• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.19-36
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• 2000

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is progressive neurodegenerative disease, which is pathologically characterized by neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles associated with the acetylcholinesterase, apolipoprotein E and butylcholinesterase, and by mutations in the presenilin genes PS1 and PS2, and amyloid precursor proteins (APPs) overexpression. The present research is to examine the inhibition effect of KBT on PS1, PS2 and APPs overexpression by detected to Western blotting. To verify the Effects of KBT on cognitive deficits further, we tested it on the scopolamine (1 mg/kg)-induced amnesia model of the mice using the Morris water maze tests, and there was ameliorative effects of memory impairment as a protection to scopolamine. KBT only partially blocked the increase in blood serum level of acetylcholinesterase and Uric acid induced by scopolamine, whereas blood glucose level was shown to attenuate the amnesia induced by scopolamine and inreased extracellular serum level compared with only scopolamine injection. In conclusion, studies of KBT that has been know as anti-choline and inhibition ablilities of APPs overexpression, this could also be used further as a important research data for a preventive and promising symptomatic treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.151-167
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• 2001

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which is pathologically characterized by neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles associated with the acetylchohnesterase, apolipoprotein E and butylcholinesterase, and by mutations in the presenilin genes PS1 and PS2, and amyloid precursor proteins (APPs)'s overexpression. The present research is to examine the inhibition effect of BYCNT on PS-1, PS-2 and APPs's overexpression by detected to Western blotting. To verify the effects of BYCNT on cognitive deficits further, we tested it on the scopolamine(1mg/kg)-induced amnesia model of the mice using the Morris water maze tests, and there was ameliorative effects of memory impairment as a protection from scopolamine. BYCNT only partially blocked the increase in blood serum level of acetylcholinesterase and Uric acid induced by scopolamine, whereas blood glucose level was shown to attenuate the amnesia induced by scopolamine and inreased extracellular serum level compared with only scopolamine injection. In conclusion, studies of BYCNT that has been known as anti-choline and inhibition ablilities of APPs overexpression, this could also be used further as a important research data for a preventive and promising symptomatic treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.203-212
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• 1993

To find antitumor components in the hot water extract of the cultured mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum, protein-bound polysaccharides were purified and fractionated (Fr. I-V) by DEAE-cellulose ion exchange column chromatography and Sepbarose CL-4B gel filtration. When a dose of 20 mg/kg/day of each was, i.p., injected into ICR mice, the inhibition ratios against the solid form of sarcoma 180 were $64.2{\sim}75.8%$. The antitumor component was examined for immunological activity. It increased the amount of superoxide anion released by induced macrophages in peritoneal cavity to 1.8 times and the count of hemolytic plaque-forming cells (PFC) was increased to 4.4 times as compared with those of the control group. It contained 68.6% polysaccharide which consisted of mannose, glucose, galactose, fucose and xylose and 5.1% protein consisting of 17 amino acids. The contents of hexosamine were 0.78%. The molecular weight of Fr. V that showed the highest antitumor activity was $5.8{\times}10^4$ dalton by Sepharose CL-4B gel filtration. It was named lucidan.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.189-189
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• 1998

Tissue factor (TF) is a cell surface receptor of coagulation factor Ⅶ and is the principal initiator of the vertebrate coagulation cascade. TF is found in high levels in some organs such as brain, lung and placenta, whereas blood monocytes, endothelial cells contain only trivial amount of TF when quiescent, and is stimulated to synthesize TF by infections or vascular lesions. TF is reported to be found in high levels in atherosclerotic plaques, cancer cells. TF activation in various cells in many infectious or immunologic diseases tells us the physiologic importance of TF. We screened many edible vegetables for TF inhibitor, by measuring the prothrombin time to detect the TF activity, and we picked Aster scaber to isolate the TF inhibitory substance. Aster scaber showed two kinds of anti thrombotic activity, one is TF inhibition and the other is elongation of plasma recalcification time. The anti thrombotic substances were found to be saponins which has echinocystic acid as aglycone.

