• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.156-160
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• 2008

The methanolic extract of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS-T) and its fractions (RVS-H, RVS-C, RVS-E and RVS-B) showed significant neuroprotective activity against glutamate-induced toxicity in primary cultures of rat cortical cells. RVS-B, which showed the most potent neuroprotective activity, was further fractionated to yield RVS-B5. Treatment of cortical cells with the RVS-T, RVS-B and RVS-B5 reduced the cellular ROS level and restored the reduced activities of glutathione reductase and SOD induced by glutamate. Although, the activity of glutathione peroxidase was not virtually changed by glutamate, RVS-B5 increased the glutathione peroxidase activity. In addition, these three tested fractions significantly restored the content of GSH which was decreased by glutamate insult in our cultures. Taken together, it could be postulated that RVS extract, in particular its fraction RVS-B5, protected neuronal cells against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity through acting on the antioxidative defense system.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2014

The aim of this was to evaluate the effects of Rhus Verniciflua Stoke (RVS) extract powder on the endurance capacity for the forced swimming mice. Thirty mice were divided into 3 groups including negative control, 250 (RVS-250) and 500 (RVS-500) mg/kg RVS extract powder groups for 4-times swimming exercises. The swimming times to exhaustion in RVS-250 and RVS-500 mice were prolonged 1.6- and 2.0-fold at 4 weeks compared with negative control mice, respectively. Blood biochemical parameters for AST, ALT, T-CHO and TG were not significantly different between RVS fed or negative control mice. However, blood concentration of creatinine was significantly increased in RVS-250 mice, but not in RVS-500 mice. During the longer swimming exercise in RVS group, blood glucose and lactate levels were significantly decreased, but free fatty acid not changed. And also LDH levels were significantly decreased in RVS groups compared to negative control mice. Hepatic lipid peroxidation was not affected by RVS, but SOD and catalase activity were significantly increased in RVS groups. Interestingly, the levels of testosterone and free testosterone were significantly increased in RVS groups before swimming exercise, but they were not significantly changed among groups after swimming exercise. The present results suggest that RVS extract powders may enhance swimming exercise performance by recovering the exercise-fatigue via reduction of blood LDH activity and by burning blood glucose as an energy source. These results imply that RVS-produced testosterone may act as an energy buster to enhance physical activity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.98 no.6
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• pp.681-689
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• 2009

We investigated the effect of Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract ingestion with exercise training on plasma lipids and insulin resistance for 8 weeks. Forty SD (Sprague-Dawley) male rats were used as the experimental animals that were divided into CON (control), RVS (Rhus verniciflua Stokes), EXE (exercise training), and RVS-EXE (Rhus verniciflua Stokes with exercise training), respectively. Body weight gain in EXE (202%) and RVS-EXE (203%) was significantly lower than CON (253%) and RVS (239). Stored fats were significantly lower with RVS and/or exercise training. Blood lipids were enhanced in RVS and RVS-EXE compared to CON. Blood glucose was significantly high in CON compared to the other groups. Insulin and HOMA index has the same tendencies with glucose, however, the synergic effect was found in RVS-EXE. In conclusion, Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract ingestion with exercise training has the effect of lowering amount of stored fats, reducing blood lipids, and enhancing insulin resistance, therefore, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia might be prevented.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.124-133
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• 2016

