• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.485-490
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• 1999

The mechanism of action of fish oil (FO), currently used in different chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is not completely understood, although it is thought that it could alter the metabolism of endogenous autacoids. In addition, we hypothesized that the known capability of fatty acids (FA) of stabilizing serum albumin and perhaps other proteins, may be of pharmacological relevance considering that it is shared by other anti-rheumatic agents (e.g. nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs). Thus, we studied the effect of oral administration of FO and corn oil (CO), a vegetable oil with a different composition, on the stability of rat serum proteins, evaluated buy a classical in vitro method based on heat-induced protein denaturation. FO, and, to a lower extent, CO inhibited heat-induced denaturation of rat serum (RS): based on the inhibitory activity (EC50) of the major fatty acids against heat-induced denaturation of RS in vitro, it was possible to speculate the in vivo effects of palmitic acid (C16:0) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5, n-3) may be more relevant than that of linolenic acid (C18:2). To better investigate this phenomenon, we extracted albumin from the serum of animals treated or not with FO with a one-step affinity chromatography technique, obtaining high purity rat serum albumin preparations (RSA-CTRL and RSA-FO), as judged by SDS-PAGE with Coomassie blue staining. When these RSA preparations were heated at $70^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, it was noted that RSA-FO was much more stable than RSA-CTRL, presumably due to higher number of long chain fatty acids (FA) such as palmitic acid or EPA. In conclusion, we provided evidences that oral administration of FO in the rat stabilizes serum albumin, due to an increase in the number of protein bound long chain fatty acids (e.g. palitic acid and EPA). We speculate that the stabilization of serum albumin and perhaps other proteins could prevent changes of antigenicity due to protein denaturation and glycosylation, which may trigger pathological autoimmune responses, suggesting that this action may be involved in the mode of action of FO in RA and other chronic inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.704-716
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• 2020

Background: Ginsenoside Rh2 (GRh2) is a characterized component in red ginseng widely used in Korea and China. GRh2 exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. However, its effects on Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection have not been clarified yet. Methods: The effect of GRh2 against T. gondii was assessed under in vitro and in vivo experiments. The BV2 cells were infected with tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain, and the effects of GRh2 were evaluated by MTT assay, morphological observations, immunofluorescence staining, a trypan blue exclusion assay, reverse transcription PCR, and Western blot analyses. The in vivo experiment was conducted with BALB/c mice inoculated with lethal amounts of tachyzoites with or without GRh2 treatment. Results and conclusion: The GRh2 treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of T. gondii under in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, GRh2 blocked the activation of microglia and specifically decreased the release of inflammatory mediators in response to T. gondii infection through TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. In mice, GRh2 conferred modest protection from a lethal dose of T. gondii. After the treatment, the proliferation of tachyzoites in the peritoneal cavity of infected mice markedly decreased. Moreover, GRh2 also significantly decreased the T. gondii burden in mouse brain tissues. These findings indicate that GRh2 exhibits an antieT. gondii effect and inhibits the microglial activation through TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, providing the basic pharmacological basis for the development of new drugs to treat toxoplasmic encephalitis.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.751-754
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• 2010

A 6-year-old spayed female Persian cat presented with a 3-month history of recurrent ulcerative keratitis with noticeable opacification and vascularization of the right cornea. The lesion was nonresponsive to topical antibiotics and to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Ophthalmic examination showed signs of ocular discomfort, such as epiphora and blepharospasm, in the right eye. Biomicroscopic examination revealed an irregular, edematous, vascularized mass with pink to white tissue on the entire cornea and mild conjunctivitis. A tentative diagnosis of feline proliferative eosinophilic keratitis (FPEK) was made on the basis of clinical appearance. Cytologic examination of the cornea showed a mixture of numerous eosinophils and mast cells, which confirmed the original diagnosis of FPEK. The cat was treated with a topical antibiotic-corticosteroid combination, cyclosporine ointment, trifluridine eye drops, and oral Llysine. The clinical signs improved remarkably 18 days after the cat was first examined. The short-term use of corticosteroids and long-term use of cyclosporine and an anti-viral agent resolved the lesion without recurrence of the disease for 1 year.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.259-272
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• 1988

