title: Antioxidant effects of Dendropanax morbifera Léveille extract in the hippocampus of mercury-exposed rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dendropanax morbifera Léveille has been employed for the treatment of infectious diseases using folk medicine. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant effects of a leaf extract of Dendropanax morbifera Léveille in the hippocampus of mercury-exposed rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats received a daily intraperitoneal injection of 5 μg/kg dimethylmercury and/or oral Dendropanax morbifera Léveille leaf extract (100 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. Animals were sacrificed 2 h after the last dimethylmercury and/or leaf extract treatment. Mercury levels were measured in homogenates of hippocampal tissue, a brain region that is vulnerable to mercury toxicity. In addition, we measured reactive oxygen species production, lipid peroxidation levels, and antioxidant levels in these hippocampal homogenates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with Dendropanax morbifera Léveille leaf extract significantly reduced mercury levels in hippocampal homogenates and attenuated the dimethylmercury-induced increase in the production of reactive oxygen species and formation of malondialdehyde. In addition, this leaf extract treatment significantly reversed the dimethylmercury-induced reduction in the hippocampal activities of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that a leaf extract of Dendropanax morbifera Léveille had strong antioxidant effects in the hippocampus of mercury-exposed rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea. tank3430@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Woosuk
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Research Institute of Oral Sciences, College of Dentistry, Kangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, 210-702, South Korea. kimdw@gwnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Dae Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea. yo4419@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Dae Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea. hyoyoung@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Hyo Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea. kimjongwhi@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jong Whi
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Central Research Center, Egreen Co. Ltd, Seongnam, 463-862, South Korea. drkimdw@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Dong-Woo
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 200-701, South Korea. jhchoi@kangwon.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jung Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Hwaseong, 445-170, South Korea. nsmsm@chol.com.
authors.forename: Seung Myung
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea. ysyoon@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yeo Sung
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea. vetmed2@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: In Koo
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D027481:Araliaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D008628:Mercury