Objectives : Recently, the demands for the effective and safe depigmentating and anti-aging agents of the skin have increased due to the medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic reasons. The aim of this study is to search new materials from the traditional herbal medicines which inhibit the aging process of skin in vitro.Methods : Human dermis cell (HS68) was used to test the effect of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS). 80% ethanol or water extracts were screened for their inhibitory activities against elastase. Elastase inhibition effect was tested by microplate reader instrument. And MMP-1 suppression effect of RVS was tested by western blot. These cells were investigated the viability by MTS assay. And also the inhibition effect of tyrosinase by RVS was tested.Results : RVS (final concentrstion 1 ㎎/㎖ appeared over 30% of inhibition of elastase activity. So we are investigated anti wrinkle effects of Rhus verniciflua Stokes look through MMP-1 inhibition activity, also Extracts of RVS showed higher anti-tyrosinase activity than arbutin as final concentration 1 mg/ml. These results suggest that herbal medicines could be strong potential sources of inhibition of anti-aging and whitening effects for the skin.Colclusions : RVS was the best suppressor candidate of elastase activity among other control oriental drugs. It was found that RVS did not have toxicity to cells. We found proper concentration of RVS to treat in HS68 culture and investigated not only wrinkle care effect but also whitening effect of RVS.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.467-474
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• 2000

Male mice (ddY strain) were fed a laboratory chow diet containing the water extract from stem bark of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) for 14 days. There were no significant difference in body weight gain, feed intake, the hepatic lipid profile and serum total cholesterol and phodpholipid concentrations. The concentration of triglyceride in serum was significantly lower in the RVS group than that in the control group. The concentration of high-density-lipoprotein cholestrol in serum was significantly higher in the RVS group than that in the control group. The methanol extract from RVS stem bark effectively inhibited the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances as a marker of lipid peroxidation of liver microsomes in a concentration-dependent manner. This study showed that the water extract from stem bark of RVS decreased the serum triglyceride concentration and methanol extract has an antioxidative activity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2000.10b
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• pp.45-49
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• 2000

The paper deals with the implementation of prototype Risk Visualization Sytem (RVS). The RVS is one of the sub-system of Risk Management System (RMS) of National Maritime Police Agency in Korea. In this work, prototype RVS was constructed with virtual reality techniques. Using the prototype RVS, we carried out some performance tests for the various environmental conditions at sea. As results from tests, the prototype RVS can provide immersible virtual world. The results gave rise to the user interaction with 3D objects that give realistic reproduction of sear environments. Thus, we found that the prototype RVS should be a immersible visualization system of Risk Management System.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.210-217
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• 2005

This study was designed to evaluate the quality comparison of emulsion-type sausages made from different Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) sources. The pigs were fed a supplemented concentrate diet with a RVS supplement of $4\%$ feed for 5 weeks before slaughter. The RVS extract was prepared from 100g of RVS sawdust and 1L of distilled water for 48 hours. Emulsion-type sausages were made using lean meat or dietary RVS han1 lean $(51.07\%)$, ice water or RVS extract $(19.63\%)$, back fat $(26.60\%)$ and other additives $(2.70\%)$. The treated sausages were divided into non-dietary meat with water (T1, Control), dietary RVS meat with water (T2), non-dietary meat with RVS extract (T3), and dietary meat with RVS extract (T4). The crude fat was significantly lower (p<0.05) in dietary RVS meat-added sausages (T2, T4) than in control sausage (T1). The lightness ($L^{\ast}$) and redness ($a^{\ast}$) were significantly lower (p<0.05) in RVS extract-added sausages (T3, T4) during refrigerated storage. The $a^{\ast}$ value was higher (p<0.05) in T2 than in the other treatments. The VBN and TBARS values were significantly lower in RVS extract-added sausages (T3, T4) during refrigerated storage. The hardness, adhesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness were significantly lower (p<0.05) in T2 than in the other treatments. This results showed that feeding of RVS in diet and/or RVS extract had a significant impact on the quality of emulsion-type sausage. The RVS extract-added emulsion-type sausages (T3, T4) showed dark and reddish color although they were more effective in delaying the protein deterioration and lipid oxidation. Consequently, the sausage prepared from pigs fed $4\%$ RVS with water (T2) was more effective in increasing the $a^{\ast}$ value, textural properties, and delaying the protein deterioration, lipid oxidation than that without RVS in diet.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2015

