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This study investigated the effects of Lycium chinense Mill (LCM) extract on obesity and diabetes, using both in vitro and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mouse models. We found that LCM notably enhanced glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion in NCI-h716 cells from 411.4 ± 10.75 pg/mL to 411.4 ± 10.75 pg/mL compared to NT (78.0 ± 0.67 pg/mL) without causing cytotoxicity, implying the involvement of Protein Kinase A C (PKA C) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in its action mechanism. LCM also decreased lipid droplets and lowered the expression of adipogenic and lipogenic indicators, such as Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS), Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 4 (FABP4), and Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protein 1c (SREBP1c), indicating the suppression of adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation. LCM administration to HFD mice resulted in significant weight loss (41.5 ± 3.3 g) compared to the HFD group (45.1 ± 1.8 g). In addition, improved glucose tolerance and serum lipid profiles demonstrated the ability to counteract obesity-related metabolic issues. Additionally, LCM exhibited hepatoprotective properties by reducing hepatic lipid accumulation and diminishing white adipose tissue mass and adipocyte size, thereby demonstrating its effectiveness against hepatic steatosis and adipocyte hypertrophy. These findings show that LCM can be efficiently used as a natural material to treat obesity and diabetes, providing a new approach for remedial and therapeutic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a serious global health challenge, closely associated with numerous chronic conditions including type 2 diabetes. Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge (AA) known as Jimo has been used to address conditions associated with pathogenic heat such as wasting-thirst in Korean Medicine. Timosaponin A3 (TA3), a natural compound extracted from AA, has demonstrated potential therapeutic effects in various disease models. However, its effects on diabetes and obesity remain largely unexplored. We investigated the anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties of TA3 using in vitro and in vivo models. TA3 treatment in NCI-H716 cells stimulated the secretion of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) through the activation of phosphorylation of protein kinase A catalytic subunit (PKAc) and 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, TA3 effectively inhibited lipid accumulation by regulating adipogenesis and lipogenesis. In a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced mice model, TA3 administration significantly reduced body weight gain and food intake. Furthermore, TA3 improved glucose tolerance, lipid profiles, and mitigated hepatic steatosis in HFD-fed mice. Histological analysis revealed that TA3 reduced the size of white adipocytes and inhibited adipose tissue generation. Notably, TA3 downregulated the expression of lipogenic factor, including fatty-acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP1c), emphasizing its potential as an anti-obesity agent. These findings revealed that TA3 may be efficiently used as a natural compound for tackling obesity, diabetes, and associated metabolic disorders, providing a novel approach for therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ulmus Pumila L. (UPL), the roots of a tree species of elm, has been prescribed for immunity-related diseases, such as dermatitis, mastitis, and edema. Despite having been prescribed for a long period of time, there are few scientific studies of UPL and asthma. Asthma, affecting 300 million people worldwide, is classified as chronic inflammation, hyperplasia, and hyper-contraction in the bronchi. Objectives: To determine whether UPL can prevent inflammation, epidermal growth factor (EGF) in a recombinant form (10 ng/ml) was exposed to A549 cells, a type of human bronchial epithelial cell, to induce inflammation. In addition, asthmatic human bronchial smooth muscle (hBSM) cells were studied to assess the anticontraction effects of UPL. Results: The results showed that a pretreatment with UPL, especially at the highest dosage (100 μg/ml), had significant suppressing effects on ERK/NF-κB activity compared to an EGF-only treatment group. The inhibited ERK/NF-κB activity by UPL resulted in decreased expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and its associated cytokines, in this case interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6 and TNF- α. Furthermore, the UPL treatment was determined to have anticontraction effects by regulating factors related to smooth muscle contraction, such as phospholipase C (PLC)β, inositol trisphosphate 3 receptor (IP3R) and myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK). Conclusion: From these results, we suggest the possibility of UPL as a therapeutic agent for asthma given how it prevents inflammation and restrains bronchial smooth muscle contractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food allergy reactions have been increasing over the past 5 years. In addition, we are always exposed to the risk of allergies because the herbal medicines we mainly use are used in these foods. Objectives: Therefore, we added Acorus gramineus (AG) extract to sera from 253 people to confirm that herbal medicines cause allergic reactions, and check which protein is allergic to AG. The Allergy-Q test was performed to observe the immunoglobulin E (IgE) response. Based on the high and low IgE intensities, the samples were divided into positive and negative sera. The same band was observed in each serum sample through western blotting. The protein obtained from the AG extract was separated by SDS-PAGE and identified using LC/MS. Results: There were a total of three types of proteins, and we determined whether various food triggered an allergic reaction through allergy-related studies of each protein; it was possible to find out whether this food cause an allergy. Conclusion: This research made it possible to study allergen-causing proteins in herbal medicines. In addition, it can be used for various purposes, such as knowing and treating side effects and allergic reactions when prescribing various herbal medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, and despite advances in treatment, survival rates are still low; therefore, the development of novel drugs is imperative. Acetylcorynoline (ACN) is derived from Corydalis ambigua Cham. et Schltdl tubers. The effect of ACN on colon cancer is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated its potential effects. Our data showed that ACN inhibited cell viability and proliferation. Moreover, ACN induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by inhibiting cell growth. In the present study, we hypothesized that ACN regulates c-Myc through CNOT2 or MID1IP1. ACN reduced the protein expression of oncogenic genes, decreased c-Myc half-life, and rapidly inhibited the serum stimulation response. Moreover, knockdown of CNOT2 and MID1IP1 with ACN increased apoptosis and further reduced the expression of oncogenes. In addition, ACN exhibited a synergistic effect with low-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and doxorubicin (Dox). Collectively, our data demonstrate that ACN inhibited c-Myc expression through CNOT2 and MID1IP1, and induced apoptosis. These findings indicate the potential of ACN as a therapeutic agent against colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer(PC) is less common than other cancers; however, it has a poor prognosis. Therefore, studying novel target signaling and anticancer agents is necessary. Momordicae Semen (MS), the seed of Momordica sochinensis Spreng, mainly found in South-East Asia, including China and Bangladesh, is used to treat various diseases because of its anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. However, the effect of the MS extract on pancreatic cancer cells remains unknown. In this study investigated whether the MS extract exerted an anti-cancer effect by regulating c-Myc through CNOT2. Cytotoxicity and proliferation were investigated using MTT and colony formation assays. The levels of apoptotic, oncogenic, and migration-associated factors were confirmed using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Wound closure was analyzed using a wound healing assay. The chemical composition of the MS methanol extracts was analyzed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. We confirmed that the MS extract regulated apoptotic factors and attenuated the stability of c-Myc and its sensitivity to fetal bovine serum. Furthermore, the MS extract increased