• Toxicological Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 1988

The effects of altering the hepatic mixed-function oxidase(MFO) activities on the acute toxicity of parathion were examined in female rats. Phenobarbital sodium pretreatment (50mg/kg/day, i.p.) for 4 consecutive days has resulted in significant decreases in the toxicity of parathion (2 or 4 mg/kg, i.p.) as determined by lethality and cholinesterase activities wheras the toxicity arising from a single dose of CCl4(2 mmol/kg, i.p.) 24 hr prior to parathion challenge was potentiated.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2011

Although the vegetable Angelica keiskei (AK) has widely been utilized for the purpose of general health improvement among Korean population, its functionalities are not very well defined. In this study, we examined the effects of methanol extract of AK in rats on the biochemical changes induced by two hepatotoxins, D-galactosamine (GalN) and carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$). AK was orally administered once daily for 7 days to male rats at 200 and 500 mg/kg, before hepatotoxins. Effects of AK were assessed 24 hr later. AK pretreatments at 200 and 500 mg/kg significantly blunted GalN-induced elevation in liver lipid peroxidation, plasma aspartate-transaminase (AST) and alanine-transaminase (ALT) activities. AK also prevented, after 500 mg/kg but not after 200 mg/kg, the GalN-induced elevation in triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels. Differently from against GalN-induced toxicity, AK did further elevate the $CCl_4$-induced rise in AST, ALT and lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that AK, when pre-administered prior to GalN, exerted protective effects against GalN-induced hepatotoxicity, in contrast however, AK exacerbated that induced by $CCl_4$. To explore possible mechanism for the toxicity-potentiating effects of AK on $CCl_4$, the activity of hepatic drug metabolism after AK treatment was assessed. It was observed that AK increased the activity of aniline hydroxaylase, a cytochrome P450 isoenzyme responsible for metabolic activation of $CCl_4$. This finding suggests that hepatoprotective effects of AK are not equally expected depending on hepatotoxins employed.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2006

Gadolinium chloride ($GdCl_{3}$) was known to block Kupffer cells and generally its toxicity study based on blocking these cells. Therefore, $GdCl_{3}$ frequently used to study toxic mechanisms of hepatotoxicants inducing injury through Kupffer cells. We also tried to investigate the effect of $GdCl_{3}\;on\;CCl_{4}$ toxicity, typical hepatotoxicants. Administration of $GdCl_{3}$ to mice significantly suppressed AST (asparatate amino transferase), ALT (alanine amino transferase) levels which were increased by $CCl_{4}$ treatment. However, $GdCl_{3}$ didn't inhibit the phagocytotic activity of Kupffer cells. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a good indicator of the degree of lipid peroxidation. In this study, MDA increased by $GdCl_{3}$ administration not by $CCl_{4}$. To understand the toxicity of $GdCl_{3}$, we analyzed global gene expression profile of mice liver after acute $GdCl_{3}$ injection. Four hundred fifty two genes were differentially expressed with more than 2-fold in at least one time point among 3 hr, 6 hr, and 24 hr. Several genes involved in fibrogenesis regulation. Several types of pro-collagens (Col1a2, Col5a2, Col6a3, and Col13a1) and tissue inhibitor of metal-loproteinase1 (TIMP1) were up regulated during all the time points. Genes related to growth factors, chemokines, and oxidative stress, which were known to control fibrogenesis, were significantly changed. In addition, $GdCl_{3}$ induced abnormal regulation between lipid synthesis and degradation related genes. These data will provide the information about influence of $GdCl_{3}$ to hepatotoxicity.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.275-280
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• 2005

Carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) is well known hepatotoxicant. Its overdose cause severe centrilobular hepatic necrosis in human and experimental animals. We administered $CCl_{4}$ at low (0.2 mL/kg p.o.) and high (2 mL/kg p.o.) doses to mice. Mice were sacrificed at 24 h after administration. We evaluated liver toxicity by serum AST and ALT level and by microscopic observation. Using cDNA chip, we conducted gene expression analysis in liver. Mean serum activities of the hepatocellular leakage enzymes, ALT and AST, were significantly increased compare to control, respectively, in the low and high dose groups. H&E evaluation of stained liver sections revealed $CCl_{4}-related$ histopathological findings in mice. Moderate centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis was present in all $CCl_{4}$ treated mice. We found that gene expression pattern was very similar between low and high dose group. However, some stress related genes were differently expressed. These results could be a molecular signature for the degree of liver injury. Our data suggest that the degree of severity could be figure out by gene expression profiling.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.226-234
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• 2000