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) extracted with sterile distilled water on cholangiocarcinoma cell lines. Materials and Methods : Two cholangiocarcinoma cell lines, SNU-1079 and SNU-1196, were used in this study. Cells were treated with different concentrations of RVS for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Cell count, viability, apoptosis, and mRNA expression of Bax, Bcl-2, Mcl-1, survivin, caspase-3, and cyclin D1 and P21 were determined with an automatic cell counter (ADAM-MC), MTT assay, apoptosis assay (Annexin-V/PI staining), and RT-PCR. Results : All cells treated with RVS showed decreased cell counts in a dose-dependent manner. RVS inhibited proliferation of SNU-1196 in a dose-dependent manner, but SNU-1079 proliferation was inhibited in the long-time culture group in a dose-dependent manner. The proportion of early and late-stage apoptotic cells was increased by RVS in a dose-dependent manner in SNU-1196. In contrast, it was increased significantly in SNU-1079 treated with high-dose RVS. After treatment with RVS, the mRNA expression of Bcl-2 was decreased while Bax was increased in SNU-1079. Cyclin D1 mRNA levels were decreased in SNU-1196 in a dose-dependent manner. P21 expression was increased in all cells after the treatment with RVS. Conclusions : RVS appears to have potential as a therapeutic agent for cholangiocarcinoma.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.151-159
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• 2008

Rhus verniciflua Stokes(RVS), one of traditional medicinal plants in Asia, was found to have pharmacological activities such as antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects, raising the possibility for the development of a novel class of anti-cancer drugs. Thus, potential genotoxic effects of RVS in three short-term mutagenicity assays were investigated, which included the Ames assay, in vitro Chromosomal aberration test, and the in vivo Micronucleus assay. In Ames test, the addition of RVS water extracts at doses from 313 up to 5000 mg/plate induced an increase more than 2-fold over vehicle control in the number of revertant colonies in TA98 and TA1537 strains for detecting the frame-shift mutagens. The similar increase in reversion frequency was observed after the addition of RVS ethanol extracts. To assess clastogenic effect, in vitro chromosomal aberration test and in vivo micronucleus assay were performed using Chinese hamster lung cells and male ICR mice, respectively. Both water and ethanol extracts from RVS induced significant increases in the number of metaphases with structural aberrations mostly at concentrations showing the cell survival less than 60% as assessed by in vitro CA test. Also, there was a weak but statistically significant increase in number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes(MNPCEs) in mice treated with water extract at 2000 mg/kg while ethanol extracts of RVS at doses of up to 2000 mg/kg did not induce any statistically significant changes in the incidence of MNPCEs. Therefore, our results lead to conclusion that RVS acts as a genotoxic material based on the available in vitro and in vivo results.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.112-117
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• 2009

Objective: Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) has anticancer effect confirmed by preclinical studies and historical records. We thus tried to evaluate retrospectively the effect of RVS as a complementary medicine for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showing refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: From June 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007, patients with advanced NSCLC who received both the standardized RVS extract and a standard course of second or more line therapy such as pemetrexed ($Alimta^{(R)}$), erlotinib ($Tarceva^{(R)}$), and gefitinib ($Iressa^{(R)}$) were checked. A total of 13 patients were eligible for the final analysis after fulfilling inclusion/exclusion criteria. Time to progression (TTP) of these patients treated with the standardized RVS extract was checked in the aftercare period. Results: Patients received RVS treatment for a median period of 296 (range 84-698) days. The median TTP was 220.5 (range 36-489) days, and three patients (23.1%) had TTP values of 15 more months. No significant side effects from RVS treatment have been observed. Conclusion: The standardized RVS extract might have synergetic effects by assisting apoptosis in advanced NSCLC with concurrent standard therapy agents, since it prolonged TTP without significant adverse effects. This study suggests that the standardized RVS extract is beneficial to patients with chemotherapy-refractory NSCLC. Further clinical trials and preclinical studies are necessary to determine the efficacy and safety of the standardized RVS extract in NSCLC.