• BMB Reports
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• 제47권6호
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• pp.311-317
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• 2014

microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, non-coding RNAs that play critical posttranscriptional regulatory roles typically through targeting of the 3'-untranslated region of messenger RNA (mRNA). Mature miRNAs are known to be involved in global cellular processes, such as differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and organogenesis, due to their capacity to target multiple mRNAs. Thus, imbalances in the expression and/or activity of miRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH is a progressive disease characterized by vascular remodeling due to excessive proliferation of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) and pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Recently, studies have evaluated the roles of miRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of PAH in these pulmonary vascular cells. This review provides an overview of recent discoveries on the role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of PAH and discusses the potential for miRNAs as therapeutic targets and biomarkers of PAH.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.58-66
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• 2009

Allergic conjunctivitis is the most common allergic disease. These diseases are severe & frequent which requires search of new treatments. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of Tinospora cordifolia (TC), Rubia cordifolia Linn. (RC) on experimentally induced allergic conjunctivitis in rats. In this study, dried water soluble extracts of TC and RC. (250 and 500 mg/kg, p.o. for 7 days) were evaluated for their antiallergic activity in Wistar rats. They were tested for inhibition of egg albumin-induced vascular permeability, inhibition of histamine release from the rat conjunctiva as well as in histamine content in tears. TC and RC showed significant (P < 0.05) inhibition in vascular permeability, inhibition in histamine release from the rat conjunctiva which is reflected by reduced level of histamine content in tears. The activities were found to be comparable to azelastine hydrochloride. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect on egg albumin-induced experimental allergic conjunctivitis in rat may be due to the antihistaminic activity of TC and RC. Our studies provide evidence that TC and RC may be beneficial in the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis.

• BMB Reports
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.73-78
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• 2018

Vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor (VEGF-VEGFR) system play a critical role in the regulation of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in vertebrates. Each of the VEGF has specific receptors, which it activates by binding to the extracellular domain of the receptors, and, thus, regulates the angiogenic balance in the early embryonic and adult stages. However, de-regulation of the VEGF-VEGFR implicates directly in various diseases, particularly cancer. Moreover, tumor growth needs a dedicated blood supply to provide oxygen and other essential nutrients. Tumor metastasis requires blood vessels to carry tumors to distant sites, where they can implant and begin the growth of secondary tumors. Thus, investigation of signaling systems related to the human disease, such as VEGF-VEGFR, will facilitate the development of treatments for such illnesses.

• 대한예방한의학회지
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.51-67
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• 2011

The average human life span has increased due to the development of modern medicine and science, resulting in prolonged life expectancy and increase in the population counts of the geriatric age group. In particular, a dramatic increase of elderly patients suffering from senile disorders including neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease(AD), and vascular dementia has become a serious social problem in public health. Thus, this study is aimed to summarize available clinical trial data on several commonly used medicines include donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, memantine and oriental medicine, and examine the effect of oriental medicine combined with western medicine in the treatment of patients with senile disorders using the data from literature reviews and survey studies.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.67-72
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• 2006

The abnormal proliferation of aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty and possibly also in the development of hypertension. The present study was designed to examine the inhibitory effects and the mechanism of luteolin 7-glucoside (L7G) on the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced proliferation of VSMCs. L7G significantly inhibited the PDGF-BB-induced proliferation and the DNA synthesis of the VSMCs in a concentration-dependent manner. Pre-incubation of the VSMCs with L7G significantly inhibited the PDGF-BB-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), Akt and the phospholipase C $(PLC)-{\gamma}1$ activation. However, L7G had almost no affect on the phosphorylation of $PDGF-{\beta}$ receptor tyrosine kinase, which was induced by PDGF-BB. These results suggest that L7G inhibits the PDGF-BB-induced proliferation of VSMCs via the blocking of $(PLC)-{\gamma}1$, Akt, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.89-98
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• 2008