apoptosis by regulating c-Myc and CNOT2 expression and enhanced the sensitivity of 5-FU in pancreatic cancer. This study showed that the MS extract is a promising new drug for PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer(PC) is less common than other cancers; however, it has a poor prognosis. Therefore, studying novel target signaling and anticancer agents is necessary. Momordicae Semen (MS), the seed of Momordica sochinensis Spreng, mainly found in South-East Asia, including China and Bangladesh, is used to treat various diseases because of its anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. However, the effect of the MS extract on pancreatic cancer cells remains unknown. In this study investigated whether the MS extract exerted an anti-cancer effect by regulating c-Myc through CNOT2. Cytotoxicity and proliferation were investigated using MTT and colony formation assays. The levels of apoptotic, oncogenic, and migration-associated factors were confirmed using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Wound closure was analyzed using a wound healing assay. The chemical composition of the MS methanol extracts was analyzed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. We confirmed that the MS extract regulated apoptotic factors and attenuated the stability of c-Myc and its sensitivity to fetal bovine serum. Furthermore, the MS extract increased apoptosis by regulating c-Myc and CNOT2 expression and enhanced the sensitivity of 5-FU in pancreatic cancer. This study showed that the MS extract is a promising new drug for PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the potential anticancer effects of Viscum album, a parasitic plant that grows on Malus domestica (VaM) on breast cancer cells, and explored the underlying mechanisms. VaM significantly inhibited cell viability and proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. VaM also regulated cell cycle progression and effectively inhibited activation of the STAT3 signaling pathway through SHP-1. Combining VaM with low-dose doxorubicin produced a synergistic effect, highlighting its potential as a promising therapeutic. In vivo, VaM administration inhibited tumor growth and modulated key molecular markers associated with breast cancer progression. Overall, our findings provide strong evidence for the therapeutic potential of VaM in breast cancer treatment and support further studies exploring clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We hypothesized that Euonymus sachalinensis (ES) induces apoptosis by inhibiting the expression of c-Myc in colon cancer cells, and this study proved that the methanol extract of ES has anticancer effects in colon cancer cells. ES belongs to the Celastraceae family and is well known for its medicinal properties. Extracts of species belonging to this family have been used to treat diverse diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, chronic nephritis, allergic conjunctivitis, rhinitis, and asthma. However, ES has been targeted because there are currently few studies on the efficacy of ES for various diseases, including cancer. ES lowers cell viability in colon cancer cells and reduces the expression of c-Myc protein. We confirm that the protein level of apoptotic factors such as PARP and Caspase 3 decrease when ES is treated with Western blot, and confirm that DNA fragments occur through TUNEL assay. In addition, it is confirmed that the protein level of oncogenes CNOT2 and MID1IP1 decrease when ES is treated. We have also found that ES enhances the chemo-sensitivity of 5-FU in 5-FU-resistant cells. Therefore, we confirm that ES has anticancer effects by inducing apoptotic cell death and regulating the oncogenes CNOT2 and MID1IP1, suggesting its potential for use in the treatment of colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of herbal medicines is increasing significantly worldwide. However, studies on side effects such as allergic reactions of herbal medicines are lacking. To provide an effective prescription, a diagnostic test to determine whether an allergic reaction is induced in the patient must be preceded. In this study, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether Atractylodes japonica extract, used as herbal medicine, binds to human serum IgE and induces an allergic reaction as an immune response complex, and to add a panel of allergens to the Allergy Q kit. First, using the Allergy-Q test kit, 253 sera samples were screened and 4 samples each from positive and negative serogroups were randomly selected. AJ extracts were separated by size through sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and stained with Coomassie blue dye. We then used Western blotting and in-gel digest to identify proteins that bind to human serum IgE, and predicted six proteins, including putative chitinases, proteasomes, and hypothetical proteins, using MASCOT program matching. Consequently, we demonstrated the potential of AJ as an allergen by confirming the sensitivity between AJ-derived proteins and human IgE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) are G protein-coupled receptors localized in the taste buds of the tongue. They may also be present in non-lingual organs, including the brain, lung, kidney, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Recent studies on bitter taste receptor functions have suggested TAS2Rs as potential therapeutic targets. The human bitter taste receptor subtype hTAS2R50 responds to its agonist isosinensetin (ISS). Here, we demonstrated that, unlike other TAS2R agonists, isosinensetin activated hTAS2R50 as well as increased Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secretion through the Gβγ-mediated pathway in NCI-H716 cells. To confirm this mechanism, we showed that ISS increased intracellular Ca2+ and was suppressed by the IP3R inhibitor 2-APB as well as the PLC inhibitor U73122, suggesting that TAS2Rs alters the physiological state of enteroendocrine L cells in a PLC-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ISS upregulated proglucagon mRNA and stimulated GLP-1 secretion. ISS-mediated GLP-1 secretion was suppressed in response to small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of Gα-gust and hTAS2R50 as well as 2-APB and U73122. Our findings improved the understanding of how ISS modulates GLP-1 secretion and indicates the possibility of using ISS as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation causes a protective immune response, which can be observed by examining the inflammatory responses of macrophages. Macrophages release various immunostimulatory factors when destroying external pathogens. We induced lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in RAW 264.7 cells, a macrophage cell line, to determine whether Helixor-M can cause immuno-suppression. Helixor-M is known to have anticancer and immune effects. However, an indicator that regulates immunity has not been clearly confirmed. To this end, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was conducted to confirm Helixor-M was not cytotoxic. Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed the anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, immunofluorescence assay confirmed the translocation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) p65, a representative inflammatory pathway. Helixor-M was found to be non-cytotoxic, induce the NF-κB pathway, and reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). We found Helixor-M affected the PI3K/AKT/JNK pathway. Therefore, we confirmed Helixor-M acts as an anti-inflammatory agent through NF-κB, TLR4 and PI3K inhibition and that it could be an effective immunosuppressive drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer cell (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer in the world. There are several chemotherapy drugs available for its treatment, though they have side effects. Cycloastragenol (CY) is a compound from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge known to be effective in aging, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-heart failure treatments. Although many studies have demonstrated the functions of CY in cancer cells, no studies have shown the effects of p53 in colon cancer cells. In this study, we found that CY reduces the viability of colon cancer cells in p53 wild-type cells compared to p53 null cells and HT29. Furthermore, CY induces apoptosis by p53 activation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. And it was confirmed that it affects the L5 gene related to p53. Additionally, CY enhanced p53 expression compared to when either doxorubicin or 5-FU was used alone. Altogether, our findings suggest that CY induces apoptosis via p53 activation and inhibits the proliferation of colon cancer cells. In addition, apoptosis occurs in colon cancer cells due to other factors. Moreover, CY is expected to have a combined effect when used together with existing treatments for colon cancer in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timosaponin A3 (TA3), extracted from the rhizome of Anemarrhenaasphodeloides Bunge, has been reported to affect various diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and allergies. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and impacts are largely unknown. In the present study, we hypothesized that TA3 induces apoptosis through the inhibition of c-Myc expression via CNOT2 or MID1IP1 in HCT116. An MTT assay and colony formation assay were used to measure cell viability and proliferation. The protein expression of apoptotic markers and oncogenes was measured using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence assays. The interaction between MID1IP1 and c-Myc was confirmed by performing an immunoprecipitation assay. TA3 markedly inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation. Consistently, TA3 regulated the apoptotic proteins pro-PARP and caspase 3. TA3 inhibited the half-life of c-Myc and suppressed its expression in response to serum stimulation. In addition, TA3 enhanced the apoptotic effects of doxorubicin and 5-FU in colon cancer cells. Altogether, our results reveal a mechanism by which TA3 induces apoptosis through inhibiting c-Myc expression via CNOT2 or MID1IP1 in HCT116, which may help in the development of new therapies for colon cancer based on TA3 in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to water-soluble particulate matter (WPM) containing heavy metals can cause severe inflammatory responses and trigger and exacerbate the onset of asthma. As a follow-up study of Rosa laevigata (RL), this study analyzed the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of oral and intratracheal administration of RL and demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in asthma models. Worse T-helper cell type 2 (Th2)-related inflammatory and pro-inflammatory responses were observed after simultaneous challenge with ovalbumin (OVA) and WPM. To establish a model of asthma exacerbated by WPM, BALB/c mice were sensitized with OVA + aluminum hydroxide and challenged with OVA + WPM. To confirm the therapeutic efficacy of RL, it was administered both orally and intratracheally. Histopathological analysis of H&E staining confirmed that oral and intratracheal administration of RL alleviated inflammatory cell infiltration in the airways aggravated by OVA + WPM. RL effectively reduced the number of inflammatory cells obtained from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and multiplex analysis of serum samples confirmed that the administration of RL reduced the levels of immuno-globulin E (IgE), Th2-related cytokines, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, real-time PCR analysis of lung tissue samples confirmed that the release of MUC5AC (Mucin 5AC, Oligomeric Mucus/Gel-Forming) and pro-inflammatory cytokines was reduced by RL, and western blotting confirmed that the administration of RL reduced the phosphorylation of ERK and p38 in the MAPK pathway. In conclusion, oral and intratracheal administration of RL appears to have an anti-asthmatic effect by reducing the secretion of Th2-related cytokines, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and IgE by downregulating the MAPK pathway. Thus, RL has further demonstrated potential for development as an oral and inhaled therapeutic for asthma symptoms exacerbated by WPM exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timosaponin A3 (TA3) was demonstrated as a potent anticancer chemical by several studies. Although the effects of inhibiting growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis in various cancer cells were demonstrated through multiple mechanisms, the pharmacological mechanism of TA3 shown in pancreatic cancer (PC) is insufficient compared to other cancers. In this study, we aimed to explore the key molecular mechanisms underlying the growth inhibitory effects of TA3 using PC cells and a xenograft model. First, from the microarray results, we found that TA3 regulated INSIG-1 and HMGCR in BxPC-3 cells. Furthermore, we showed that inhibition of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) by TA3 reduced the fatty acid synthases FASN and ACC, thereby controlling the growth of BxPC-3 cells. We also tried to find mechanisms involved with SREBP-1, such as Akt, Gsk3β, mTOR, and AMPK, but these were not related to SREBP-1 inhibition by TA3. In the BxPC-3 xenograft model, the TA3 group had more reduced tumor formation and lower toxicity than the gemcitabine group. Interestingly, the level of the fatty acid metabolites palmitate and stearate were significantly reduced in the tumor tissue in the TA3 group. Overall, our study demonstrated that SREBP-1 was a key transcription factor involved in pancreatic cancer growth and it remained a precursor form due to TA3, reducing the adipogenesis and growth in BxPC-3 cells. Our results improve our understanding of novel mechanisms of TA3 for the regulation of lipogenesis and provide a new approach to the prevention and treatment of PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal products are the most representative alternative medicine, but most herbal drugs are taken orally and these can cause allergic reactions in the gastrointestinal tract such as food allergies. To confirm whether herbal proteins can cause allergic reaction by binding to human serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), we selected sera from 800 randomized human sera using Allergy-Q tests and investigated the allergenic reactivity of Cnidium officinale (CO) Makinoe extract with positive sera in HMC-1 cells. The proteins derived from CO extract were separated by SDS-PAGE, and identified these proteins using LC–MS/MS. The human sera IgE binding proteins were estimated at the four different predicted proteins such as FAR1-related sequence 5-like protein, a carrier protein, a hypothetical protein, and a predicted protein. The number of positive sera reacted with CO extract was 18 in 800 donor blood (2.25%). In HMC-1 cells, a co-treatment of the positive sera containing CO-specific IgE with CO extract induced synergy effects in ERK/NF-kB activation compared with a sole treatment of human sera, but negative sera did not show a significant change. This results imply that herbal allergens can cause allergic reaction through the crosslinking with human serum IgE, and it may trigger hypersensitivity of body immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter 10 (PM10) with a diameter of less than 10 mm causes inflammation and allergic reactions in the airways and lungs, which adversely affects asthmatic patients. In this study, we examined the anti-inflammatory effects of Rosa laevigata (RL), which has been previously investigated medicinally in Korea and China for the discovery of plant-derived anti-inflammatory agents with low side effects, using a PM10-induced lung inflammatory disease model. Using MTT assay, we confirmed that in A549 cells pretreated with RL, cytotoxicity induced by PM10 (100 μg/mL) exposure was attenuated. In addition, western blotting revealed that RL suppressed the expression level of MAPK/NF-κB pathways and its downstream signal, COX-2 in PM10-induced A549 cells. Moreover, real-time PCR demonstrated that RL downregulated the mRNA expression level of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-13, and IL-17) in PM10-induced A549 cells. Based on the results of this study, RL has been shown to relieve inflammation in the lungs due to PM10 exposure. Therefore, RL may be developed as a natural remedy for respiratory diseases caused by PM10 exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Exposure to a toxic stress environment leads to excessive inflammatory reactions and induces allergic asthma resulting in airway hyper-responsiveness. We investigated whether Rosa laevigata Michx. (RL) exhibits anti-inflammatory effects related allergic asthma in both an in vitro and in vivo studies. Methods: To investigate the preventive effect of RL, A549 cells were pretreated with non-toxic doses of RL (500, 1000 μg/mL) and induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) (10 ng/mL). First, we evaluated cytotoxicity via a MTT assay. The inhibitory effects of NF-κB activity and COX-2 expression were confirmed by a western blot assay. In the in vivo study, BALB/c mice were challenged with regard to ovalbumin via an intraperitoneal injection of RL (50, 100 mg/kg) and were killed to collect bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lung tissues and blood serum. The number of inflammatory cells, the secretion of IgE and related cytokines were monitored