Type I allergic reaction and it's related clinical manifestations are known to occur by the effects of various chemical mediators. These chemical mediators are released from circulating basophils and tissue mast cells, which become 'sensitized' through the binding of antigens and antibodies of the IgE type to their cell surface receptors. Efforts to elucidate the mechanism of the release of these mediators, especially that of histamine, have been persued for years. The mechanism is not yet clarified at the present time. Recent reports of hyaluronidase, an enzyme known to be involved in the tissue inflammatory process, as possible participant in type I allergic reaction, initiated this study. Relationships between the hyaluronidase activity and histamine release from the sensitized rat peritoneal mast cells were investigated. Also anti-allergic agents, tranilast and disodium cromoglycate, along with known histamine releasers, morphine and compound 48/80, were used to observe the inhibitory and stimulatory effects of these substances on the hyaluronidase activity as well as histamine release from the rat mast cells. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1) Hyaluronidase activity and histamine release from sensitiaed rat peritoneal mast cells started to increase on the 4th day of postsensitization. Hyaluronidase activity reached it's peak value on the 7th day of postsensitization and that of histamine release on the 14th day of postsensitization. 2) Hyaluronidase activity and histamine release from sensitized rat peritoneal mast cells, pre-treated with tranilast revealed significant decrease in comparison with those of non-treated cells. 3) Hyaluronidase activity and histamine release from sensitized rat peritoneal mast cells, pre-treated with tranilast, followed by morphine injection, revealed significant increase in comparison with those of tranilast treated cells. 4) In vitro study of hyaluronidase activity and histamine release from un-sensitized rat peritoneal mast cells, using morphine and compound 48/80 as activators, revealed significant increase compared to those of non-activator used cells. 5) In vitro study of hyaluronidase activity and histamine release from un-sensitized rat peritoneal mast cells, pre-treated with tranilast and disodium cromoglycate, using confound 48/80 and morphine as activators revealed significant decrease in comparison with those of tranilast and disodium cromoglycate treated cells. From above results, participation of enzyme hyaluronidase in the process of histamine release from sensitized rat pertioneal mast cells, could be suggested. It was also quite evident that the clinically used anti-allergic agents, tranilast and disodium cromoglycate, have significant inhibitory function on the hyaluronidase activity and histamine release from sensitized rat peritoneal mast cells, while morphine significantly increased the hyaluronidase activity and histamine release from sensitized rat peritoneal mast cells.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.115-120
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• 2016

Background: This study examined the hypoglycemic and kidney protective effect of black ginseng in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Methods and Results: Diabetes was induced by treating mice with streptozotocin (STZ) for four weeks. In vivo studies were performed in order to investigate the hypoglycemic effect of the black ginseng prosapogenin (GBG05-FF) extract. The body weight and blood glucose level were measured. Moreover, after the mice were sacrificed, the kidneys were isolated and histological changes were observed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were also measured. The results showed that administration of black ginseng increased body weight. Compared to blood glucose levels in STZ mice, blood glucose levels were reduced by 48% in STZ mice supplemented with 300 mg/kg of black ginseng, and by 69% in STZ mice supplemented with 900 mg/kg. Furthermore, histopathological examination of STZ mouse kidneys revealed, changes in the kidneys, epithelial cell damages, inflammatory cell infiltration and glomerulus hypertrophy. However, a significant reduction of glomerular water droplets (indicative of glomerulus hypertrophy) was observed in the kidneys of STZ mice supplemented with black ginseng extract. Conclusions: These results suggest that black prosapogenin (GBG05-FF) ginseng extract has a significant hypoglycemic effect and can be used as an anti-diabetic substance and renal protective agents as part of dietary supplements or novel drugs.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.433-442
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• 2021

The fermented red ginseng by microorganism is known to increase pharmacological activity in vivo. To evaluate the bioavailablity of red ginseng fermented by probiotics, we conducted the pharmacokinetic study of ginsenoside Rb1, Rd and total ginsenosides (TG, ginsenosides Rb1 + Rd + Rg1 + F2 + Rg3 + compound K) in BALB/C mice. The AUC value of ginsenoside Rb1 in mice serum administered with 600mg/kg drugs showed 21.93 ± 14.68 ng·h/mL (RGw, water extract), 275.211 ± 110.04 ng·h/mL (RGe, 50% ethanol extract) and 404.91 ± 162.57 ng·h/mL (fRGe, fermented red ginseng extract). Analysis of ginsenoside Rd also showed a higher ACU value in fRGe than in RGw or RGe. And the AUC value of total ginsenosides in mice serum treated with 600 mg/kg were observed 42.12 ± 23.44 ng·h/mL (RGw), 321.44 ± 133.5 ng·h/mL (RGe) and 537.33 ± 229.01 ng·h/mL (fRGe), respectively. C_max value of ginsenoside Rb1 in mice administered with 600mg/kg were observed 3.67 ± 3.34 ng/mL (RGw), 23.27 ± 8.81 ng/mL (RGe) and 25.52 ± 7.29 ng/mL (fRGe). These results can be considered that the fermented red ginseng has more bioavailability than that of unfermented red ginseng. In quantitative analysis of the inflammation-related cytokines IL-1β and TNF, no significant difference was found between the fermented red ginseng (fRGe) and the red ginseng (RGe).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.999-1006
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• 2020

