• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.872-882
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• 2009

Sachil-Tang (SCT) has been traditionally used as a prescription of spasm of the esophagus by stress, pectoralgia and oppressive feeling of the chest in Oriental medicine. This study was carried out to investigate the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of SCT and its inhibitory effect on intracellular oxidation and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using various methods. The SCT extract showed a strong inhibitory effect on free radical generating model systems, including DPPH radical, superoxide anions, hydroxyl radical, peroxynirite and nitric oxide. Besides, the SCT extract exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate induced by $FeCl_2$-ascorbic acid, and protected plasmid DNA against the strand breakage in a Fenton's reaction system. The SCT extract also inhibited copper-mediated oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and repressed relative electrophoretic mobility of LDL. Furthermore, the SCT extract protected intracellular oxidation induced by various free radical generators and inhibited expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in HUVECs. These results suggest that SCT can be an effective natural antioxidant and a possible medicine of atherosclerosis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.148-154
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• 2000

The glycation process plays an important role in accelerated atherosclerosis in diabetes, and the uptake of atherogenic lipoproteins by macrophage in the intima of the vessel wall leads to foam cell formation, an early sign of atherosclerosis. Besides the lipolytic action on the plasma triglyceride component, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) has been reported to enhance the cholesterol uptake by arterial wall cells. In this study, some properties of LPL-mediated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake and the effect of LDL glycation were investigated in RAW 264.7 cell, a murine macrophage cell line. In the presence of LPL, $^{125}I$-LDL binding to RAW 264.7 cells was increased in a dose-dependent manner. At concentrations greater than $20\;{\mu}g/ml$ of LPL, LPL-mediated LDL binding was increased about 17-fold, achieving saturation. Without LPL, both very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were ineffective in blocking the binding of $^{125}I$-LDL to Cells. However, LPL-enhanced LDL binding was inhibited about 50% by the presence of VLDL, while no significant effect was observed with HDL. Heat inactivation of LPL caused a 30% decrease of LDL binding. In the presence of LPL, the cells took up 40% of cell-bound native LDL. No significant difference was observed in cell binding between native and glycated LDL. However, the uptake of glycated LDL was significantly greater than that of native LDL, reaching to 70% of the total cell bound glycated LDL. These results indicate that LPL can cause the significant enhancement of LDL uptake by RAW 264.7 cells and the enhanced uptake of glycated LDL in the presence of LPL might play an important role in the accelerated atherogenesis in diabetic patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2008

Sulfur containing compounds in garlic have all be used as one of the traditional folk medicine as well as food source. The present study was performed to investigate the antioxidative compounds of 1-methyl-1-cysteine, dimethyl trisulfide and 2-vinyl-4H-1,3-dithiin. The antioxidative activity of sulfur containing compounds on human LDL was investigated by monitoring a thiobarbituric acid substances (TBARS). Sulfur containing compounds inhibited on oxidation of LDL mediated by $CuSO_4$ and macrophages in dose dependent manner with almost completely inhibition at $80{\mu}g/ml$. Antioxidant activities of sulfur containing compounds on LDL oxidation were 2-vinyl-4H-1,3-dithiin, 1-methyl-1-cysteine, and dimethyl trisulfide in order. Inhibitory effects of sulfur containing compounds on oxidation of LDL mediated by $CuSO_4$ and macrophages were degraded at much greater rate than native LDL, the LDL oxidation process was arrested as shown by the lower conjugated dienes formation at the concentration of $60{\mu}g/ml$. Sulfur containing compounds in garlic revealed at high antioxidative activity at low physiological concentration for human LDL oxidation in vitro specially, it was indicated that the antioxidative activity of 3-viny l-4H-1,2-dithiin was higher than that of the other sulfur containing compounds.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.413-416
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• 2008

