• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.106-111
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• 2021

Hemistepsin A (HsA) is a guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone that inhibits hepatitis and liver fibrosis. We evaluated the effects of HsA on liver X receptor (LXR)-mediated hepatic lipogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Up to 10 μM, HsA did not affect the viability of HepG2 and Huh7 cells. Pretreatment with 5-10 μM HsA significantly decreased the luciferase activity of the LXR response element, which was transactivated by T0901317, GW 3965, and LXRα/retinoid X receptor α overexpression. In addition, it significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of LXRα in HepG2 and Huh7 cells. It also suppressed the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c and lipogenic genes and reduced the triglyceride accumulation triggered by T0901317. Intraperitoneal injection of HsA (5 and 10 mg/kg) in mice significantly alleviated the T0901317-mediated increases in hepatocyte diameter and the percentage of regions in hepatic parenchyma occupied by lipid droplets. Furthermore, HsA significantly attenuated hepatic triglyceride accumulation by restoring the impaired expression of LXRα-dependent lipogenic genes caused by T0901317. Therefore, based on its inhibition of the LXRα-dependent signaling pathway, HsA has prophylactic potential for steatosis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.706-713
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• 2023

Background and objective: The ability to inhibit aggregation has been demonstrated with synthetically derived ginsenoside compounds G-Rp (1, 3, and 4) and ginsenosides naturally found in Panax ginseng 20(S)-Rg3, Rg6, F4, and Ro. Among these compounds, Rk3 (G-Rk3) from Panax ginseng needs to be further explored in order to reveal the mechanisms of action during inhibition. Methodology: Our study focused to investigate the action of G-Rk3 on agonist-stimulated human platelet aggregation, inhibition of platelet signaling molecules such as fibrinogen binding with integrin α_IIbβ₃ using flow cytometry, intracellular calcium mobilization, dense granule secretion, and thromboxane B₂ secretion. In addition, we checked the regulation of phosphorylation on PI3K/MAPK pathway, and thrombin-induced clot retraction was also observed in platelets rich plasma. Key Results: G-Rk3 significantly increased amounts of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and led to significant phosphorylation of cAMP-dependent kinase substrates vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP₃R). In the presence of G-Rk3, dense tubular system Ca²⁺ was inhibited, and platelet activity was lowered by inactivating the integrin αIIb/β₃ and reducing the binding of fibrinogen. Furthermore, the effect of G-Rk3 extended to the inhibition of MAPK and PI3K/Akt phosphorylation resulting in the reduced secretion of intracellular granules and reduced production of TXA₂. Lastly, G-Rk3 inhibited platelet aggregation and thrombus formation via fibrin clot. Conclusions and implications: These results suggest that when dealing with cardiovascular diseases brought upon by faulty aggregation among platelets or through the formation of a thrombus, the G-Rk3 compound can play a role as an effective prophylactic or therapeutic agent.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.315-325
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• 2023

Objectives : Recently, research has been actively conducted on the efficacy of complexes based on oriental medicine prescriptions for improving immune activity and allergies. In this study, In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of Angelica gigas Nakai and Corni fructus extract (AC), medicinal herbs, among candidate drugs derived through preliminary experiments with various components of oriental medicine prescriptions for allergies, on allergies in RBL-2H3 cells. Methods : We evaluated the effect of the ethanol extract of Ulmus on the allergic inflammatory response in anti-DNP-IgE activated DNP-HSA in RBL-2H3 cells. Cell toxicity was determined by WST-1 assay and the markers of degranulation such as beta-hexosaminidase, histamine, TNF-α and IL-6 production of inflammatory mediators and FcεRI-mediated expression. Results : The results showed that treatment with AC extract (20, 40 and 80㎍/㎖) noncytotoxic levels and significantly inhibited the release of β-hexosaminidase, histamine and the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in RBL-2H3 by the antigen stimulation. Conclusions : These results indicate that AC extract exhibits anti-allergic activity through inhibition of degranulation and inhibition of inflammatory mediators and cytokine release. These findings suggest that AC extract may have potential as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent for the treatment of various allergic diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.559-581
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• 2022

Although renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is a benign tumor, treatment may be necessary occasionally because it can cause potentially life-threatening retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Transarterial embolization (TAE) is a safe and effective treatment option to prevent the hemorrhagic rupture of AMLs and relieve the symptoms caused by enlarged lesions or active bleeding. However, there is no clear consensus regarding the indications for prophylactic TAE in patients with sporadic renal AMLs. In urgent TAE for bleeding AMLs, there is a likelihood of incomplete embolization when the focus is on stabilizing the clinical symptoms. This pictorial essay discusses the patient selection and technical considerations to achieve optimal therapeutic effects as well as the follow-up findings after TAE.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.71-87
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• 1998

