• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1988.08a
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• pp.77-80
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• 1988

The effects of ginseng saponins and some phenolic acids on the in vitro biosynthesis of prostaglandins was examined in order to identify the role of some ginseng components on the regulaion of arachidonic acid metabolism. The productions of prostaglandin $E_2(PGE_2).$ prostaglandin $F_2{\alpha}(PGF_2{\alpha}).$ thromboxane $B_2(TxB_2)$ and 6-keto-prostaglandin $F_1{\alpha}(6-keto-PGF_1{\alpha})$ from $[^3H]-arachidonic$ acid were evaluated with rabbit kidney microsome. human platelet homogenate and bovine aortic microsome. The amounts of the total cyclooxy-genase products from arachidonic acid did't show significant changes in the presence of ginseng saponins. Panaxadiol. panaxatriol and all of the ginsenosides used in these experiments reduced the formation of $TxB_2.$ while increased the $6-keto-PGF_1{\alpha}$ production dose dependently. Ginseng saponins did't inhibit the ADP($10{\mu}M$) induced platelet aggregation. but sodium arachidonate (0.5 mM) induced platelet aggregation. but sodium arachidonate (0.5 mM) induced platelet aggregation was signiticantly inhibited. These findings suggest that ginseng saponins seem to playa role in the regulation of the arachidonate metabolism. probably by affecting the divergent biosynthetic pathway of prostaglandins from endoperoxide.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1988.08a
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• pp.47-54
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• 1988

Cholesterol a component of all eucaryotic plasma membranes. is essential for the growth and viability of cells in higher organisms. However. too much cholesterol can be lethal because of atherosclerosis resulting from the deposition of cholesterol ester plaques. It was attempted in this study to understand the preventive effect of ginseng saponin. one of the major components of the roots of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. against hypercholesterolemia induced by high cholesterol diet. $^{125}I-LDL$ was injected intravenously to rabbits and rats. which were fed a high cholesterol diet with and/or without ginseng saponin for 12 days. The disappearance of the radioactivity occurred faster in the test group than the control. The effect of saponin fraction from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer and the purified ginsenosilks. $Rb_1,\;Rb_2,\;Re\;and\;Rg_1,$ on LDL receptor biosynthesis in high cholesterol fed rat has been investigated. Analysis of LDL receptors from various organs such as liver. kidney. adrenal cortex and testis showed that the population of LDL receptors of test group significantly higher than that of the control. It was also found that liver homogenate containing ginsenosides $(10^{-3}-10^{-4}\%)$ stimulated the biosynthesis of bile acid form cholesterol. From the above results. it seemed that ginsenosides lower the cholesterol level by stimulating cholesterol metabolism. which result in the suppression of the inhibitory action of cholesterol on LDL receptor biosynthesis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1576-1581
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• 2007

Dopamine reward pathway projecting from ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens is well known as playing an important role in alcohol dependence. It is supposed that this dopamine pathway is modulated by $5-HT_3$ nervous system, and it was reported that ondansetron (OND), $5-HT_3$ receptor antagonist, reduced drinking amount and increased abstinence rate in alcohol-dependent patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of combination of OND and naltrexone (NTX), non-specific opioid receptor antagonist, on alcohol intake in C57BL/6 mice. In 40 C57BL/6 mice in the state of alcohol dependence, vehicle, while OND 0.01 mg/kg, or NTX 1.0 mg/kg administrated respectively, or OND 0.01 mg/kg and NTX 1.0 mg/kg administrated simultaneously for ten days, medication effects on 2-hr alcohol, 22-hr water, 24-hr food intake and body weight were studied. When vehicle group was compared with 3 medication groups respectively, using a repeated measure ANOVA, NTX alone and vehicle groups showed a significant medication by time interaction (p=0.042) in 2-hr alcohol intake, but in the other 2 groups, OND and NTX combination group and OND alone group, there was no significant interaction with vehicle group in 2-hr alcohol intake. From these results, it is suggested that there is no effect on alcohol intake in mice treating with OND, and naltrexone#s suppression effect on alcohol intake in mice is attenuated when treating with OND and NTX simultaneously. It is supposed that a further study looking at the interactions of serotonin, dopamine and opioid nerves systems will be needed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.1533-1543
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• 2016