There are increasing evidences in the literatures on the potential role of ginsenosides in treating cardiovascular diseases. In this article, current information about ginsenosides-mediated vascular relaxation are reviewed. From the published studies using isolated organs, cell culture systems and animal models, ginsenosides are shown to relax blood vessels and improve blood flow through diverse mechanisms, including nitric oxide release by activating eNOS phosphorylation via PI3K/Akt and/or ERK1/2 pathways in endothelial cells, induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase through activation of NF-${\kappa}$B, reducing the intracelluar Ca$^{2+}$ levels by activating Ca$^{2+}$-activated K$^{+}$ channels in vascular smooth muscle cells and reducing platelet aggregation by decreasing thromboxane A$_2$ formation and intracelluar Ca$^{2+}$in platelets. In addition, the relevant clinical trials regarding the effects of ginsenosides on the cardiovascular disease are summarized, particulary focusing on managing hypertension and improving thrombotic disorders. Finally, antagonistic effects of ginsenosides on the prostaglandin H$_2$ receptor and scavenging effects on the generation of oxygen-derived free radicals in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are discussed.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.19-22
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• 2018

Castleman's disease is a benign lympho-proliferative disorder that commonly occurs in mediastinum. It is known that the disease rarely occurs in mesentery. Most localized abdominal Castleman's diseases are histologically hyaline vascular type. The contrast-enhanced CT in patient with hyaline vascular type Castleman's disease shows a well-defined mass with homogenously intense enhancement. On the other hand, the patient with plasma cell variant has systemic symptoms, but not specific imaging features. We report a unicentric plasma cell variant Castleman's disease in mesentery nearby superior mesenteric artery as presenting a single mass, not accompanied by systemic symptoms with similar characteristics to hyaline vascular type.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.506-514
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• 2023

Dementia has become one of the most important diseases threatening human health. Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) have the highest incidence rates among the types of dementia, but until now, therapeutic methods have been limited. Panax ginseng has been used in China for thousands of years to treat dementia, and modern medical studies have found that it contains multiple active components, such as ginsenosides, polysaccharides, amino acids, volatile oils and polyacetylenes, many of which have therapeutic effects in treating AD and VaD. Studies have found that ginsenosides have multitarget therapeutic effects in treating dementia, such as regulation of synaptic plasticity and the cholinergic system, inhibition of Aβ aggravation and tau hyperphosphorylation, anti-neuroinflammation, anti-oxidation effects and anti-apoptosis effects. Other active components of Panax ginseng, such as gintonin, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides and ginseng proteins, also have therapeutic effects on AD and VaD. The effectiveness of ginseng-containing Chinese medicine compounds has also been confirmed by clinical and basic investigations in treating AD and VaD. In this review, we summarized the potential therapeutic effects and related mechanisms of Panax ginseng in treating AD and VaD to provide some examples for further studies.

• Molecular Medicine Reports
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.3767-3774
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• 2019

The contractility of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) controls the lumen diameter of vessels, thus serving a role in regulating blood pressure and organ blood flow. Although arginases are known to have numerous effects in the biological activities of VSMCs, the effects of arginase II on the constriction of VSMCs has not yet been investigated. When conducting a natural products screen for an inhibitor against arginase, the present study identified that a relatively high concentration of resveratrol (RSV) exhibited arginase inhibitory activity. Therefore, the present study investigated whether RSV could regulate VSMCs contractions and the underlying mechanism. Arginase inhibition by RSV led to an increase in the concentration of the substrate L-Arg and an accompanying increase in the cytosol Ca2+ concentration [(Ca2+)c] in VSMCs. The increased [Ca2+]c induced by RSV and L-Arg treatments resulted in CaMKII-dependent MLC20 phosphorylation. The effects of RSV on VSMCs were maintained even when VSMCs were pre-treated with sirtinol, an inhibitor of Sirt proteins. In a vascular tension assay with de-endothelialized aortic vessels, vasoconstrictor responses, which were measured using phenylephrine (PE), were significantly enhanced in the RSV- and L-Arg-treated vessels. Therefore, although arginase inhibition has exhibited beneficial effects in various diseases, care is required when considering administration of an arginase inhibitor to patients with vessels endothelial dysfunction as RSV can induce vessel contraction.

• BMB Reports
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.65-72
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• 2018

The endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a newly recognized, fundamental biological process involved in development and tissue regeneration, as well as pathological processes such as the complications of diabetes, fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The EndMT process is tightly controlled by diverse signaling networks, similar to the epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of this network, with the capacity to target multiple messenger RNAs involved in the EndMT process as well as in the regulation of disease progression. Thus, it is highly important to understand the molecular basis of miRNA control of EndMT. This review highlights the current fund of knowledge regarding the known links between miRNAs and the EndMT process, with a focus on the mechanism that regulates associated signaling pathways and discusses the potential for the EndMT as a therapeutic target to treat many diseases.