• Proceeding of EDISON Challenge
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• 2015.03a
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• pp.14-23
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• 2015

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common types of degenerative dementia. As a considerable cause of Alzheimer's disease, neurotoxic plaques composed of 39 to 42 residue-long amyloid beta($A{\beta}$) fibrils have been found in the patient's brain in large quantity. A previous study found that erythrosine B (ER), a red color food dye approved by FDA, inhibits the formation of amyloid beta fibril structures. Here, in an attempt to elucidate the inhibition mechanism, we performed molecular dynamics simulations to demonstrate the conformational change of $A{\beta}40$ induced by 2 ERs in atomistic detail. During the simulation, the ERs bound to the surfaces of both N-terminus and C-terminus regions of $A{\beta}40$ rapidly. The observed stacking of the ERs and the aromatic side chains near the N-terminus region suggests a possible inhibition mechanism in which disturbing the inter-chain stacking of PHEs destabilizes beta-sheet enriched in amyloid beta fibrils. The bound ERs block water molecules and thereby help stabilizing alpha helical structure at the main chain of C-terminus and interrupt the formation of the salt-bridge ASP23-LYS28 at the same time. Our findings can help better understanding of the current and upcoming treatment studies for Alzheimer's disease by suggesting inhibition mechanism of ER on the conformational transition of $A{\beta}40$ at the molecular level.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.33-46
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• 2006

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of neurodegenerative disease associated with aging in the human population. This disease is characterized by the extracellular deposition of beta-amyloid peptide $(A{\beta})$ in cerebral plaques. $A{\beta}$ is derived from the ${\beta}-amyloid$ precursor protein (APP) by the enzymes, ${\beta}-$ and ${\eta}o-secretase$. Compounds that ${\beta}-$ or ${\eta}o-secretase$ inhibit activity, can reduce the production of $A{\beta}$ peptides, and thus have therapeutic potential in the treatment of AD. Increasing body of evidence has been demonstrated that Bee Venom(BV) Acupuncture could compete with complex protein involving in multiple step of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation and exert the anti-inflammatory potential of combined inhibition of the prostanoid and nitric oxide synthesis systems by inhibition of IKK and $NF-{\kappa}B$. In this study, I investigated possible effects of BV on memory dysfunction caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and $A{\beta}$ through inhibition of secretases activities and $A{\beta}$ aggregation. I examined the improving effect of BV on the LPS (2.5 mg/Kg, i.p.)-induced memory dysfunction using passive avoidance response and water maze tests in the mice. BV (0.84, $1.67\;{\mu}g/ml$) reversed the LPS-induced memorial dysfunction in dose dependent manner. BV also dose-dependently attenuated LPS-induced ${\beta}$ and ${\eta}o-secretase$ activities in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the mice brain. This study therefore suggests that BV acupuncture method may be useful for prevention of development or progression of AD.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.237-243
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• 2014

Triglyceride (TG) can cause death of macrophages and formation of foam cells thereby increasing inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques. Accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages is another critical event that promotes development of inflammatory cardiovascular diseases. Several proteins are known to transport intracellular cholesterol outside of the cell and these proteins are thought to be protective against atherosclerosis pathogenesis. It is unknown whether TG can affect cholesterol efflux in macrophages. In the current study, we examined mRNA expression levels of genes that promote efflux of cholesterol (ABCA1, ABCG1 and SR-B1). We found that TG treated THP-1 macrophages exhibited an increase in ABCG1 expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In contrast, the expression of ABCA1 and SR-B1 remained unchanged. To identify cell signaling pathways that participate in up-regulation of ABCG1, THP-1 macrophages were treated with various cell signaling inhibitors. We found that inhibition of the JNK and p38 MAPK pathway completely abrogated up-regulation of ABCG1 whereas inhibition of MEK1 further enhanced ABCG1 expression in TG treated THP-1 macrophages. Also, TG induced phosphorylation of JNK and p38 MAPK in THP-1 macrophages. These results suggest that TG may potentially influence cholesterol efflux in macrophages.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 1998

