Tumor growth reduction is regulated at the gene level in Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats supplemented with fish oil rich in EPA and DHA.

We investigated the effect of fish oil (FO) supplementation on tumor growth, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and RelA gene and protein expression in Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats. Male Wistar rats (70 days old) were fed with regular chow (group W) or chow supplemented with 1 g/kg body weight FO daily (group WFO) until they reached 100 days of age. Both groups were then inoculated with a suspension of Walker 256 ascitic tumor cells (3 × 10(7) cells/mL). After 14 days the rats were killed, total RNA was isolated from the tumor tissue, and relative mRNA expression was measured using the 2(-ΔΔCT) method. FO significantly decreased tumor growth (W=13.18 ± 1.58 vs WFO=5.40 ± 0.88 g, P<0.05). FO supplementation also resulted in a significant decrease in COX-2 (W=100.1 ± 1.62 vs WFO=59.39 ± 5.53, P<0.001) and PPARγ (W=100.4 ± 1.04 vs WFO=88.22 ± 1.46, P<0.05) protein expression. Relative mRNA expression was W=1.06 ± 0.022 vs WFO=0.31 ± 0.04 (P<0.001) for COX-2, W=1.08 ± 0.02 vs WFO=0.52 ± 0.08 (P<0.001) for PPARγ, and W=1.04 ± 0.02 vs WFO=0.82 ± 0.04 (P<0.05) for RelA. FO reduced tumor growth by attenuating inflammatory gene expression associated with carcinogenesis.

Tumor growth reduction is regulated at the gene level in Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats supplemented with fish oil rich in EPA and DHA

We investigated the effect of fish oil (FO) supplementation on tumor growth, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and RelA gene and protein expression in Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats. Male Wistar rats (70 days old) were fed with regular chow (group W) or chow supplemented with 1 g/kg body weight FO daily (group WFO) until they reached 100 days of age. Both groups were then inoculated with a suspension of Walker 256 ascitic tumor cells (3×107 cells/mL). After 14 days the rats were killed, total RNA was isolated from the tumor tissue, and relative mRNA expression was measured using the 2-ΔΔCT method. FO significantly decreased tumor growth (W=13.18±1.58 vs WFO=5.40±0.88 g, P<0.05). FO supplementation also resulted in a significant decrease in COX-2 (W=100.1±1.62 vs WFO=59.39±5.53, P<0.001) and PPARγ (W=100.4±1.04 vs WFO=88.22±1.46, P<0.05) protein expression. Relative mRNA expression was W=1.06±0.022 vs WFO=0.31±0.04 (P<0.001) for COX-2, W=1.08±0.02 vs WFO=0.52±0.08 (P<0.001) for PPARγ, and W=1.04±0.02 vs WFO=0.82±0.04 (P<0.05) for RelA. FO reduced tumor growth by attenuating inflammatory gene expression associated with carcinogenesis.

Efficacy of porcine placental extract on climacteric symptoms in peri- and postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVES: Injections of human placental extract have long been used to treat menopausal symptoms. Recently, porcine placental extract (PPE), an oral supplement, has been developed for this purpose. The aim of this study was to assess whether PPE has an impact on climacteric symptoms in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. METHODS: Seventy-six women with climacteric symptoms were enrolled into this open-label, randomized, controlled study. The control group (n = 38) underwent 24 weeks of open treatment with Toki-shakuyaku-san (TJ23), an oral herbal remedy used to alleviate climacteric symptoms. The PPE group (n = 38) received three capsules of PPE/day orally for the initial 12 weeks and six capsules/day for the next 12 weeks. Climacteric symptoms were evaluated in both groups using the Simplified Menopausal Index (SMI) score, Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS) and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before commencing treatment, after 12 weeks of treatment and on completion of treatment. RESULTS: Treatment with PPE was significantly (p < 0.01) more effective in reducing the SMI, ZSDS and STAI measures at 12 and 24 weeks than TJ23 treatment alone. Treatment with PPE was also significantly effective (p < 0.01) in reducing the subscale scores of the SMI for items such as hot flushes, insomnia, irritability, depression, fatigue and joint pain. PPE treatment had no significant adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Oral PPE treatment is another possible option for treating perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with climacteric symptoms.

Efficacy of porcine placental extracts with hormone therapy for postmenopausal women with knee pain.

