• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.154-161
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• 2024

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disorder that causes progressive paralysis. L-Citrulline is a nonessential neutral amino acid produced by L-arginine via nitric oxide synthase (NOS). According to previous studies, the pathogenesis of ALS entails glutamate toxicity, oxidative stress, protein misfolding, and neurofilament disruption. In addition, L-citrulline prevents neuronal cell death in brain ischemia; therefore, we investigated the change in the transport of L-citrulline under various pathological conditions in a cell line model of ALS. We examined the uptake of [¹⁴C]L-citrulline in wild-type (hSOD1wt/WT) and mutant NSC-34/ SOD1^G93A (MT) cell lines. The cell viability was determined via MTT assay. A transport study was performed to determine the uptake of [¹⁴C]L-citrulline. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed to determine the expression levels of rat large neutral amino acid transported 1 (rLAT1) in ALS cell lines. Nitric oxide (NO) assay was performed using Griess reagent. L-Citrulline had a restorative effect on glutamate induced cell death, and increased [¹⁴C]L-citrulline uptake and mRNA levels of the large neutral amino acid transporter (LAT1) in the glutamate-treated ALS disease model (MT). NO levels increased significantly when MT cells were pretreated with glutamate for 24 h and restored by co-treatment with L-citrulline. Co-treatment of MT cells with L-arginine, an NO donor, increased NO levels. NSC-34 cells exposed to high glucose conditions showed a significant increase in [¹⁴C]L-citrulline uptake and LAT1 mRNA expression levels, which were restored to normal levels upon co-treatment with unlabeled L-citrulline. In contrast, exposure of the MT cell line to tumor necrosis factor alpha, lipopolysaccharides, and hypertonic condition decreased the uptake significantly which was restored to the normal level by co-treating with unlabeled L-citrulline. L-Citrulline can restore NO levels and cellular uptake in ALS-affected cells with glutamate cytotoxicity, pro-inflammatory cytokines, or other pathological states, suggesting that L-citrulline supplementation in ALS may play a key role in providing neuroprotection.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.246-253
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• 2014

Codonopsis lanceolata has been used as an herbal medicine for several lung inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis. Previously, we showed the neuroprotective effect of steamed and fermented C. lanceolata (SFC) in vitro and in vivo. In the current study, the treatment of HT22 cells with SFC decreased glutamate-induced cell death, suggesting that SFC protected HT22 cells from glutamate-induced cytotoxicity. Based on these, we sought to elucidate the mechanisms of the neuroprotective effect of SFC by measuring the oxidative stress parameters and the expression of Bax and caspase-3 in HT22 cells. SFC reduced contents of ROS, $Ca^{2+}$ and NO. Moreover, SFC restored contents of glutathione and glutathione reductase as well as inhibited Bax and caspase-3 activity in HT22 cells. These results indicate that steamed and fermented C. lanceolata (SFC) extract protected HT22 cells by anti-oxidative effect and inhibition of the expression of Bax and caspase-3.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• 제50권3호
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• pp.225-235
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• 2018

Phellinus gilvus is a medicinal mushroom used that has been used in folk medicine in Asian countries for centuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-xanthine oxidase, anti-cholinesterase, and anti-inflammatory activities of methanol (ME) and hot water (HW) extracts prepared from fruiting bodies of Ph. gilvus. ME and HW had good anti-xanthine oxidase (XO) activities compared to allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase. ME showed comparable and slightly lower inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), respectively, than galanthamine, a standard AChE and BChE inhibitor. ME also showed a protective effect against glutamate-induced cytotoxicity at 40 mg/mL and 100 mg/mL in PC-12 cells. ME (0.5~2.0 mg/mL) significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Carrageenan-induced hind-paw edema in rats was significantly reduced 2~6 hr after treatment with 50 mg/kg of ME, which was comparable to administration of 5 mg/kg of indomethacin, the positive control. These results demonstrate that ME and HW of Ph. gilvus fruiting bodies possess good anti-xanthine oxidase, anti-cholinesterase, and anti-inflammatory activities.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.41-46
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• 2013