Protective effect of Corydalis ternata against the carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity was investigated. Carbon tetrachloride($CCl_4$) induces hepatotoxicity due to the reactive free radical(CCl$_3$ . ) generated by cytochrome P-450 enzyme. We examined effects of hexane, chloroform, butanol and water fractions prepared from the Corydalis ternata methanol extract. Rats were treated with those for 3 days, and liver microsomes and cytosols were prepared at 24 hour after last treatment. Hepatoprotective activity of the water fraction was higher than that of other fractions. To examine mechanism of the hepatoprotective effect of Corydalis ternuta, we measured contents of malondialdehyde(MDA), cytochrome P46O(CYP), glutathione, calcium as well as the activities of NADPH-CYP reductase, glutathione S-transferase(GST), superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione peroxidase(GPX) and catalase. The fraction inhibited production of MDA, content of CYP and calcium in liver of water fractions - treated rats as compared with those of CCl4-treated rats. The GST activity was increased. We speculate that the O2 radical scavenging activities of the water fraction might play a key role in the mechanism opposing the progression of $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity, but the activities of SOD, GPX, CAT were decreased. These results suggest that the mechanism might be mainly due to the decrease of CYP contents, act as calcium channel blocker and increase of GST activity rather than $O_2$ radical scavenging activities.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.323-328
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• 2010

Root extract of Lythrum salicaria reported a hepato-protective effect on $CCl_4$-induced liver toxicity of rat was prepared into fractions such as n-hexane up layer (HA), n-hexane down layer (HB), diethyl ether (E), ethylacetate (EA), n-butanol (B) and water (W). Fractions prepared were tested their activities in vitro and in vivo condition. All of the fractions showed effective antioxidant asctivities on DPPH radical and $CuSO_4$-induced oxidation of human low density lipoprotein and E fraction showed the highest inhibitory effect (98.1% at $50\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) on linoleic acid autoxidation at $40^{\circ}C$, which was more effective than $\alpha$-tocopherol (82.4%). Five fractions (H = HA plus HB, E, EA, B, and W, 150 mg/kg/day) were fed into Sprague Dawley, male rats for 4 days, which were intoxicated with intra-peritoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride ($1\;m{\ell}/kg$ in corn oil) at the 4th day and were sacrificed in 24 hrs. Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-$\alpha$), a proinflammatory cytokine, elevated with $CCl_4$-intoxication in negative control group ($83\;pg/m{\ell}$) was significantly decreased in E fraction-supplemented group ($18\;pg/m{\ell}$). Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased in negative control group (0.12 U/mg protein) was decreased in E fraction (0.07 U/mg protein). From the results, it is suggested that ether fraction from root extract of L. salicaria would be a potent antioxidant candidate for ameliorating liver injury induced by chemical intoxicant.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.95-101
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• 1983

Aucubin, an iridoid glucoside which was previously reported to exhibit liver-protective activities against $CCl_4$ and ${\alpha}-amanitin$ induced liver damages, was subject to toxicological studies. To measure the lethal dose, the doses of 100mg/kg, 300mg/kg, 600mg/kg and 900mg/kg were administered intraperitoneally to experimental mice. No death was observed 24 hrs later, but serum GOT and alkaline phosphatase activities were deceased slightly at the doses of 300mg to 900mg/kg, and the triglyceride contents were slightly increased. To investigate acute toxicity of aucubin itself, multiple dosages(20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg for four times a week) were injected intraperitoneally into mice, then serum enzymes activities and chemistries were assayed; no significant change of the enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase, GPT, GOT in the test groups were observed in comparison with those of the control group, and the contents of triglyceride, glucose, urea nitrogen and total proteins in the test group serums appeared to be almost same levels as those of the control group were. Histological examiation on liver biopsy samples indicated no gross changes between the control group and the test group were noted. Therefore, aucubin appears to be apparently low toxic substance and its minimum lethal dose in mouse seems to be more than 0.9 g.