• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

Objectives : This experimental study was designed to investigate the inhibitory effects of combination with Korean red ginseng and Gastrodia rhizoma on vascular dysfunction in high-fat/cholesterol diet-induced hyperlipidemia. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with 7.5% cocoa butter and 1.25% cholesterol for 10 weeks, with Panax ginseng (PG), and mixtures of Panax ginseng and Gastrodia rhizoma (PGM), respectively. Results : Chronic treatment with PG and PGM significantly decreased body weight. The aortic expression of cell adhesion molecules such as intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and E-selectin were markedly increased in hyperlipidemia rats. Interestingly, PGM significantly decreased cell adhesion molecules expression. However, there was no significant decrease in PG group. In addition, PG and PGM group inhibited high-fat/cholesterol diet-induced cytokine such as monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) mRNA expression. Furthermore, PG and PGM group significantly decreased c-reactive protein protein (CRP) level. Especially, PGM significantly accentuated the decrease of MCP-1 mRNA expression and CRP level. Conclusions : the present study provides an evidence that combination with Panax ginseng and Gastrodia rhizoma enhances anti-vascular protective effects through suppression of vascular inflammation in hyperlipidemic rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.231-236
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• 2008

Heparin is a well-known anticoagulant widely used in various clinical settings. Interestingly, recent studies have indicated that heparin also has anti-inflammatory effects on neuroinflammation-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and meningitis. However, the underlying mechanism of its actions remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the anti-inflammatory mechanism of heparin in cultured cerebral endothelial cells (CECs), and found that heparin inhibited the tumor necrosis factor $\alpha$ ($TNF{\alpha}$)-induced and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$)-dependent expression of adhesion molecules, such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), which are crucial for inflammatory responses. Heparin selectively interfered with NF-${\kappa}B$ DNA-binding activity in the nucleus, which is stimulated by $TNF{\alpha}$. In addition, non-anticoagulant 2,3-O desulfated heparin (ODS) prevented NF-${\kappa}B$ activation by $TNF{\alpha}$, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of heparin action in CECs lies in heparin's ability to inhibit the expression of cell adhesion molecules, as opposed to its anticoagulant actions.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.1132-1138
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• 2009

Vascular inflammation is an important event in the development of vascular diseases such as tumor progression and atherosclerosis. This study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of WK-38, a new herbal prescription for the treatment of atherosclerosis, on vascular inflammation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). WK-38 is composed of Rhei Rhizoma, Magonoliae Cortex, Moutan Cortez Radicis. Pretreatment with WK-38 was significantly blocked TNF-$\alpha$-induced expression level of cell adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and endothelial cell selectin (E-selectin) in a dose-dependent manner. TNF-$\alpha$-induced cell adhesion in co-cultured U937 and HUVEC was also blocked by pretreatment with WK-38. Moreover, WK-38 significantly suppressed p65 NF-${\kappa}B$ translocation into the nucleus by TNF-$\alpha$ as well as the phosphorylation and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$. In conclusion, the present data suggested that WK-38 could suppress TNF-$\alpha$-induced vascular inflammatory process, though inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in HUVEC.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.381-388
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• 2011

We compared the effects of genistein and daidzein on the expression of chemokines, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$-stimulated human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs). TNF-${\alpha}$ exposure significantly increased expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-l, vascular adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1. Genistein significantly decreased MCP-l and VCAM-l production in a dose-dependent manner, whereas CAM expression was not significantly lowered by genistein treatment. However, daidzein slightly decreased MCP-l production. The effects of genistein and daidzein on MCP-l secretion coincided with mRNA expression. Pre-treatment with either genistein or daidzein elevated eNOS expression and nitric oxide production disturbed by TNF-${\alpha}$ exposure. A low concentration of isoflavones significantly inhibited nuclear factor (NF)${\kappa}$B activation, whereas a high dose slightly ameliorated these inhibitive effects. These results suggest that genistein had a stronger effect on MCP-l and eNOS expression than that of daidzein. Additionally, NF${\kappa}$B transactivation might be partially related to the down-regulation of these mRNAs in TNF-${\alpha}$-stimulated HUVECs.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.1931-1936
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• 2010

Discovery and isolation of compounds capable of blocking the interactions between VCAM-1 and VLA-4, a major pair of adhesion molecules contributing to the different steps of leukocyte migration across the endothelium in inflammatory responses, has been a major goal of this lab. Through bioactivity-guided fractionation, five saikosaponins were subsequently isolated from the methanol extracts of the roots of Bupleurum falcatum L. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis ($^1H-$, $^{13}C$-NMR and 2D-NMR), as follows, saikosaponins: A (1); D (2); C (3); B3 (4); B4 (5). Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited interaction of sVCAM-1 and VLA-4 of THP-1 cells with respective $IC_{50}$ values of 7.8 and 1.7 ${\mu}M$. The aglycone structure of 2 also showed cell adhesion inhibitory activity with an $IC_{50}$ value of 21.1 ${\mu}M$. With these results, we suspect these two saikosaponins from the Bupleurum falcatum L. roots to be prime candidates for therapeutic strategies towards inflammation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2016

