• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.286-293
• /
• 2003

Several polyphenolic compounds and complex mixtures were isolated from brown algae species. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydarzyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of these compounds were evaluated to determine their physiological usefulness as antioxidants for vascular protection. The antioxidative protection of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was also evaluated and compared with that of catechin, because the generation of oxidized LDL is one of the most active and specific risk factors contributing to atherogenesis. Oral administration to rats of a commercially available sample ($VNP^{TM}$) containing 30% of these polyphenolic compounds and 70% dietary fiber revealed that the serum reducing capacity measured in terms of FRAP value was significantly elevated 30 min after the treatment, but declined rather quickly thereafter, indicating the good oral absorption of the compounds and their fast binding to the lumenal surface of the blood vessels. An eight-week, human, clinical trial (n=31) of $VNP^{TM}$ showed significant improvement in erectile function measured by IIEF (international index of erectile function) score. These results collectively demonstrated the usefulness of these polyphenolic compounds as fundamental chemopreventive agents against vascular risk factors originating from oxidative stress.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.164-179
• /
• 2002

Object: Death rate due to hypertension, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease and cerebral infarction induced by Westernized diet and increased average life span is on the rise. Decrease in blood circulation, activation of thrombus generation and intravascular lipid accumulation, cited as the principal causes of the above mentioned diseases in recent studies, result in circulatory disturbance and blood vessel obstruction leading to ischemic cell death of heart, brain and peripheral vessels. Method: We investigated the biochemical changes in microvascular permeability, aggregation of platelet and the intravascular lipid accumulation in induced-diabetic rat using Streptozotocin. We also studied the effects of Woohwangcheongsirn-won after oral administration on blood circulation, platelet function and lipid metabolism. The results are as follows: I. Woohwangcheongsim-won increased blood circulation in microvessels. 2. Woohwangcheongsim-won increased the reduced erythrocyte deformability in diabetes. 3. Woohwangcheongsim-won induced the reduction of contents of 2, 3-DPG, but failed to affect the reduced contents of ATP in erythrocyte in diabetes. 4. Woohwangcheongsim-won reduced the activity of Ca/sup 2+/-ATPase in the membrane of erythrocyte. 5. Woohwangcheongsim-won reduced the platelet aggregation evoked by platelet agglutinin factor. 6. Woohwangcheongsim-won reduced the production of platelet-derived granules. 7. Woohwangcheongsim-won reduced the production of metabolites of arachidonic acid in diabetes, and also reduced the production of increased thromboxane B2. 8. Woohwangcheongsim-won reduced the synthesis of oxidized LDL-cholesterol. In conclusion, Woohwangcheongsim-won enhanced blood circulation in microvesseles, erythrocyte deformability and inhibited the increased platelet aggregation and the synthesis of oxidized LDL-cholesterol in diabetes. Therefore Woohwangcheongsim-won is believed to positively affect blood circulation (J Korean Oriental Med 2002;23(2):164-179)

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.36 no.9
• /
• pp.908-917
• /
• 2003

It has been proposed that oxidative modification of LDL (oxLDL) plays a significant role in the pathogenicity of atherogenesis. We tested the hypothesis that chitin and chitosan may function as antioxidants with respect to 0.1 mg cholesterol/ml LDL incubated with 5 $\mu$ M Cu$^2$$^{+}$alone or in the P338Dl mouse macrophage system using L-ascorbic acid as a standard classical antioxidant. The degree of oxLDL formation was ascertained by the relative electrophoretic mobility (rEM) in the combination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, and the cytotoxicity of oxLDL was detected by macrophage viability. The oxLDL uptake and foam cell formation of macrophages were measured by Oil Red O staining. Incubation with Cu$^2$$^{+}$and macrophages increased rEM of LDL and stimulated TBARS formation. Culture of macrophages with LDL in the presence 5 $\mu$ M Cu$^2$$^{+}$induced macrophage death. In cell-free system 200 $\mu$g/ml water-soluble chitosan and chitosan-oligosaccharide blocked oxLDL formation. Water-soluble chitosan and chitosan-oligosaccharide blocked oxLDL formation near-completely relative to L-ascorbic acid, whereas water-soluble chitin and chitin-oligosaccharide had no measurable antioxidant effect. In macrophage system water-soluble chitosan and chitosan-oligosaccharide blocked oxidation of LDL with a significant increase in cell viability, and decreased TBARS in medium. As for the inhibitory effect on macrophage foam cell formation, chitosan and its oligosaccharide, but not watersoluble chitin, revealed the effectiveness. The endothelial expression of lectin-like oxLDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) was tested by Western blot analysis, and chitosan, chitosan-oligosaccharide and chitin-oligosaccharide blocked LOX-1 expression. These results indicate that water-soluble chitosan and its oligosaccharide showed the inhibitory effect on Cu$^2$$^{+}$-induced LDL oxidation of macrophages, and chitosan, chitosan-oligosaccharide and chitin-oligosaccharide had blocking effect on oxLDL receptor expression in the human umbilical vein endothelial system. Thus, water-soluble chitosan and its oligosaccharides possess anti-atherogenic potentials possibly through the inhibition of macrophage LDL oxidation or endothelial oxLDL receptor expression depending on chemical types.l types.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.109-113
• /
• 2001

