• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1073-1078
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• 2013

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of active ingredients in cosmetics are very important. The effects are closely related to the prevention of skin aging. Among medicinal plants, Bletilla striata Reichenbach fil. has well-known pharmacological activity. Extracted samples were prepared using sequential fractionation of ethyl acetate, butanol, and water. The antioxidant effect of the fractions was confirmed by DPPH and ABTS+ radical scavenging. Among the various fractions of B. striata Reichenbach fil., ethyl acetate was associated with a reduction in nitric oxide production, which was induced by LPS (lipopolysaccharide) treatment in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the production of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) and COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2), which are upstream regulators of nitric oxide production, was also inhibited. Thus, the ethyl acetate fraction of B. striata Reichenbach fil. appears to be a potential active ingredient for use in cosmetics.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.291-294
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• 2004

Activity-guided fractionation of the n-hexane and ${CHCl_3}-soluble$ fractions of Sindora sumatrana using a bioassay based on the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells led to the isolation of the known compound, $(+)-7{\beta}-acetoxy-15,16-epoxy-3$, 13(16), 14-clero-datriene-18-oic acid (2) as an active constituent. In addition, a new trans-clerodane diterpenoid, (+)-2-oxokolavenic acid (1), together with six known compounds, (+)-3, 13-clerodadiene-16,15-olide-18-oic acid (3), $(+)-7{\beta}-acetoxy-3$,13-clerodadiene-16,15-olide-18-oic acid (4), $(+)-7{\beta}-acetoxy-16-hydroxy-3$,13-clerodadiene-16, 15-olide-18-oic acid (5), ${\beta}-caryophyllene$ oxide (6), $clovane-2{\beta},9{\beta}-diol (7),{\;}and{\;}caryolane-1,9{\beta}-diol$ (8) were isolated and found to be inactive. The structure of compound 1 was determined using physical and spectroscopic methods such as 1D and 2D-NMR experiments. The known compounds 2-8 were identified by the spectroscopic data and by comparison with the published values. Of eight isolates (1-8), only compound 2 exhibited an iNOS inhibitory activity with $IC_{50}$/ value of $51.6{\;}\mu\textrm{m}M$.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2001

Background and Objectives: Nitric oxide (NO) is generated in mammalian tissue by the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline. This reaction is catalyzed by nitric oxide synthase (NOS). NO is an important bioactive agent and a signalling molecule that mediates a variety of biologic actions such as vasodilation, neurotransmission, host defense, and iron metabolism but increased NO production may also contribute to the pathogenesis of a various of disorders, including cancer. Before now, the role of NO in thyroid gland is still investigated and it was supposed that NO mediate the angiogenesis in tumor growth. Others journal and works identified the expression of iNOS that involve by neutrophil and eNOS that involve in part in the vascular remodeling and to understand the role of NO in human thyroid gland. But authors revealed only eNOS in thyroid neoplasm. iNOS was identifed by inflammation in fault. Materials and Methods: Western blot analysis was performed, using a polyclonal antibody against eNOS (Rabbit polyclonal IgG). Using the same antibody, the distribution of eNOS was examined in 15 formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples by immunohistochemistry. By NADPH consumption rate, NOS activity was estimated at nodular hyperplasia. Results: Western blot analysis exhibited that eNOS was significantly elevated in thyroid papillary carcinoma, compared to that in nodular hyperplasia and normal tissue. Immunohistochemistry showed that the immunoreacitivity was present more significantly in thyroid follicular epithelial cell layer than vascular endothelial cell. NOS activity increased in nodular hyperplasia. Conclusions: Thyroid papillary cancer without neutrophil invasion expressed only eNOS. The endothelial localization of eNOS may play an important role in pathogenensis of human thyroid nodular hyperplasia and the follicular localization of thyroid papillary carcinomas.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.420-433
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• 1996

