• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 2002

The water extract of Omija-tang(OMJT) has been traditionally used for treatment of ischemic heart and brain damage in oriental medicine. However, little is known about the mechanism by which the water extract of OMJT protects cells from such damage. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the protective mechanisms of OMJT on $H_2O_2$-induced toxicity in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells. Treatment of $H_2O_2$ markedly induced death of H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells in a dose-dependent manner. The characteristics of $H_2O_2$-induced death of H9c2 showed apparent apoptotic features, such as DNA fragmentation. However, OMJT significantly reduced both $H_2O_2$-induced cell death and chromatin fragmentation. The decrease of Bcl-XL expression by $H_2O_2$ was inhibited by OMJT. In addition, the increase of Bcl-XS and Bax expression were also inhibited by OMJT. In particular, Fas expression, which is generally recognized as cell death inducing signal by Fas/FasL interaction, was markedly increased by $H_2O_2$ in a time-dependent manner, whereas this increase was completely prevented by OMJT. The combined treatment of OMJT and $H_2O_2$ in H9c2 cells also reduced activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 like protease. Taken together, this study indicates that the protective effects of the water extract of OMJT against oxidative damage may be mediated by the modulation of BcI-XL/S and Bax expression by way of the regulation of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase cascades.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2000

Transition metal ions including $Se^{2+},\;Cd^{2+},\;Hg^{2+}\;or\;Mn^{2+}$ have been thought to disturb the bone metabolism directly. However, the mechanism for the bone lesion is unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that MC3T3E1 osteoblasts, exposed to various transition metal ions; selenium, cadmium, mercury or manganese, generated massive amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The released ROS were completely quenched by free radical scavengers-N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), or superoxide dismutase (SOD). First, we have observed that selenium $(10\;{\mu}M),$ cadmium $(100\;{\mu}M),$ mercury $(100\;{\mu}M)$ or manganese (1 mM) treatment induced apoptotic phenomena like DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation and caspase-3-like cysteine protease activation in MC3T3E1 osteoblasts. Concomitant treatment of antioxidant; N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), reduced-form glutathione (GSH), or superoxide dismutase (SOD), prevented apoptosis induced by each of the transition metal ions. Catalase or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) has less potent inhibitory effect on the apoptosis, compared with NAC, GSH or SOD. In line with the results, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) stain shows that each of the transition metals is a potent source of free radicals in MC3T3E1 osteoblast. Our data show that oxidative damage is associated with the induction of apoptosis in MC3T3E1 osteoblasts following $Se^{2+},\;Cd^{2+},\;Hg^{2+}\;or\;Mn^{2+}$ treatment.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.544-552
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• 2004

In oriental medicine, Radix Polygalae(RP) has been to treat tremors et al. But the mechanism how to decrease tremors was not known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of RP on neurodegenerative disease. We used RP to execute the study of this defense mechanism on dopamine-induced cell death in human SH-SY5Y dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells. MTT assay was used to know the cytotoxicity of dopamine and the defense mechanism. As a result of this experiment, dopamine had cytotoxicity in human SH-SY5Y cells, but when it treated with RP, the cell survival rate increased. This suppressed the cell apoptosis, activation of caspase-3 protease, production of ROS, and repair of membrane potential change. In conclusion, RP has the protective effect on dopamine-induced cell death in human SH-SY5Y dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells, so this could be an effective agent on the neurodegenerative disease like Parkinsonism.