• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.479-484
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• 1999

In this study, the effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on ischemia/reperfusion injury were investigated on isolated heart perfusion model. Hearts were perfused with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit solution (pH 7.4, $37^{\circ}C$) on a Langendroff apparatus. After equilibration, isolated hearts were treated with UDCA 20 to 160 $\mu$M or vehicle (0.04% DMSO) for 10 min before the onset of ischemia. After global ischemia (30 min), ischemic hearts were reperfused and allowed to recover for 30 min. The physiological (i.e. heart rate, left ventricular developed pressure, coronary flow, double product and time to contracture formation) and biochemical (lactate dehydrogenase; LDH) parameters were evaluated. In vehicle-treated group, time to contracture formation was 21.4 min during ischemia, LVDP was 18.5 mmHg at the endpoint or reperfusion and LDH activity in total reperfusion effluent was 54.0 U/L. Cardioprotective effects of UDCA against ischemia/reperfusion consisted of a reduced TTC $(EC_{25}=97.3{\mu}M)$, reduced LDH release and enhanced recovery of cardiac contractile function during reperfusion. Especially, the treatments of UDCA 80 and $160 {\mu}M $ significantly increased LVDP and reduced LDH release. Our findings suggest that UDCA ameliorates ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial damage.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 1996

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and lithocholic acid (LCA), secondary bile acids, have been shown to have a cell differentiation activity in mouse F9 teratocarcinoma stem cells. Treatment with bile acids induced morphological changes, including cytoplasmic and nuclear membrane blebbing, aggregation of organelles, and chromatin condensation, corresponding to apoptosis. Moreover, the bile acids induced intemucleosomal DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis. In addition, the expression of c-jun was increased, but that of c-myc and laminin was decreased during apoptosis induced by the bile acids in F9 cells. These results suggest that the bile acids can induce apoptosis in F9 cells. Furthermore, the c-jun expression may be related to the apoptosis induced by UDCA or LCA in F9 cells.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.311-319
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• 1996

DWP305, a preparation containing combination of ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA), silymarin and vitamins ($B_1\;and\;B_2$), is a drug currently being developed for hep atic disorders. In order to evaluate the changes in hepatic function by multiple oral administration(2 and 4 weeks) of DWP305 in rats, several biochemical parameters in blood, bile acid composition, and the accumulation of UDCA and lithocholic acid(LCA),a toxic metabolite formed by enterobacteria, were examined using HPLC. In blood biochemical findings, DWP305 did not affect the normal level and there was no difference in total bile acid composition for UDCA, cholic acid(CA), deoxycholic acid(DCA), chenodeoxycholic acid(CDCA) and LCA compared to the UDCA administered group, although total ratio of UDCA and CA was different from normal group. In case of ratio of taurine and glycine conjugated forms, DWP305(186mg/kg as a UDCA) administered group was also similar to normal group and UDCA administered group, while high dosing of DWP305 was not different in the ratio of UDCA administered group(930mg/kg) but normal group. And the ratio of LCA was in order of UDCA(930mg/kg), DWP305(930mg/kg as a UDCA), UDCA(186mg/kg) and DWP305(186mg/kg as a UDCA) administered group, which was less than 4%. The free form of UDCA as well as most of bile acids was not detected at all in rat liver, indicating that there's no accumulation. These results suggest that multiple dosing of DWP305 in rats may not affect hepatic biotransformation and metabolism of bile acids.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2016

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a natural, hydrophilic nontoxic bile acid, is clinically effective for treating cholestatic and chronic liver diseases. We investigated the chronic effects of UDCA on age-related lipid homeostasis and underlying molecular mechanisms. Twenty-week-old C57BL/6 male and female mice were fed a diet with or without 0.3% UDCA supplementation for 25 weeks. UDCA significantly reduced weight gain, adiposity, hepatic triglyceride, and hepatic cholesterol without incidental hepatic injury. UDCA-mediated hepatic triglyceride reduction was associated with downregulated hepatic expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, and of other genes involved in lipogenesis (Chrebp, Acaca, Fasn, Scd1, and Me1) and fatty acid uptake (Ldlr, Cd36). The inflammatory cytokines Tnfa, Ccl2, and Il6 were significantly decreased in liver and/or white adipose tissues of UDCA-fed mice. These data suggest that UDCA exerts beneficial effects on age-related metabolic disorders by lowering the hepatic lipid accumulation, while concurrently reducing hepatocyte and adipocyte susceptibility to inflammatory stimuli.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.272-277
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• 1997

The effect of nonionic surfactant(polyoxyl 40 hydrogenated castor oil, PHCO), a common solubi-lizer, on the solubility of silymarin in the combined preparation containing ursoseoxycholic acid(UDCA) and silymarin was investigated in vivo using HPLC. The solubility of silybin, a major component of silymarin, was enhanced by increasing the amount of PHCO. The effect of PHCO on bioavailability was also evaluated in rats. The bioavailability was calculated by silybin content in bile juice that was excreted for 24 hr after oral administration. It was found that the bioavailability of silymarin containing PHCO was significantly increased compared to that of control. These results suggest that PHCO may improve the solubility and bioavailabilty of silymarin when it is combined with UDCA and silymarin.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.548-553
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• 1995

