• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.262-273
• /
• 2014

Objectives: This study was carried out to investigate the protective effect of Coptidis Rhizoma steamed with rice wine (CR) against gastroduodenal mucosal injury through inhibiting inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activation. Methods: In in vitro experiment, LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with CR(0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 mg/ml) and iNOS mRNA expression and nitric oxide (NO) production were measured. In in vivo experiment normal group mice were treated with neither ethanol nor CR. Both control and sample group mice were orally administrated with ethanol. Five hours after ethanol administration control group mice were orally administrated with distilled water, sample group mice were orally administrated with CR. After three days administration, gastroduodenal mucosa of mice was observed histopathologically and iNOS, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) activation were observed immunohistochemically. Results: In in vitro experiment iNOS mRNA expression and NO production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages were decreased by CR dose-dependently. In in vivo experiment, gastroduodenal mucosal injury was repaired by CR and iNOS, NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in gastroduodenal mucosa were decreased by CR. Conclusions: Coptidis Rhizoma steamed with rice wine has a protective effect against gastroduodenal mucosal injury through inhibiting iNOS activation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.253-262
• /
• 2013

In this study, we analyzed the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of seven medicinal herbs. All extracts of the tested herbs, Euryale ferox Salisbury, Echinops setifer Iljin, Amomum cardamomum Linne, Tetrapanax papyriferus, Illicium verum Hook. f., Typha orientalis Presl, and Piper longum Linne, exhibited potent anti-oxidative activity as confirmed by DPPH radical scavenging capacity. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced nitric oxide (NO) production, in the RAW 264.7 cell line, was also ameliorated by all extracts' treatments in a dose dependent manner. NO suppressive activity originated from the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression by the extracts. Three extracts, E. ferox S., I. verum Hook. f., and P. longum L., possessed suppressive activity against, not only iNOS, but also cycloxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein expression. These three extracts may then serve as potential candidates for non steroidal analgesic inflammation drugs (NSAIDs). Furthermore, all extracts induced anti-oxidative enzyme, heme oxygenase 1, protein expression. Taken together, these results provide an important new insight into the fact that various medicinal herbs possess potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities and might be utilized as promising agents in the field of health products. Further studies for the identification of the active compounds from medicinal herbs are clearly needed.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.375-382
• /
• 1999

Growing evidence indicates that enhanced generation or actions of nitric oxide (NO) are implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats and diabetic nephropathy in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. We investigated whether inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in STZ-induced diabetic rats is responsible for the alterations of vascular reactivity. Diabetic state was confirmed 28 days after injection of STZ (i.p) in rats by measuring blood glucose. In order to evaluate whether short term (4 weeks) diabetic state is related with altered vascular reactivity caused by iNOS expression, isometric tension experiments were performed. In addition, plasma nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels and expression of iNOS in the lung and aorta of control and STZ-treated rats were compared by using Griess reagent and Western analysis, respectively. Results indicated that STZ-treated rats increased the maximal contractile response of the aorta to phenylephrine (PE), and high $K^+,$ while the sensitivity remained unaltered. Endothelium-dependent relaxation, but not SNP-mediated relaxation, was reduced in STZ-treated rats. Plasma nitrite/nitrates are significantly increased in STZ-treated rats compared to controls. The malondialdehyde (MDA) contents of liver, serum, and aorta of diabetic rats were also significantly increased. Furthermore, nitrotyrosine, a specific foot print of peroxynitrite, was significantly increased in endothelial cells and smooth muscle layers in STZ-induced diabetic aorta. Taken together, the present findings indicate that enhanced release of NO by iNOS along with increased lipid peroxidation in diabetic conditions may be responsible, at least in part, for the augmented contractility, possibly through the modification of endothelial integrity or ecNOS activity of endothelium in STZ-diabetic rat aorta.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.270-276
• /
• 2006

We evaluated the effects of extracts of Tsunokaori tangor peel on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2\;(PGE_2)$ in RAW 264.7 cells. The ethyl acetate fraction of Tsunokaori tangor peel (EA-TTP) markedly inhibited the production of NO and $PGE_2$ in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Consistent with these findings, the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins were down-regulated in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, EA-TTP decreased the expression iNOS mRNA but not COX-2 mRNA. To determine the upstream signaling mechanism for the down-regulation of LPS-induced iNOS expression, we investigated the effect of EA-TTP on the degradation and re-synthesis of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. EA-TTP dose-dependently delayed $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation and increased $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ re-appearance following degradation, suggesting this as the mechanism by which EA-TTP suppressed iNOS gene expression. The EA-TTP also dose-dependently reduced the expression of the cellular stress-response protein heme oxygenase-1, and inhibited the LPS-induced sustained activation of extracellar signal-regulated kinase (ERK).

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.155-164
• /
• 2010

Lycii fructus is the fruit of Lycium chinense Miller and is part of the Solanaceae family. Lycii fructus produces various effects such as hypotensive, hypoglycemic, anti-pyretic, and anti-stress activities. Lycii fructus is known to contain betaine, carotene, nicotinic acid, zeaxanthin, and cerebroside. In the present study, the effects of Lycii fructus aqueous extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in murine raw 264.7 macrophage cells were investigated. In this study we utilized the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and nitric oxide (NO) detection. Lycii fructus aqueous extract suppressed NO production by inhibiting the LPS-induced expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-$\alpha$) mRNA and iNOS protein in murine raw 264.7 macrophage cells. Also, Lycii fructus aqueous extract suppressed the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) in the nucleus. These results demonstrated that Lycii fructus aqueous extract causes an anti-inflammatory effect that was likely produced by the suppression of iNOS expression through the down-regulation of NF-$\hat{e}B$ binding activity.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.183-189
• /
• 2012

It is well known that inflammation is associated with neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer' disease, Parkinson's disease and ischemia. Nitric oxide (NO), a pro-inflammatory mediator, is produced by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in microglia as well as macrophages and appears to account for neurodegeneration. In this study, we aimed to isolate NO inhibitors from Pyrus pyrifolia by activity guided purification. As a result, we identified daucosterol and ${\beta}$-sitosterol, which have not been isolated from this plant before. This article also describes NO inhibitory activities of the methanol extract of Pyrus pyrifolia fruit and the isolated compounds from this, which are lupeol, betulin, betulinic acid, ${\beta}$-sitosterol and daucosterol, in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 and BV2 cell lines. Western blot analysis was performed to clarify the underlying mechanism of NO inhibition in the two cell lines.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.19-25
• /
• 2015

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important regulator of neovascularization. Hypoxia inducible nitric oxide (NO) enhanced the expression of VEGF and thymosin beta-4 ($T{\beta}4$), actin sequestering protein. Here, we investigated whether NO-mediated VEGF expression could be regulated by $T{\beta}4$ expression in HeLa cervical cancer cells. Hypoxia inducible NO production and VEGF expression were reduced by small interference (si) RNA of $T{\beta}4$. Hypoxia response element (HRE)-luciferase activity and VEGF expression were increased by the treatment with N-(${\beta}$-D-Glucopyranosyl)-N2-acetyl-S-nitroso-D, L-penicillaminamide (SNAP-1), to generate NO, which was inhibited by the inhibition of $T{\beta}4$ expression with $T{\beta}4$-siRNA. In hypoxic condition, HRE-luciferase activity and VEGF expression were inhibited by the treatment with $N^G$-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), an inhibitor to nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which is accompanied with a decrease in $T{\beta}4$ expression. VEGF expression inhibited by L-NMMA treatment was restored by the transfection with pCMV-$T{\beta}4$ plasmids for $T{\beta}4$ overexpression. Taken together, these results suggest that $T{\beta}4$ could be a regulator for the expression of VEGF via the maintenance of NOS activity.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.18 no.E2
• /
• pp.121-128
• /
• 2002

This study was carried out to investigate if nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors modulate airway inflammation induced by diesel exhaust particles (DEP). N$\^$G/-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a potent constitutive NOS (cNOS) inhibitor, and aminoguanidine (AG), a selective inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor, were administered to mice in their drinking water for 7 weeks. Airway inflammation was elicited by the repeated intratracheal administration of DEP. The results showed that macrophages, inflammatory eosinophils and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids by intratracheal DEP instillation were significantly suppressed in the mice treated with two NOS inhibitors toghther with DEP. The suppression of these cells was more effective in AG treated groups than in L -NAME treated groups. NOS inhibitor treatment also reduced interleukin -5 (IL-5 in the BAL fluids and lung homogenates. Additionally, it was found that eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) activity in the BAL fluids was also decreased by NOS inhibitor treatment. These results suggest that nitric oxide (NO) is produced in airway inflammation by repeated DEP instillation, and that iNOS inhibition as well as cNOS inhibition can play a modulating role in this airway inflammation by DEP.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.35 no.4 s.139
• /
• pp.283-287
• /
• 2004

The effect of water extract from Cnidii Rhizoma (CRW) on proliferation of human breast cancer cells, nitric oxide production, nitric oxide synthase expression, and ornithine decarboxylase activity was tested. CRW inhibited the growth of both estrogen-dependent MCF-7 and estrogen-independent MDA-MB-23I human breast cancer cells. Lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO) production was significantly reduced by CRW at the concentration of 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 mg/ml. Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was also suppressed with the treatment of CRW in Raw 264.7 cells. CRW inhibited induction of ornithine decarboxylase by 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, a key enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis, which is enhanced in tumour promotion. Therefore, CRW is worth further investigation with respect to breast cancer chemoprevention or therapy.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.759-765
• /
• 2006

In this study, we investigate Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expressions in adriamycin (ADR)-induced cadiomyopathy in rats. Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two main groups: control and ADR groups. Myocardial histopathological observation was performed; Expressions of 3 isoforms of NOS genes were examined by RT-PCR analysis; Expressions of 3 isoforms of NOS protein was assessed by Western blot analysis. Myocardium exhibited intensive morphological changes after 8 weeks of ADR treatment. The expression levels of inducible NOS (iNOS) gene and protein were significantly increased in ADR-treated rats after 8 weeks of treatment and then slightly increased at weeks 9 and 10. No significantly difference of neuronal NOS (nNOS) or endothelial NOS (eNOS) gene and protein were observed in the myocardium obtained from the control rats and ADR-injected rats at any time point. iNOS gene expression is selectively induced by ADR in heart. The upregulation of iNOS gene and protein may be somehow correlated with morphological changes seen in heart of rat treated with ADR.