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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Acer tegmentosum Maxim (AT), the East Asian stripe maple, is an herb used to treat liver disease and is approved as a functional food in Korea. AT protects against hepatic disorders, atopic dermatitis, and diabetes mellitus., Aim of the Study: We explored the mechanism of the hepatoprotective effects of AT extract in in vitro and in vivo levels., Materials and Methods: AT extract from Acer tegmentosum Maxim was extracted by hot water. Hepatoprotective effects of AT extract were confirmed using carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )- or alcohol-induced mouse model, and H 2 O 2 - or alcohol-induced HepG2 (liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line) cells by measuring GOT, GPT, TG, and MDA levels. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to observe the pathological analysis. Cytotoxicity or protective effect of AT extract was confirmed using MTT assay in HepG2 cells. Antioxidant effect of AT extract was measured using DPPH or H 2 DCFDA assay. Mechanism study of antioxidant and autophagy was carried out using western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis., Results: AT extract increased the viability of HepG2 cells treated with H 2 O 2 and ethanol, and protected the liver against damage induced by CCl 4 and alcohol. The AT extract increased the levels of nuclear respiratory factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). The level of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-Ⅱ, beclin-1, autophagy-related genes (Atg) such as Atg3 and Atg12-5 as markers of autophagy activation was also increased. Moreover, the AT extract increased activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which regulated autophagy and HO-1., Conclusion: Therefore, these results indicate that the AT extract has a hepatoprotective effect by increasing antioxidant activity and inducing autophagy., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Typha angustata is used in traditional Chinese medicine for a variety of clinical disorders. Its pharmacological actions include beneficial effects on hyperlipidemia and myocardial infarction, as well as labor-inducing and antibacterial effects., Aim of the Study: We investigated the mechanism underlying the ability of (2S)-naringenin, an active compound from Typha angustata, to inhibit the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs)., Materials and Methods: After measuring the antiproliferative effect of (2S)-naringenin on VSMC proliferation using cell proliferation and viability assays, the possible involvement of a signaling pathway associated with platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGF-Rβ), extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-linked protein kinase B (Akt/PKB), or phospholipase C-γ1 (PLCγ1) was investigated by immunoblotting. Moreover, the effect of (2S)-naringenin on DNA synthesis and the cell cycle was examined using a [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation assay and flow cytometry., Results: (2S)-Naringenin significantly inhibited PDGF-BB-induced VSMC proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner, but did not affect signaling pathways associated with PDGF-Rβ, Akt/PKB, ERK1/2, or PLCγ1. However, (2S)-naringenin suppressed DNA synthesis via a G(0)/G(1) cell cycle arrest. Accordingly, the expression of cyclins D1 and E and cyclin-dependent kinases 2 and 4 was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner; moreover, the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein was suppressed., Conclusions: Our results show that (2S)-naringenin inhibited the PDGF-BB-induced proliferation of VSMCs via a G(0)/G(1) arrest; thus, (2S)-naringenin may be valuable as a therapeutic agent for managing atherosclerosis and/or vascular restenosis., (Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The effects of the repeated administration of Uncaria hooks were examined on the impaired memory acquisition and the level of neurotransmitters in the cortex, hippocampus and striatum in ethanol-treated mice, in comparison with those with L-deprenyl and N-methyl-D-glucamine as positive controls. Ethanol-induced amnesia was significantly ameliorated by repeated administration of methanol extract and alkaloid fraction of Uncaria hooks, similar to in the positive controls. Treatment with methanol extract and alkaloid fraction of Uncaria hooks significantly reduced the ethanol-induced increase of dopamine in the hippocampus. The 5-hydroxytryptamine and glutamic acid neuronal activities were significantly changed by Uncaria hooks, but not by L-deprenyl, in all examined brain tissues of ethanol-treated mice. On the other hand, the GABAergic and cholinergic neuronal activities did not show any significant changes by Uncaria hooks in any of the examined brain tissues of the ethanol-treated animals. The results suggest that the extracts of Uncaria hooks exert a beneficial effect on ethanol-induced memory impairment, and that the central 5-hydroxytryptaminergic and glutaminergic neuronal systems play an important role in the memory acquisition of Uncaria hooks.