Background : There have been many debates about the effects of nitric oxide on the neurogenic inflammation. The role of nitric oxide in the neurogenic inflammation of airways will be required a better understanding of the localization and types of nitirc oxide synthase(NOS) activity in the neurogenic inflammation of airways. Method : To investigate the role of nitric oxide in airway neurogenic inflammation, 1) the effects of neurokinin receptor antagonist (FK224) and nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, $N^{\omega}$-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) on plasma extravastion were evaluated in four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats ; sham operation group(sham NANC group), electrical vagal stimulation group(NANC2 group), intravenous pretreatment groups with FK224 (1mg/kg ; FK224 group), and L-NNA(1mg/kg ; L-NNA group) 15 minutes before vagal NANC stimulation. 2) NOS activity in trachea with neurogenic inflammation was localized by immunohistochemical stain. Immunohistochemical stain was performed by antibodies specific for inflammatory cells(iNOS), brain(bNOS), and endothelium (eNOS) on trachea obtained from sham NANC, NANC2, and FK224 groups. Results : The results are that plasma extravsation in neurogenic inflammation of rat airways was inhibited by FK224, but enhanced by L-NNA pretreatment(P<0.05). There was significantly increased infiltration of inflammatory cells in subepithelium of neurogenic inflammatory trachea, but the reduction of subepithelial infiltration of inflammatory cells was observed after pretreatment with FK224(P<0.05). Immunostaining with anti-iNOS antibody showed strong reactivity only in infiltrated inflammatory cells in neurogenic rat trachea, and these iNOS reactivity was reduced by pretreatment with FK224. bNOS immunoreactivity was significantly increased only in the nerves both of neurogenic inflammatory and FK224 pretreated trachea compared with sham NANC trachea(p<0.05). eNOS immunoreactivity was not significant change in endothelium in neurogenic inflammation of rat trachea. Conclusion : These results suggest that nitric oxide released from iNOS in infiltrated inflammatory cells has main role in neurogenic inflammation of rat trachea. The presence of bNOS immunoreactivity in the nerves indicates that nitric oxide may be released from the nerves in rat trachea with neurogenic inflammation.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.29
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• pp.10.1-10.6
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• 2014

Objectives Cigarette smoking had been recorded as the main cause of impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation in smokers by reducing nitric oxide (NO), a production of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). However, the mechanism of NO impairment via eNOS activity is unclear until now. In this study, cell passage is suggested to be a relevant factor to eNOS expression under cigarette smoking stress. Methods Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) were chosen as the research subject with passages ranking from 6 to 9 (6P to 9P). After exposure of cigarette smoking extract (CSE) solution, MTT assay and Western blot method were performed to check the cell viability as well as eNOS protein concentration. In these experiments, four concentrations of CSE at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4% were selected for treatment. Results Our results showed that cells almost died at 4% of CSE. Besides, eNOS protein mass had a linear decrease under the increase of CSE concentration. In addition, the effect of CSE on eNOS expression was dissimilar between different passages. Conclusions This study indicated that CSE had effect on both cell viability and eNOS expression. Besides, a reduction in protein mass was matched with the decrease of cell viability due to CSE tress. Last but not least, the response of eNOS protein to different concentration of CSE at different passages was disparate, making the hypothesis about cell passage related inhibition of eNOS caused by CSE solution.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1405-1410
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• 2005

Asthma is recognized today as an inflammatory disease of the lung characterized by acute non-specific airway hypersensitiveness in association with chronic pulmonary inflammation. Gamijihwang-tang(GJT), a fortified prescription of YMJHT, is applied for the treatments of chronic coughing and asthma, and post-delivery coughing and asthma in the gynecology. Also in the clinical practice, GJT is known to be very effective for controlling coughing and asthma as a cold sequoia. In this study, we investigated the effects of GJT on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) production, and on the level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. We found that GJT inhibited LPS-induced NO and $PGE_2$ production in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, GJT inhibited the expression of LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 protein and mRNA expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Treatment with GJT of RAW 264.7 cells transfected with a reporter construct indicated a reduced level of LPS-induced nuclear factor-KB (NF-kB) activity and effectively lowered NF-kB binding as measured by transient transfection assay. These results suggest that the main inhibitory mechanism of the GJT may be the reduction of iNOS and COX-2 gene expression through blocking of NF-kB activation.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2008

