Effects of Mollugo pentaphylla extract on monosodium urate crystal-induced gouty arthritis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Gout is an inflammatory condition induced by the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in joints and soft tissues, and it can lead to acute or chronic arthritis. MSU are pro-inflammatory stimuli that can initiate, amplify and sustain an intense inflammatory response. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of an extract of Mollugo pentaphylla (MPE) on MSU-induced gouty arthritis in a mouse model. METHOD: An MSU crystal suspension (4 mg/50 µL) was injected intradermally into the right paw. The mice were orally administered MPE (150 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg) or the positive control drug colchicine (1 mg/kg) 1 h before the MSU crystals were injected and then once daily for 3 days. The effects of MPE included inflammatory paw edema and pain upon weight-bearing activity, and we evaluated the inflammatory cytokine expression and paw tissue inflammation-related gene expression. RESULTS: MPE suppressed inflammatory paw edema and pain in the MSU-induced mice. MPE showed anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the production of TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that MPE has potent anti-inflammatory activities and may be useful as a therapeutic agent against gouty arthritis.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Liriope platyphylla in LPS-Stimulated Macrophages and Endotoxemic Mice.

In the present study, the anti-inflammatory and antisepticemic activities of a water extract of Liriope platyphylla (LP) were investigated. We first estimated the scavenging activity of DPPH and the hydroxyl radical and total phenolic contents of LP. Results indicated that LP, a rich source of phenolic compounds, showed a remarkable radical scavenging capacity. A MTT assay showed that LP treatment did not affect the toxicity against the RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, up to the concentration of 500[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL. Treatment of LP significantly attenuated the production of inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-[Formula: see text] and prostaglandin (PG)E2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages cells. Moreover, LP contributed to the down-regulation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and TNF-[Formula: see text] mRNA expression, as well as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression. A western blotting assay further showed that LP inhibited activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor (NF)-[Formula: see text]B. In an animal experiment using an LPS-induced septicemia model in C57BL/6 mice, oral administration of LP (40[Formula: see text]mg/kg body weight) markedly reduced the level of TNF-[Formula: see text] and IL-6 in serum and protected against LPS-induced lethal shock in mice. Taken together, the results of treatments of LP on inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory responses in both in vitro and in vivo models and indicate it may be a promising neutraceutical or medicinal agent to prevent or cure inflammation-related disease.

Efficacy of a training program for long-term disease- free cancer survivors as health partners: a randomized controlled trial in Korea.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether the Health Partner Program is effective in training long-term cancer survivors to be health coaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We randomly assigned cancer survivors who were selected through a rigorous screening process to either the Health Partner Program or the waiting-list control group. The program consisted of 8 weeks of training in health management, leadership, and coaching. At baseline, 8, and 16 weeks, we measured primary outcomes using the Seven Habit Profile (SHP), the Korean Leadership Coaching Competency Inventory (KCCI), Ed Diner's Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Posttraumatic Growth inventory (PTGI) and secondary outcomes using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) short form 36-item questionnaire (SF- 36). RESULTS: We recruited 70 subjects and randomly assigned 34 to the intervention group. The Sharpen the Saw habit of the SHP increased significantly more in intervention group than in the control group (p = 0.049), as did most PTGI factors. The intervention group also showed a significantly greater enhancement of vitality (p = 0.015) and mental health (p = 0.049) SF-36 scores but no improvement in KCCI, SWLS, HADS, or IES-R scores. The intervention group also showed a greater clinically meaningful improvement in the "Think Win-Win" of SHP (p = 0.043) and in the personal strength score (p = 0.025) and total score (p = 0.015) of the PTGI. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term cancer survivors can benefit from the Health Partner Program to become health coaches.