• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.217-228
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• 2007

Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. has long been used for a useful natural agent ameliorating inflammation related symptoms in the folk medicine recipe. This study was performed to investigate effects of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb.(AP) on the expression of inflammation related genes such as the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7 cells. The AP (whole plants) was extracted with 80% ethanol and sequentially partitioned with solvents in order to increase polarity. Among the various solvent extracts of AP, the n-butanol (BuOH) fraction showed the most powerful inhibitory ability against nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells without affecting cell viability. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis revealed that the BuOH fraction provided a primary inhibitor of the iNOS protein and mRNA expression in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The DPPH and OH radical scavenging activities of the several fractions of 80% ethanol extracts of AP significantly increased by EtOAC and BuOH fractions. Thus, the present study suggests that the response of a component of the BuOH fraction to NO generation via iNOS expression provide an important clue to elucidate anti-inflammatory mechanism of AP.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.439-443
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidative activity and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of 50% ethanol extract and its fractions from the branch of Rhododendron schlippenbachii. In DPPH radical scavenging ability, butanol and ethyl acetate fractions showed 59.98% and 55.17% of relative activity compared with positive control (ascorbic acid), but the 50% ethanol extract showed relatively low activity. In nitric oxide (NO) scavenging ability, the ethyl acetate and butanol fractions showed 141.80% and 131.55% relative activity compared with ascorbic acid as used for positive control. On the other hand, tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the ethyl acetate and butanol fractions showed about twice higher activity than positive control (arbutin). It means that the ethyl acetate and butanol fractions from the extract of R. schlippenbachii branch has ability for used as effective radical scavenger and tyrosinase inhibitor.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.83-89
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• 1998

Ginseng total saponins (GTS) injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) at doses from 0.1-1 vs inhibited the i.c.v. injection stress-induced plasma corticosterone levels in mice. The inhibitory action of GTS was blocked by co-administered NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 1.5 us, i.c.v.), an. inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Of the ginsenosides Rbl, Rba, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rgl,20(S)-Rg3, and 20(R)-Rg3 injected i.c.v. at doses from 0.01 to 0.3ug(or 1 uE),20(5)-Rg3 and Rc significantly inhibited the o.c.v. injection stress-induced Plasma corticosterone levels. The inhibitory actions of 20(S)-Rg3 and Rc were blocked by co-administered L-NAME (1.5 n, i.c.v.). These results suggest that G75, 20(S)-Rg3 and Rc may inhibit the i.c.v. injection stress-induced hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal response by inducing NO production in the brain.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.434-439
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• 1995

In pancreatic cells, NO formation is associated with increased levels of cGMP and endocrine/exocrine secretion. In the present study, the role of NO in the regulation of exocrine secretion was investigated in rat pancreatic tissues. Treatment of rat pancreatic tissue with sholecystokinin-pancreozymin (CCK-PZ) resulted in an significant increase in arginine conversion to citruline, the amount of nitrite/nitrate, the release of amylase, and the level of cGMP. Furthermore, CCK-PZ stimulated increase of amylase release and conversion of arginine to citrulline transformation were counteracted by the inhibitor of NO synthase, $N^G-nitro-L-arginine$ methyl ester. The results on the time course of CCK-PZ-induced citrulline formation within the first seconds of simulation. The kinetics of citrulline accumulation correlate well with those of cGMP rise, which further confirms the conclusion that NO mediates the response to CCK-PZ by cGMP.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.67-72
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• 2006

Nitric oxide(NO) is a labile, uncharged, reactive radical that functions as a sensitive mediator of intercellular communication in diverse tissues. It has been reported that NO is produced by osteoblast and these results may suggest that NO is integrally involved in the regulation of osteoclast formation and osteoclast resorption activity by osteoblastic cells. We examined the effect of cytokines on NO release by mouse bone marrow cell. We also examined the effects of cytokines and sodium nitroprusside(SNP) on the formation of osteoclast-like cell from mouse bone marrow cells in culture. Cytokines stimulated NO production of mouse bone marrow cells, and N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, a specific inhibitor of NO synthase, suppressed the cytokine-induced NO production. SNP showed dual action in the generation of osteoclasts. The addition of $30{\mu}M$ SNP inhibited the formation of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP)(+) multinucleated cell, whereas lower concentration($3{\mu}M$) of SNP enhanced it. Although the precise action of NO remains to be elucidated in detail, the action of NO in osteoclast generation in our studies seems to be associated, at least in part, with bone metabolism and bone pathophysiology.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.291-301
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• 2016

