• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.121-132
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• 2010

Inflammatory reaction is characterized by over-production of inflammatory mediators due to an up-regulation of inflammatory pathways, which produce pro-inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin-1beta (IL-$1{\beta}$), IL-6, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-$\alpha$), prostaglantin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), and nitric oxide (NO) in U937 cells. We investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of water extracts from Lonicerae Flos and Scutellariae Radix in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated U937 cells. Each extract suppressed the production of inflammatory mediators (NO, IL-$1{\beta}$, TNF-$\alpha$, and $PGE_2$) and the expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS- stimulated U937 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These suppressive effects were synergistically increased by their combination. Their combination extract also inhibited NF-${\kappa}B$-DNA complex of NF-${\kappa}B$ binding activity and translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$ from cytosol to nucleus. These results suggest that the combination of water-extractable components of Lonicerae Flos and Scutellariae Radix may be useful for therapeutic drugs against inflammatory immune diseases, probably by suppressing the production of inflammatory mediators.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.402-407
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• 1997

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of effects of enprostil, a prostaglandin $E_2$, analogue, on liver triacylglycerol content and factors that regulate liver lipid metabolism in mice. Mice received vehicle or $10{\mu}g$ enprostil/kg body weight intraperitoneally every 6 h, and were killed at 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h after the first injection. Enprostil significantly lowered liver triacylglycerol content after 12 h of the first injection. However, the peroxisomal ${\beta}$-oxidation activity was inconsistent with the result of liver triacylglycerol content, because its activity was lovered by enprosil. In another experiment, the effect of enprostil on lipid metabolism in mice was investigated in a short period. Mice received $10{\mu}g$ enprostil/kg body weight intraperitoneally, and were killed after 0, 5, 10, 30 and 60 min. After 30 min, malic enzyme activity was significantly increased by the administration of enprostil compared with the activity at 5 min after. No significant changes in liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase and peroxisomal ${\beta}$-oxidation activities were observed. Plasma free fatty acid concentrations were markedly reduced from 5 through 60 min after the administration of enprostil. Consequently, enprostil suppressive effect on liver triacylglycerol concentration might result from the decreased entry of free fatty acid into liver.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.99-111
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• 2009

Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by focal loss of cartilage due to an up-regulation of inflammatory pathways, which produce pro-inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin-1(IL-1), tumour necrosis factor alpha($TNF-\alpha$), prostaglantin, and nitric oxide(NO). We investigated the anti-arthritic effects of water extracts from Pellodendri cortex and Atractylodis rhizoma in vitro and in vivo. Each extract suppressed the production of inflammatory mediators(NO, $IL-1\beta$, $TNF-\alpha$, and prostaglandin $E_2$) and the expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. These suppressive effects were synergistically increased by their combination. The same results were also observed in the rat osteoblast sarcoma cell line ROS17/2.8 stimulated with $IL-1\beta$, $IFN-\gamma,$ and $TNF-\alpha$. Moreover, the combination of these water extracts significantly suppressed collagen-induced mouse arthritis. These results suggest that the combination of water-extractable components of Pellodendri cortex and Atractylodis rhizoma may be useful for therapeutic drugs against rheumatoid arthritis, probably by suppressing the production of inflammatory mediators.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 2013

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of Angelicae gigantis Radix (AG) and Lycii fructus (LF) ethanol extracts on skin-whitening effects. Method : LFAG extracts were prepared by extracting with 80% ethanol. The efficacy of LFAG was judged by measurement of cell viability, tyrosinase activity, melanin production, tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) expression in B16F10 murine melanoma cells by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) treatment. Results : Each extract (LF or AG) inhibited the tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. The co-treatment of LFAG extracts ($25{\mu}g/mL$ LF plus $25{\mu}g/mL$ AG) markedly suppressed the LPS-induced cellular tyrosine activity, melanin production, tyrosinase and MMP-1 expression in B16F10 murine melanoma cells. These suppressive effects were synergistically increased by their combination. Conclusions : With these observations, we suggest that the extracts from Lycii fructus and Angelica gigantis Radix could be potent natural materials for whitening skin.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.724-729
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• 2012

