• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.85-85
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• 2001

Sam-Hwang-Sa-Shim-Tang(SHSST), a traditional Chinese medicine, composed of Rhei rhizoma, Scutellaria radix, and Coptidis rhizoma were used in the several disease including hypertension, constipation, and hemorrhage. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of SHSST and its ingredients on the ischemia/ reperfusion-induced brain injury was evaluated in the rat brain. Ischemia was induced by intraluminal occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery for 120 min and reperfusion was continued for 22 h. SHSST (450 mg/kg), Rhei rhii oma (100 mg/kg), Coptidis rhizoma (100 mg/kg), and Scutellaria radik (100 mg/kg) were orally administered twice, promptly prior to reperfusion and 2 h after the repefusion. Total infarction volume in the ipsilateral hemisphere of ischemia/ reperfusion rats was significantly lowed by the treatments of SHSST (39.2%) and Scutellaria radix (66.5%). However, Coptidis rhizoma did not show any significant effects on the total infarct volume. The inhibiting effect of Scutellaria radix on the total infarct volume was more potent than that of SHSST. In addition, Scutellaria radix significantly inhibited myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, an index of neutrophil infiltration in ischemic brain tissue. However, there was marked mismatch between total infarct volume and MPO activity in the Scutellaria radix-treated rats. Our findings suggest that Scutellaria radix as an ingredient of SHSST plays a protective role in ischemia-induced brain injury by inhibiting neutrophil infiltration. The effects of Rhei rhizoma on transient brain ischemia-induced neuronal injury are under study.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.620-624
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• 2016

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is mandatory in adipogenesis. In this study, we investigated the applicability of functional materials for the treatment of obesity by examining Wnt/β-catenin pathway reporter activity related to adipocyte differentiation inhibiting with korean native plant extracts. The luciferase activity of HEK 293-TOP cells increased the reporter activity approximately 152% and 130% by treatment with Sanguisorba officinalis and Thuja orientalis, respectively. Ricinus communis were represented about 90% higher activity, two samples(Rosa rugosa and Sophorae Flos) showed 80% higher activity than the control. Three samples of plant extracts (Zanthoxylum piperitum, Pueraria thunbergiana, Solanum nigrum) were about 70% higher activity compared with the non-treated control. Cytotoxicity of plant extracts was not detected in the rat neural stem cells. These results suggest that the selected eight plant extracts are safe compounds. Our findings indicate that Wnt/β-catenin pathway reporter activity could be used for high throughput screening system. In addition, the plant extracts selected as candidates for adipocyte differentiation inhibiting may be potential therapeutic agents for obesity, it will be exploring the possibility of developing an anti-obesity materials through further experiments with selected plant extracts.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.331-339
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• 2002