by ELISA and multiplex assays. Results: RL significantly suppressed NF-κB activity and COX-2 expression levels in EGF-induced A549 cells. In a chronic inflammation mice model, pretreatment of RL attenuated allergic airway inflammation by reducing inflammatory cells, the secretion of IgE and related cytokines in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions: The results of this study present the possibility of RL as a therapeutic agent for allergic asthma patients via the suppression of IgE and related cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Bronchial asthma (BA) is a common type of asthma, defined as a chronic inflammation, hyperplasia, and hypercontraction of the airway. In this study, we investigated whether Liriope platyphylla extract (LPP) can help prevent inflammation, suppress hyperplasia, and support relaxation via regulation of MAPK/NF-κB activity. Methods: To investigate the inflammation prevention effects, A549 cells, a human airway epithelial cell line, were pretreated with various concentration of LPP and then treated with EGF recombinant (10 ng/mL). Anti-hyperplasia and muscle relaxation experiments were performed with asthma condition human bronchial smooth muscle (hBSM) cells. The effects of LPP on MAPK/NF-κB activity and MAPK/NF-κB-related signaling, such as COX-2 and iNOS expression, was analyzed through western blot analysis. The mRNA expression levels of Th-2-cell-related cytokines, including IL-6 and TNF-α, and contraction-related factors, such as PLCβ, IP3R, and MLCK, were determined by real-time PCR. Results: LPP pretreatment significantly reduced MAPK/NF-κB activity in EGF-induced asthma condition A549 cells. Therefore, there was significant suppression of both COX-2 and iNOS expression. In addition, the mRNA expression of IL-6 and TNF-α was dose depen-dently reduced. Although there was no statistical significance, factors related to contraction showed a tendency to decrease. Conclusion: Based on our results, we believe that LPP shows good potential for application as a therapeutic agent for asthma through inflammation prevention and bronchial smooth muscle relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boswellia Carterii, a well-known plant species used in Korean medicine, is particularly effective in anti-cancer and inflammatory diseases. Its gum created from white resin is known to have therapeutic effects. However, the study on the anti-cancer pathway is very limited in human pancreatic cancer cells. thus, we investigated the changes in overall oncologic gene expression when treated BC in AsPC-1 cells. In this paper, we aimed to see how BC can be used to decrease cell viability with full explanation of gene expression in AsPC-1. We used MTT, microarray, and qRT-PCR to confirm our thesis. Results showed that BC inhibited cell viability in AsPC-1 by more than two-fold, which implies that BC has cell cytotoxic effects. Also, BC induced early and late apoptosis when treated for 24h on the pancreatic cancer cells. Differentially expressed genes were analyzed by microarray for demonstrated apoptotic effects at the mRNA level. The number of genes were related to participation in the oxidation-reduction process or signaling pathways. The signal pathway was verified by western blotting mainly STAT3 but also JAK, Src, ERK, JNK, and Akt. The results prove that stress signaling such as cytokines were regulated by BC stimulation. Therefore, our findings support the show that differentially expressed genes in BC-treated represent anti- cancer effects in pancreatic cancer and this has the potential for further understanding of the entire mechanism of cancer and its treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Inflammatory lung disease can arise due to the immoderate expression of pro-inflammatory genes and the disharmony of complex cytokines. Chunkoongkeigi-tang (CKT) has been prescribed to patients with asthmatic symptoms in herbal medicine clinics. However, the effects of CKT on the inflamed human lung cell line A549 have yet to be revealed. Thus we investigate whether CKT can suppress inflammatory response on interleukin 1β (IL-1β)-induced inflamed A549.Methods: In an effort to understand the inhibitory activity of CKT on inflamed A549, we use IL-1β to induce inflammatory gene COX-2 expressions on A549. Inhibition of COX-2 expression and inflammatory cytokine secretion through blocking mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and transcriptional nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity was confimed by western blot and real-time PCR. Compounds in CKT were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).Results: CKT inhibited increased COX-2 in an IL-1β-induced inflammatory state of A549. We confirmed that CKT regulated the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and transcriptional nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Additionally, a suppressive effect of CKT on the mRNA expression levels of cytokine-related asthma ((IL-5, IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α) was noted in IL-1β-induced inflamed A549. According to LC-MS analysis, we identified several components in CKT which can be expected to be the active compounds of the anti-inflammatory effect of CKT.Conclusion: We verify the anti-inflammatory effect of CKT via the reduction of the IL-1β-induced increased COX-2 expression through the MAPK and NF-κB pathways, suggesting useful anti-asthmatic potential by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines, especially in patients with asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Allergies occur when immunoglobulin E (IgE), which is part of the body’s immune system, binds to molecules. A protein in the foods, plants or pollen is usually the problem. This causes the release of inflammatory chemicals such as histamine. There are a few cases where allergies are cause by proteins derived from herbal medicine, but we do not know yet what protein causes the immune react to IgE.Methods: Here, we demonstrate to confirm if the Pueraria Radix at the proteomic level triggers IgE immunoreactivity. Finally, we present the molecules of the Pueraria Radix-derived protein that trigger the IgE immune response. To prove our hypothesis, we used proteomic tools and SDS-PAGE stained with Coomassie blue and identified proteins using LC-MS/ MS. Proteins were separated from Pueraria Radix and allergic reaction sera were selected.Results: We found three positive sera that showed an immune response to Pueraria Radix protein. Positive sera demonstrated a similar pattern of IgE reactivity and mostly restricted to a 50-70 kDa band. Therefore, we have identified number of different IgE binding proteins. Therefore, IgE binding proteins were identified such as enolase, hypothetical protein, DING protein and glycosyl transferase.Conclusion: The results imply that Pueraria Radix can act as an allergen given the identification of IgE binding proteins among the isolated proteins of Pueraria Radix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various secondary metabolites derived from plants are useful for humans to preserve their health. For this reason, medical herbs have been consumed universally without deep research about the dangerousness of these substance. However, they can produce unexpected adverse reactions in humans. Among these side effects, allergic reactions involving human immunoglobulin E can occur due to antimicrobial or antibacterial substances in plants. Glycyrrhiza uralensis has been prescribed for the treatment of numerous diseases given its multiple types of pharmaceutical efficacy, including its antimicrobial and antibacterial activities. Therefore, we researched whether Glycyrrhiza uralensis, which has antimicrobial ability, can cause allergic reaction in humans. To test the hypothesis devised here, we conducted proteomic level experiments. We utilized SDS-PAGE using a protein extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, with Coomassie blue staining to confirm the protein pattern and western blotting to identify Human IgE binding proteins in Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Among the many candidate sera, these methods detected three positive sera. Moreover, an identified protein section with reactivity associated with Human IgE was analyzed by LC-MS/ MS. Our experimental data provide a basis for testing the possibility of Glycyrrhiza uralensis as an allergen by identifying the reactivity between human Immunoglobulin E and proteins of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:Allergic asthma is the most common type in asthma, which is defined as a chronic inflammatory disease of the lung. In this study, we investigated whether embelin (Emb), the major component ofArdisia japonicaBL. (AJB), exhibits