50}$) of GC-$\gamma$ AHF was conidered to be higher than 3,125 IU/kg in rats and dogs. In the four weeks repeated intravenous toxicity study, GC-$\gamma$ AHF was administrated intravenosly to both genders of rats and dogs with 3 doses (500, 150, 50 IU/kg). There were neither dead animals nor significant changes of body weights during the experimental Period. In addition, no significant GC-$\gamma$ AHF related changes were found in clinical sign, urinalysis and other finding. Statistically changes were observed in hematological, biochemical and organ weight parameters of treated groups: however these changes were not dose dependent. No histopathological lesion were observed in both control and treated animals. Above data suggest that no observed adverse effect level of test materials in rats and dogs might be over 500 IU/kg/day in this study. In ocular irritation test, any injury on iris, conjunctiva and cornea in rabbits were not observed. The acute ocular irritation index (A.O.I.), mean ocular irritation index (M.O.I.) and Day-7 individual ocular irritation Index (I.O.I.) of GC-$\gamma$ AHF were 0. In the primary skin Irritation test, the primary irritation index (P.I.I.) oj GC-$\gamma$ AHF were 0. Therefore, the GC-$\gamma$ AHF is considered not to have the primary skin and eye toxicity in rabbits. In active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) test, GC-$\gamma$ AHF and GC-$\gamma$ AHF emulsified with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) did not induce any symptom of anaphylactic shock in guinea pigs. In passive cutaneous anaphylxis (PCA) test, after sensitization with antisera of GC-$\gamma$ AHF sensitized mice, blue spots were observed on the hypodermis of back of rats, but diameter of each spot was smaller than 5 mm in each test groups except the positive control group. Based on the results of this study, GC-$\gamma$ AHF is not conidered to have any antigenic potential. In conclusion, at levels of up to 500 IU/kg, GC-$\gamma$ AHF did not produce treatment-related toxicity under the conditions of these acute-, four week repeated-toxicity, primary skin and eye toxicity, and antigenicity test.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 1997

As the development of a pharmaceutical product is a dynamic process which involves continuousfeed-back between non-clinical and clinical studies, the integration of pharmacokinetics into toxicity testing became increasingly important in recent years. Toxicokinetic measurements in the toxicity studies is considered to be an important scientific approach in the interpretation of the toxicology findings and the promotion of rational study design development. Primarily this research project was conducted to determine the systemic exposure achieved in acute toxicity test and its relationship to dose level and the time course of the toxicity study. Acute hepatotoxicity study and its relevant toxicokinetic study in mice were performed using acetarninophen (AA) as a model compound. The correlation between acute hepatotoxicity indices and toxicokinetic parameters following intraperitoneally administration of various dosages of AA in mice was evaluated and discussed minutely in the text. Based on these studies, single-dose toxicity testing of AA including kinetic studies was evaluated in ICR mice for 7 days and interpreted in the text. Our results from the integration of toxicokinetic monitoring into single-dose toxicity study enable to elucidate the relation of the exposure achieved in toxicity study to toxicological findings and assist in the selection of appropriate dose levels for use in repeated-dose toxicity or later studies.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2002

The present study was conducted to investigate the potential subacute toxicity of plant sterol esters by a 4-week repeated oral dose in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test article was administered once daily by gavage to rats at dose levels of 0, 1000, 3000, and 9000 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. During the test period, clinical sign, mortality, body weights, food and water consumption, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross finding, organ weight, and histopathology were evaluated. A reduction in the body weight was observed in females of the 9000 mg/kg group on day 27 after the initiation of treatment, but not in males of the group. There were no treatment-related effects on mortality, clinical sign, food and water consumption, ophthalmoscopy, urinarlysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, necropsy findings, organ weights, and histopathology in any treatment group. Based on these results, it was concluded that the 4-week repeated oral dose of plant sterol esters resulted in suppressed body weight in female rats at a dose level of 9000 mg/kg/day. In the condition of this study, target organ was not observed and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was considered to be 9000 mg/kg/day for males and 5000 mg/kg/day for females.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.190-205
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• 1994

This study was conducted to investigate the repeated dose toxicity of DA-125, a new anthracycline antitumor antibiotic, in rats. Before the 13-week main study, a 4-week dose-range finding (DRF) study was carried out. The administration of DA-125 intravenously at dosage levels of 0, 0.125, 0.5, 2.0, and 8.0 mg/kg/day to rats for 4 weeks resulted in premature deaths of all animals in the 8.0 mg/kg/day group and in the deaths of 4 males and 4 females at 2.0 mg/kg/day. Body weights were markedly reduced in the 8.0 mg/kg/day group and showed dose-related decreases in all treatment groups when compared with the control group. Reductions in weight gain were slight and not significantly different at 0.125 mg/kg/day but animals receiving 0.5 mg/kg/day showed more marked decreases in gain in a clear dose-related manner Based On the results of the above DRF study, a 13-week repeated dose intravenous toxicity study in rats with DA-125 was performed at a dose level of 0, 0.012, 0.08 and 0.3 mg/kg/day. No treatment related effects were noted in behavior or body weight in all treatment groups. One male at the highest dose level died on study day 26, but the death could not be related to test article toxicity. Swelling and scabbing of the ears was present in all of the groups, including the control group. There were no treatment related changes in the hematological, biochemical or urinalysis values in all treatment groups. Thymus weights were significantly reduced ill males receiving 0.3 mg/kg/day and they were sligltly, and not significantly, reduced in females of the same group. While there were no associated histological changes. Treatment related necrosis was found in the tail vein (injection site) at 0.08 and 0.3 mg/kg/day. On the basis of these results, the no observed effect level (NOEL) was 0.012 mg/kg/day and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was estimated to be more than 0.3 mg/kg/day under the conditions tested.