• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.35-43
• /
• 2018

Objectives: In the brain, glutamate is the most important excitable neurotransmitter in physiological and pathological conditions. However, the high level of glutamate induces neuronal cell death due to exitotoxicity and oxidative stress. The present study investigated to evaluate a possible neuroprotective effect of furosin isolated from Euphorbia helioscopia against glutamate-induced HT22 cell death. Methods: Furosin was isolated from methanol extract of Euphorbia helioscopia and examined whether it protects glutamate-induced neuronal cell death. The cell viability was determined using Ez-Cytox assay. Anti-oxidative effect of furosin was determined by DPPH scavenging activities, and the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined by the fluorescent intensity after staining the cells with $H_2DCFDA$. To evaluate apoptotic cell death, we performed nuclear staining and image-based cytometeric analysis. Results: The cell viability was significantly increased by treatement with furosin compared with the treatment with glutamate. Furosin showed a strong DPPH radical scavenging activity ($EC50=1.83{\mu}M$) and prevented the accumulation of intra cellular ROS. Finally, the presence of 50 and $100{\mu}M$ furosin significantly the percentage of apoptotic cells compared with glutamate treatment. Conclusion: The present study found that furosin is a potent neuroprotectant against glutamate-induced oxidative stress through inhibition of apoptotic cell death induced by glutamate. Therefore, the present study suggests that furosin as a bioactive compound of E. helioscopia can be a useful source to develop a drug for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and acute brain injuries.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.860-865
• /
• 2009

Osteoclasts are bone-resorbing multinucleated cells derived from the monocyte/macrophage lineage. The differentiation of osteoclasts are regulated by osteoblastic cells expressed RANKL, which is the most critical molecule for osteoclast differentiation. In this study, we found that water extracts of cuscuta inhibited RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation by direct action on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) without cytotoxicity. In BMMs, water extracts of cuscuta inhibited the mRNA expression of c-Fos, NFATc1, TRAP, and OSCAR. Also, the protein expression of c-Fos and NFATc1 was inhibited by water extracts of cuscuta treatement. Water extracts of cuscuta inhibited the phosphorylation of p38, ERK, and JNK in BMMs treated with RANKL. However, water extracts of cuscuta did not inhibit RANKL-induced I-${\kappa}B$ activation. Water extract of cuscuta failed to inhibit bone resorption by osteoclasts cultured on hydroxyapatite plates. These results suggest that cuscuta may be a promising drug for use against bone disorders such as osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.221-228
• /
• 2006

We conducted a study to compare the safety and tolerability of anti-relapse drugs elubaquine and primaquine against Plasmodium vivax malaria. After standard therapy with chloroquine, 30 mg/kg given over 3 days, 141 patients with P. vivax infection were randomized to receive primaquine or elubaquine. The 2 treatment regimens were primaquine 30 mg once daily for 7 days (group A, n = 71), and elubaquine 25 mg once daily for 7 days (group B, n = 70). All patients cleared parasitemia within 7 days after chloroquine treatment. Among patients treated with primaquine, one patient relapsed on day 26; no relapse occurred with elubaquine treatement. Both drugs were well tolerated. Adverse effects occurred only in patients with G6PD deficiency who were treated with primaquine (group A, n = 4), whose mean hematocrit fell significantly on days 7,8 and 9 (P= 0.015, 0.027, and 0.048, respectively). No significant change in hematocrit was observed in patients with G6PD deficiency who were treated with elubaquine (group B, n = 3) or in patients with normal G6PD. In conclusion, elubaquine, as anti-relapse therapy for P. vivax malaria, was as safe and well tolerated as primaquine and did not cause clinically significant hemolysis.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.166-175
• /
• 1989

In the previous observations, it was reported that both total ginseng saponin and panaxadiol revealed the marked secretory effect of catecholamines (CA) from the rabbit adrenal gland and that CA secretion induced by them is due to dual mechanisms, cholinergic action and the direct action. In the present study, an attempt to investigate the effect of panaxatriol-type saponin (PT), which is known as an active component of Korean ginseng, on the secretion of CA from the rabbit adrenal gland was made. PT(200 $\mu$g) administered into adrenal vein evoked significantly secretion of CA from the isolated perfused rabbit adrenal gland. Secretory effect of CA produced by PT was attenuated clearly by treatment with chlorisondamine or adenosine, but was markedly increased by physostigmine. Perfusion of Krebs solution containing PT (200 $\mu$g) for 30 min potentiated greatly secretion of CA induced by acetylcholine. PT-induced CA secretion was weakened considerably by ouabain treatement or perfusion of calcium-free Krebs solution. These experimental data demonstrate that PT releases CA from the isolated perfused rabbit adrenal gland by a calcium-dependentd exocytotic mechanism. It seems that the secretory effect of PT is caused through the release of acetylcholine form cholinergic terminals present in the adrenal gland and a direct action on the chromaffin cell itself.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.21 no.2 s.24
• /
• pp.284-294
• /
• 1988