Effects of extracts obtained from the flowers of Elsholtzia splendens on the serum lipid profile and hepatotoxicity in mice were investigated. Female ICR mice were given E. splendens ethanolic extract (ESEs) orally at a dose of 10 or 50 mg/kg BW for 50 days. Significant dose-dependent decreases in triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol of serum were observed. In addition, ESEs prolonged the lag-time of LDL oxidation in vitro. In the serum of ICE mice given ESEs orally at 10 and 50 mg/kg BW, the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) increased significantly, while total protein, albumin, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total bilirubin did not change. Therefore, ESEs may be beneficial to human health, although it has some hepatotoxicity.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.623-628
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• 2000

The antioxidative effect of mugwort extracts was measured by DPPH and LDL with four different solutions (70% acetone, ethanol, hot water, cold water). Mugwort extracts contained 3.2% of polyphenol, 380 RE/l00 g of vitamin A, 16.2 mg/100 g of vitamin C, and 5.1 ${\alpha}$-TE/100 g of vitamin E. DPPH revealed the effect in the order of 70% acetone, hot water, ethanol, and cold water. In particular, 70% acetone showed outstandingly stronger activity than the control group. Also, when 10 ${\mu}\ell$ was added, the effect was well noticed. But the antioxidative activity was hardly seen at 15 ${\mu}\ell$. LDL exhibited the same order of strength in proportion to mugwort＇s concentration. Against the control group, the activity of 70% acetone was 7 times, hot water and ethanol 6 times, and cold water 2 times. This result is attributable to the antioxidative increase of polyphenol and antioxidative vitamins.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.530-539
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• 1994

All lipoproteins are made up of three major classes of lipids : triglycerides, cholesterol, and phospholipids. Lipoproteins vary in their relative content of these lipids as well as in size and protein content. Human low density lipoprotein (LDL) is a main carrier for cholesterol in the blood stream, and it is well established that cholesterol deposits in the arteries stem primarily from LDL and that increased levels of plasma LDL correlated with in increased risk of atherosclerosis. Various lines of research provide strong evidence that lDL may become oxidized in vivo and that oxidized-LDL is the species involved in the formation of early atherosclerotic lesions. the most crucial findings in this context are the following : (1) Oxidized -LDL has chemotactic properties and if present in the intimal space of the arteries would recruit blood monocytes which then can develop into tissue macrophages ; (2) marcrophages take up oxidized-LDL unregulated to from lipid laden foam cells ; (3) Oxdized-LDLis highly cytotoxic and could be responsible for damage of the endothelial layer and for the destruction of smooth muscle cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2001.09a
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• pp.37-37
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2001.02a
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• pp.40-40
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition Conference
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• 2001.12a
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• pp.61-68
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• 2001

Soybean, rice and nuts are the staple foods in South East Asia. In order to clarify the function of these foods in relation to coronary heart diseases, we have done a series of experiments using animals and humans. Soybean protein preparations (SPI) in comparison with an animal protein, casein (CAS), resulted in reducing atherosclerotic lesion development in apolipoprotein (apo) E deficient mice that develop an advanced lesion similar to that in humans. This action was attributed to the protein, since the ethanol-extracted SPI (EE-SPI), from which isoflavones and saponins removed, lowered the lesion development in apo E-deficient mice. However, The EE-SPI, compared to the SPI, resulted in a decrease of mRNA for key proteins of cholesterol metabolism (low density lipoprotein receptor and cholesterol 7$\alpha$-hydroxylase) in hypercholesterolemic rats, followed by an elevation of the serum cholesterol level, indicating a contribution of isoflavones to the serum cholesterol level. Rice protein (RPI) was also effective to lower the lesion development in apo E deficient mice. Both the SPI and RPI led to an increased level of the serum NOiN03, metabolites of NO. This effect appeared to be attributed to their high content of arginine. Besides, C57BL/6J mice fed a diet containing whole grain rice had an elevation of the serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Furthermore, rice bran oil and the unsaponifiable fraction that is rich in plant sterols were effective to lower serum cholesterol levels in hypercholeserolemic rats. Finally, we tested if walnuts consumption would be hypocholesterolemic for Japanese. A diet containing walnuts effectively lowered the serum total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in Japanese men and women. These animal and human experiments would be relevant to advocate publics to keep consuming diets including soybean, rice and nuts for their healthful life.

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