So Shiho Tang Reduces Inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced RAW 264.7 Macrophages and Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis Mice.

So Shiho Tang (SSHT) is a traditional herbal medicine commonly used in Asian countries. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of SSHT and the associated mechanism using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and murine dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis models. Pre-treatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with SSHT significantly reduced LPS-induced inflammation by decreasing nitrite production and regulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Meanwhile, in mice, DSS-induced colitis symptoms, including colon shortening and body weight loss, were attenuated by SSHT. Moreover, representative compounds of SSHT, including glycyrrhizic acid, ginsenoside Rb1, baicalin, saikosaponin A, and saikosaponin B2, were quantified, and their effects on nitrite production were measured. A potential anti-inflammatory effect was detected in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Our findings suggest that SSHT is a promising anti-inflammatory agent. Its representative components, including saikosaponin B2, ginsenoside Rb1, and baicalin, may represent the key active compounds responsible for eliciting the anti-inflammatory effects and can, therefore, serve as quality control markers in SSHT preparations.

Co-treatment with the seed of Carthamus tinctorius L. and the aerial part of Taraxacum coreanum synergistically suppresses Aß25-35-induced neurotoxicity by altering APP processing.

Accumulation of ß-amyloid peptide (Aß) induces neurotoxicity, which is the primary risk factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by the ß- (BACE) and γ- (PS1, PS2) secretases is a critical step in the amyloidogenic pathway. The induction of neuronal apoptosis by Aß involves increased expression of B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X (Bax) and decreased Bcl-2 expression. The seed of Carthamus tinctorius L. (CTS) and the aerial part of Taraxacum coreanum (TC) are traditional herbs used to treat several neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, the neuroprotective effects of co-treatment with CTS and TC on Aß-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. CTS, TC, and the co-treatment (CTS + TC) were added to Aß25-35-treated SH-SY5Y cells. CTS + TC synergistically increased cell viability and inhibited reactive oxygen species production. CTS + TC resulted in significant downregulation of BACE, PS1, PS2, and APP, as well as the 99-aa C-terminal domain of APP, compared with either CTS or TC alone. Compared with the single herbs, co-treatment with CTS and TC markedly decreased the expression of Bax and increased the expression of Bcl-2, consistent with its anti-apoptotic effects. These findings suggest that co-treatment with CTS and TC may be useful for AD prevention.

Aloe-Emodin Isolated from Rheum Undulatum L. Regulates Cell Cycle Distribution and Cellular Senescence in Human Prostate Cancer LNCaP Cells.

Senescence can promote hyperplastic pathologies, such as cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in men. The p21-mediate cellular senescence, facilitated through the tumor suppressor p53-dependent pathway, is considered the primary mechanism for cancer treatment. Aloe-emodin, has been reported to exert anticancer effects in various types of cancers. This study aimed to investigate the bioactivity of aloe-emodin in LNCaP cells via the activation of p21-mediated cellular senescence. Aloe-emodin treatment increased the percentage of cells in the G1 phase while decreasing the percentage in the S phase. This effect was reflected in the expression levels of proteins associated with cell cycle progression, such as p21CIP, retinoblastoma protein, and cyclin-dependent kinase2/4 in LNCaP cells. However, aloe-emodin-treated LNCaP cells did not induce cell cycle arrest at G2/M checkpoint. Moreover, increased senescence-associated-galactosidase activity was observed in a dose-dependent manner following treatment with aloe-emodin. Aloe-emodin also induced DNA damage by modulating the expression of histone H2AX and lamin B1. Furthermore, aloe-emodin inhibited the proliferation of LNCaP cells, contrasting with the exponential growth observed in the nontreated cells. Importantly, this inhibition did not impact the immune system, as evidenced by the increased proliferation of splenocytes isolated from mice. These findings provide preliminary evidence of the anticancer effect of aloe-emodin in LNCaP cells, necessitating further investigations into the underlying mechanisms in vivo and human subjects.

Development of a novel microfluidic perfusion 3D cell culture system for improved neuronal cell differentiation.

Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures have recently gained popularity in the biomedical sciences because of their similarity to the in vivo environment. SH-SY5Y cells, which are neuronal cells and are commonly used to investigate neurodegenerative diseases, have particularly been reported to be differentiated as neuron-like cells expressing neuron-specific markers of mature neurons in static 3D culture environments when compared to static 2D environments, and those in perfusion environments have not yet been investigated. Microfluidic technology has provided perfusion environment which has more similarity to in vivo through mimicking vascular transportation of nutrients, but air bubbles entering into microchannels drastically increase instability of the flow. Furthermore, static incubation commonly used is incompatible with perfusion setup due to its air conditions, which is a critical huddle to the biologists. In the present study, we developed a novel microfluidic perfusion 3D cell culture system that overcomes the disturbance from air bubbles and intuitionally sets the incubation with the perfusion 3D culture. The system is capable of generating concentration gradients between 5 and 95% and air bubble traps were included to increase stability during incubation by collecting air bubbles. To evaluate the perfusion 3D culture, SH-SY5Y differentiation was examined in static 2D, static 3D, and perfusion 3D cultures. Our system supported significantly increased clustering of SH-SY5Y compared to static 2D and 3D methods, as well as increasing neurite growth rate. This novel system therefore supports differentiation of SH-SY5Y and can be used to more accurately model the in vivo environment during cell culture experiments.

Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom, Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycota), Attenuates Aß1-42-Induced Amyloidogenesis and Inflammatory Response by Suppressing Amyloid Precursor Protein Progression and p38 MAPK/JNK Activation.

The deposition of amyloid beta (Aß) is a neuropathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cordyceps militaris is an edible medicinal fungus in Asian countries with antioxidative, antiaging, antitumor, and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective mechanisms of C. militaris in the brain of Aß1-42-injected AD mice. An intracerebroventricular injection of Aß1-42 (total 3 µg/mouse) resulted in neurological damage, including amyloidogenesis and neuroinflammation; however, C. militaris attenuated Aß1-42-induced amyloidogenesis and inflammatory responses. Oral administration of C. militaris at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/kg suppressed acetylcholinesterase activity. In addition, C. militaris treatment downregulated amyloid precursor protein levels, with a decrease in ß-secretase activity. Moreover, C. militaris significantly enhanced the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Furthermore, C. militaris-administered groups had inactivated inflammatory responses by downregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 protein expression. The injection of Aß1-42 resulted in the activation of p38 MAPK and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, which was rescued by C. militaris. These results suggest that C. militaris has a protective effect against Aß1-42-induced neurological damage.

Protective Effect of Membrane-Free Stem Cells against Lipopolysaccharide and Interferon-Gamma-Stimulated Inflammatory Responses in RAW 264.7 Macrophages.

Recently, adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are considered to be ideal for application in cell therapy or tissue regeneration, mainly due to their wide availability and easy access. In this study, we examined the anti-inflammatory effects of membrane-free stem cell extract (MFSC-Ex) derived from ADSCs against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) on RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Exposure of RAW macrophages to LPS and IFN-γ stimuli induced high levels of nitric oxide (NO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. However, pretreatment with MFSC-Ex inhibited LPS/IFN-γ-induced these pro-inflammatory mediators. To clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory property of MFSC-Ex, we analyzed nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) protein expressions by Western blotting. Our study showed that treatment of MFSC-Ex significantly down-regulated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and COX-2 protein expressions. Furthermore, phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 was also blocked by treatment with MFSC-Ex, indicating that inhibitory effect of MFSC-Ex on MAPK signaling cascade may attribute to inactivation of NF-κB. From these findings, we suggest that MFSC-Ex exert anti-inflammatory activities, which suppressed LPS/IFN-γ-induced production of NO, COX-2 and PGE2 by regulation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 macrophages. In conclusion, MFSC-Ex might provide a new therapeutic opportunity to treatment of inflammatory-related diseases.

Krill Oil Attenuates Cognitive Impairment by the Regulation of Oxidative Stress and Neuronal Apoptosis in an Amyloid ß-Induced Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model.

In the present study, we investigated the cognitive improvement effects and its mechanisms of krill oil (KO) in Aß25-35-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse model. The Aß25-35-injected AD mouse showed memory and cognitive impairment in the behavior tests. However, the administration of KO improved novel object recognition ability and passive avoidance ability compared with Aß25-35-injected control mice in behavior tests. In addition, KO-administered mice showed shorter latency to find the hidden platform in a Morris water maze test, indicating that KO improved learning and memory abilities. To evaluate the cognitive improvement mechanisms of KO, we measured the oxidative stress-related biomarkers and apoptosis-related protein expressions in the brain. The administration of KO inhibited oxidative stress-related biomarkers such as reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and nitric oxide compared with AD control mice induced by Aß25-35. In addition, KO-administered mice showed down-regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the brain. Therefore, this study indicated that KO-administered mice improved cognitive function against Aß25-35 by attenuations of neuronal oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis. It suggests that KO might be a potential agent for prevention and treatment of AD.