• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.11
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• pp.730-734
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• 2011

Amyloid ${\beta}$-peptide ($A{\beta}$-peptide)-induced oxidative stress is thought to be a critical component of the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). New chalcone derivatives, the Chana series, were recently synthesized from the retrochalcones of licorice. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of the Chana series against neurodegenerative changes in vitro and in vivo. Among the Chana series, Chana 30 showed the highest free radical scavenging activity (90.7%) in the 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl assay. Chana 30 also protected against $A{\beta}$-induced neural cell injury in vitro. Furthermore, Chana 30 reduced the learning and memory deficits of $A{\beta}_{1-42}$-peptide injected mice. Taken together, these results suggest that Chana 30 may be a promising candidate as a potent therapeutic agent against neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.43-57
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• 2010

Objectives: This study was designed to assess neuroprotective effects of herb medicine against Alzhheimer's disease related brain damage in organotypic hippocampal slice culture. Methods: We induced dementia related brain damage in organotypic hippocampal slices by $\beta$-amyloid. Those slices were treated with herb medicines - Hwangryeonhaedoktang, Sopungsoongiwon. Using by PI staining, the extents of cell death were assessed. After that, we selected the best effective one among those herb medicines and the major components of that medicine were studied to reveal neuroprotective effects and related proteins by using PI stating. Results: In PI staining, Sopungsoongiwon is the best effective herb medicine between Hwangryeonhaedoktang and Sopungsoongiwon. Notopterygii Rhizoma, Corni Fructus, Areca Catechu, Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, Plantaginis Semen is the best effective one among the components of Sopungsoongiwon. Conclusions: We suggested that purgative effect would be the best effetive medicine on dementia related brain damage between clearing heat and toxic materials.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.31-46
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• 2009

Objectives : This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of Gojineumja(Guzhenyinzi, GJEJ) on damaged neural tissue in cultured glial cells and in the mouse brain tissue. Methods : The effects of the GJEJ on activation of astrocytes and caspase 3-positive cell counts in cultured glial cells administered with ${\beta}$-amyloid peptide were investigated. The effects of the GJEJ on levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)-positive reactive astrocyets and caspase 3-positive cells in the hippocampal subfields in the rats administered with scopolamine were investigated. Results : 1. GJEJ reduced levels of activated astrocytes and caspase 3-positive cell counts in cultured glial cells administered with ${\beta}$-amyloid peptide. 2. GJEJ reduced levels of GFAP-positive reactive astrocyets and caspase 3-positive cells in the hippocampal subfields in the rats administered with scopolamine. Conclusions : The present data. suggest that GJEJ may have a protective function of neuronal and non-neuronal cells in damaged neural tissue caused by AD-like stimulations. Further studies on identification of effective molecular components of GJEJ and their interactions with damaged neural cells would be important for understanding molecular mechanism and may be further applicable for the development of therapeutic strategies.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1073-1077
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• 2005

Oxidative stressand glia-associated chronic inflammation have been linked to the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. Rhei rhizoma has been commonly used as a purgative and a haemostatic agent in traditional oriental medicine. Recently, the methanol extract from a dried root of Rheum undulatumhas been shown to have anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we tested the potential of the extract of Rheum undulatum for neuroprotective agent. The aqueous extract of Rheum undulatum reduced cell death and p53 phosphorylation in neuronal cells and attenuated levels of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNAs in BV2 microglial cells treated with $amyloid-\beta$

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.375-381
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• 2014

Transgenic potato was generated to express recombinant 5 repeated ${\beta}$-amyloid ($A{\beta}$) peptides, potential antigens to be applied as a preventive accine for Alzheimer's disease using Agrobacterium mediated transformation. The $A{\beta}$ peptides were fused to the human IgG Fc fragment enhancing protein and KDEL, which is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal ($5A{\beta}$-FcK). The $5A{\beta}$-FcK, was expressed under the control of the duplicated 35S promoter. PCR analysis confirmed the presence of the transgene in several transgenic potato lines. Southern blot analysis showed only a single gene copy number in transgenic line 22, whereas multiple gene copy numbers were shown for transgenic lines 31 and 44. Northern blot analysis showed that line 22 had stronger mRNA levels when compared to lines 31 and 44. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that the $5A{\beta}$-FcK protein was expressed in the transgenic potato plant. These results indicate that $5A{\beta}$ fused to Fc can be expressed in potato plants.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.425-449
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• 1999

