Ethanol Extract of Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Rhizomes Suppresses IgE-Mediated Mast Cell Activation and Anaphylaxis.

More than 20% of the world's population suffers from allergic diseases, including allergic asthma, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis that severely reduce the patient's quality of life. The treatment of allergy has been developed, but there are still unmet needs. Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Maxim.) Trautv. is a traditional medicinal herb with beneficial bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-hypertension, anti-viral, anti-mutagenic, and skin and liver (anti-hepatotoxic) protective actions. However, its anti-allergic effect has not been addressed. This study designed to investigate the pharmacological effect of an ethanol extract of A. brevipedunculata rhizomes (ABE) on mast cell and anaphylaxis models. For in vivo studies, we used ovalbumin-induced active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) and immunoglobulin (Ig) E-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) models. In ASA model, oral administration of ABE (1, 10, and 100 mg/kg) attenuated the anaphylactic responses, such as hypothermia, serum histamine, and IgE productions. In PCA model, ABE also suppressed the plasma extravasation and swelling. The underlying mechanisms of action were identified in various mast cell types. In vitro, ABE (10, 30, and 60 µg/mL) inhibited the release of essential allergic mediators, such as histamine and ß-hexosaminidase, in a concentration-dependent manner. ABE prevented the rapid increase in intracellular calcium levels induced by the DNP-HSA challenge. In addition, ABE downregulated the tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-4 by suppressing the activation of nuclear factor-κB. Collectively, this study is the first to identify the anti-allergic effect of ABE, suggesting that ABE is a promising candidate for treating allergic diseases.

HSPA9 reduction exacerbates symptoms and cell death in DSS-Induced inflammatory colitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition that is influenced by various factors, including environmental factors, immune responses, and genetic elements. Among the factors that influence IBD progression, macrophages play a significant role in generating inflammatory mediators, and an increase in the number of activated macrophages contributes to cellular damage, thereby exacerbating the overall inflammatory conditions. HSPA9, a member of the heat shock protein 70 family, plays a crucial role in regulating mitochondrial processes and responding to oxidative stress. HSPA9 deficiency disrupts mitochondrial dynamics, increasing mitochondrial fission and the production of reactive oxygen species. Based on the known functions of HSPA9, we considered the possibility that HSPA9 reduction may contribute to the exacerbation of colitis and investigated its relevance. In a dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis mouse model, the downregulated HSPA9 exacerbates colitis symptoms, including increased immune cell infiltration, elevated proinflammatory cytokines, decreased tight junctions, and altered macrophage polarization. Moreover, along with the increased mitochondrial fission, we found that the reduction in HSPA9 significantly affected the superoxide dismutase 1 levels and contributed to cellular death. These findings enhance our understanding of the intricate mechanisms underlying colitis and contribute to the development of novel therapeutic approaches for this challenging condition.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Clematis terniflora Leaf on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury.

For centuries, natural products are regarded as vital medicines for human survival. Clematis terniflora var. mandshurica (Rupr.) Ohwi is an ingredient of the herbal medicine, Wei Ling Xian, which has been used in Chinese medicine to alleviate pain, fever, and inflammation. In particular, C. terniflora leaves have been used to cure various inflammatory diseases, including tonsillitis, cholelithiasis, and conjunctivitis. Based on these properties, this study aimed to scientifically investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of an ethanol extract of leaves of C. terniflora (EELCT) using activated macrophages that play central roles in inflammatory response. In this study, EELCT inhibited the essential inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin- (IL-) 6, IL-1ß, and inducible nitric oxide synthase, by suppressing the nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in macrophages. Acute lung injury (ALI) is a fatal respiratory disease accompanied by serious inflammation. With high mortality rate, the disease has no effective treatments. Therefore, new therapeutic agents must be developed for ALI. We expected that EELCT can be a promising therapeutic agent for ALI by reducing inflammatory responses and evaluated its action in a lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced ALI model. EELCT alleviated histological changes, immune cell infiltration, inflammatory mediator production, and protein-rich pulmonary edema during ALI. Collectively, our results may explain the traditional usage of C. terniflora in inflammatory diseases and suggest the promising potential of EELCT as therapeutic candidate for ALI.