OBJECTIVES: Knee pain related to osteoarthritis increases with age and is more common in middle-aged women. Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) improves knee pain, women unresponsive to HRT need an effective adjunctive therapy. The aim of this study was to assess whether oral porcine placental extracts (PPE) have an impact on patients with knee pain as an adjunctive therapy combined with HRT. METHODS: Forty-eight postmenopausal women with knee pain receiving HRT were enrolled into this open-label, randomized, controlled study. Subjects were randomized into Group 1 (n= 24) or Group 2 (n=24). Subjects in Group 1 were given 3 months open treatment with calcium (260 mg/day) as adjunctive therapy combined with HRT. Group 2 received PPE (9 capsules/day) as adjunctive therapy combined with HRT. Changes in the degree of knee pain were evaluated by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: Treatment with PPE was significantly effective in reducing the VAS score for knee pain at 4 weeks (p < 0.05), at 8 weeks (p< 0.01) and at 12 weeks (p<0.01), compared with the control group. Interestingly, the effects continued for 4 weeks after cessation of treatment in the PPE group (p< 0.01) compared with the control group. The PPE treatment had no significant adverse effects on blood biochemical and metabolic profiles, especially related to the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: PPE is a possible option as an adjunctive oral supplement in the case of HRT-resistant, long-lasting knee pain.

Diarylheptanoids suppress expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules on human vascular endothelial cells.

Diarylheptanoids possess potent anti-inflammatory properties. However, the mechanism of their action is not fully understood. In this study, we found that three diarylheptanoids, 1-(3, 5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-phenylhept-1-en-3-one (YPE-01), yakuchinone B and demethyl-yakuchinone B, reduced the adhesion of both human monocytic cell line U937 and human eosinophilic cell line EoL-1 cells to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In addition, they suppressed interleukin-1beta- or TNF-alpha-induced expression of E-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on the surface of the endothelial cells. Since YPE-01 reduced both VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 mRNA induction in TNF-alpha-stimulated endothelial cells, diarylheptanoids appeared to suppress adhesion molecule expression at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, YPE-01 suppressed both VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 mRNA induction as well as edema in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-inflamed mice ears in vivo. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory action of diarylheptanoids is, at least in part, due to their suppressive effect on the surface expression of inducible adhesion molecules in endothelial cells, and subsequent leukocyte adhesion.

A comparative study on the effects of three types of laser irradiation at the apical stop and apical leakage after obturation.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to determine the degree of apical leakage using a dye penetration method after argon, pulsed Nd:YAG with or without black ink, or Er:YAG laser treatment and obturation, and to compare the results of three types of laser irradiation in vitro. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: There have been only a few reports of the laser effect on apical leakage after laser treatment and obturation. METHODS: Seventy-five human extracted single root teeth were divided into five groups of 15 teeth each and prepared up to a #60 K-file size. One group served as the control and was not irradiated. The other four groups were irradiated with an argon laser at 0.3 W for 3 seconds at continuous mode, pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 2 W and 20 Hz for 4 seconds with or without black ink, and Er:YAG laser at 50 mJ per pulse and 4 Hz for 5 seconds. In each group, ten teeth for the apical leakage study were obturated and immersed in rhodamine B solution for 48 hours at 37 degrees C, and the others were used for the observation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All teeth were longitudinally bisected and observed by stereoscopy or SEM. RESULTS: After pulsed Nd:YAG laser treatment with black ink and obturation, the apical leakage degree (mean score: 0) was reduced compared to that in the control (mean score: 1.2) significantly (p < 0.05). SEM findings showed that specimens irradiated by pulsed Nd:YAG laser with black ink presented clean root canal walls with debris and smear layer evaporated, melted, fused, and recrystallized in most cases. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation with black ink at the apical stop is useful for the reduction of apical leakage after obturation.

Development of a novel method for determination of acetyl-CoA:1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine acetyltransferase activity and its application to screening for acetyltransferase inhibitors. Inhibition by magnolol and honokiol from Magnoliae cortex.

A method was developed for determining the activity of acetyl-CoA:1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.67), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of platelet-activating factor (PAF, 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine). The assay involves measurement of the radioactivity in the trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-precipitated complex of radioactive product and albumin after incubation of 1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and [3H]acetyl-CoA with rat spleen microsomes or membrane fractions of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). The radioactive product associated with the precipitate was identified as PAF using an ultrahigh-sensitivity TV camera system after extraction and separation by TLC. This TCA method was then used to screen the components of crude preparations that inhibited acetyltransferase activity. Major components from the cortex of Magnoliae (magnolol and honokiol), which have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial actions, inhibited the acetyltransferase activity in rat spleen microsomes (IC50, 150 and 150 microM, respectively) and membrane fractions of human PMNs (IC50, 70 and 60 microM, respectively). The inhibitory action of magnolol and honokiol was reversible, and similar to or higher than that of nordihydroguaiaretic acid. PAF production in human PMNs stimulated by the ionophore A23187 was also suppressed dose dependently by magnolol and honokiol. These activities may be relevant to the claimed therapeutic effects of the extract from Magnoliae cortex.