Lichens have been known to possess multiple biological activities, including anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activities. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis. Hence, VCAM-1 is a possible therapeutic target in the treatment of the inflammatory disease. However, the effect of lobaric acid on VCAM-1 has not yet been investigated and characterized. For this study, we examined the effect of lobaric acid on the inhibition of VCAM-1 in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$)-stimulated mouse vascular smooth muscle cells. Western blot and ELISA showed that the increased expression of VCAM-1 by TNF-${\alpha}$ was significantly suppressed by the pre-treatment of lobaric acid ($0.1-10{\mu}g/ml$) for 2 h. Lobaric acid abrogated TNF-${\alpha}$-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activity through preventing the degradation of $I{\kappa}B$ and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), and p38 mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase. Lobaric acid also inhibited the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ receptor 1 (TNF-R1). Overall, our results suggest that lobaric acid inhibited VCAM-1 expression through the inhibition of p38, ERK, JNK and NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathways, and downregulation of TNF-R1 expression. Therefore, it is implicated that lobaric acid may suppress inflammation by altering the physiology of the atherosclerotic lesion.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.8 s.88
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• pp.1152-1156
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• 2007

The Camella japonica flower(CJF) extract was studied for their anti-angiogenenic and anti-cell adhesion effect. CJF-extract inhibited the tube formation on human umbilical vein endotherial cells(HUVEC) with butanol extract by 70.2%, acetone extract by 54.2%, ethyl acetate extract by 37.0%, chloroform extract by 21.2%. Cell adhesion molecules were effectively suppressed at different concentration of CJF at 50, 100, 200 ug/well such as for intercellular adhesion molecule(ICAM) by 5.9%, 29.4% and 52.9%, for vascular cell adhesion molecule(VCAM) by 12.5%, 43.8% and 62.5%, for E-selectin by 7.1%, 21.4% and 35.7%, respectively. Signal molecules of vascular endotherial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR2), ${/beta}$-catenin and PI3K are inhibited by different concentration of CJF at 10, 20 and 30 ${\mu}g/mL$ with western blot. Angiogenesis will be inhibited with suppressing NF-kB molecule resulted in signal molecules blocked by CJF. CJF will be useful materials for treatment of angiogenesis related diseases such as cancer, metastasis, rheumathioid arthritis and obesity.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.130-136
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• 2012

The GroEL heat-shock protein from Fusobacterium nucleatum, a periodontopathogen, activates risk factors for atherosclerosis in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) and ApoE-/- mice. In this study, we analyzed the signaling pathways by which F. nucleatum GroEL induces the proinflammatory factors in HMEC-1 cells known to be risk factors associated with the development of atherosclerosis and identified the cellular receptor used by GroEL. The MAPK and NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathways were found to be activated by GroEL to induce the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, and tissue factor (TF). These effects were inhibited by a TLR4 knockdown. Our results thus indicate that TLR4 is a key receptor that mediates the interaction of F. nucleatum GroEL with HMEC-1 cells and subsequently induces an inflammatory response via the MAPK and NF-${\kappa}B$ pathways.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.92-102
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: YKL-40 is considered to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this study, the effect of serum 25(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)VitD] differences between groups on YKL-40 was evaluated on a hypercholesterolemia rat model. Methods: Thirty-two male rats (wistar albino) were equally divided into 4 groups. The first group was the control group; the second group was high-cholesterol (H-CH) adequate vitamin D (VitD) group (H-Ade^VD). The third group was the H-CH deficient VitD group (H-Def^VD), and the last group was designed with the H-CH supplement VitD (H-Sup^VD). The feeding process consisted of 2 stages. At the first stage (5 months), the H-Def^VD group was fed on VitD deficient chow, while the other groups (control, H-Ade^VD, H-Sup^VD) were fed on standard chow. At the second stage (3 months), the H-Ade^VD and the H-Sup^VD groups were fed on the H-CH chow, whereas the H-Def^VD group was fed on the H-CH-VitD deficient chow. Moreover, the H-Sup^VD group was given 100 IU/kg/day VitD along with the H-CH chow. Results: Compared with the control group, interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and YKL-40 values in the H-Def^VD groups increased significantly (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.009, p=0.005; sequentially). Conclusion: It can be concluded that VitD can suppress the YKL-40, thus, it will prevent CVD development in rat. Therefore, further clinical studies related with human will reveal the effect of VitD and YKL-40 on CVD development.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.872-882
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• 2009

Sachil-Tang (SCT) has been traditionally used as a prescription of spasm of the esophagus by stress, pectoralgia and oppressive feeling of the chest in Oriental medicine. This study was carried out to investigate the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of SCT and its inhibitory effect on intracellular oxidation and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using various methods. The SCT extract showed a strong inhibitory effect on free radical generating model systems, including DPPH radical, superoxide anions, hydroxyl radical, peroxynirite and nitric oxide. Besides, the SCT extract exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate induced by $FeCl_2$-ascorbic acid, and protected plasmid DNA against the strand breakage in a Fenton's reaction system. The SCT extract also inhibited copper-mediated oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and repressed relative electrophoretic mobility of LDL. Furthermore, the SCT extract protected intracellular oxidation induced by various free radical generators and inhibited expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in HUVECs. These results suggest that SCT can be an effective natural antioxidant and a possible medicine of atherosclerosis.