To measure the mutagenic activity of micro-organic pollutants in drinking water, mutagenicity test was conducted using Salmnella typhimurium TA 98 strain on the water sample taken from three water supply stations and six tap water in Seoul in July and November 1987. The results were as follows : 1. The average amounts of organic matters in raw, treated, and tap water sampled in July were 0.38mg/l, 0.28mg/l, and 0.45mg/l. respectively, and sampled in November were 0.34mg/l, 0.24mg/l, and 0.22mg/l, respectively. The amount of organic matters of tap water sampled in November did not increase while that of tap water sampled in July increased compare to those of raw or treated water. 2. The amount of organic matters is the highest in neutral fraction compare to acidic and basic fractions. 3. In the five out of six tap water and raw water of Paldang and Kuui station sampled in July, the mutagenicity ratios were greater then two (both direct and indirect mutagenicity). 4. In the three out of six tap water and raw and treated water of Kuui station sampled in November, the mutagenicity ratios were greater than two. 5. While mutagenic activities were low in acidic and basic fraction, they were high in neutral fraction. The samples which had high mutagenic acitivity in the total amount also showed high mutagenic activity in neutral fraction. 6. While mutagenic acitivity was decreased after the treatement of water, it was increased in tap water as the distance from the water supply station increases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.73-80
• /
• 2016

Colorectal cancer is a very prevalent diagnosed cancer. The current study was performed in order to examine the role of BRAE (Basella rubra aqueous extract) in regulating aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation, cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis in a colon carcinogenesis model in male Wistar rats. Rats were randomly allocated into six groups. Group I served as control, and group II acted as a drug control administered BRAE (250mg/kg b.w.) orally for 30 weeks. Rats in group III-VI were given subcutaneous injections of DMH (25mg/kg b.w. weekly) for 15 weeks to initiate colon carcinogenesis. Those in group IV and VI were administered BRAE along with DMH injections. Rats in group V were administered with BRAE after cessation of DMH injection. After 30 weeks of experimental period colons were obtained from experimental groups and analyzed for ACF incidence, argyrophilic nucleolar organizing region-associated proteins (AgNOR) count, histopathological and immunohistochemical changes. Only in DMH exposed groups were ACF and AgNOR numbers increased. Administration of BRAE appreciably decreased the numbers of ACF and AgNOR in BRAE treated groups. Histopathological findings revealed a high level of dysplastic changes with decreased number of goblet cells found only in only DMH injected rats. Administration of BRAE in treated group rats reversed these changes. Expression markers for cell proliferation (PCNA and Ki67) were elevated in DMH treated rats, but reduced with BRAE treatement. This expression was reversed with apoptosis markers (p53 and Caspase-3). Thus the results results of the present study were found to be significant and confirmed the potential efficacy of BRAE against colon carcinogenesis.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2008

Objectives : Joongjeo($TE_3$) Supplementation Aekmoon($TE_2$) Draining is a method belongs to Ohaeng-acupuncture, using directional supplementation and draining. Methods : This study was designed to investigate the effects of $TE_3$ supplementation $TE_2$ draining on changes in cerebral blood flow(rCBF) and mean arterial blood pressure(MABP) in normal rats. For these reasons, the present author investigated rCBF and MABP using laser doppler flowmeter in normal rats. In addtion, the present author also investigated action mechanisms of $TE_3$ supplementation $TE_3$ draining on changes in rCBF and MABP too. Results : In this results, $TE_3$ supplementation $TE_2$ draining elevated rCBF in time-dependent manner, but MABP levels decresed by $TE_3$ supplementation $TE_2$ draining. Pre-treatment with indomethacin (IDM), an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, inhibited increase of rCBF effectively. But pre-treatment with methylene blue(MTB), an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, decreased rCBF levels. In addition, pre-treatment with IDM also decreased MABP levels, but pre-treatement with MTB increased MABP levels. Conclusions : In conclusion, these results suggest that $TE_3$ supplementation $TE_2$ draining is effective to treat patient with disease related to cerebral ischemia, because $TE_3$ supplementation $TE_2$ draining can increase rCBF. In addition, the mechanisms are thought to be related to guanylate cyclase pathways.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.47-52
• /
• 1992