Effects of restraint stress and its modulations by ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA) were evaluated on some biochemical and biophysical parameters in rats. Restraint stress induced elevations in blood alkaline phosphatase (ALP). cholesterol (CHOL), aspartate transaminase (GOT), alanine transaminase (GPT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. It was also caused adrenal hypertrophy, decrease in weight of spleen and contents of ascorbic acid in stressed rats. As a results, stress indicators such as spleen, ascorbic acid, GOT, GPT, LDH were fastly changed after imposing stress, but those such as ALP, CHOL, adrenal were induced relatively later. UDCA was tested if it has an inhibitory effect against 18-hr restraint induced stress. UDCA lowered ALP, CHOL, LDH level and also effectively elevated the ascorbic acid contents in 25 mg/kg dosage of UDCA. In organ weights. the restraint stress induced increases in spleen and adrenal were attenuated by UDCA in 50 mg/kg dosage. However. stress-induced GOT and GPT levels were unaffected by UDCA.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.300-310
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• 1994

Physicochemical properties for the inclusion complex of chenodeoxycholic acid(CDCA) and it's $7{\beta}-hydroxy$ epimer ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA) with ${\beta}-cyclodextrin({\beta}-CyD)$ were studied. The formation of the complex in the solid state were confimed by polarized microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). Proton nuclear magnetic resonance$(^1H-NMR)$spectroscopy showed that CDCA and UDCA form an inclusion complex with ${\beta}-CyD$ in aqueous solution. The 1 : 1 stoichiometry of the complex was dextermined by the continuous variation method. From DSC and $^1H-NMR$ studies, there were not any differences between CDCA and UDCA. Complex of CDCA and UDCA showed increase in solubility and dissolution compared with CDCA and UDCA alone, respectively. Solubility pattern of UDCA complex was pH independent but, CDCA complex was like that of CDCA. Dissolution rate increased markedly in case of UDCA complex compared with CDCA complex, especially in acidic pH value.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2005

Background: Inflammation in the brain has known to be associated with the development of a various neurological diseases. The hallmark of neuro-inflammation is the activation of microglia, brain macrophage. Pro-inflammatory compounds including nitric oxide (NO) are the main cause of neuro-degenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) which is resulted in cell death. Among those pro-inflammatory compounds, NO contributes to the cell death by directly or indirectly. Methods: In the study, we examined whether ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a non-toxic hydrophilic bile acid, inhibits the NO production by a direct method using Griess reagent and by RT-PCR in the gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). In signal transduction, we also examined the NF-${\kappa}B$ (p65/p50), IKK, and I ${\kappa}B$, which are associated with the expression of iNOS gene using western blots. Results: In the present study, we found that UDCA effectively inhibited NO production in BV-2 microglial cell, and NF-${\kappa}B$ activation was reduced by suppressing IKK gene expression and by increasing the I${\kappa}B$ in cytosol comparing those to the positive control LPS. Conclusion: Taken together, these data suggested that UDCA may playa crucial role in inhibiting the NO production and the results imply that UDCA suppresses a cue signal of the microglial activation via stimulators, such as ${\beta}$-amyloid peptides which are known to stimulate microglia in AD pathogenesis.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1067-1073
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• 2003

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a non-toxic, hydrophilic bile acid in widespread clinical use mainly for acute and chronic liver disease. Recently, treatment with UDCA in hepatic graft-versus-host disease has been given in immunosuppressive therapy for improvement of the biochemical markers of cholestasis. Moreover, it has been reported that UDCA possesses immunomodulatory effects by the suppression of cytokine production. In the present study, we hypothesized that UDCA may inhibit the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-1$\beta$, and nitric oxide (NO) in microglia. In the study, we found that 100 $\mu$ g/mL UDCA effectively inhibited these two pro-inflammatory factors at 24 hand 48 h, compared to the $A\beta$42-pretreated groups. These results were compared with the LPS+UDCA group to confirm the UDCA effect. As microglia can be activated by several stimulants, such as $A\beta$42, in Alzheimers brain and can release those inflammatory factors, the ability to inhibit or at least decrease the production of IL-1$\beta$ and NO in Alzheimers disease (AD) is essential. Using RT-PCR, ELISA and the Griess Reagent System, we therefore found that UDCA in $A\beta$42 pre-treated cultures played a significant role in suppressing the expression or the production of IL-1$\beta$ and NO. Similarly, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) did not activate microglia in the presence of UDCA. Moreover, we found that UDCA exhibits a prolonged effect on microglial cells (up to 48 h), which suggests that UDCA may play an important role in chronic cell damage due to this long effect. These results further imply that UDCA could be an important cue in suppressing the microglial activation stimulated by massive AD peptides in the AD progressing brain.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2017

Background: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the breakdown of tooth-supporting tissues, leading to tooth loss. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans are major etiologic bacterium causing aggressive periodontitis. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a hydrophilic gall bladder acid, has been used as an effective drug for various diseases related to immunity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of UDCA on the inflammatory response induced by A. actinomycetemcomitans. Methods: A human acute monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1) was differentiated to macrophage- like cells by treatment with phorbol 12-mystristate 13-acetate (PMA) and used for all experiments. The cytotoxic effect of UDCA was examined by MTT assay. THP-1 cells were pretreated with UDCA for 30 min before A. actinomycetemcomitans infection and the culture supernatant was analyzed for various cytokine production by ELISA. The effect of UDCA on bacterial growth was examined by measuring optical densities using a spectrophotometer. Results: UDCA showed no cytotoxic effect on THP-1 cells, up to $80{\mu}M$ Ed highlight: Please confirm technical meaning. UDCA pretreatment inhibited the A. actinomycetemcomitans-induced $IL-1{\beta}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$, and IL-17A secretion in a dose-dependent manner. UDCA also inhibited IL-21 production at $60{\mu}M$. The production of IL-12 and IL-4 was not influenced by A. actinomycetemcomitans infection. Conclusion: These findings indicate that UDCA inhibits the production of inflammatory cytokines involved in innate and Th17 immune responses in A. actinomycetemcomitans-infected THP-1- derived macrophages, which suggests its possible use for the control of aggressive periodontitis.