Phenoxy compounds, 2,4-Dichlorophenol acetoxy acid (2,4-D) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP), are widely used as a hormonal herbicide and intermediate for pesticide manufacturing, respectively. In order to assess the potential of these compounds as endocrine disruptors, we studied the androgenicity of them wing in vivo and in vitro androgenicity assay system. Administration of 2,4-D (50 mg/kg/day, p.o.) or DCP (100 mg/kg/day, p.o.) to rats caused an increase in the tissue weight of ventral prostate, Cowpers gland and glands penis. These increase of androgen-dependent tissues were additively potentiated when rats were simultaneously treated with low dose of testosterone (1 g/kg, s.c.). 2,4-D increased about 350% of the luciferase activity in the PC cells transiently cotransfected phAR and pMMTV-Luc at concentration of $10^{-9}$ M. In 2,4-D or DCP-treated castrated rats, testosterone 6$\beta$-hydroxylase activity was not significantly modulated even when rats were co-treated with testosterone. In vitro incubation of 2,4-D and DCP with microsomes at 50 $\mu$M inhibited testosterone 6$\beta$-hydroxylase activity about 27% and 66% in rat liver microsomes, about 44% and 54% in human liver microsomes and about 50% and 45% in recombinant CYP3A4 system, respectively. The amounts of total testosterone metabolites were reduced about 33% and 75% in rat liver microsomes, 69% and 73% in human liver microsomes and 54% and 64% in recombinant CYP3A4 by 2,4-D or DCP, respectively. Therefore, the additive androgenic effect of 2,4-D or DCP by the co-administration of the low dose of testosterone may be due to the increased plasma level of testosterone by inhibiting the cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism of testosterone. These results collectively suggested that 2,4-D and DCP may act as androgenic endocrine disrupter by binding to the androgen receptor as well as by inhibiting the metabolism of testosterone.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.255-260
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of ticlopidine on the pharmacokinetics of diltiazem and its active metabolite, desacetyldiltiazem, in rats. Pharmacokinetic parameters of diltiazem and desacetyldiltiazem were determined in rats after oral administration of diltiazem (15 $mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$) with ticlopidine (3 or 9 $mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$). The effects of ticlopidine on P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 activities were also evaluated. Ticlopidine inhibited CYP3A4 enzyme activity in a concentrationdependent manner with a 50% inhibition concentration ($IC_{50}$) of 35 ${\mu}M$. In addition, ticlopidine did not significantly enhance the cellular accumulation of rhodamine-123 in NCI/ADR-RES cells overexpressing P-gp. Compared with the control (given diltiazem alone), ticlopidine significantly altered the pharmacokinetic parameters of diltiazem. The peak concentration ($C_{max}$) and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of diltiazem were significantly (9 $mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, p<0.05) increased in the presence of ticlopidine. The AUC of diltiazem was increased by 1.44-fold in rats in the presence of ticlopidine (9 $mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$). Consequently, the absolute bioavailability (A.B.) of diltiazem in the presence of ticlopidine (9.3-11.5%) was signifi cantly higher (9 $mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, p<0.05) than that in the control group (8.0%). Although ticlopidine significantly (p<0.05) increased the AUC of desacetyldiltiazem, the metabolite-parent AUC ratio (M.R.) in the presence of ticlopidine (9 $mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$) was significantly decreased compared to that in the control group, implying that ticlopidine could effectively inhibit the metabolism of diltiazem. In conclusion, the concomitant use of ticlopidine significantly enhanced the oral bioavailability of diltiazem in rats by inhibiting CYP3A4-mediated metabolism in the intestine and/or liver rather than by inhibiting intestinal P-gp activity or renal elimination of diltiazem.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.337-352
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• 1999

The effects of dried leaf powders and ethanol extract of persimmon, green tea and pine needle on lipid metabolism, lipid peroxidation and antioxidative activity were investigated in rats. Forty-nine male Spargue-Dawley rats weighing 107.8$\pm$1.8g were blocked into seven groups according to body weight. Rats were raised for four weeks with diets containing either 5%(w/w) dried leaf powders of one of three different Korea traditional teas, persimmon(Diospyros kaki Thunb), green tea(Camellia Sinensis O.Ktzc)or pine needle(pinus Koreansis Sieb. Et Zucc), or ethanol from equal amounts of each dried tea powder. Food intake, weight gain, food efficiency ratio, and weights of liver, kidney and epididymal fat were significantly higher in the green-tea-powder group, and significantly lower in the pine-needle-powder and pine-needle-extract groups. Persimmon-leaf powder was found to decrease plasma total lipid, triglyceride and cholesterol concentration by increasing fecal total lipid triglyceride and cholesterol excretions. Liver cholesterol concentration was significantly lower in the green-tea and pine-needle-extract groups. Red-blood-cell superoxide dismutase(SOD) and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-px) activities were significantly increased in rats fed green-tea extract. Liver SOD activity was increased in rats fed pine-needle powder or extract, and liver GSH-px activity was increased in rats fed greentea powder. Plasma and liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substance(TBARS) concentration were both decreased in rats fed dried leaf posers or extracts of persimmon or green tea. It is believed that high vitamin E levels in persimmon leaf, and high flavonoid, beta-carotene and vitamin C levels in green tea effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, persimmon and green tea leaves were effective in lowering lipid levels and inhibiting lipid peroxidation in animal tissue, while pine needles were effective and lowering body weight gain. From these results, persimmon and green tea leaves can be recommended in the treatment and prevention of chronic discorders such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and aging. As ethanol extracts from these teas were also effecitive in lowering tissue lipid levels and inhibiting lipid peroxidation, we recommend the use of discarded tea grounds for this.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.449-456
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• 2014

Anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts of ginseng berry (GBE) was investigated through the evaluation of its inhibitory effect on the production of inflammatory meditator, nitric oxide(NO), tumor necrocis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells. GBE was fractionated using n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, buthanol and $H_2O$, sequentially. RAW264.7 cells were induced $100ng/m{\ell}$ of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and treated with 0, 1.6, 8, 40 and $200{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of GBE fractions. LPS-induced NO production on all of GBE fractions was inhibited with increasing added concentration of GBE fractions. Chloroform fraction of GBE was the most effective in inhibiting LPS-induced TNF-${\alpha}$ production. Hexane, chloroform and $H_2O$ fractions of GBE exhibit strong inhibition LPS-induced IL-6 production. Especially, $H_2O$ fractions of GBE was the most effective in inhibiting LPD-induced IL-6 production without significant cytotoxicity in RAW264.7 cells, and reduced the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and IkB phosphorylation. These results indicate that $H_2O$ fractions of GBE exhibits strong anti-inflammatory effects by inhibition of NF-kB by inhibition of p-38 on MAPK and IkB phosphorylation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.437-445
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• 2018

${\alpha}$-Iso-cubebene (ICB) is a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignin contained in Schisandra chinensis (SC), a well-known medicinal herb that ameliorates cardiovascular symptoms, but the mechanism responsible for this activity has not been determined. To determine the role played by ICB on the regulation of vascular tone, we investigated the inhibitory effects of ICB on vascular contractile responses by adrenergic ${\alpha}$-receptor agonists. In addition, we investigated the role on myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and cytosolic calcium concentration in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). In aortic rings isolated from C57BL/6J mice, ICB significantly attenuated the contraction induced by phenylephrine (PE) and norepinephrine (NE), whereas ICB had no effects on KCl (60 mM)-induced contraction. In vasculatures precontracted with PE, ICB caused marked relaxation of aortic rings with or without endothelium, suggesting a direct effect on VSMC. In cultured rat VSMC, PE or NE increased MLC phosphorylation and increased cytosolic calcium levels. Both of these effects were significantly suppressed by ICB. In conclusion, our results showed that ICB regulated vascular tone by inhibiting MLC phosphorylation and calcium flux into VSMC, and suggest that ICB has anti-hypertensive properties and therapeutic potential for cardiovascular disorders related to vascular hypertension.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.80-98
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• 1994

According to the original documents, Sagungsan is considered as an effective drug for controlling the hypertensive epistaxis induced by tension of autonomic nerve and it's hyperfunction. The present experiment was designed to understand the effect of Sagungsan extract on the hemostatic action, intracranial pressure, blood pressure and cardiovascular system in experimental animals. And thus the bleeding time, prothrombin time, capillary dilation, blood pressure, Intracranial pressure, and enzymatic analysis of the ATPase activities were studied. The result obtained here were as followings: 1. Sagungsan water extract reduced the bleeding time in mouse, and prolonged the prothrombin time in rabbits. 2. The drug extract increased the tail volume by capillary dilation in rats. 3. The drug extract inhibited the increase of intracranial pressure and arterial blood pressure in rabbits. 4. At the early time, the increase of arterial blood pressure by the drug extract significantly inhibited by pretreated atropin and regitine in rabbits. 5. The drug extract relaxed the smooth muscle by stimulating the Mg2+-Ca2+-ATPase activities of gastric sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from rabbit stomach. 6. The drug extract stimulated the heart contraction by inhibiting the $Mg^{2+}-Ca^{2+}-ATPase$ activities of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from rabbit heart. The inhibitory mechanism was reversible and noncompatitive. 7. The drug extract increased the hepatic blood volume by stimulating the hepatic total ATPase activities and hepatic metabolism. 8. The drug extract acted as a tranquilizer by inhibiting the neural Na+-K+-ATPase activity. According to the results, Sagungsan water extract dilated the capillaries, stimulated the heart beat, and thus increased the blood flow with decreasing the intracranial pressure and blood pressure. These effects stanches the epistaxis collectively.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.149-154
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• 2011