The suppression of neuroinflammatory responses in microglial cells, well known as the main immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS), are considered a key target for improving the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. Teleogryllus emma is widely consumed around the world for its broad-spectrum therapeutic effect. In a previous work, we performed transcriptome analysis on T. emma in order to obtain the diversity and activity of its antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are found in a variety of species, from microorganisms to mammals. They have received much attention as candidates oftherapeutic drugs for the treatment of inflammation-associated diseases. In this study, we investigated the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of Teleogryllusine (VKWKRLNNNKVLQKIYFVKI-NH₂) derived from T. emma on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced BV-2 microglia cells. Teleogryllusine significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production without cytotoxicity, and reducing pro-inflammatory enzymes expression such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). In addition, Telegryllusine also inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) through down-regulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. These results suggest that T. emma-derived Teleogryllusine could be a good source of functional substances that prevent neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.1087-1096
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the physiological activity of extracts of fresh mushrooms. The components were extracted by hot water; subsequently, the hot-water extract was subjected to 60% ethanol precipitation to yield high-molecular-weight (HMW) and low-molecular-weight (LMW) fractions. Total polyphenol contents, $\beta$-glucan contents, electron-donating ability (EDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity, nitrite-scavenging activity, fibrinolytic activity, nitric oxide (NO) production, and inhibition of NO production of the mushroom extracts were measured using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages, RAW 264.7 cells. The extracts of Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Singer and Pleurotus ostreatus (Fr.) Kummer contained the highest levels of $\beta$-glucan (33.5% and 25.57%, respectively). Further, the LMW fractions of the Phellinus linteus contained the highest levels of polyphenols (233.23 mg/g). The EDA of LMW fractions (10 mg/mL) of the Phellinus linteus and Agaricus bisporus were 80.74% and 51.35%, respectively. Further, SOD-like activities of the LMW fractions were high as compared to those of the HMW fractions. Nitrite-scavenging activities of the LMW fractions (pH 1.2; concentration, 10 mg/mL) of the Phellinus linteus and Pleurotus ostreatus (Fr.) Kummer were 75.95% and 41.05%, respectively. The fibrinolytic activity of the LMW fractions of all mushrooms showed no enzyme activity by fibrin plate assay. The fibrinolytic activity of the extracts of Tricholoma matsutake was the greatest inhibitory activity at 60.4%. Further study revealed that the mushroom extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory effects on RAW 264.7 cells. The LMW fraction ($500\;{\mu}g/mL$) of the Phellinus linteus considerably inhibited NO production (100%).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.498-505
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• 2023

Solanum tuberosum Linnaeus cv Hongyoung, which represents red potato, was developed in Korea. Hongyoung is known to have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-tumor properties, but no research has been conducted on the growth inhibition and apoptosis effects of hongyoung in YD-10B oral cancer cells. In this study, the combined treatment of hongyoung ethanol extract (HEE) and cisplatin were examined to determine its ability to inhibit cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis, and inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 cancer metastasis. The cell viability was investigated using a 2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H- tetrazolium monosodium salt (MTS) assay, and the ability to induce apoptosis was analyzed using an FACS analyzer. The mRNA expression and protein activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were measured via RT-PCR and zymography. The YD-10B oral cancer cells showed an increase in growth inhibition as the concentration of HEE increased. The combination of 200 µM cisplatin and 500 ㎍/ml HEE reduced the growth of the YD-10B oral cancer cells by more than 50% compared to cisplatin alone. When phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-treated YD-10B oral cancer cells were co-treated with 200 µM cisplatin and 500 ㎍/ml HEE, both the mRNA expression and protein activity of the MMP-2 and MMP-9 decreased. In addition, the percentage of the sub-G1 phase, which indicates apoptosis ability, more than doubled when treated in combination with 200 µM cisplatin and 500 ㎍/ml HEE than when cisplatin alone was used. The results of this study therefore suggest the possibility of using a combination of HEE and cisplatin in the development of effective drugs to treat oral cancer.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.197-205
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatment pattern of patients with neuropathic pain (NeP) in Korea through computerized database of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRAS) over three years' period from 2003 to 2005. The results showed that the numbers of treatment visits were the highest for diabetic neuropathy (DN), followed by postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and trigeminal neuralgia (TN) in order. Top 3 specialties for treatment visits due to NeP conditions were neurology, neurosurgery and anesthesiology. While cost of a treatment visit was higher in anesthesiology and emergency clinics compared to other clinics, there was a tendency to increase costs for visits to clinics of rehabilitation medicine and family medicine over the three years. Cost of dental visits was relatively high for TN, atypical facial pain (AFP) and atypical odontalgia (AO). Surgeries frequently applied to patients with NeP were sympathetic plexus or ganglion block, block of peripheral branch of spinal nerve and cranial nerve or its peripheral branch block. Most common prescribed medication were anticonvulsants, anti-inflammatory analgesics and anti-psychotic drugs while anti-inflammatory analgesics were overwhelmingly frequently prescribed for AO and glossodynia. Based on the results of this study, NeP disorders more relevant to dentists were AO, TN and AFP, TN of which seems to be the most important in terms of patients' number and cost for treatment visits. This indicates that dentists, especially oral medicine specialists should actively participate in management of TN, AO and AFP and share relevant information with patients and community.