anti-inflammatory effects on allergic asthma via inhibition of NF-κB activity using A549 cells and asthmatic airway epithelial tissues. Methods:Inflammation was induced in A549 cells, a human airway epithelial cell line, by IL-1β (10 ng/ml) treatment for 4 h. The effects of Emb on NF-κB activity and COX-2 protein expression in inflamed airway epithelial cells and human asthmatic airway epithelial tissues were analyzed via western blot. The secretion levels of NF-κB-mediated cytokines/chemokines, including IL-4, 6, 9, 13, TNF-α and eotaxin, were measured by a multiplex assay. Results:Emb significantly blocked NF-κB activity in IL-1β-treated A549 cells and human asthmatic airway epithelial tissues. COX-2 expression was also reduced in both IL-1β-treated A549 cells and asthmatic tissues Emb application. Emb significantly reduced the secretion of IL-4, IL-6 and eotaxin in human asthmatic airway epithelial tissues by inhibiting activity of NF-κB. Conclusions:The results of this study suggest that Emb may be used as an anti-inflammatory agent via inhibition of NF-κB and related cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Kamichunggantang ( KCGT) is a decoction of 9 herb aqueous extract, which is already proved its effectiveness in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by ROS suppression and restrain HepG2 cell apoptosis as well as anti-fibrotic effect in liver. This study is designed to investigate the more specific effect of KCGT especially on NAFLD. This study was designed to investigate the effects of 30% ethanol KCGT extract on NAFLD in db/db mice. Nine-week-old male db/db mice were divided into four groups: saline-treated group, metformin-treated group, low dose KCGT-treated group, and high dose KCGT-treated group. The body weight, food intake, liver weight and white adipose tissue weight of the mice were checked as baseline characteristics. To identify the mechanism of the effect of KCGT, western blotting, which includes apoptosis-related protein (JNK, caspase 9) and inflammation-related protein (NFkB, iNOS, COX-2) were measured. Plasma AST and ALT levels of the KCGT-treated group were significantly decreased compared to those in other groups. In apoptosis-related proteins, p-JNK and cleaved caspase-9 expressions of the KCGT-treated groups were considerably decreased than that in the saline or metformin-treated group. In inflammation-related proteins, p-p65, iNOS and COX-2 expressions were noticeably decreased in the KCGT-treated groups than in the saline or metformin-treated group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic diseases are always caused by protein molecules and in most cases arise in individuals with documented immunologic reactions to foods, pollen, or plant IgE. However, proteins derived from herbal medicine which act as an allergen have not been widely studied. Here, we aim to confirm if the herbal medicine Prunus armeniaca kernel at the proteomic level triggers IgE immunoreactivity. If it does, we can hypothesize what components of protein molecules in the herbal medicine Prunus armeniaca kernel react with and bind to IgE. To test this hypothesis, we utilized proteomic tools and SDS-PAGE stained with Coomassie blue and identified proteins using LC-MS/MS. We also assessed the degree of plasma IgE reactivity in an isolated protein of Prunus armeniaca kernel using western blots of human IgE and an enzyme immunoassay panel, the Allergy-Q test, in 400 human sera. As a result, we found three sera which were positive candidates as Prunus armeniaca kernel IgE binding proteins. The results imply that Prunus armeniaca kernel can act as an allergen given the identification of IgE binding proteins among the isolated proteins of Prunus armeniaca kernel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus, a large part of metabolic disorder, is characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. The number of people suffering from diabetes is rapidly increasing worldwide, and the disease is often accompanied by severe complications such as heart disease, diabetic kidney failure, and retinal disease due to the high blood glucose levels over a long period of time. Comprehensive diabetic management is important, including efforts to lower the blood glucose level and body weight as well as to prevent insulin resistance. Although various prescriptions for diabetes have been used as therapeutic medicines, many researchers have long studied this disease in an effort to find new effective substances derived from natural products without side effects or toxicity. In the research on natural product, plants can have toxic or insufficient effects and unexplained outcomes, but the possibilities are unlimited. Here, we explain medicinal plants with anti-diabetic effects in a comprehensive manner, focusing on hormonal regulation and metabolic regulation, and describe active components and natural products based on the vast amount of research and on clinical trials. This review suggests that medicinal plants can used to treat diabetic mellitus through hormonal regulation and metabolic regulation as a therapeutic medication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. There is limited information of the anti-inflammatory effects of Rg3 on inflamed lung cells and tissues. Therefore, we confirmed the anti-inflammatory mechanism of ginsenoside Rg3 in inflamed human airway epithelial cells (A549) and tissues whether Rg3 regulates nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity. Methods. To induce the inflammation, IL-1β (10 ng/ml) was treated to A549 cells for 4 h. The effects of Rg3 on NF-κB activity and COX-2 expression were evaluated by western blotting analysis in both IL-1β-induced inflamed A549 cell and human asthmatic airway epithelial tissues. Using multiplex cytokines assay, the secretion levels of NF-κB-mediated cytokines/chemokines were measured. Result. Rg3 showed the significant inhibition of NF-κB activity thereby reduced COX-2 expression was determined in both IL-1β-induced inflamed A549 cell and human asthmatic airway epithelial tissues. In addition, among NF-κB-mediated cytokines, the secretion levels of IL-4, TNF-α, and eotaxin were significantly decreased by Rg3 in asthma tissues. Even though there was no significant difference, IL-6, IL-9, and IL-13 secretion showed a lower tendency compared to saline-treated human asthmatic airway epithelial tissues. Conclusion. The results from this study demonstrate the potential of Rg3 as an anti-inflammatory agent through regulating NF-κB activity and reducing the secretion of NF-κB-mediated cytokines/chemokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia Capillaris (AC) and Alisma Rhizome (AR) are natural products for the treatment of liver disorders in oriental medicine clinics. Here, we report metabolomic changes in the evaluation of the treatment effects of AC and AR on fatty livers in diabetic mice, along with a proposition of the underlying metabolic pathway. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic metabolites extracted from mouse livers were analyzed using HPLC-QTOF and CE-QTOF, respectively, to generate metabolic profiles. Statistical analysis of the metabolites by PLS-DA and OPLA-DA fairly discriminated between the diabetic, and the AC- and AR-treated mice groups. Various PEs mostly contributed to the discrimination of the diabetic mice from the normal mice, and besides, DG (18:1/16:0), TG (16:1/16:1/20:1), PE (21:0/20:5), and PA (18:0/21:0) were also associated with discrimination by s-plot. Nevertheless, the effects of AC and AR treatment were indistinct with respect to lipid metabolites. Of the 97 polar metabolites extracted from the CE-MS data, 40 compounds related to amino acid, central carbon, lipid, purine, and pyrimidine metabolism, with values less than 0.05, were shown to contribute to liver dysregulation. Following treatment with AC and AR, the metabolites belonging to purine metabolism preferentially recovered to the metabolic state of the normal mice. The AMP/ATP ratio of cellular energy homeostasis in AR-treated mice was more apparently increased () than that of AC-treated mice. On the other hand, amino acids, which showed the main alterations in diabetic mice, did not return to the normal levels upon treatment with AR or AC. In terms of metabolomics, AR was a more effective natural product in the treatment of liver dysfunction than AC. These results may provide putative biomarkers for the prognosis of fatty liver disorder following treatment with AC and AR extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) plays glucose homeostasis and delays gastric empty. Because GLP-1 activates GLP-1 receptor and this activation recruits insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. This biological action applied therapeutic treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus using GLP-1 analogues, exendin-4 and lilaglutide. Although therapeutic approaches of GLP-1 analogues are very effective as a hypoglycemic agents, its side effects are occurred in clinical study such as pancreatitis, autoimmune hepatitis and acute kidney injury. To solve critical side effects in therapeutic treatment, alternative ways are still developed. In this review, we introduce the character of taste receptors and taste receptor signaling. Because taste receptors and taste receptor signaling are able to induce GLP-1 release from exogenous molecules in enteroendocrine L cells. And how we find and develop that safe exogenous molecules to induce GLP-1 are in natural resources against side effects. We suggest that mRNA variants of taste receptors and taste receptor signaling molecules are briefly screening to find GLP-1 secret-agogue in natural components including herbal medicines using biochip in enteroendocrine L cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a cutaneous inflammatory response that is characterized skin lesion, increased cytokines secretion and splenomegaly. Baekho-tang (BHT) has been clinically used for the treatment of heat-related illnesses in Korea. Recently, it was reported that has an effect on epidemics such as hepatitis B, pneumonia, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis and Japanese encephalitis. However, the effects of BHT on ACD is not yet fully studied. Therefore, the aims of this study was to determine the anti-allergic effects of BHT on 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced ACD mice by investigating histopathologic examination of DNFB-induced inflamed tissues. Also, cytokines secretion in serum was determined using multiplex assay. The topical repeated application of DNFB on the dorsal skin of BALB/c mice were manifested the typical ACD. Treatment of different dose of BHT (20 or 80 mg/kg) attenuated DNFB-induced inflamed tissues such as erythema and crust. In addition, there is a trend for decreased serum cytokines levels in the treatment of high dose of BHT. Our results recommend that the high dose of BHT enhances the DNFB-induced ACD in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergy is nearly always triggered by protein molecules and the majority of individuals with documented immunologic reaction to foods or plants IgE reactions. However, proteins derived from herbal medicine act as an allergen is unknown. In this study, we aimed to confirm if herbal medicine, Astragalus membranaceus, at proteomic level may contain to trigger the immunoreactivity of IgE. If it does, what components of protein molecules in herbal medicine, Astragalus membranaceus, is react to a binding IgE. In order to resolve this hypothesis, we performed proteomic tools, SDS-PAGE stained coomassie blue and identified protein by LC-MS/MS. Also, we tested plasma IgE reactivity on an isolated protein of Astragalus membranaceus using western blot of human IgE and enzyme immunoassay panel, Allergy-Q test in 400 patients. Through the described performances, we could select four sera of positive candidate and identify Astragalus membranaceus IgE binding proteins. Our data suggested that herbal medicine, Astragalus membranaceus was possible to act an allergen by identify IgE binding protein with isolated protein of Astragalus membranaceus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) participates in glucose homeostasis and feeding behavior. Because GLP-1 is rapidly inactivated by the enzymatic cleavage of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) long-acting GLP-1 analogues, for example, exenatide and DPP4 inhibitors, for example, liraglutide, have been developed as therapeutics for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the inefficient clinical performance and the incidence of side effects reported on the existing therapeutics for T2DM have led to the development of a novel therapeutic strategy to stimulate endogenous GLP-1 secretion from enteroendocrine L cells. Since the GLP-1 secretion of enteroendocrine L cells depends on the luminal nutrient constituents, the intestinal nutrient sensors involved in GLP-1 secretion have been investigated. In particular, nutrient sensors for tastants, cannabinoids, and bile acids are able to recognize the nonnutritional chemical compounds, which are abundant in medicinal plants. These GLP-1 secretagogues derived from medicinal plants are easy to find in our surroundings, and their effectiveness has been demonstrated through traditional remedies. The finding of GLP-1 secretagogues is directly linked to understanding of the role of intestinal nutrient sensors and their recognizable nutrients. Concurrently, this study demonstrates the possibility of developing novel therapeutics for metabolic disorders such as T2DM and obesity using nutrients that are readily accessible in our surroundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effect of Cortex mori radicis (CMR) and Patrinia saniculaefolia (PS) on the osteogenic differentiation of the human mesenchymal stem cell. CMR and PS have been used as herbal medicine in traditional Korean medicine for a long time. Mesenchymal stem cells that can differentiate into adipocyte, chondrocyte and osteocyte recently issued as a therapeutic agent for degenerative disease. Here, mesenchymal stem cells isolated from synovial fluid of osteoarthritis patient, were cultured in specific media to differentiate into osteogenesis. Osteogenic differentiated mesenchymal stem cells were confirmed using Von Kossa and Arizarion Red S staining. And, the cells were divided into 4 groups: control group, CMR treated group, PS treated group and mixture treated group. To determine the effect of the herbal samples on the osteogenic mesenchymal stem cell, OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG mRNA expressions, known as the key maintenance factors of mesenchymal stem cell was measured using real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). As a result, the maintenance factors, OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG, were more increased in cells treated by CMR, PS and the mixture of two herbs than control group. Therefore, we confirmed the enhancing effect of CMR, PS and their mixture on the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells which derived from the synovial fluid of osteoarthritis patient. This study demonstrates that the effect of the herbal samples on the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cell may have a possibility to be a therapeutic agent for the osteoarthritis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitation of the wound healing process is important because a prolonged wound site increases pain and the risk of infection. In oriental medicine, an extract of Morus alba root (MA) has usually been prescribed as traditional treatment for accelerating wound healing, and it has been proven to be safe for centuries. To study the molecular mechanism of MA-mediated skin wound healing, we performed a primary cell culture and a skin explant culture and observed significant difference between the groups with and without MA extract. In the cellular system, a real-time cell analysis and real-time quantitative PCR were performed. It was found that MA extract enhanced proliferation in a dose-dependent manner on Kera-308 cell line, and up-regulated keratin expression including wound-induced Krt6a. In skin explant culture, the mRNA level derived from cell outgrowth displayed a tendency toward more up-regulated mRNA associated keratin filaments and toward a more up-regulated mRNA level of C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12) and a chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis signaling pathway downstream. In this process, we concluded that MA extract had a scientific possibility of wound repair by increasing intracellular and extracellular supports and by inducing a CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling pathway. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cinobufagin (CBG) is a cardiotoxic bufanolide steroid secreted by the skin and parotid venom glands of the Asiatic toad Bufo bufo gargarizans (called Chan-Su). Although CBG is known to exhibit anti-cancer activities, very little is known about its potential mechanism(s) of action. In this study, we investigated whether CBG mediates its effect through the modulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway in human multiple myeloma (MM) U266 cells. We found that CBG caused the significant activation of ERK, JNK and p38 MAPK in U266 cells. CBG showed much higher cytotoxicity against U266 cells as compared to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Induction of CBG increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation from mitochondria, which is associated with the induction of apoptosis as characterized by increased sub-G1 DNA contents of cell cycle, positive Annexin V binding, activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of PARP. Inhibition of ROS generation by N-acetyl- l-cysteine (NAC) significantly prevented CBG-induced ERK, JNK and p38 MAPK activation and apoptosis. CBG also down-regulated the expression of various downstream gene products that mediate cell proliferation, survival, angiogenesis and metastasis. Interestingly, ERK, JNK and p38MAPK pharmacological inhibitors blocked CBG-induced MAPKs activation and ERK inhibitor (PD98059) also prevented the CBG-induced caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage in U266 cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that CBG can act as a potent anticancer agent against MM and possibly exerts its effects through the ROS-mediated activation of ERK, JNK and p38 MAPK leading to the activation of caspase-3 in U266 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seed of the Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf seed (CLMS) extract has been prescribed to alleviate obesity by practitioners of traditional Korean medicine. Here, we investigated the effect of CLMS extract on PPAR γ and c/EBP α and obesity responses in C57BL/6J obese mice fed on a high fat diet. The mouse body index, blood profile, and fat accumulation levels in the liver were measured. The protein expression levels of PPAR γ and c/EBP α in the mice livers were also measured to determine the molecular mode-of-action of the reducing effect of CLMS extract on mouse adipogenesis. The results showed that HFD-induced mouse obesity, fat accumulation, and serum cholesterol were alleviated by the CLMS extract addition. Moreover, PPAR γ and C/EBP α, proteins, those are related to the adipogenesis, were downregulated by the CLMS extract intake considerably. This study indicates that as a food additive, CLMS extract has a reducing effect on the high-fat diet induced fat accumulation and on body weight through the downregulation of adipogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a treatment for allergic asthma, inhaled treatments such as bronchodilators that contain β2-agonists have an immediate effect, which attenuates airway obstructions and decreases airway hypersensitivity. However, bronchodilators only perform on a one off basis, but not consistently. Asthma is defined as a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways accompanying the overproduction of mucus, airway wall remodeling, bronchial hyperreactivity and airway obstruction. Liriope platyphylla radix extract (LPP), a traditional Korean medicine, has been thoroughly studied and found to be an effective anti-inflammatory medicine. Here, we demonstrate that an inhaled treatment of LPP can attenuate airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in an ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mouse model, compared to the saline-treated group (p < 0.01). Moreover, LPP decreases inflammatory cytokine levels, such as eotaxin (p < 0.05), IL-5 (p < 0.05), IL-13 (p < 0.001), RANTES (p < 0.01), and TNF-α (p < 0.05) in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of asthmatic mice. A histopathological study was carried out to determine the effects of LPP inhalation on mice lung tissue. We performed UPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS, LC/MS, and GC/MS analyses to analyze the chemical constituents of LPP, finding that these are ophiopogonin D, spicatoside A, spicatoside B, benzyl alcohol, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. This study demonstrates the effect of an inhaled LPP treatment both on airway AHR and on the inflammatory response in an asthmatic mouse model. Hence, LPP holds significant promise as a nasal inhalant for the treatment of asthmatic airway disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kyungheechunggan-tang (KHCGT), a mixture of 9 herbal aqueous extracts, is known in traditional Korean hepatoprotective medicine. To investigate the anti-fibrotic effect of KHCGT and its herbal ingredients, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) were activated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and the mRNA and protein expression levels of collagen type-1 (collagen-1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were measured. KHCGT and its 7 herbal ingredient among 9 herbal ingredients had an anti-fibrotic effect on activated HSC. Among the herbal samples, Artemisia capillaris, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Curcuma wenyujin showed the highest down-regulatory effect on α-SMA and collagen-1 mRNA expression. The liver tissues of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced rats were isolated to investigate the anti-fibrotic effect of KHCGT. This study provides understandings the effect of KHCGT and its ingredient herbal medicines on the activated HSC, and suggests herbal ingredient that plays a major role in anti-fibrotic effect of the KHCGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was aimed to review experimental and clinical studies on Yanggyeoksanhwa-tang (YGSH; 凉膈散火湯), figuring out the recent tendency and suggesting the future prospects of YGSH-related studies. The articles published in 19 journals of Korean Medicine since 2000 were searched, screened, and classified into experimental or clinical studies. And we structured designs, methods and results of the included studies into each table for the experimental studies or the clinical studies. Especially tools to diagnose constitutions and patterns identified in clinical researches were also summarized in the tables. Thirty-five articles were finally included. Sixteen experimental studies were mostly in vivo designs to show the efficacy of YGSH in stroke patients. There were only two studies for the safety. The efficacy was measured physically and chemically depending on the target diseases. Seventeen case studies mostly targeted stroke, too. The pattern identified in the reports varied from Chest-Heat congested (Hyunggyeok-yeol) Symptomatology (胸膈熱病) to Stomach Heat-based Interior Heat (Wesuyeol-liyeol) Disease (胃受熱裏熱病) or Upper Wasting-Thirst (Sangso) Pattern (上消證) of Soyangin (少陽人). The evaluations of outcomes were carried out mostly with symptomatic change except for a few studies. A controlled clinical trial reported the effectiveness of YGSH in the patients with cerebral infarction, while a before & after study with diabetes. Well-designed randomized controlled trials should be performed in the future in order to obtain higher level of evidences for using YGSH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: This study was designed to ascertain whether human enteroendocrine cells express bitter taste receptors, and whether activation of these receptors with bitter-tasting ligands induces secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY). Methods: We used human enteroendocrine NCI-H716 cells, isolated duodenal segments from mice, and whole mice as our experimental systems for investigating stimuli and mechanisms underlying GLP-1- and PYY-stimulated release. We measured hormone levels by ELISA and determined bitter taste receptor expression by real-time quantitative PCR. We adopted a pharmacological approach using inhibitors and enhancers of downstream signalling pathways known to be involved in bitter taste transduction in taste bud cells to investigate these pathways in NCI-H716 cells. Results: Using a pharmacological approach, we identified signalling pathways triggered by the denatonium benzoate (DB)-activated bitter receptors. This involved activation of α-gustducin (Gαgust)-the specific G-protein subunit that is also present in taste bud cells-reduction of intracellular cAMP levels and enhancement of phospholipase C (PLC) activity, which ultimately led to increased intracellular calcium concentrations and hormone release. Gavage of DB, followed by gavage of glucose, to db/db mice stimulated GLP-1 and subsequent insulin secretion, leading to lower blood glucose levels. Conclusions/interpretation: Our study demonstrates that activation of gut-expressed bitter taste receptors stimulates GLP-1 secretion in a PLC-dependent manner. In diabetic mice, DB (a ligand of bitter taste receptor cells), when given via gavage, lowers blood glucose levels in diabetic mice after oral glucose administration, through increased secretion of GLP-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death worldwide and infects thousands of Americans annually. Triclosan (TCS) is used as an oxidative antibacterial in household products such as disinfectants, soaps, detergents, toothpaste. This study presents for the first time, the transcriptomic changes