Objectives : Myocardial infarction is caused by heart cell death in a region where coronary arteries supplying blood to the region are occluded. In the present study, we determined whether ethanol extract of Cortex fraxini (HY5053) could attenuate heart injury by inhibiting apoptosis. Methods : Improvement of survival of HepG2 cells, a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, and reduction of apoptosis under hypoxic conditions (3% $O_2$) were assessed by trypan blue staining and DNA fragmentation assay, respectively. To assess the impact of HY5053 on the heart injury, Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 1 day of the left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. HY5053 was given by intraperitoneal injection (200 mg/kg) 1 hr prior to the occlusion. Subsequently, the heart were harvested, excised into 4 slices, and the slices were stained with 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride. Finally, the extent of heart injury represented as ischemic index (%) was assessed. Results : Addition of HY5053 (400 ${\mu}g$/mL) into the culture medium for 1 day under ischemic conditions improved the cell survival by 50%, compared with control (0 ${\mu}g$/mL), consequently delayed apoptosis in 6 hr difference. Also, HY5053 (200 mg/kg) reduced the ischemic index by 44%, compared with control (0 mg/kg). Conclusions : These findings suggested that HY5053 attenuated myocardial infarction by inhibiting apoptosis. Thus, Cortex fraxini could be developed as a novel cardioprotectant to complement a currently available treatment, coronary angioplasty.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 1975

This study was carried out to observe the effect of testosterone on carbonic anhydrase inhibiting action of acetazolamide. Carbonic anhydrase activities in the kidneys of mice were measured by Philpot and Philpot method(1936) at 30, 90 and 150 minutes after intravenous administration of saline(0.5 ml/10 g) or acetazolamide (0.25 mg/10 g) in mice pretreated with testosterone (0.1 mg/10 g). The changes in volume and pH of urine as well as those in urinary electrolytes, such as $Na^+,\;K^+\;and\;Cl^-$ were measured at 15 minutes interval for 150 minutes in the rabbit pretreated with double administrations of testosterone(10 mg/kg), 1 hour and 18 hours, prior to the administration of acetazolamide (10 mg/kg). The results were as follows: 1. Carbonic anhydrase activities in the kidneys of mice of testosterone-pretreated groups were significantly higher than those of acetazolamide-treated group at 30 minutes. No significant changes of carbonic anhydrase activities were observed in testosterone-pretreated groups compared with saline-treated groups. 2. Combined administrations of acetazolamide and testosterone exhibited higher carbonic anhydrase activity than those group of acetazolamide alone in the kidney of mice through observed period of 150 minutes. 3. There were no significant changes in the excretion rate of urine and urinary electrolytes in the group of rabbits with testosterone administerone alone. Urine volume as well as $Na^+\;and\;Cl^-$ excretion rates in the combined treated group of acetazolamide and testosterone were significantly lower than that of acetazolamide group throughout experimental period except 15 minutes after drug administration at the time transient increase was shown. 4. Generally lower $K^+$ excretion rate was observed in the combined treated group of acetazolamide and testosterone compared with the single acetazolamide-treated group and the testosterone-pretreated group shows lowest excretion rate of potassium.