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) has been shown to modulate transactivations by the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)$\gamma$ and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF$\kappa$B). In this study, the oxLDL signaling pathways involved with the NF$\kappa$B transactivation were investigated by utilizing a reporter construct driven by three upstream NF$\kappa$B binding sites, and various pharmacological inhibitors. OxLDL and its constituent lysophophatidylcholine (lysoPC) induced a rapid and transient increase of intracellular calcium and stimulated the NF-KB transactivation in resting RAW264.7 macrophage cells in an oxidation-dependent manner. The NF$\kappa$B activation by oxLDL or lysoPC was inhibited by protein kinase C inhibitors or an intracellular calcium chelator. Tyrosine kinase or PI3 kinase inhibitors did not block the NF$\kappa$B transactivation. Furthermore, the oxLDL-induced NF$\kappa$B activity was abolished by the PPAR$\gamma$ ligands. When the endocytosis of oxLDL was blocked by cytochalasin B, the NF$\kappa$B transactivation by oxLDL was synergistically increased, while PPAR transactivation was blocked. These results suggest that oxLDL activates NF-$\kappa$B in resting macrophages via protein kinase C- and/or calcium-dependent pathways, which does not involve the endocytic processing of oxLDL. The endocytosis-dependent PPAR$\gamma$ activation by oxLDL may function as an inactivation route of the oxLDL induced NF$\kappa$B signal. Short heterodimer partner (SHP), specifically expressed in liver and a limited number of other tissues, is an unusual orphan nuclear receptor that lacks the conventional DNA-binding domain. In this work, we found that SHP expression is abundant in murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 but suppressed by oxLDL and its constituent I3-HODE, a ligand for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor y. Furthermore, SHP acted as a transcription coactivator of nuclear factor-$\kappa$B (NF$\kappa$B) and was essential for the previously described NF$\kappa$B transactivation by lysoPC, one of the oxLDL constituents. Accordingly, NF$\kappa$B, transcriptionally active in the beginning, became progressively inert in oxLDL-treated RAW 264.7 cells, as oxLDL decreased the SHP expression. Thus, SHP appears to be an important modulatory component to regulate the transcriptional activities of NF$\kappa$B in oxLDL-treated, resting macrophage cells.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.37-46
• /
• 2004

Effects of Boonsimgieum aqua-acupuncture at $Naegweun(HP_6)$ and $Taecheung(LV_3)$ on liver and plasma lipid composition and antioxidative capacity were investigated in rat fed high oxidized fat. Concentrations of plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol showed a tendency to increase in the high oxidized fat diet group. However these values showed a tendency to decease in aqua-acupuncture groups. HDL-cholesterol showed no significantly different in all the treatment groups. Liver total cholesterol values showed a high in control group, however other treatment groups showed no significantly different. Liver triglyceride concentration showed a high value in control group and $Naegweun(HP_6)$ aqua-acupuncture group showed lower value than $Taecheung(LV_3)$ aqua-acupuncture group. Plasma GOT and GPT values showed a tendency to increase in high oxidized fat diet group. However aqua-acupuncture groups showed a lower values than control group. The concentration of TBARS in liver and plasma showed a high values in high oxidized fat diet group, however these values showed a tendency to decrease in aqua-acupuncture group. Glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity values showed a low values in high oxidized fat diet group, however these values showed a tendency to increase in aqua-acupuncture groups and in aqua-acupuncture groups, these values showed no significantly different.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.104-108
• /
• 2002

Numerous studies have suggested the involvement of oxidative processes in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and especially of oxidized low density lipoproteins (LDL). We studied the effect of Korean wheat on the oxidizability of LDL and the development of experimental atherosclerosis in rabbits on cholesterol diet. For the approach of the aim, antioxidative activity of wheat extracts against oxidation of LDL was investigated. The antiatherogenic effect of wheat was studied against Newzealand whithe (NZW) rabbits fed containing the wheat powder for 12 weeks. PBS extracts of Korean and imported wheats decreased LDL oxidation induced by copper ion by 62.3%, 52.6% respectively in comparison with control. Liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS ) levels of rabbits were significantly lowered in Korean wheat fed group (0.397$\pm$ 0.029 nmol MDA/mg protein, p<0.05) compared to control (0.496$\pm$0.021 nmol MDA/mg protein) and imported wheat group (0.478$\pm$0.019 nmol MDA/mg protein). TBARS levels of kidney showed no significant difference among treatment groups. The aorta of cholesterol-fed rabbits showed typical atherosclerotic lesions when compared with the controls, but the microscopic differences between groups was not clear. The present study suggests that Korean wheat may have higher antioxidative capacity than imported wheat and have more beneficial effects for the treatment of disease by inhibiting the oxidation of LDL.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.277-282
• /
• 2006