in M. bovis BCG after treatment with 0.1 mM TCS for 10 and 60 min. The results after 10 min exposure to TCS show up-regulations of three groups of functional classes genes in M. bovis BCG. First group are hyc group ( hycD, hysP, hysQ, and hysE), which is related to energy production and conversion. Second group is related to oxidation stress of many metabolites, especially, accA2, accD2, fadE12, and fadE13. Third group is associated with ppe family which is distinctive to mycobacteria ( ppe3, ppe18, and ppe61). After 60 min exposure the following genes were drastically down-regulated ppe61, hycD hycQ, and bcg0232, which express luxR family two component transcriptional regulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is a complex chronic inflammatory disorder in the airway accompanying airway hyperresponsiveness, airway obstruction and airway wall remodeling. Alisma canaliculatum (AC) is a constituent of Cheong-Sang-Bo-Ha-Tang (CSBHT) which had been frequently prescribed to treat the respiratory disease in traditional Korean medicine. Here, we investigated the precise mechanism of the anti-inflammatory activity of AC extract using ovalbumin-induced mouse asthma model. AC extract administration improved the mouse AHR, and alleviated the thickened airway epithelium. These effects may mediate by the inhibitory effect of AC extract on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation. And the inhibitory effect regulated the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression at the transcription level. We determined the AC extract metabolites through UPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS and identified 10-O-methyl-alismoxide, 11-deoxyalisol C, 4-12-dihydroxyguaian-6,10-diene, alismol, alismoxide, alisol B, alisol B 23-acetate, alisol C 23-acetate, and alisolide. This study provides the full understanding about the anti-asthmatic effect of AC extract for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have recently reported that β-caryophyllene oxide (CPO) can induce apoptosis, suppress tumor growth, and inhibit metastasis through the suppression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, PI3K/AKT/mTOR/S6K1 signaling cascades and ROS-mediated MAPKs activation. In the present study, we found that CPO potentiated the apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and chemotherapeutic agents, suppressed TNFα-induced tumor cell invasion, all of which are known to require NF-κB activation. We found that TNFα stimulated the expression of gene products involved in anti-apoptosis (IAP1, IAP2, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and survivin), proliferation (COX-2, cyclin D1, and c-Myc), invasion (MMP 9 and ICAM-1), and angiogenesis (VEGF) and that CPO treatment suppressed their expression. Because these gene products are also regulated by proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB, we postulated that CPO may mediate its effects by modulating the NF-κB pathway. We found that CPO blocked both inducible and constitutive NF-κB activation in a wide variety of tumor cells. CPO was also found to inhibit the TNFα-induced degradation of IκBα through the inhibition of activation of IκBα kinase and p65 nuclear translocation and phosphorylation. Interestingly, CPO failed to potentiate the apoptotic effect induced by TNFα in p65 cells as compared to the wild-type. Thus, overall, our results indicate that the inhibition of NF-κB is one of major mechanisms by which CPO enhances TNFα-induced apoptosis and suppresses invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinine is a bitter taste receptor agonist that has been studied its anti-pyretic, anti-malarial, anti-pain, and anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) stimulation effect of quinine was investigated. Bitter taste receptors are G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), which transfer the molecular signal through its downstream cascade. The activation of bitter taste receptor, which expressed in the enteroendocrine L cells, stimulates the GLP-1 secretion and therefore can be a therapeutic target of the type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Here, we studied GLP-1 stimulation effect of quinine on the endocrine differentiated NCI-H716 cells. To investigate the molecular mode-of-action of the GLP-1 stimulation effect of quinine in the enteroendocrine L cells, transcriptomic analysis was performed. Our data suggest that quinine stimulates the GLP-1 secretion through the bitter taste receptor-signaling pathway, and thus has the possibility of therapeutic agent of T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium extract, which includes chrysoeriol, sudachitin, and acacetin, has excellent antibiotic effects on Escherichia coli O157:H7 ( E. coli O157). A notable point is that the antibiotic targets of the herb extract are similar to the targets of commonly used antibiotic drugs, including bacterial cell wall biosynthesis, bacterial protein synthesis, and bacterial DNA replication and repair. In addition, the herbal antibiotic inhibits the etiological factors that contribute to the pathogenic property. The herbal sample was extracted and fractionated and then inoculated through a disk diffusion method to confirm its antibiotic effect against E. coli O157. Total RNA was isolated from the affected bacterial cells, and its expression level was analyzed through a microarray analysis. To confirm the accuracy of the microarray data, a real-time PCR was performed. Three active compounds, chrysoeriol, sudachitin, and acacetin, were identified with a high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry chromatogram, and the disk diffusion study confirmed that chrysoeriol and sudachitin contribute to the antibiotic properties of the herb extract. The results demonstrate that the multi-target efficacy of the herbal sample may indicate the potential for the development of more effective and safer drugs that will act as substitutes for existing antibiotics. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anemarrhena asphodeloides (AA), a bitter taste herbal medicine, has been prescribed in traditional oriental medicine to treat diabetes mellitus. Here, AA was extracted and fractionated to investigate its effects on the stimulation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion in enteroendocrine cells. GLP-1 is secreted from the human enteroendocrine L cells to the blood in response to ingested nutrients. Because GLP-1 increases glucose dependent insulin release, it is known as a therapeutic method for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus. The human enteroendocrine L cell line NCI-H716 expresses various chemoreceptors including the G protein coupled receptor (GPCR). Previous studies suggested that, through the GPCR signaling pathway, the secretion of GLP-1 can be induced in NCI-H716. Accordingly, we studied the GLP-1 stimulation effect of the AA extract and its mode-of-action using the GLP-1 ELISA and microarray. Functional categorization of the microarray data confirmed up or down-regulated gene expressions associated with the GPCR signaling pathway. This study demonstrates that AA extracts have a scientific possibility as a GLP-1 stimulant and thus may have the potential to be a therapeutic herbal medicine for type II diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediabetes, Diabetes and obesity are the metabolic diseases which are closely linked each other to its properties such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and abdominal obesity. Many studies tried to find single therapeutic target for treatment of the metabolic syndrome but failed because of its side effects. Therefore, many investigations focus on the reduction of the blood glucose or the body weight. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a new therapeutic target for type-2 diabetes which caused by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency, is issued nowadays. This study aimed to investigate the antidiabetic effect of a complex herbal medicine, JUL04, composed of Cornus fructus (CF), Dioscoreae rhizome (DR), Aurantii fructus (AF), and Mori folium (MF), on the enteroendocrine L cell and on the obese type-2 diabetes mice. Fully differentiated NCI-H716 cells were treated with each herbal samples and GLP-1 ELISA was performed. The animal model was induced by high fat- and high sucrose-diet with or without JUL04 for 8 weeks, and the body and the epididymal fat weight and the size of white adipocyte were measured. Plasma GLP-1 and insulin concentration were also measured by ELISA. The results of the study demonstrate that JUL04 has anti-diabetes and anti-obesity effects in high fat- and high sucrose-diet induced mice model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]