In Vitro and In Vivo Protective Effects of Lentil (Lens culinaris) Extract against Oxidative Stress-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

Excessive oxidative stress plays a role in hepatotoxicity and the pathogenesis of hepatic diseases. In our previous study, the phenolic extract of beluga lentil (BLE) showed the most potent in vitro antioxidant activity among extracts of four common varieties of lentils; thus, we hypothesized that BLE might protect liver cells against oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity. BLE was evaluated for its protective effects against oxidative stress-induced hepatotoxicity in AML12 mouse hepatocytes and BALB/c mice. H2O2 treatment caused a marked decrease in cell viability; however, pretreatment with BLE (25-100 µg/mL) for 24 h significantly preserved the viability of H2O2-treated cells up to about 50% at 100 µg/mL. As expected, BLE dramatically reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in a dose-dependent manner in H2O2-treated cells. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that BLE reduced cellular ROS levels, partly by increasing expression of antioxidant genes. Furthermore, pretreatment with BLE (400 mg/kg) for 2 weeks significantly reduced serum levels of alanine transaminase and triglyceride by about 49% and 40%, respectively, and increased the expression and activity of glutathione peroxidase in CCl4-treated BALB/c mice. These results suggest that BLE protects liver cells against oxidative stress, partly by inducing cellular antioxidant system; thus, it represents a potential source of nutraceuticals with hepatoprotective effects.

Resting State Functional Connectivity of the Thalamus in North Korean Refugees with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

In posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), functional connectivity (FC) between the thalamus and other brain areas has yet to be comprehensively investigated. The present study explored resting state FC (rsFC) of thalamus and its associations with trauma-related features. The included subjects were North Korean refugees with PTSD (n = 23), trauma-exposed North Korean refugees without PTSD (trauma-exposed control [TEC] group, n = 22), and South Korean healthy controls (HCs) without traumatic experiences (HC group, n = 40). All participants underwent psychiatric evaluation and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) procedures using the bilateral thalamus as seeds. In the TEC group, the negative rsFC between each thalamus and its contralateral postcentral cortex was stronger relative to the PTSD and HC groups, while positive rsFC between the left thalamus and left precentral cortex was stronger in the HC group compared to the PTSD and TEC groups. Thalamo-postcentral rsFC was positively correlated with the CAPS total score in the TEC group, and with the number of traumatic experiences in the PTSD group. The present study identified the difference of thalamic rsFC alterations among traumatized refugees and HCs. Negative rsFC between the thalamus and somatosensory cortices might be compensatory changes after multiple traumatic events in refugees.

Perineural pretreatment of bee venom attenuated the development of allodynia in the spinal nerve ligation injured neuropathic pain model; an experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Diluted bee venom (BV) is known to have anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects. We therefore assessed whether perineural bee venom pretreatment could attenuate the development of neuropathic pain in the spinal nerve ligation injured animal model. METHODS: Neuropathic pain was surgically induced in 30 male Sprague Dawley rats by ligation of the L5 and L6 spinal nerves, with 10 rats each treated with saline and 0.05 and 0.1 mg BV. Behavioral testing for mechanical, cold, and thermal allodynia was conducted on postoperative days 3 to 29. Three rats in each group and 9 sham operated rats were sacrificed on day 9, and the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1), ankyrin type 1 (TRPA1), and melastatin type 8 (TRPM8) receptors in the ipsilateral L5 dorsal root ganglion was analyzed. RESULTS: The perineural administration of BV to the spinal nerves attenuated the development of mechanical, thermal, and cold allodynia, and the BV pretreatment reduced the expression of TRPV1, TRPA1, TRPM8 and c - Fos in the ipsilateral dorsal root ganglion. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates that the perineural pretreatment with diluted bee venom before the induction of spinal nerve ligation significantly suppresses the development of neuropathic pain. Furthermore, this bee venom induced suppression was strongly related with the involvement of transient receptor potential family members.

The effects of PG102, a water-soluble extract from Actinidia arguta, on serum total IgE levels: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled exploratory clinical study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported that blocking IgE has a potentially beneficial role in the treatment of various allergic diseases. Previously, we found that PG102, a water-soluble extract prepared from the edible fruits of Actinidia arguta, can effectively reduce IgE levels using murine models. AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy of PG102 at lowering levels of total IgE in asymptomatic subjects with atopy. METHODS: A total of 90 asymptomatic subjects with atopy were randomized equally to a PG102 group or a placebo control group and treated for 8 weeks in a double-blind manner. Total serum IgE, eosinophilic cation protein (ECP), eotaxin, thymus, and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 levels were measured. Eosinophil counts were determined before and after treatment, and results were compared. In addition, possible adverse reactions were thoroughly checked in this first human trial. RESULTS: Levels of total IgE significantly increased in the control group but showed no change in the PG102 group, and change differences between the control and PG102 groups were significant (+12.9%, vs.-5.7%, p = 0.015). Levels of ECP and eotaxin and eosinophil counts produced similar results. However, the other variables showed no significant changes after treatment. CONCLUSION: In this exploratory clinical trial, it was found that 8 weeks of treatment with PG102 effectively reduced the levels of total IgE in apparently asymptomatic subjects with atopy.

Epidemiologic and clinical features of anaphylaxis in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the characteristics of anaphylaxis in Korea or even in Asia. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of anaphylaxis and the clinical features of patients with anaphylaxis in a Korean tertiary care hospital. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review from January 1, 2000, through July 31, 2006, of 138 patients with anaphylaxis, including inpatients, outpatients, and emergency department visitors, in the Seoul National University Hospital. RESULTS: Among 978,146 patients, 138 (0.014%) had anaphylaxis. Two cardiopulmonary resuscitations were performed and 1 death occurred. The total mortality rate of anaphylactic patients was 0.0001%. The causes of anaphylaxes were drug (35.3%), food (21.3%), food-dependent exercise-induced (13.2%), idiopathic (13.2%), insect stings (11.8%), exercise induced (2.9%), blood products (1.5%), and latex (0.7%). Radiocontrast media and buckwheat were the leading causes of drug and food anaphylaxis, respectively. The organs most frequently involved in the anaphylaxis were cutaneous (95.7%), cardiovascular (76.8%), and respiratory (74.6%). The most common manifestations were dyspnea (71.3%), urticaria (81.9%), and angioedema (69.4%). Three of 138 patients (2.2%) had biphasic reactions. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence, mortality rate, and clinical features of Korean patients with anaphylaxis were similar to rates for patients from other countries, despite some differences in causative agents.