Substantial evidence has accumulated that Alzheimer's disease is associated with a local inflammatory reaction in senile plaques which may be immunemediated, and includes extensive Brain Neuroglial invasion, lymphocytic infiltration, cytokine deposition. Tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-a) is a cytokine which plays an important immunoenhancing role in the local acute and chronic inflammatory response in response to a variety of stimuli. The neuropeptide, substance P, can stimulate secretion of TNF-a from Brain Neuroglial cells. Neuroglia have substance P receptors in the central nervous system. WQ investigated whether RADIX ASPARAGI inhibits secretion of TNF-a from primary cultures of Brain Neuroglial cells containing both astrocyte (∼90%) and microglia (∼10%). RADIX ASPARAGI dose-dependently inhibited the TNF-a secretion induced by substance P plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In cultures enriched for micoglia (>95% pure). LPS stimulated the secretion of TNF-a but substance P caused no enhancement. Because there was no synergism between substance P and LPS in the microglial cultures it is resonable to substance P madiated enhancement of TNF-a secretion. IL-1 is a modulator of TNF-a secretion in the immune system. Also IL-1 has been shown to elevate TNF- a secretion from LPS-stimulated Brain Neuroglial cells while having no effect on Brain Neuroglial cells in the absence of LPS. We therfore investigated whether IL-1 mediates the RADIX ASPARAGI inhibition of TNF-a secretion form primary Brain Neuroglial cells. Treatment of RADIX ASPARAGI to mixed cultures stimulated with both substance P and LPS decreased TNF-a secretion to the level observed with LPS alone. These results indicate that RADIX ASPARAGI possess strong antiinflammatory activity in the cental nervous system by inhibition of inflammatory cytokines secretion from Brain Neuroglial cells.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.53-77
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• 2002

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which is pathologically characterized by neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles associated with the acetylcholinesterase, apolipoprotein E and butylcholinesterase, and by mutations in the presenilin genes PS1 and PS2, and amyloid precursor proteins (APPs) overexpression. The present research is to examine the inhibitory effect of KGBH on PS1, PS2 and APPs overexpression detected by Western blotting. To verify the Effects of KGBH on cognitive deficits further, we tested it on the scopolamine(1mg/kg)-induced amnesia model of the mice using the Morris water maze tests, and there were ameliorative effects on memory impairment as a protection against scopolamine. KGBH only partially blocked the increase in blood serum level of acetylcholinesterase and Uric acid induced by scopolamine, where as blood glucose level was shown to attenuate the amnesia induced by scopolamine and inreased extracellular serum level. In conclusion, studies of KGBH that has been known as anti-choline and inhibitory ablilities of APPs overexpression, could also be used further as a important research data for a preventive and promising symptomatic treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.149-171
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• 2002

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which is pathologically characterized by neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles associated with the acetylcholinesterase, apolipoprotein E and butylcholinesterase, and by mutations in the presenilin genes PS1 and PS2, and amyloid precursor proteins (APPs)'s overexpression. The present research is to examine the inhibitory effect of CWBD on PS1, PS2 and APPs's overexpression detected by Western blotting. To verify further the effects of CWBD on cognitive deficits, we tested it on the scopolamine(1mg/kg)-induced amnesia model of the mice using the Morris water maze tests, and there were ameliorative effects on memory impairment as a protection from scopolamine. CWBD only partially blocked the increase in blood serum level of acetylcholinesterase and Uric acid induced by scopolamine, whereas blood glucose level was shown to attenuate the amnesia induced by scopolamine and increased extracellular serum level. In conclusion, studies of CWBD that has been known as anti-choline and inhibitory ablilities of APPs's overexpression could also be used further as a important research data for a preventive and promising symptomatic treatment for Alzheimer's disease.