In this study, we evaluated the anti-melanogenesis effects of Caffeoylserotonin (CaS) in B16 melanoma cells. Treatment with CaS reduced the melanin content and tyrosinase (TYR) activity in B16 melanoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. CaS inhibited the expression of melanogenesis-related proteins, including microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), TYR, and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), but not TRP-2. ${\alpha}$-MSH is known to interact with melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) thus activating adenylyl cyclase and increasing intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels. Furthermore, cAMP activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) via phosphorylation, which phosphorylates MITF, thereby targeting the transcription factor to proteasomes for degradation. The CaS reduced intracellular cAMP levels to unstimulated levels and activated ERK phosphorylation within 30 min. The ERK inhibitor PD98059 abrogated the suppressive effect of CaS on ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanogenesis. Based on this study, the inhibitory effects of CaS on melanogenesis are derived from the downregulation of MITF signaling via the inhibition of intracellular cAMP levels, as well as acceleration of ERK activation.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.931-936
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• 2006

This study sought to investigate any additive or interactive effects that soy isoflavones may have on the ecosystem of the gut, which is influenced by fructooligosaccharide (FOS) in colon-cancer model rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine were given experimental diets containing 0, 3, 6, or 9% FOS with or without 0.1% soy isoflavone for 12 weeks. In addition to the effects of FOS dosage on the gut ecosystem, dietary supplementation with soy isoflavone reduced the number of colonic aberrant crypts (ACs). The fecal weight, fecal pH, and gut transit time significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in rats fed FOS and the fecal concentration of bifidobacteria was higher in rats fed FOS than in control rats. The fecal output of total short-chain fatty acids, acetate, and propionate was significantly increased by the presence of FOS and was negatively correlated with the number of ACs, whereas the fecal output of butyrate showed no significant correlation with FOS dosage. The addition of soy isoflavone to the diet did not result in any significant differences in gut ecosystem parameters. Therefore, we conclude that the suppressive effect of soy isoflavone on ACs was not associated with the intestinal ecosystem, which was significantly altered by the dosage of FOS.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 1993

It has been reported that d-limonene inhibits chemical-induced rat mammary cancer by the mechanism of increases in detoxification enzymes such as glutathione S-transferases and that cineole fails to exhibit significant suppressive effect on chemical-induced carcinogenesis. The present study was designed to compare the effects of d-limonene and cineole on the benzo(a)pyrene (BP)-induced mutagenicity, BP metabolism and lipid peroxidation. Modified Ames assay was employed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of d-limonene and cineole on the BP-induced mutagenicity. The number of revertant-bearing wells was decreased by 44~77% in the presence of both BP and d-limonene compared with that of BP alone whereas cineole decreased the number of revertant-bearing wells by 28~45% at the concentrations between $2{\mu}m$m.TEX> and 2 mM. d-Limonene suppressed BP metabolism by 16, 54 and 67% at 1, 10 and 100 mM, respectively while cineole inhibited the metabolism by 16, 26 and 55% at the same concentrations. The $EC_{50}$ values for d-limonene and cineole in inhibiting lipid peroxidation were 2.0 mM and 16 mM respectively, as assayed by thiobarbituric acid method. The present study showed that d-limonene and cineole have common antimutagenic effects although d-limonone appeared to be more effective than cineole in suppressing mutation and lipid peroxidation. The results suggest that the antimutagenic effects of d-limonene and cineole may be associated with alternation in enzyme activities and with inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.323-329
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• 2016

Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJN) water extract has a variety of physiological properties, including anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-oxidative activities. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of AJN extract were investigated in high affinity immunoglobulin E receptor ($Fc{\varepsilon}RI$)-mediated KU812F cells activation. AJN extract showed suppressive effects on histamine release and intracellular calcium [$Ca^{2+}$]i elevation from anti$Fc{\varepsilon}RI$ antibody (CRA-1)-stimulated cells in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis showed that AJN extract treatment caused a dose-dependent decrease in the cell surface $Fc{\varepsilon}RI$ expression and the binding between the cell surface $Fc{\varepsilon}RI$ and the IgE antibody. Moreover, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that levels of the mRNA for the $Fc{\varepsilon}RI$ ${\alpha}$ chain was decreased by treatment with AJN extract. These results indicate that AJN extract may exert anti-allergic effects via the inhibition of calcium influx and histamine release, which occurs as a result from the downregulation of the binding of IgE antibody to cell surface $Fc{\varepsilon}RI$. This mechanism may occur through $Fc{\varepsilon}RI$ expression inhibition.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.193-203
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• 2003

Objectives : In this study, we investigated the effect and pathway of contralateral heterotropic electroacupuncture (EA) on pain induced by fonualin in rats. Methods : Acu-points in the right forepaws, HT 7 and PC 7 were stimulated with 3~4mA, 2ms, and 10Hz after 5% formalin (50ul) s.c. injection to the left hind paw. In addition, it was investigated whether the dorsolateral funiculus (DLF), known to be related the descending inhibition, mediates analgesic effects of the contralateral heterotropic EA or whether administration of naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, blocks the effect of EA. Results : The results showed that contralateral heterotropic electroacupuncture (EA) inhibited late phase (63.311.7%) of pain induced by fonualin in the behavioral test, but sham-EA had little effect on pain behavior (85.616.8%) and no analgesic effects after transection of the dorsolateral funiculus (95.718.7%). The pretreatment of naltrexone (10mg/kg, i.p.) could not inhibit the analgesic effects of EA on formalin-induced pain behavior (70.713.1%). Also,EA suppressed formalin injection induced expression of cFos like protein (cFL) in the dorsal homo but not sham-EA. Suppressed expressions of cFL in the spinal cord were eliminated after transection of the ipsilateral dorsolateral funiculus at T10-11 leve1s. However, pretreatment of naltrexone could not prevent the suppressive expressions of cFL at the spinal cord. Conclusions : These results suggest that the analgesic effect of contralateral heterotropic electroacupuncture may be modulated through the dorsolateral funiculus constituting the descending inhibition.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.506-512
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• 2012

Although pruritus is the critical symptom of atopic dermatitis that profoundly affect the patients' quality of life, controlling and management of prurirtus still remains as unmet needs mainly due to the distinctive multifactorial pathogenesis of pruritus in atopic dermatitis. Based on the distinct feature of atopic dermatitis that psychological state of patients substantially influence on the intensity of pruritus, various psychotropic drugs have been used in clinic to relieve pruritus of atopic dermatitis patients. Only several psychotropic drugs were reported to show real antipruritic effects in atopic dermatitis patients including naltrexone, doxepin, trimipramine, bupropion, tandospirone, paroxetine and fluvoxamine. However, the precise mechanisms of antipruritic effect of these psychotropic drugs are still unclear. In human skin, serotonin receptors and serotonin transporter protein are expressed on skin cells such as keratinocytes, melanocytes, dermal fibroblasts, mast cells, T cells, natural killer cells, langerhans cells, and sensory nerve endings. It is noteworthy that serotonergic drugs, as well as serotonin itself, showed immune-modulating effect. Fenfluramine, fluoxetine and 2, 5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine significantly decreased lymphocyte proliferation. It is still questionable whether these serotonergic drugs exert the immunosuppressive effects via serotonin receptor or serotonin transporter. All these clinical and experimental reports suggest the possibility that antipruritic effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in atopic dermatitis patients might be at least partly due to their suppressive effect on T cells. Further studies should be conducted to elucidate the precise mechanism of neuroimmunological interaction in pruritus of atopic dermatitis.