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity of Ligularia fischeri leaf extract on adjuvant induced arthritis in experimental mice. The oral administration of the L. fischeri leaf extract (LF), at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight once a day for 3 weeks, significantly reduced hindpaw swelling and the production of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin(IL)-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6). Treatment with LF (100 mg/kg) also decreased the serum levels of triglyceride and low density lipoprotein(LDL)-cholesterol, and increased high density lipoprotein(HDL)-cholesterol contents compared with those of a control group. The induction of arthritis significantly increased oxidized proteins such as protein carbonyl, advanced oxidation protein products, and advanced glycation end-products in the lung, heart, and brain. Treatment with LF for 3 weeks reduced the levels of oxidized proteins. These results suggest that L. fischeri extract might be beneficial in the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.35 no.3 s.138
• /
• pp.233-238
• /
• 2004

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase $A_2\;(Lp-PLA_2)$ is a potential biomarker of coronary heart disease and plays an important proinflammatory role in the progression of atherosclerosis. Also acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) playa key role in atherosclerosis, respectively. And so, the inhibitory activities of the methanol extracts of 42 insect resources were examined on $Lp-PLA_2$, ACAT, and LDL oxidation for screening of anti-atherogenic substances. Among them, the methanol extracts of Eurydema rugosa significantly inhibited all of upper three activities. Several kinds of tested insects having high inhibitory effect with the methanol extracts were extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and acetone, and their inhibitory activities were tested.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.38 no.12
• /
• pp.1096-1104
• /
• 2015

Particulate $matter_{2.5}$ ($PM_{2.5}$) is notorious for its strong toxic effects on the cardiovascular, skin, nervous, and reproduction systems. However, the molecular mechanism by which $PM_{2.5}$ aggravates disease progression is poorly understood, especially in a water-soluble state. In the current study, we investigated the putative physiological effects of aqueous $PM_{2.5}$ solution on lipoprotein metabolism. Collected $PM_{2.5}$ from Seoul, Korea was dissolved in water, and the water extract (final 3 and 30 ppm) was treated to human serum lipoproteins, macrophages, and dermal cells. $PM_{2.5}$ extract resulted in degradation and aggregation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) as well as low-density lipoprotein (LDL); apoA-I in HDL aggregated and apo-B in LDL disappeared. $PM_{2.5}$ treatment (final 30 ppm) also induced cellular uptake of oxidized LDL (oxLDL) into macrophages, especially in the presence of fructose (final 50 mM). Uptake of oxLDL along with production of reactive oxygen species was accelerated by $PM_{2.5}$ solution in a dose-dependent manner. Further, $PM_{2.5}$ solution caused cellular senescence in human dermal fibroblast cells. Microinjection of $PM_{2.5}$ solution into zebrafish embryos induced severe mortality accompanied by impairment of skeletal development. In conclusion, water extract of $PM_{2.5}$ induced oxidative stress as a precursor to cardiovascular toxicity, skin cell senescence, and embryonic toxicity via aggregation and proteolytic degradation of serum lipoproteins.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.93-99
• /
• 2002

Effects of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), $1-{\alpha}-stearoyl-lysophosphatidylcholine$ (LPC), on intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration were examined in mouse endothelial cells by measuring intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ with fura 2-AM and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). LPC increased $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ under the condition of 1.5 mM $[Ca^{2+}]_o$ but did not show any effect under the nominally $Ca^{2+}-free$ condition. Even after the store depletion with $30{\mu}M$ 2,5-di-tert- butylhydroquinone (BHQ) or $30{\mu}M$ ATP, LPC could still increase the $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ under the condition of 1.5 mM $[Ca^{2+}]_o.$ The time required to increase [$Ca{2+}$]i (about 1 minute) was longer than that for ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase $(10{\sim}30\;seconds).$ LPC-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase was completely blocked by $1{\mu}M\;La^{3+}.$ Transient receptor potential channel(trpc) 4 mRNA was detected with RT-PCR. From these results, we suggest that LPC increased $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ via the increase of $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the $Ca^{2+}$ routes which exist in the plasma membrane.