This study describes isolation and identification of a soil bacterium which is degradable of phosphinothricin and improvement of the isolated strain by using mutagenesis and spheroplast fusion. The experiment was performed to search for a possibility of development of a new strain which is both PPT-degradable and glyphosate-resistant by using interspecies cell fusion between the PPT-degrading bacterium. Pseudornonu.\ puucimohlis and a glyphosate -resistant strain, Pseudornonu.~ cc,pucicl. Auxotrophic mutants were obtained by the treatement of P. puucimohili.\ with ethylmethanosulfate, and used to cell fusion. Lysozyme and EDTA were used to spheroplast formation and regeneration rates :)f the spheroplast were 6.5'%1 in P. pauc.irnohili.\ and 8.8% in P.ci,j~u[,i(lr, espctively. Polyethylenglycol 5.000 was used to cell fusion as fusogen. The fusant\ulcorner F1. F2. F\ulcorner and F4 werc- obtained by the intra- and interspecies cell fusion. The fusant Fl of intraspecies cell fusion was higher to the wild type by 1 I'%l in PPT degrading ability, and the fusant F3 of inierspesis cell fusion developed plyphosatc-resistant and PPI-dcgrading ability which were propertics of two parental strains.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.414-424
• /
• 2007

Adenophorae Radix (AR), Liriopis Tuber (LT), Dendrobii Monile (DM), Polygonati Officinalis (PO), Polygonati Rhizoma (PR) have been used to treated a variety condition/diseases in traditional oriental medicine. The present study was conducted to investigate the immunmodulatory effects of the water-extracted AR, LT, DH, PO and PR. In spleen cell proliferation assay, DH was significantly enhanced mitogenic activity compared with control group. In RT-PCR, DH ad PO induced IL-2 and IFNr cytokine gene expression in mouse spleen cells. Methotrexate(MTX), immune supression agent, was significantly inhibited mouse spleen cell proliferation(1600 mg/ml). In spite of MTX treatement, DH and PO sustained the spleen cell proliferation, In the flow cytometry analysis, DH stimulated mouse spleen cells showed an increase in B-cell phenotype (CD45R/B220). The water-extracted DH and PO inhibited NO production and iNOS expression in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cell. DH induced IL-2 and IFNg gene expression in human peripheral mononuclear cells. The GC-MS analysis show that the main component of water-extracted DH was b-Nitroethyl alcohol. The main components of water-extracted PO were Dipirartril-tropico, Methyl sulfoxide and Demsodrox. These data suggest that among these extracts, DH has a protective effcet of immune suppression caused by MTX. DH may be enhance cellular and humoral immune response by the regulation of cytokine gene expression, NO production and B cell production.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.38-42
• /
• 1999

Background: In neonatal respiratory distress syndrome patients, various types of pulmonary air leak contributes to elevate morbity and mortality. Although early surgical interventions can provide better results in several cases, whole clinical outcomes are poor. This study was designed to investigate the clinical aspects of pulmonary air leak in the neonatal respiratory distress syndrome patients and major contributing factors to mortality. Material and Method : We retrospectively evaluated 48 cases of pulmonary air leak in the neonatal respiratory distress syndrome patients from September 1994 to May 1997. Result: There were 15 cases of primary and 33 cases of secondary pulmonary air leakages. The prominent manifestations were pure interstitial emphysema in 19 cases(39.9%) and combined pneumothorax in 19 cases(39.9%). In clinical aspects, normal birth weight was dominant(83.4%), the onset occurred within 24 hours was in 28 cases(58.8%). The pulmonary diseases were meconium aspiration syndrome(25.2%) and hyaline membrane disease(33.2%). The overall hospital mortality was 25.2%, and the majority were hyaline membrane diseases. Conclusion: Although the overral mortality rate of these diseases were high, more detailed studies about immediate treatement, perinatal prevention, intensive care to geriatric problems were needed individually to improve outcomes.