Even though appropriate immune response is necessary for the survival of the individual, excessive or insufficient immune Response might cause autoimmune or allergic disease. So the immune response must be controlled to the degree that is beneficial for the well being of the individual. This study was undertaken to know the effects of Gunleetang Gagambang on the immune system of the mouse. Gunleetang Gagambang has been used for cure of tumor as a traditional medicine without any experimental evidence to support the rational basis for its clinical use. This study was carried out to evaluate the possible therapeutic or antitumoral effects of Gunleetang Gagambang extract against tumor, and to carry out some mechanisms responsible for its effect. Some kinds of tumor were induced by the typical application of 3-methylcholanthrene(MCA) or by the implantation(s.c) of malignant tumor cells such as leukemia cells(3LL cells) or sarcoma cells(S180 cells). Treatment of the Gunleetang Gagambang on water-extract(dailly 1mg/mouse, i. p.) was continued for 7 days prior to tumor induction and after that the treatment was lasted for 20 days. Against squamous cell carcinoma induced by MCA, Gunleetang Gagambang decreased not only the frequency of tumor production but also the number and the weight of tumors per tumor bearing mice(TBM). Gunleetang Gagambang on also significantly suppressed the development of 3LL cell and S180 cell-implanted tumors in occurrence-frequency and their size. and some developed tumors were regressed by the continuous treatment of Gunleetang Gagambang extract into TBM. In vitro, treatment of Gunleetang Gagambang extract had no effect on the growth of some kinds of cell line such as FsaII, A431 strain but significantly inhibited the proliferation of 3LL, S180 cells and augmented the DNA synthesis of mitogen-activated lymphocytes. Gunleetang Gagambang also stimulated the migrative ability of leukocyte, the MIF and IL-2 production of T lymphocytes, but not IL 6 production of B cells. Gunleetang Gagambang administration to mice enhanced NK cells activities. These results demonstrated that Gunleetang Gagambang extract exhibited a significant prophylactic benefits against tumors and its antitumor activity was manifested depending on the type of tumor cells. And these results also suggested that effect of Gunleetang Gagambang might be chiefly due to nonspecitie enhancement of NK cell activities and cell-mediated immune responses.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2001

Safflower has been cultivated in Korea and thought to have excellent effects on bone in oriental medicine and folk remedy and has been taken for a long time. Safflower is thought to be helpful for the development and sustenance of bones according to the result of recent assay of its components. Otherwise, any reliable experimental data have not been suggested so far. We have carried out this study to examine the prophylactic effects of safflower-seed-powder on the prevention of osteoporosis induced by the ovariectomy 12 Weeks-old Sprague-Dawley rats weighing about 230 g was kept in the experimental condition and used in this study. Animals were taken 0.3 g of safflower-seed-powder once a day for 1, 3, 5, and 7 weeks after ovariectomizing both ovaries and observed the fine structure of tibia. Tissues were fixed with traditional SEM preparation methods and decalcified for 10 hours with 10% nitric acid and dehydration, drying, and gold-coating were followed by the routine procedures and observed with scanning electron microscope (Hitachi, S-450). Loss of bone was started just after ovariectomy and thickness of bone from the medullary cavity to the compact bone was reduced and the extension of medullary cavity was serious in the control group of 7 weeks. Experimental groups taken safflower-seed-powder showed similar findings from 1 week to 7 weeks. These results suggest that the safflower-seed-powder is thought to be efficient for the prevention of osteoporosis owing to the deficiency of female sex hormone.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.224-241
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• 2010

Objectives : The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of Sargassum (Sargassum pallidum (TURN.) C. AG.; SP) on the experimental colitis induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in mice. Methods : ICR mice were divided into 7 groups (NOR, CON, $SS50\times5$, $SP20\times3$, $SP50\times3$, $SP20\times5$, $SP50\times5$). TNBS processing was intrarectally applied to all experimental groups on the 3rd experiment day, except the normal group (NOR). For investigating the prophylactic effect, SP at doses of 20 mg/kg ($SP20\times5$) and 50 mg/kg ($SP50\times5$) were orally administered for 5 days. The SP at doses of 20 mg/kg ($SP20\times3$) and 50 mg/kg ($SP50\times3$) were orally administered for 3 days after the colitis induction in order to check the effect of treatment. As a positive control group, sulfasalazine 50 mg/kg ($SS50\times5$) was administrated. Macroscopic findings of epithelial tissue on mice were measured by colon length and macroscopic score. Histologic findings were also checked by crypt cell, epithelial cell, inflammatory cell and edema of submucosa. We measured the ability of SP to inhibit lipid peroxidation and myeloperoxidase activity. We also measured levels of the inflammatory markers, interleukin (IL)-$1\beta$ and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), its transcription factor activation, phospho-NF-${\kappa}B$ (pp65), in the colon by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot analysis. We measured activation of fecal bacterial enzyme, $\beta$-glucuronidase and degradation activation of fecal glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and hyaluronic acid. Results : Oral administration of SP on mice inhibited TNBS-induced colon shortening and myeloperoxidase activity in the colon of mice as well as IL-$1\beta$ and COX-2 expression. SP also inhibited TNBS-induced lipid peroxidation and pp65 activation in the colon of mice. SP inhibited $\beta$-glucuronidase activation and fecal hyaluronic acid degradation activation as well. Conclusions : SP could be a possible herbal candidate and preventive prebiotic agent for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Further experiments to differentiate effects of SP on IBD, such as other solutions and extracting times, might be promising.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.307-313
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• 1994

