• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.435-441
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• 2020

Background: As a process of aging, skeletal muscle mass and function gradually decrease. It is reported that ginsenoside Rb1 and Rb2 play a role as AMP-activated protein kinase activator, resulting in regulating glucose homeostasis, and Rb1 reduces oxidative stress in aged skeletal muscles through activating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/Nrf2 pathway. We examined the effects of Rb1 and Rb2 on differentiation of the muscle stem cells and myotube formation. Methods: C2C12 myoblasts treated with Rb1 and/or Rb2 were differentiated and induced to myotube formation, followed by immunoblotting for myogenic marker proteins, such as myosin heavy chain, MyoD, and myogenin, or immunostaining for myosin heavy chain or immunoprecipitation analysis for heterodimerization of MyoD/E-proteins. Results: Rb1 and Rb2 enhanced myoblast differentiation through accelerating MyoD/E-protein heterodimerization and increased myotube hypertrophy, accompanied by activation of Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling. In addition, Rb1 and Rb2 induced the MyoD-mediated transdifferentiation of the rhabdomyosarcoma cells into myoblasts. Furthermore, co-treatment with Rb1 and Rb2 had synergistically enhanced myoblast differentiation through Akt activation. Conclusion: Rb1 and Rb2 upregulate myotube growth and myogenic differentiation through activating Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling and inducing myogenic conversion of fibroblasts. Thus, our first finding indicates that Rb1 and Rb2 have strong potential as a helpful remedy to prevent and treat muscle atrophy, such as age-related muscular dystrophy.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.235-248
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• 2018

Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural triterpene compound found in various fruits and vegetables. There is a growing interest in UA because of its beneficial effects, which include anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-carcinogenic effects. It exerts these effects in various tissues and organs: by suppressing nuclear factor-kappa B signaling in cancer cells, improving insulin signaling in adipose tissues, reducing the expression of markers of cardiac damage in the heart, decreasing inflammation and increasing the level of anti-oxidants in the brain, reducing apoptotic signaling and the level of oxidants in the liver, and reducing atrophy and increasing the expression levels of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and irisin in skeletal muscles. Moreover, UA can be used as an alternative medicine for the treatment and prevention of cancer, obesity/diabetes, cardiovascular disease, brain disease, liver disease, and muscle wasting (sarcopenia). In this review, we have summarized recent data on the beneficial effects and possible uses of UA in health and disease managements.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2003

Single and 28-day repeated dose toxicity studies of botulimnn toxin type A were carried out in ICR mice and Sprague-Dawley rats, respectively. In the single dose toxicity study, botulinwn toxin was injected intraperitoneally to male and female mice at a single dose of 40, 59, 89 133 and 200 ng/10 ml saline/kg. All animals died from 59 ng/kg group. Some clinical signs, such as decrease in locomotor activity, dyspnea, prone position and ptosis, were observed in most of both sexes from 59 ng/kg group, but no signs were seen in all animals at 40 ng/kg group. The results showed that the median lethal dose of botulinum toxin might be in the range of 40-59 ng/kg in both sexes. In the repeated dose toxicity study, the test material was administered intradermally for 28 days at doses of 0 (vehicle-treated control), 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 and $10.0ng/head/50{\mu}{\ell}$ saline in male and female rats. No test material-related changes were noted in survivals, clinical signs, food and water consumptions and gross finding in any group. Botulinum toxin treatment significantly decreased the body weight gain rate in male of 5.0 ng/head group and over and in female of 10.0 ng/head group compared to vehicle-treated control. One or more relative organ weights (i.e., spleen, thymus, liver and kidney) were increased significantly from 5.0 ng/head group compared to vehicle-treated control in both sexes. Serum biochemistry revealed increases in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine phosphokinase, total protein and albumin in male, and increases in AST and ALT and decreases in $K^+$ and $Cl^-$ in female without dose-pendent manners. In the histopathological study, physical stimulation by needle caused slight inflammations of dennis. In addition, botulinum toxin treatment induced denervation of nerve cell and disuse of muscle, resulting in atrophy of skeletal muscle in both sexes from 2.5 ng/head group. When the antibodies to toxin were determined in all animals, a significant increase in serum antibodies was observed from 5.0 ng/head group. The results showed that the NOAEL of botulinum toxin might be 1.25 ng/head for 28-day repeated dose toxicity in rats.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.31-38
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• 2022

Objectives : In this study, we investigated the synergistic protective effects of medicinal herbal mixture (HME) including Mori Ramulus (MR), Acanthopanacis Cortex (AC), Eucommiae Cortex (EC), and Black soybean (BS) in C2C12 cells, mouse myoblasts. Methods : Effects of HME on cell viability of C2C12 myoblasts were monitored by MTT assay. Anti-atrophic activity of HME was determined in myoblasts and myotubes under oxidative stress by H₂O₂. C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated into myotubes in a medium containing 2% horse serum for 6 days. After that, we measured that expression of MyoD and myogenine, the myogenic regulatory factors, to identify the mechanism of inhibiting muscle atophy after HME treatment. In addition, suppression of phosphorylation of Akt, FoxO3a and MARF-1, transcription factors of degradation proteins were analyzed via western blotting. Results : As a result of MTT, HME there was no show cytotoxicity up to a concentration of 1 mg/ml. The cytoprotective effects on oxidative stressed myoblast and myotube was better in HME extract than those of MR, AC, EU, and BS, respectively. HME treatment in Myotube induced by oxidative stress after H₂O₂ treatment increased Myo D, Myogenine activation, and Akt, FoxO3a phosphorylation and decreased expression of MuRF-1. As the results, HME has synergistic effects on protection against proteolysis of C2C12 myotubes through activation of the Akt signaling pathway under oxidative stress. Conclusions : These results suggest that HME may also be useful as a preventing and treating material for skeletal muscle atrophy caused by age-related diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.71-80
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• 2021

Parkinson's disease is one of the typical neurodegenerative disease and it is caused by the destruction of substantia nigra in brain leading to lack of dopamine secretion, and it presents 4 major motor symptoms such as tremor, bradykinesia, stiffness, postural instability. Furthermore, it causes many non-motor symptoms such as anosmia, REM sleep conduct disorder, orthostatic hypotension, dementia and autonomic ataxia such as lack of adjusting blood pressure, hyperhydrosis, constipation. Dopaminergic therapy is the most commonly used strategy, but long term treatment of levodopa induce various adverse effects. Thus, many people are focusing on new therapies other than established therapies, and there are many tries and approaches with paradigm shift. Our medical team was able to get 4 cases of PD patients who are hospitalized in our hospital, treated by Whole Body Gi-Hyeol Therapy consisting of acupuncture therapy, herbal therapy, and mental therapy, and their conditions improved in perspective of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS), Heart Rate Variability(HRV), and Quality of life. Among all 4 cases, UPDRS score and quality of life score is gotton better, and among 2 cases SDNN, RMS-SD, TP, LF, HF scores are finely increased. And PDQ-39 score which shows quality of life is also improved. However, in spite of these improvements and positive results, there were no meaningful improvement in a hurt from a fall which is important to the aged, muscular atrophy which causes bone fracture and SMI(Skeletal Muscle Mass Index) which is indicator of osteoporosis. Thus, supplementary treatment about Whole Body Gi-Hyeol Therapy such as more active nutrition intervention, safe and effective kinesitherapy is needed, and from now on continuous case reports and systematic clinical research which has control group must be carried out.