Alzheimer's disease (AD), most common form of dementia is characterized that memory deficit and loss of cognitive function. The Codonopsis lanceolata (C.lanceolata) was treated by high hydrostatic pressure process and fermentation. This study was evaluated cognitive enhancing effect C.lanceolata extract by high hydrostatic pressure process and fermentation and compared with common C.lanceolata extract using Morris water maze and passive avoidance test. And their neuroprotective effect on glutamate induced oxidative stress in HT22 cell was investigated by MTT assay. High hydrostatic pressure process and fermented C.lanceolata extract (HFCE) and common C.lanceolata extract (CCE) (100 and 300 mg/kg) were administered to mice. Results showed HFCE enhanced cognitive function than CCE as shown by decrease in escape latency time. HFCE increased the latency time of the passive avoidance test compared to CCE. Furthermore, HFCE showed significant neuroprotective effect against glutamate cytotoxicity in HT22 cells. These results indicate that high hydrostatic pressure process and fermented more improve spatial cognitive ability of C. laanceolata.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.25-28
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• 2010

The high-throughput identification and accurate quantification of proteins are essential strategies for exploring cellular functions and processes in quantitative proteomics. Stable isotope tagging is a key technique in quantitative proteomic research, accompanied by automated tandem mass spectrometry. For the differential proteome analysis of mouse neuronal cell lines, we used a multiplexed isobaric tagging method, in which a four-plex set of amine-reactive isobaric tags are available for peptide derivatization. Using the four-plex set of isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) reagents, we analyzed the differential proteome in several stroke time pathways (0, 4, and 8 h) after the mouse neuronal cells have been stressed using a glutamate oxidant. In order to obtain a list of the differentially expressed proteins, we selected those proteins which had apparently changed significantly during the stress test. With 95% of the peptides showing only a small variation in quantity before and after the test, we obtained a list of eight up-regulated and four down-regulated proteins for the stroke time pathways. To validate the iTRAQ approach, we studied the use of oxidant stresses for mouse neuronal cell samples that have shown differential proteome in several stroke time pathways (0, 4, and 8 h). Results suggest that histone H1 might be the key protein in the oxidative injury caused by glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in HT22 cells.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• 제58권5호
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• pp.287-293
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• 2014

Alzheimer's disease (AD), most common form of dementia is characterized that memory deficit and loss of cognitive function. This study was evaluated cognitive enhancing effect of water and ethanol extracts of Codonopsis lanceolata and compared using Morris water maze and passive avoidance test. The water and 70% ethanol extracts (100, 300 and 500 mg/kg) were administered to mice. The neuroprotective effect on glutamate-induced cell death in HT22 cells was additionally investigated using MTT assay. Results showed 70% ethanol extract of Codonopsis lanceolata enhanced cognitive function than water extract, as shown by decrease in escape latency time in Morris water maze test. In passive avoidance test, 70% ethanol extract also increased the latency time compared to the water extract. Furthermore, 70% ethanol extract significantly protected neuronal cell against glutamate cytotoxicity and showed higher than neuroprotective effect of water extract. These results indicate that 70% ethanol extract more improve spatial cognitive ability and protected neuronal cells than water extract.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.183-189
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• 2019

Curcumin ($C_{21}H_{20}O_6$) is a hydrophobic polyphenol found in turmeric. Although curcumin has been used as a natural medicine, its major limitation is related to poor absorption from the gut. Therefore, we developed a method for preparation of Curcumin Nanospheres (CN) to improve the aqueous-phase solubility of curcumin and investigate the functional role of CN in promoting feed efficiency and odor reduction in mice. CN showed inhibitory effects on actate dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity induced by ecotoxic substance toluene in gut epithelial HCT116 cells. In addition, the weights of internal organs (liver, heart, kidneys, and spleen) and the levels of serum Glutamate Oxaloacetate Transaminase (GOT), Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase (GPT), and LDH did not show significant differences between mice administered oral CN for two weeks and compared to the control group. Interestingly, CN not only reduced hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$) and ammonia ($NH_3$) levels and fecal odor, but also improved feed efficiency in mice. These results demonstrate that oral nano-delivery of anti-ecotoxicological CN is a functional system to deliver curcumin to the gut to improve feed efficiency and reduce fecal odor in mice.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.405-410
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• 2013

