The Vasorelaxatory Effect of Nelumbo nucifera Spornioderm on Porcine Coronary Artery.

Endothelium dysfunction is a hallmark of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is characterized by loss of homeostasis. Nitric oxide deprivation, unbalanced production of vasoactive factors such as thromboxane, endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) and production of reactive oxygen species are known as early indicators of CVD. Bioavailability of nitric oxide, antioxidative activity, and regulation of ionic homeostasis are the key targets for prevention of CVD. In this study, we investigated the vasorelaxant action of Nelumbo nucifera extract as well as the underlying mechanism using porcine coronary artery. Vasorelaxant effect of extracts from four different parts of Nelumbo nucifera (flower, leaf, seed, and spornioderm) was tested. Among them, extracts from Nelumbo nucifera spornioderm (NNS) showed the strongest endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. Vasorelaxation effect of NNS was markedly reduced by inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), inhibitor of Phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K) and inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), but unaffected by inhibitor of cyclooxygenase and EDHF. NNS induced concentration-dependent phosphorylation of eNOS in endothelial cells. Altogether, our study demonstrated that NNS is a potent endothelium-dependent vasodilator, mediated by PI3K-eNOS-sGC pathway. Our present findings showed NNS as a potential herbal candidate for the therapy of cardiovascular diseases associated with endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis.

Osteogenic potential of Frondoside A in human periodontal ligament cells: an RNA-Seq analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Frondoside A (FA) on the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. METHODS: Human PDL cells were cultured in osteogenic medium and treated with FA at concentrations of 0, 0.05, and 0.2 µM for 14 days. The expression levels of genes associated with osteogenic differentiation were assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Subsequently, RNA sequencing was performed to identify enriched gene sets following FA treatment. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured to confirm the osteogenic potential of FA. RESULTS: Treatment with 0.2 µM FA significantly increased the expression levels of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), ALP, and osteocalcin (OCN) at day 3, while also significantly elevating the expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), RUNX2, ALP, OCN, and osterix (OSX) at day 14 (P<0.017). Hallmark gene sets enriched during FA treatment were associated with the KRAS (normalized enrichment score [NES]=2.02, Q=0.000), interferon alpha (IFN-α) (NES=1.88, Q=0.001), IFN-γ (NES=1.85, Q<0.001), hypoxia (NES=1.79, Q=0.001), and p53 (NES=1.77, Q=0.001) signaling pathways. Additionally, treatment with 0.2 µM FA significantly intensified ALP staining at day 14 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, FA treatment influenced periodontal regeneration by promoting the osteogenic differentiation of human PDL cells.

Muscular sarcoidosis detected by F-18 FDG PET/CT in a hypercalcemic patient.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology that involves many organs, occasionally mimicking malignancy. We herein report a 50-yr-old woman of muscular sarcoidosis of chronic myopathic type, manifested by hypercalcemia and muscle wasting. Besides insignificant hilar lymphadenopathy, her sarcoidosis was confined to generalized atrophic muscles and therefore, F-18 FDG PET/CT alone among conventional imaging studies provided diagnostic clues for the non-parathyroid-related hypercalcemia. On follow-up PET/CT during low-dose steroid treatment, FDG uptake in the muscles disappeared whereas that in the hilar lymph nodes remained. PET/CT may be useful in the evaluation of unexpected disease extent and monitoring treatment response in suspected or known sarcoidosis patients.

Combination of Garcinia cambogia Extract and Pear Pomace Extract Additively Suppresses Adipogenesis and Enhances Lipolysis in 3T3-L1 Cells.

BACKGROUND: Inhibition of adipogenesis has been a therapeutic target for reducing obesity and obesity-related disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancer. For decades, anti-adipogenic potential of many herbal extracts has been investigated. One example is Garcinia cambogia extract (GE) containing (-)-hydroxycitric acid as an active ingredient. GE is currently marketed as a weight loss supplement, used alone or with other ingredients. Pear pomace extract (PE), another natural product, has been also shown to have anti-adipogenic activity in a recent report. OBJECTIVE: It was tested if the mixture of PE and GE (MIX) would produce more effective anti-adipogenic activity than PE or GE alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocyte was induced by adding insulin, dexamethasone, and isobutylmethylxanthine and lipid accumulation was measured by Oil Red O staining. Cellular markers for adipogenesis and lipolysis such as CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP-α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) was measured using immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: MIX, compared to PE or GE alone, showed greater inhibition of lipid accumulation. Furthermore, MIX reduced the expression of adipogenesis-related factors C/EBP-α, PPAR-γ, and FAS more than PE or GE alone did. In contrast, the expression of HSL the enzyme required for lipolysis was further enhanced in MIX-treated adipocytes compared to the PE or GE alone treated groups. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-adipogenic effect of PE and GE appears synergistic, and the MIX may be a useful therapeutic combination for the treatment of obesity and obesity-related diseases. SUMMARY: PE and GE efficiently inhibited adipocyte differentiation by suppressing the expression of adipogenic transcription factor CEBP-α and PPAR-γ.PE and GE significantly decreased the expression of adipogenic enzyme FAS.PE and GE increased the expression of lipid degrading enzyme HSL.Mixture of PE and GE exhibited additive or moderately synergistic effect on adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation. Abbreviations used: CEBP-a: CCAT/enhancer binding protein alpha, CI: Combination Index, FAS: Fatty acid synthase, GE: Garcinia cambogia extract, HSL: Hormone sensitive lipase, PE: Pear pomace extract, PPAR-γ: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.