Probiotic properties of Pediococcus strains isolated from jeotgals, salted and fermented Korean sea-food.

Three Pediococcus pentosaceus strains were isolated from jeotgals, salted and fermented Korean sea-foods, and their probiotic potentials were examined. After 2 h exposure to pH 3.0, P. pentosaceus F66 survived with the survival ratio of 32.6% followed by P. pentosaceus D56 (17.2%) and P. pentosaceus A24 (7.5%). P. pentosaceus F66 also survived better (26.6%) than P. pentosaceus A24 (13.7%) and P. pentosaceus D56 (5.8%) after 2 h exposure to 0.3% bile salts. Three strains grew slowly on MRS broth with 15% NaCl (w/v), reaching the OD600 values of 0.4-0.8 in 36 h. They adhered to Caco-2 cells (10.9-13.9 CFU/cell) with similar degree of adherence of a positive control, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (12.8 ± 0.5 CFU/cell). Three strains possess some desirable enzyme activities such as ß-galactosidase, α-glucosidase, ß-glucosidase, and N-acetyl-ß-glucosidase. From these results, P. pentosaceus F66 seems qualified as a probiotic and can be utilized for fermented foods including jeotgals.

Subcellular localization of WD40 repeat 1 protein in PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells.

The dynamics of actin filament protein is crucial for various physiological processes of the cells. Among the proteins correlating with actin dynamics, a novel 67-kDa WD40 repeat protein 1 (WDR1) was the vertebrate homologue of actin-interacting protein 1 (Aip1). Even though previous studies have provided the clues on the function of WDR1 in specific organs under pathological conditions, the exact subcellular localization of WDR1 is not known. Therefore, in the present study, we undertook to determine the distribution of WDR1 within PC12 pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells) using light and electron microscopic techniques. Double immunocytochemistry clearly showed that WDR1 immunoreactivities (IRs) were co-localized with anti-actin antibody, suggesting the involvement of WDR1 in actin dynamics. WDR1 immunoreactivities (IRs) in PC12 cells showed different distribution patterns as nerve growth factor (NGF) concentrations varied. During active proliferation, the distribution of WDR1 IRs seemed to be similar to those found in cortical actin patches, whereas WDR1 IR was observed in cytoplasmic actin cables after PC12 cells were induced to differentiate by treating with NGF. Though further studies are necessary to determine the function of WDR1, the current data represents a first step towards the in vitro study of WDR1 protein.

Ginsenosides inhibit EGF-induced proliferation of renal proximal tubule cells via decrease of c-fos and c-jun gene expression in vitro.

Recent epidemiological studies have demonstrated that ginseng intake is associated with a reduced risk for environmentally related cancers. However, the effects of ginsenosides on the proliferation of renal proximal tubule cells have not yet elucidated. This study investigated the effect of total ginsenosides, protopanaxatriol (PT) saponin, and protopanaxadiol (PD) saponin fraction on epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced renal cell proliferation and, furthermore, c-fos and c-jun gene expression. In the present study, total ginsenosides (10 -6 g/ml) completely blocked EGF-induced DNA synthesis and cell growth. In contrast, the PT and PD fractions partially blocked it. In addition, the EGF-induced increase of c-fos and c-jun gene expression was completely blocked by total ginsenosides and partially by PT and PD saponins. In conclusion, ginsenosides, in part, inhibit EGF-induced cell proliferation via decrease of c-fos and c-jun gene expression in primary cultured rabbit renal proximal tubular cells (PTCs). Abbreviations. EGF:epidermal growth factor PD:protopanaxadiol PT:protopanaxatriol PTCs:primary cultured renal proximal tubule cells