Codonopsis lanceolata (Campanulaceae) traditionally have been used as a tonic and to treat patients with lung abscesses. Recently, it was proposed that the extract and some compounds isolated from C. lanceolata reversed scopolamine-induced memory and learning deficits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the improvement of cognitive enhancing effect of C. lanceolata by steam and fermentation process in scopolamine-induced memory impairment mice models by passive avoidance test and Morris water maze test. The extract of C. lanceolata or the extract of steamed and fermented C. lanceolata (SFCE) was orally administered to male mice at the doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg body weight. As a result, mice treated with steamed and fermented C. lanceolata extract (SFCE) (300 mg/kg body weight, p.o.) showed shorter escape latencies than those with C. lanceolata extract or the scopolamine-administered group in Morris water maze test. Also, it exerted longer step-through latency time than scopolamine treated group in passive avoidance test. Furthermore, neuroprotective effect of SFCE on glutamate-induced cytotoxicity was assessed in HT22 cells. Only SFCE-treated cells showed significant protection at 500 ${\mu}g/ml$. Interestingly, steamed C. lanceolata with fermentation contained more phenolic acid including gallic acid and vanillic acid than original C. lanceolata. Collectively, these results suggest that steam and fermentation process of C. lanceolata increased cognitive enhancing activity related to the memory processes and neuroprotective effect than original C. lanceolata.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.108-118
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• 2021

Background: Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) contains a variety of ginsenosides that can be metabolized to a biologically active substance, compound K. Previous research showed that compound K could be enriched in the red ginseng extract (RGE) after hydrolysis by pectinase. The current study investigated whether the enzymatically hydrolyzed red ginseng extract (HRGE) containing a notable level of compound K has cognitive improving and neuroprotective effects. Methods: A scopolamine-induced hypomnesic mouse model was subjected to behavioral tasks, such as the Y-maze, passive avoidance, and the Morris water maze tests. After sacrificing the mice, the brains were collected, histologically examined (hematoxylin and eosin staining), and the expressions of antioxidant proteins analyzed by western blot. Results: Behavioral assessment indicated that the oral administration of HRGE at a dosage of 300 mg/kg body weight reversed scopolamine-induced learning and memory deficits. Histological examination demonstrated that the hippocampal damage observed in scopolamine-treated mouse brains was reduced by HRGE administration. In addition, HRGE administration increased the expression of nuclear-factor-E2-related factor 2 and its downstream antioxidant enzymes NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase and heme oxygenase-1 in hippocampal tissue homogenates. An in vitro assay using HT22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cells demonstrated that HRGE treatment attenuated glutamate-induced cytotoxicity by decreasing the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. Conclusion: These findings suggest that HRGE administration can effectively alleviate hippocampus-mediated cognitive impairment, possibly through cytoprotective mechanisms, preventing oxidative-stress-induced neuronal cell death via the upregulation of phase 2 antioxidant molecules.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.277-286
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• 2006

In the present study, I investigated the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), arachidonic acid (AA), and Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor (NOS-I), alone or in combination, on the viability of cultured primary normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOK). Specifically, we examined whether AA and NOS-I could protect primary NHOK from glutamate cytotoxicity. The purpose of this study was therefore the preliminary study for the examination of the interaction between these agents and NHOK in order to elucidate the mechanisms by which epithelial growth and regeneration are regulated. NHOK were obtained from gingival tissue of 20 individuals aged 20 to 29, and third passage (P3) cells were used for this study. Cell viability was measured by the MTT assay. NMDA and NNA, a calcium dependent NOS inhibitor, induced an initial increase in cell number, which subsequently decreased by the $7^{th}$ day. Low concentration of AA ($0.5\;{\mu}M$ & $1\;{\mu}M$) induced an increase in cell number while high concentrations of AA ($5\;{\mu}M$ & $10\;{\mu}M$) induced a decrease in cell number. The decrease in cell number induced by NMDA at the $7^{th}$ day was abolished by the addition of low concentrations of AA ($0.5\;{\mu}M$ & $1\;{\mu}M$) or NOS inhibitors. Low concentrations of AA ($0.5\;{\mu}M$ & $1\;{\mu}M$) or NOS inhibitors may protect the NHOK from NMDA induced cytotoxicity. These reactions might be related to the NMDA receptor in the cell and the change of the intracellular calcium ion concentration.