For the evaluation of the effect on SWS, experiments were made on hyperlipidemia induced by hypercholesterol diet, inhibitory reaction to human platelet aggregation, Pulmonary thrombosis induced by collagen and epinephrine, global cerebral ischemia induced by KCN, brain ischemia induced by MCA occlusion, cytotoxicity of PC12 cells induced by amyloid ${\beta}$ protein(25-35), and NO production in RAW cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide. The results were obtained as follows : 1. In the experiment on hyperlipidemia, the level of serum total cholesterol, phospholipid, and LDL-cholesterol were significantly decreased while the level of triglyceride, VLDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol had no significant change. 2. In the experiment on inhibitory reaction to platelet aggregation, SWS inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP(36.05%), by collagen(20.4%), and by thrombin(0.6%). 3. In the experiment on pulmonary thrombosis induced by collagen and epinephrine, the protective effect was found(37%). 4. In the experiment on global cerebral ischemia, coma duration induced by KCN changed insignificantly. 5. In the experiment on MCA occlusion, the change of neurologic grades on hind limb was significant only after the operation. Besides brain ischemic area and edema ratio were significantly decreased. 6. In the experiment on cytotoxicity of PC 12 cells induced by amyloid ${\beta}$ protein, the significant protective effect was found as concentration increases. 7. In the experiment on NO production in RAW cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide, NO was significantly decreased. According to the results, it is expected that SWS might be effective on hyperlipidemia and brain damage.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.11-26
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• 2003

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid deposition and associated loss of neunons in brain regions involved in learning and memory processes. Several causes of evidence support that the congnitive disturbance is closed associated with the deficit of cerebral acetylcholine neurotransmission, and the effect of carboxyl terminal 105 amino acid fragment (CT105) of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) on the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines. We tested it on the scopolamine-induced amnesia model of the ICR mouse using the Morris water maze with repeated orally administration of 1st Green-Tea extract (200 mg/kg) and 2nd Green-Tea extract (200 mg/kg). The Green-Tea prevents impairment of learning and memory and neuronal loss in mouse models of cognitive disturbance and it demonstrated selectivity for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Furthermore, the repeated administration of Green-Tea, CT105-induced alzheimer's mouse model showed central cholinergic activity by ameliorates learning and memory impairment, and isolation of CD14 microglia showed significantly decreases intracellular release of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin-$1{\beta}$ and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because of its composite profile, oral therapeutic index and a prophylactic, Green-Tea is considered the better therapeutic candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.115-117
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• 2014

Variety of biomarkers that are related to the Alzheimer's disease and its diagnosis and progress have been found. However, research lacks in predicting the reaction of the treatment. In addition, there is no definite treatment reaction to the disease but rather it is varied. The purpose of this review article is to study the research of the biomarkers that are able to predict the treatment reaction. There was a research that illustrated a relationship between plasma amyloid ${\beta}$ peptide, cerebrospinal fluid tau, neuroanatomical biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Polymorphisms in genes of the cholinergic markers AChE, BuChE, ChAT and PON-1 were found to be associated with better clinical response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Many pharmacogenetic studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of the lipoprotein apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on treatment response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. However, there is no significant influence of the APOE genotypes on treatment response. Further research is needed to find other predictors of treatment with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.369-375
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• 2003

Xiaoshuan Zaizao Wan (XZW) has been used in China to improve hemiplegia, deviation of eye and mouth, and dysphasia due to cerebral thrombosis. To characterize pharmacological actions of XZW, we evaluated its effects on neuronal cell damage induced in primary cultured rat cortical cells by various oxidative insults, glutamate or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and $\beta$-amyloid fragment ($A_{\beta(25-35)}$). XZW was found to inhibit the oxidative neuronal damage induced by $H_2O_2$, xanthine/xanthine oxidase, or $Fe^{2+}$/ascorbic acid. It also attenuated the excitotoxic damage induced by glutamate or NMDA. The NMDA-induced neurotoxicity was more effectively inhibited than the glutamate-induced toxicity. In addition, we found that XZW protected neurons against the $A_{\beta(25-35)}$-induced toxicity. Moreover; XZW exhibited dramatic inhibition of lipid peroxidation in rat brain homogenates and mild 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity. Taken together; these results demonstrate that XZW exerts neuroprotective effects against oxidative, excitotoxic, or $A_{\beta(25-35)}$-induced neuronal damage. These findings may provide pharmacological basis for its clinical usage treating the sequelae caused by cerebral thrombosis. Furthermore, XZW may exert beneficial effects on Alzheimer's disease and other oxidative stress-related neurodegenerative disorders.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.87-91
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• 2014

Amyloid beta ($A{\beta}$) peptide has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and has been reported to induce apoptotic death in cell culture. Cysteine Proteases, a family of enzymes known as caspases, mediate cell death in many models of apoptosis. In the present study, we examined the caspase activity and cell death in $A{\beta}$-treated SHSY5Y cells, as an attempt to elucidate the relationship between the type of caspase and $A{\beta}$-induced cell death. $A{\beta}$ at 20 ${\mu}M$ induce activation of caspase-3, 8 and 9 activity, but not the caspase-1. Caspase-3, 8 and 9 were processed by Ab treatment, consistent with the activity assay. Inhibition of the caspase activities by the selective inhibitors, however, marginally affected the cell death induced by $A{\beta}$. Taken together, the results indicate that $A{\beta}$-induced cell death may be independent of caspase activity and rather, the enzymes might be activated as a result of the cell death.