Culinary mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius has been popular in Asian countries. In this study, the anti-oxidant, cholinesterase, and inflammation inhibitory activities of methanol extract (ME) of fruiting bodies of P. pulmonarius were evaluted. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazy free radical scavenging activity of ME at 2.0 mg/mL was comparable to that of butylated hydroxytoluene, the standard reference. The ME exhibited significantly higher hydroxyl radical scavenging activity than butylated hydroxytoluene. ME showed slightly lower but moderate inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase than galantamine, a standard AChE inhibitor. It also exhibited protective effect against cytotoxicity to PC-12 cells induced by glutamate ($10{\sim}100{\mu}g/mL$), inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and carrageenan-induced paw edema in a rat model. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed the ME of P. pulmonarius contained at least 10 phenolic compounds and some of them were identified by the comparison with known standard phenolics. Taken together, our results demonstrate that fruiting bodies of P. pulmonarius possess antioxidant, anti-cholinesterase, and inflammation inhibitory activities.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.136-140
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• 1994

To prove the hypothesis that NO- and N $O_2$-carrying molecules potentiate photorelaxation by generating NO, investigation was carried out using isolated rabbit and human corpus cavernosum. Corporal smooth muscle, in the presence or absence of endothelium, relaxed only slightly upon ultraviolet light (366 nm) irradiation. But, NO-and/or N $O_2$-containing compounds such as streptozotocin and $N^{G}$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester significantly (p<0.01) enhanced photorelaxation in this tissue. In addition, $N^{G}$-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester, known to lack inhibitory action on NO synthase, showed concentration-dependent potentiation of the photorelaxation. Oxygen radical generating system via copper＋ascorbic acid and guanylate cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue, significantly (p<0.05) inhibited the streptozotocin-potentiated photorelaxation. Nitrite was accumulated by photolysis of streptozotocin, $N^{G}$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and $N^{G}$-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester, in a concentration and exposure time dependent manner. These observations indicate that NO is a potent relaxant of rabbit and human corpus cavernosum and further support the hypothesis that NO is released by photolysis from NO- and N $O_2$-carrying molecules.lecules.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2022.09a
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• pp.107-107
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• 2022

Scrophularia koraiensis Nakai is widely used to remedy fever, edema, and neuritis. S. koraiensis has harpagoside and angoroside C, these compounds have been reported to alleviate inflammation, rheumatic diseases, and analgesic stimulation. We evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of the ethanol extract of S. koraiensis (SKE) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced macrophages. At cellular levels, SKE decreased the production of nitric oxide (NO), the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cytokines (IL-1b, TNF-a, and IL-6) under the LPS stimulation. SKE inhibited the phosphorylation of nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 and its inhibitor (IκB-α). In addition, SKE suppressed the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. In conclusion, SKE could be considered a potential resource for attenuating inflammation response and it may be utilized in the material for cosmetics, food additives, and tea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.175-183
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• 2004

To evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in $IFN-{\gamma}$ production and apoptosis of splenocytes in genetically different strains of mice with toxoplasmosis, BALB/c (a toxoplasmosis resistant strain) and C57BL/6 (a toxoplasmosis susceptible strain) mice were infected with Toxoplasma gondii cysts orally and subsequently injected intraperitoneally with aminoguanidine, an iNOS inhibitor (AG; 35 mg/kg per mouse daily for 14 days). When BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were infected with T. gondii without AG treatment, number of brain cysts, NO and IFN-y production by splenocytes, and percentages of apoptotic splenocytes were increased compared to uninfected control mice without AG treatment. AG treatment increased the number of brain cysts, and reduced NO and $IFN-{\gamma}$ production in T. gondii-infected C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, in T. gondii-infected BABL/c mice, the number of brain cysts, and NO and $IFN-{\gamma}$ production of splenocytes was not altered by treatment with AG. However, the percentages of apoptotic splenocytes in T. gondii-infected BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were not affected by AG treatment. These results suggest that NO modulates $IFN-{\gamma}$ production in T. gondii-infected C57BL/6 mice, and that NO is involved in mediating a protective response in toxoplasmosis susceptible, but not resistant, mice strain during acute infection.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.815-822
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• 2012

Piceatannol (trans-3,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxystilbene), a natural stilbene, is an analogue of resveratrol. Although recent experimental data have revealed the health benefit potency of piceatannol, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer activity have not yet been studied in detail. In the present study, the further possible mechanisms by which piceatannol exerts its pro-apoptotic action in cultured human lung cancer A549 cells were investigated. Exposure of A549 cells to piceatannol resulted in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis. Apoptosis induction of A549 cells by piceatannol showed correlation with proteolytic activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9, and concomitant degradation of activated caspase-3 target proteins such as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, phospholipase C-${\gamma}1$, ${\beta}$-catenin, and Inhibitor caspase-activated DNase. The increase in apoptosis by piceatannol treatment was also associated with an increase of pro-apoptotic Bax expression and decrease of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression, and caused down-regulation of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family members and up-regulation of Fas and Fas legend. In addition, piceatannol treatment markedly inhibited the expression of mRNA and proteins of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, and the levels of NO production were progressively down-regulated by piceatannol treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. The results indicate that piceatannol may have therapeutic potential against human gastric cancer cells.