We have previously shown that crude water extract of Euonymus alatus (EA) had strong prophylactic effect against chemically induced-and tumor cell implanted-cancer, and that the mechanisms responsible for its antitumor effects were due to nonspecific enhancement of the NK cell activities and the cell mediated immunity. However, it was unknown that any components of crude extract did work so, since it consisted of several components. In this paper, we fractionated the crude watar EA-extract into several fraction such as hexane-, ethylether-, ethyl acetate-, n-butanol- and water soluble-fraction, and screened the immune regulating activities of each fraction by the evaluation of lymphokine production and activated lymphocyte proliferation. As a result of the component fraction of EA-extract, it was found that n-butanol fraction was a potent immunostimulator, and the remained water soluble fraction also contained some stimulator, But, other fraction did not showed any remarkable effect. It is therefore suggested that EA-glycosides in n-butanol fraction may be new one of the potent biological response modifiers. The present study was also undertaken in an efforts to investigate the effects of elm-bark(EB, Ulmus clavidiana var japonica), which has been used for curing ulcer and inflammation as a folk medicine without any kind of experimental evidence to support this, on the cellular- and humoral-immune responses, lymphocyte function and NK cell activities in mice. Regardless of time and duration of EB-treatment, Arthus reaction and antibody response to SRBC were not modified by EB, but delayed hypersensitivity to SRBC was significantly enhanced only when EB was treated prior to SRBC-sensitization. EB slightly inhibited the proliferation responses of splenocytes to PHA-stimulation, but it significantly augmented the responses of these cells to S aureus Cowan 1 and Con A-activation, and these effects were manifested only when EB was added at culture initiation. EB did not influence Ig secretion of spleen cells but it significantly augmented the Con A-induced 1L 2 and MIF production of splenocytes. NK cell activities of splenocytes were markedly riled when effector cells were pretreated with EB and this augmentation was dine to the increase of binding affinity of effector cells to target cells and the target cell lytic activities of effector cells. These results led to the conclusion that EB triggers increase of cellular immune responses, such as delayed hypersensitivitiy, lymphokine production and NK cell activities. Also these results suggested that EB contains potent immune stimulants, which may provide the rational basis for their therapeutic use as one of the new biological response modifiers.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.11-17
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• 2014

Objective : Portulaca oleracea (PO) has been used as an important traditional medicine for inflammatory and bacterial diseases in East Asia. However, the protective effects of PO on acute pancreatitis (AP) is not well-known. Therefore, this study was performed to identify the anti-inflammatory and prophylactic effects of PO on cerulein-induced AP. Methods : AP was induced in mice via intraperitoneal injection of supramaximal concentrations of the stable cholecystokinin analogue cerulein ($50{\mu}g/kg$) given every hour for 6 times. Water extracts of PO (100, 300, or 500 mg/kg) was administrated intra-peritoneally 1 h prior to the first injection of cerulein. The mice were killed at 6 h after the final cerulein injection. Pancreas and lung were rapidly removed for morphologic and histochemical examination, myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay. Blood samples were taken to determine serum amylase and lipase activities. Results : Administration of PO significantly inhibited pancreatic weight/body weight ratio, pancreas and lung histological injury. And MPO activity which indicates neutrophil infiltration was inhibited by PO extracts on cerulein-induced pancreatitis. In addition, PO administration inhibited digestive enzymes such as serum amylase and lipase activity on cerulein-induced pancreatitis. Conclusion : Our results could suggest that pre-treatment of PO reduces the severity of cerulein-induced AP, thereby, PO could be used as a protective agent against AP. Also, this study could give a clinical basis that PO could be a drug or agent to prevent AP.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2009

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is highly prevalent worldwide. The major challenge for current antiviral treatment is the elevated drug resistance that occurs via rapid viral mutagenesis. In this study, we developed AAV vectors to simultaneously deliver two or three shRNAs targeting different HBV-related genes. These vectors showed markedly better antiviral effects than ones that delivered a single shRNA in vitro. A dual shRNA expression vector (AAV-157i/1694i), which simultaneously expressed two shRNAs targeted the S and X genes of HBV, reduced HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA levels by $87{\pm}4$, $80.3{\pm}2.6$ and $86.2{\pm}7%$ respectively, eight days post-transduction. In a mouse model of prophylactic treatment, HBsAg and HBeAg were reduced to undetectable levels and the serum HBV DNA level was reduced by at least 100 fold. These results indicate that AAV-157i/1694i generates potent anti-HBV effects and that the strategy of constructing multi-shRNA expression vectors may lead to enhanced anti-HBV efficacy and overcome the evading mechanism of the virus and thus the development of drug resistance.