The anti-stress effects of Punica granatum L. (family Lythraceae, PG) on $H_2O_2$/corticosterone (CORT)-induced stress in cells and sleep-deprived rats were investigated. The PG extract showed neuroprotective effects in SH-SY5Y cells against $H_2O_2$/CORT-induced stress. Sleep deprivation led to behavioral, hormonal, and biochemical alterations in the animal model. The effects of P. granatum on physiological, behavioral, and biochemical parameters aggravated by sleep deprivation were investigated. Sleep deprivation impaired physiological (survival, body weight, and drowsiness scores) and behavioral (rotarod, passive avoidance, hot hyperalgesia, and Y maze) parameters as well as biochemical factors (cortisol, serotonin, dopamine, testosterone, and growth factor I contents in serum). These parameters were significantly recovered by PG extract in a concentration-dependent manner. The PG extract also enhanced catalase, superoxide dismutase, and non-enzymatic antioxidative activities such as glutathione compared to sleep-deprived rats. On the basis of these results, our findings suggest that Punica granatum prevents impairment of body functions induced by sleep deprivation and related oxidative damage.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.107-116
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to investigate the antioxidant and intracellular anti-inflammatory efficacy of blueberry leaf extracted with hot water (BLW), 70% ethanol (BLE), and 70% acetone (BLA) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. In order to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of blueberry leaf extracts, RAW 264.7 macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce the production of inflammation-related factors, which were measure by Western blotting and real-time PCR methods. i-NOS, COX-2 protein, and mRNA expression showed concentration-dependent decrease. The decreases in the mRNA expression levels of interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) were concentration-dependent. Further, the antioxidant effects of blueberry leaf on total polyphenol contents, electron donating ability and $ABTS^+$ radical scavenging activity were evaluated. The total polyphenol contents of BLW, BLE, and BLA were $217.04{\pm}2.98$, $156.72{\pm}3.90$, and $182.88{\pm}3.02mg\;TAE/g$, respectively, while the electron donating abilities at $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ of BLW, BLE, and BLA were 81.7, 79.6, and 79.3%, respectively. The $ABTS^+$ radical scavenging activity was fond to be concentration dependent. The nitric oxide (NO) production inhibition activities at $50{\mu}g/mL$ of BLW, BLE, and BLA were 35.1, 42.4 and 42.7%, respectively. In conclusion, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory test results indicate that blueberry leaf extracts (BLW, BLE, and BLA) can be used as potential anti-inflammatory agents.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2009

Purpose: We investigated quantification of dopaminergic transporter (DAT) and serotonergic transporter (SERT) on $^{123}I$-FP-CIT SPECT for differentiating between multiple systemic atrophy (MSA) and idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). Materials and Methods: N-fluoropropyl-$2{\beta}$-carbomethoxy-$3{\beta}$-4-[$^{123}I$]-iodophenylnortropane SPECT ($^{123}I$-FP-CIT SPECT) was performed in 8 patients with MSA (mean age: $64.0{\pm}4.5yrs$, m:f=6:2), 13 with early IPD (mean age: $65.5{\pm}5.3yrs$, m:f=9:4), and 12 healthy controls (mean age: $63.3{\pm}5.7yrs$, m:f=8:4). Standard regions of interests (ROls) of striatum to evaluate DAT, and hypothalamus and midbrain for SERT were drawn on standard template images and applied to each image taken 4 hours after radiotracer injection. Striatal specific binding for DAT and hypothalamic and midbrain specific binding for SERT were calculated using region/reference ratio based on the transient equilibrium method. Group differences were tested using ANOVA with the postHoc analysis. Results: DAT in the whole striatum and striatal subregions were significantly decreased in both patient groups with MSA and early IPD, compared with healthy control (p<0.05 in all). In early IPD, a significant increase in the uptake ratio in anterior and posterior putamen and a trend of increase in caudate to putamen ratio was observed. In MSA, the decrease of DAT was accompanied with no difference in the striatal uptake pattern compared with healthy controls. Regarding the brain regions where $^{123}I$-FP-CIT binding was predominant by SERT, MSA patients showed a decrease in the binding of $^{123}I$-FP-CIT in the pons compared with controls as well as early IPD patients (MSA: $0.22{\pm}0.1$ healthy controls: $0.33{\pm}0.19$, IPD: $0.29{\pm}0.19$), however, it did not reach the statistical significance. Conclusion: In this study, the differential patterns in the reduction of DAT in the striatum and the reduction of pontine $^{123}I$-FP-CIT binding predominant by SERT could be observed in MSA patients on $^{123}I$-FP-CIT SPECT. We suggest that the quantification of SERT as well as DAT using $^{123}I$-FP-CIT SPECT is helpful to differentiate parkinsonian disorders in early stage.