Cell death of trophoblast, particularly by abnormal release of physiological nitric oxide (NO) has been known to be a causative factor of pre-eclampsia. In the present study, effects of intracellular calcium increase enhancing the activity of NO synthases (neuronal NO synthase, nNOS in this trophoblast cells) on the cell death were examined in a human placental full-term cell line (HT-1). Furthermore, we analyzed the possible mechanisms underlying the augmentation of $Ca^{++}$-mediated NOS activity mediated by protein kinases like PKC, PKA, or CaM-KII. In experiments for cell toxicity, a calcium ionophore (ionomycin $10{\mu}M$) enhanced cell death confirmed by MTT assay, and increased significantly nNOS activity determined with a hemoglobin oxidation assay. This cell death was partially protected by pre-treatment of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI, $10{\mu}M$ and $100{\mu}M$), a nNOS-specific inhibitor. Additionally, $Ca^{++}$-ionophore -induced increase of nNOS activity also was partially normalized by pre-treatment of specific inhibitors of protein kinases, PKC, PKA or CaM-KII. Therefore, we suggest that an increase of calcium influx, leading to the activation of nNOS activity, which in turn may result in the death of trophoblast cells by involvement of signaling mechanisms of protein kinases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2008

We here demonstrate an anti-inflammatory action of raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Treatment with raloxifene at micromolar concentrations suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) by down-regulating expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene in LPS-activated cells. The decreased expression of iNOS and subsequent reduction of NO were due to inhibition of nuclear translocation of transcription factor NF-${\kappa}B$. These effects were significantly inhibited by exposure to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) inhibitor, LY294002, or by expression of a dominant negative mutant of PI 3-kinase. In addition, pretreatment with raloxifene reduced LPS-induced Akt phosphorylation as well as NF-${\kappa}B$ DNA binding activity and NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent reporter gene activity. Thus our findings indicate that raloxifene exerts its anti-inflammatory action in LPS-stimulated macrophages by blocking the PI 3-kinase-Akt-NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling cascade, and eventually reduces expression of pro-inflammatory genes such as iNOS.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.106-113
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• 2008

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protective effects of $\beta$-glucan from barley on RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were examined. The RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were preincubated with various concentrations ($0-200\;{\mu}g/mL$) of $\beta$-glucan and stimulated with LPS to induce oxidative stress and inflammation. The $\beta$-glucan treatments were found to reduce thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) accumulation, and enhance glutathione levels and the activities of antioxidative enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) in the LPS-stimulated macrophages as compared to the LPS-only treated cells. Nitric oxide (NO) production was significantly suppressed in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05) with an $IC_{50}$ of $104\;{\mu}g/mL$. Further treatment with $\beta$-glucan at $200\;{\mu}g/mL$ suppressed NO production to 2% of the LPS-control, and suppressed the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein and mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. The specific DNA binding activity of nuclear factor ${\kappa}B\;(NF{\kappa}B)$ was significantly suppressed by $\beta$-glucan treatment with an $IC_{50}$ of $220\;{\mu}g/mL$ in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, barley $\beta$-glucan ameliorates NO production and iNOS expression through the down-regulation of $NF{\kappa}B$ activity, which may be mediated by attenuated oxidative stress in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.263-269
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• 2009

4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde, a phenolic compound found in a variety of natural sources, was previously shown to contain anti-inflammatory and related anti-angiogenic and anti-nociceptive activities. The present work was designed to assess some pharmacological activities of 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (DHD), an analogue of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. DHD exhibited a significant inhibition in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) angiogenesis, and its $IC_{50}$ value was $2.4\;{\mu}g/egg$. DHD also contained in vivo anti-inflammatory activity using acetic acid-induced permeability and carrageenan-induced air pouch models in mice. In the air pouch model, DHD showed significant suppression in exudate volume, number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and nitrite content. DHD showed an anti-nociceptive activity in the acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice. It also suppressed enhanced production of nitric oxide (NO) and elevated expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. It was able to slightly decrease the level of reactive oxygen species in the stimulated macrophages. DHD at the used concentrations couldn't modulate the viabilities of RAW264.7 cells. Taken together, like 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, DHD contains anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities.