Vasorelaxant and Blood Pressure-Lowering Effects of Cnidium monnieri Fruit Ethanol Extract in Sprague Dawley and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson, a member of the Apiaceae family, is rich in coumarins, such as imperatorin and osthole. Cnidium monnieri fruit (CM) has a broad range of therapeutic potential that can be used in anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, and sexual dysfunction treatments. However, its efficacy in lowering blood pressure through vasodilation remains unknown. This study aimed to assess the potential therapeutic effect of CM 50% ethanol extract (CME) on hypertension and the mechanism of its vasorelaxant effect. CME (1-30 µg/mL) showed a concentration-dependent vasorelaxation on constricted aortic rings in Sprague Dawley rats induced by phenylephrine via an endothelium-independent mechanism. The vasorelaxant effect of CME was inhibited by blockers of voltage-dependent and Ca2+-activated K+ channels. Additionally, CME inhibited the vascular contraction induced by angiotensin II and CaCl2. The main active compounds of CM, i.e., imperatorin (3-300 µM) and osthole (1-100 µM), showed a concentration-dependent vasorelaxation effect, with half-maximal effective concentration values of 9.14 ± 0.06 and 5.98 ± 0.06 µM, respectively. Orally administered CME significantly reduced the blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Our research shows that CME is a promising treatment option for hypertension. However, further studies are required to fully elucidate its therapeutic potential.

Blood-Pressure-Lowering and Endothelium-Dependent Vasorelaxant Effects of Nutgall Tree in Rats.

Hypertension is the crucial modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and efforts to identify functional foods that are effective for hypertension control are increasing. The nutgall tree (NT, Rhus chinensis Mill.) is used in traditional medicine and food because of its medicinal value. However, the role of NT in hypertension has not been investigated. Therefore, the hypotensive effect of NT leaf ethanol extract (NTE) was investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). SHRs were allocated to three groups (control, 300, or 1000 mg/kg NTE), and blood pressure was measured before and after oral administration. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased in the NTE 1000 mg/kg group and was the lowest at 2 h after administration (-26.4 ± 10.3, -33.5 ± 9.8%, respectively). Daily NTE administration for five days also resulted in a similar effect. Further, the vasorelaxant effects and related mechanisms were investigated in the aortas of Sprague Dawley rats. NTE showed the dose-dependent blood-vessel-relaxing effect, and its mechanism involves the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway, activation of K+ channels, and reduction in the vasoconstrictive action of angiotensin II. Therefore, our study provides basic data indicating the potential use of NTE as a functional food for high blood pressure.

Influence of Feeding Time on a Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug-induced Small Intestinal Injury Mouse Model.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the most widely used pharmaceuticals, induce various adverse effects, including gastrointestinal injuries, such as ulcers and bleeding. Animal models of NSAID-induced small intestinal injury (NSI) have been extensively employed for the development of preventive and therapeutic agents. However, some experimental variations related to feeding times have been observed following NSI induction. This study aimed to investigate the impact of feeding time on an NSI mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mice were divided into eight groups: normal, sham, and model groups (with feeding times of 2 h, 6 h, 10 h, 14 h, 18 h, and 22 h; n=10 in each group). The mice were fasted for 18 h before the injection of indomethacin (15 mg/kg, subcutaneously), except for the normal group. Food supply was halted at specific time points (2 h, 6 h, 10 h, 14 h, 18 h, and 22 h); however, the normal and sham groups were continuously fed throughout the experiment. The length of the small intestine was measured, and histological analysis was performed 24 h after induction. RESULTS: Up to 14 h after induction, NSI, indicated by small intestine shortening, remained consistent, with a reduction in length of approximately 10-20%. However, feeding for more than 14 h significantly exacerbated NSI, both anatomically and histologically. CONCLUSION: The ulcerative changes observed in the small intestine 14 h after indomethacin injection may be closely associated with the influence of food on NSI.

Sakuranetin as a Potential Regulator of Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Promoting Vasorelaxation through Calcium Channel Blockade.

Natural compounds, known for diverse pharmacological properties, have attracted attention as potential sources for hypertension treatment. Previous studies have revealed the hypotensive effect and vascular relaxation of prunetin, a natural compound derived from Prunus yedoensis. However, the potential blood pressure-lowering and vasorelaxant effects of sakuranetin, another representative compound found in plants belonging to the genus Prunus, have remained unexplored. We aimed to fill this gap by investigating the hypotensive and vasorelaxant effects of sakuranetin in rats. Results indicated that sakuranetin, particularly in the sakuranetin 20 mg/kg group, led to significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by -14.53 ± 5.64% and -19.83 ± 6.56% at 4 h after administration. In the sakuranetin 50 mg/kg group, the SBP and DBP decreased by -13.27 ± 6.86% and -16.62 ± 10.01% at 2 h and by -21.61 ± 4.49% and -30.45 ± 5.21% at 4 h after administration. In addition, we identified the vasorelaxant effects of sakuranetin, attributing its mechanisms to the inhibition of calcium influx and the modulation of angiotensin II. Considering its hypotensive and vasorelaxant effects, sakuranetin could potentially serve as an antihypertensive agent. However, further research is required to evaluate the safety and long-term efficacy.

Lipocalin-2 Is a Key Regulator of Neuroinflammation in Secondary Traumatic and Ischemic Brain Injury.

Reactive glial cells are hallmarks of brain injury. However, whether these cells contribute to secondary inflammatory pathology and neurological deficits remains poorly understood. Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) has inflammatory and neurotoxic effects in various disease models; however, its pathogenic role in traumatic brain injury remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of LCN2 and its role in neuroinflammation following brain injury. LCN2 expression was high in the mouse brain after controlled cortical impact (CCI) and photothrombotic stroke (PTS) injury. Brain levels of LCN2 mRNA and protein were also significantly higher in patients with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) than in normal subjects. RT-PCR and immunofluorescence analyses revealed that astrocytes were the major cellular source of LCN2 in the injured brain. Lcn2 deficiency or intracisternal injection of an LCN2 neutralizing antibody reduced CCI- and PTS-induced brain lesions, behavioral deficits, and neuroinflammation. Mechanistically, in cultured glial cells, recombinant LCN2 protein enhanced scratch injury-induced proinflammatory cytokine gene expression and inhibited Gdnf gene expression, whereas Lcn2 deficiency exerted opposite effects. Together, our results from CTE patients, rodent brain injury models, and cultured glial cells suggest that LCN2 mediates secondary damage response to traumatic and ischemic brain injury by promoting neuroinflammation and suppressing the expression of neurotropic factors.

Therapeutic Potential of Chungsangboha-tang for the Treatment of Asthma: A Review of Preclinical and Clinical Studies.

In traditional Korean medicine, Chungsangboha-tang (CSBHT) and its modified forms are used to treat various respiratory disorders, including asthma. This study aimed to identify research trends, clarify the effectiveness of CSBHT and related prescriptions, and lay a foundation for future research. We conducted a literature review using PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, National Digital Science Links, Korean Medical Database, Wanfang Data, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. We analyzed 25 studies, including 5 in vitro studies, 6 animal studies, and 14 human studies. Many studies evaluated the efficacy of CSBHT and its related prescriptions, including experimental studies on its effectiveness in asthma. The main mechanism of action involves the anti-inflammatory effect caused by the regulation of various immune cells, cytokines, and chemokines. In addition, clinical trials on asthma reported the benefits of CSBHT and its related prescriptions. However, there has been no randomized controlled study of clinical trials on the clinical effectiveness of CSBHT in asthma. Therefore, large-scale randomized controlled studies should be conducted in the future.

Modified Protocol to Enable the Study of Hemorrhage and Hematoma in a Traumatic Brain Injury Mouse Model.

To date, many studies using the controlled cortical impact (CCI) mouse model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have presented results without presenting the pathophysiology of the injury-core itself or the temporal features of hemorrhage (Hrr). This might be owing to the removal of the injury-core during the histological procedure. We therefore developed a modified protocol to preserve the injury-core. The heads of mice were obtained after perfusion and were post-fixed. The brains were then harvested, retaining the ipsilateral skull bone; these were post-fixed again and sliced using a cryocut. To validate the utility of the procedure, the temporal pattern of Hrr depending on the impacting depth was analyzed. CCI-TBI was induced at the following depths: 1.5 mm (mild Hrr), 2.5 mm (moderate Hrr), and 3.5 mm (severe Hrr). A pharmacological study was also conducted using hemodynamic agents such as warfarin (2 mg/kg) and coagulation factor VIIa (Coa-VIIa, 1 mg/kg). The current protocol enabled the visual observation of the Hrr until 7 days. Hrr peaked at 1-3 days and then decreased to the normal range on the seventh day. It expanded from the affected cortex (mild) to the periphery of the hippocampus (moderate) and the brain ventricle (severe). Pharmacological studies showed that warfarin pre-treatment produced a massively increased Hrr, concurrent with the highest mortality rate and brain injury. Coa-VIIa reduced the side effects of warfarin. Therefore, these results suggest that the current method might be suitable to conduct studies on hemorrhage, hematoma, and the injury-core in experiments using the CCI-TBI mouse model.

Efficacy of complementary medicine for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced small intestinal injuries: A narrative review.

ABSTRACT: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced small bowel injuries (NSIs) have been largely ignored for decades due to the focus on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug gastropathy. With the visualization of the small intestines enabled by video capsule endoscopy, the frequency and severity of NSIs have become more evident. NSIs have a complex pathophysiology, and no effective preventive or treatment options have been proven. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been used to treat disorders of the small intestine, and more research on its effectiveness for NSIs has been conducted.We reviewed the current evidence and mechanisms of action of CAMs on NSI. Clinical and experimental studies on the effect of CAMs on NSIs were performed using 10 databases.Twenty-two studies (3 clinical and 19 in vivo experimental studies) were included in the final analysis involving 10 kinds of CAMs: bovine colostrum, Orengedokuto (coptis), muscovite, licorice, grape seed, wheat, brown seaweed, Ganoderma lucidum fungus mycelia, Chaenomeles speciosa (sweet) Nakai (muguasantie), and Jinghua Weikang capsule. The mechanisms of CAM include an increase in prostaglandin E2, reparation of the enteric nervous system, inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, reduction of intestinal permeability and enteric bacterial numbers, decrease in oxidative stress, and modulation of small intestinal motility.CAM may be a novel alternative option for treating and preventing NSI, and further studies on human and animal models with relevant comorbidities are warranted.

Anti-colitic effects of the modified Bojanggunbi-tang on dextran sulfate sodium-induced mouse colitis model.

Bojanggunbi-tang (BGT) is a well-known and widely used herbal prescription in Korea for colon diseases, with well-documented pharmacological effects on the digestive system. The current study aimed to develop a new simple and effective prescription using the original prescription. mBGT, a modified BGT, was developed by mixing the extracts of Lonicera japonica Thunb., Alisma orientalis and Atractylodes macrocephala based on a literature review and screening of 16 kinds of component herbs of BGT. A colitis mouse (Male, BALB/c) model was induced using dextran sulfate sodium (5%). The effects of BGT and mBGT on body weight, histological damage, clinical score, macroscopic score and colon length were compared. The mechanisms of action were analyzed based on cytokine production in colon tissue. mBGT at 300mg/kg showed similar effectiveness to that of BGT on colon shortening (P<0.01), clinical score (P<0.05), macroscopic score (P<0.01) and histological damage (P<0.01). In addition, mBGT decreased cytokines, including Interleukin 1 beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha and Interleukin 17, in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, mBGT could be a substitute prescription for BGT in clinics and a candidate for the development of a new BGT-based therapeutic agent against colitis.

Efficacy and safety of Ojeok-san plus Saengmaek-san for gastroesophageal reflux-induced chronic cough: protocol for a pilot, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a major cause of chronic cough. GERD-induced chronic cough is difficult to diagnose because some patients do not complain of any gastrointestinal (GI) reflux symptoms. Although chronic cough due to GERD is highly prevalent, no effective treatment is currently available, especially for GERD-related cough without GI symptoms. Because the herbal medicines Ojeok-san and Saengmaek-san can effectively treat GERD and cough, we aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination of these components for relieving chronic cough due to GERD. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a study protocol of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center pilot trial. After a 1-week run-in period, a total of 30 patients with GERD-induced chronic cough will be randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 15) or a placebo group (n = 15). Participants will receive 5.76 g of Ojeok-san plus Saengmaek-san or a placebo three times per day for 6 weeks. The primary outcome measures, which are the frequency and severity of cough, will be recorded using a cough diary. The secondary outcome measures will include a cough visual analogue scale, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (Korean version), the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, the Hull Airway Reflux (hypersensitivity) Questionnaire, the Pattern Identification for Chronic Cough Questionnaire, the Pattern Identification for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, and safety testing. Adverse events will also be reported. DISCUSSION: This will be the first clinical trial to explore the use of herbal medicines for GERD-related chronic cough, including patients without GI reflux symptoms. This study will provide useful evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of Ojeok-san plus Saengmaek-san treatment. In addition, this trial will offer a scientific basis for the combination of herbal medicines. This study will also provide important data for conducting a larger-scale clinical trial on GERD-induced chronic cough. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial has been registered with Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) of South Korea (http://cris.nih.go.kr; registration number KCT0003115). Registered August 28, 2018.

Icariin Improves Functional Behavior in a Mouse Model of Traumatic Brain Injury and Promotes Synaptic Plasticity Markers.

Epimedii Herba (EH) has been used in traditional Asian medicine to treat hemiplegia following stroke. Icariin, its major active component, is used as a quality-control marker and for its various pharmacological effects. We hypothesized that icariin would show protective effects following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The TBI mouse model was induced using a controlled cortical impact method. Body weight, brain damage, motor function, and cognitive function were evaluated. Synaptogenesis markers were analyzed to investigate potential mechanisms of action. The animals were divided into six groups: sham, control, minocycline-treated group, and icariin-treated (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg, p. o.) groups. The icariin 30 mg/kg-treated group regained body weight at 7 and 8 d post TBI. Icariin 30 mg/kg- and 10 mg/kg-treated groups showed enhanced sensory-motor function at 8 d post TBI in rotarod and balance beam tests. Icariin-treated groups showed increased recognition index in the novel object recognition test at all doses and increased spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze test at 30 mg/kg. Icariin upregulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor, synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein 95 expressions. However, no protective effects against brain damage or neuronal death were observed. The current results provide a basis for using icariin following TBI and suggest that it could be a candidate for the development of therapeutic agents for functional recovery after TBI.

Brain injury induces HIF-1α-dependent transcriptional activation of LRRK2 that exacerbates brain damage.

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), originally identified as a causative genetic factor in Parkinson's disease, is now associated with a number of pathologies. Here, we show that brain injury induces a robust expression of endogenous LRRK2 and suggest a role of LRRK2 after injury. We found that various in vitro and in vivo models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) markedly enhanced LRRK2 expression in neurons and also increased the level of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed direct binding of HIF-1α in LRRK2 proximal promoter. We also found that HIF-1α-dependent transcriptional induction of LRRK2 exacerbated neuronal cell death following injury. Furthermore, application of G1023, a specific, brain-permeable inhibitor of LRRK2, substantially prevented brain tissue damage, cell death, and inflammatory response and alleviated motor and cognitive defects induced by controlled cortical impact injury. Together, these results suggest HIF-1α-LRRK2 axis as a potential therapeutic target for brain injury.

Effects of Dangguisusan, a prescription of Korean medicine on controlled cortical impact-induced traumatic brain injury mouse model.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Dangguisusan (DGSS) is a widely used prescription for the treatment of traumatic injury in Korean medicine. AIM OF THE STUDY: To demonstrate the effects of DGSS on a mouse model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) for providing scientific evidence in clinical use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TBI was induced in a mouse model using the controlled cortical impact method. Water extract of DGSS (50, 150, and 450 mg/kg) was administered twice a day for 8 d. Histological analyses were performed 8 d after TBI. Moreover, beam-walking, grip-strength, and novel object recognition (NOR) tests were conducted to evaluate the effects on motor function, muscle strength, and cognitive memory function, respectively. RESULT: DGSS inhibited body weight loss, hippocampal damage, and neuronal loss in the thalamic region. Furthermore, it reduced transverse time and foot faults in the beam-walking test at 3 d and increased the muscle strength in the grip-strength test at 3 and 8 d. It also improved the recognition index (%) in the NOR test. However, DGSS did not show protective effects against total damage. CONCLUSIONS: DGSS might improve sensory-motor and cognitive functions after TBI with partial protective effects against brain damage. The present findings provide a scientific basis for the clinical use of DGSS in TBI.

The Effects of Chunghyul-Dan, an Agent of Korean Medicine, on a Mouse Model of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Chunghyul-Dan (CHD) is the first choice agent for the prevention and treatment of stroke at the Kyung Hee Medical Hospital. To date, CHD has been reported to have beneficial effects on brain disease in animals and humans, along with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacological effects of CHD on a traumatic brain injury (TBI) mouse model to explore the possibility of CHD use in patients with TBI. The TBI mouse model was induced using the controlled cortical impact method. CHD was orally administered twice a day for 5 d after TBI induction; mice were assessed for brain damage, brain edema, blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage, motor deficits, and cognitive impairment. Treatment with CHD reduced brain damage seen on histological examination and improved motor and cognitive functions. However, CHD did not reduce brain edema and BBB damage. In conclusion, CHD could be a candidate agent in the treatment of patients with TBI. Further studies are needed to assess the exact mechanisms of the effects during the acute-subacute phase and pharmacological activity during the chronic-convalescent phase of TBI.

Epimedii Herba: A Promising Herbal Medicine for Neuroplasticity.

Epimedii Herba (EH) is an herbal medicine originating from several plants of the genus Epimedium. It is a major therapeutic option for kidney yang deficiency syndrome, which is closely related to androgen hormones and also has been used to treat hemiplegia following a stroke in traditional medicine of Korea and PR China. To date, many clinical and basic researches of EH have shown the activities on functional recovery from brain diseases. Recently, neuroplasticity, which is the spontaneous reaction of the brain in response to diseases, has been shown to accelerate functional recovery. In addition, androgen hormones including testosterone are known to be the representative of neuroplasticity factors in the brain recovery processes. In this review, we described the neuro-pharmacological activities of EH, focusing on neuroplasticity. Thirty-three kinds of papers from MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and CNKI were identified and analyzed. We categorized the results into five types based on neuroplasticity mechanisms and presented the definition of each category and briefly described the results of these papers. Altogether, we can suggest that neuroplasticity is a novel viewpoint for guiding future brain research of EH and provide the evidence for the development of new clinical applications using EH in the treatment of brain diseases. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells Are More Effective Than Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Cerebral Ischemic Injury.

We compared the therapeutic effects and mechanism of transplanted human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) in a rat stroke model and an in vitro model of ischemia. Rats were intravenously injected with hDPSCs or hBM-MSCs 24 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo), and both groups showed improved functional recovery and reduced infarct volume versus control rats, but the hDPSC group showed greater reduction in infarct volume than the hBM-MSC group. The positive area for the endothelial cell marker was greater in the lesion boundary areas in the hDPSC group than in the hBM-MSC group. Administration of hDPSCs to rats with stroke significantly decreased reactive gliosis, as evidenced by the attenuation of MCAo-induced GFAP+/nestin+ and GFAP+/Musashi-1+ cells, compared with hBM-MSCs. In vivo findings were confirmed by in vitro data illustrating that hDPSCs showed superior neuroprotective, migratory, and in vitro angiogenic effects in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-injured human astrocytes (hAs) versus hBM-MSCs. Comprehensive comparative bioinformatics analyses from hDPSC- and hBM-MSC-treated in vitro OGD-injured hAs were examined by RNA sequencing technology. In gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses, significant pathways in the hDPSC-treated group were the MAPK and TGF-ß signaling pathways. Thus, hDPSCs may be a better cell therapy source for ischemic stroke than hBM-MSCs.

Inflammatory signals induce the expression of tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein (TonEBP) in microglia.

Tonicity-responsive enhancer (TonE) binding protein (TonEBP) is known as an osmosensitive transcription factor that regulates cellular homeostasis during states of hypo- and hypertonic stress. In addition to its role in osmoadaptation, growing lines of evidence suggest that TonEBP might have tonicity-independent functions. In particular, a number of studies suggest that inflammatory stimuli induce the expression and activation of TonEBP in peripheral immune cells. However, whether TonEBP is expressed in microglia, resident immune cells of the central nervous system, is unknown. Here we show that inflammatory signals induce the expression of TonEBP in microglia both in vitro and in vitro. In cultured primary microglia, treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interferon-γ, and interleukin 4 increased the expression of TonEBP. Moreover, we found that stereotaxic injection of LPS into the substantia nigra region of rat brain increased TonEBP expression in OX-42-positive cells. Furthermore, expression of TonEBP was induced in OX-42-positive cells in a rat model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Together these results show that the expression of TonEBP is regulated by inflammatory signals in mammalian brain, suggesting that TonEBP might play a part during neuroinflammation.

Protective Effects of Dihydrocaffeic Acid, a Coffee Component Metabolite, on a Focal Cerebral Ischemia Rat Model.

We recently reported the protective effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) in a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo) rat model. The current study further investigated the protective effects of the metabolites of CGA and dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) was selected for further study after screening using the same tMCAo rat model. In the current study, tMCAo rats (2 h of MCAo followed by 22 h of reperfusion) were injected with various doses of DHCA at 0 and 2 h after onset of ischemia. We assessed brain damage, functional deficits, brain edema, and blood-brain barrier damage at 24 h after ischemia. For investigating the mechanism, in vitro zymography and western blotting analysis were performed to determine the expression and activation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9. DHCA (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently reduced brain infarct volume, behavioral deficits, brain water content, and Evans Blue (EB) leakage. DHCA inhibited expression and activation of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Therefore, DHCA might be one of the important metabolites of CGA and of natural products, including coffee, with protective effects on ischemia-induced neuronal damage and brain edema.

Endothelium-Independent Vasorelaxant Effect of Ligusticum jeholense Root and Rhizoma on Rat Thoracic Aorta.

Ligusticum jeholense has been used as the traditional medicine 'Go-Bon' (Chinese name, Gao-ben) in China and Korea. Considering the increased use of medicinal herbs to treat hypertension, in this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms of the vasorelaxation effect caused by L. jeholense. We tested the methanol (MeOH) extract of L. jeholense root and rhizoma for vasorelaxant effects; while using an isolated organ-chamber technique, L. jeholense extract (LJE) induced relaxation in the rat aortic rings by stimulating vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. LJE showed concentration-dependent relaxant effects on endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded aortic rings pre-contracted with both phenylephrine (PE) and potassium chloride (KCl) in Krebs-Henseleit (KH) buffer. The vasorelaxant effect of LJE was partly attenuated by pre-treatment with glibenclamide or 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) as K+ channel blockers. Moreover, LJE showed concentration-dependent inhibition of vasoconstriction by Ca2+ supplementation in the aortic rings that were pre-contracted with PE or KCl in Ca2+-free KH buffer. In addition, a combination of LJE and nifedipine, pre-incubated further, decreased PE-induced contractions. The results suggested that LJE-induced vasorelaxation were related to blocking K+ channels and inhibiting entry of extracellular Ca2+ via receptor-operative Ca2+ channels (ROCCs) or voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs).

Protective effect of Laminaria japonica with probiotics on murine colitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronically relapsing inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Most IBD treatments are unsatisfactory; therefore, various dietary supplements have emerged as promising interventions. Laminaria japonica (LJ) is an edible seaweed used to regulate digestive symptoms. Probiotics have been reported to improve digestive problems and their simultaneous administration with seaweeds has been shown to produce synergistic therapeutic effects. Here, we investigated the effect of LJ combination with probiotics on dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis model in mice. Aqueous LJ extracts (LJE) at doses from 100 to 300 mg/kg and probiotics at a dose of 300 mg/kg were orally administered for 7 days. Body weight, colon length, histological score, macroscopic damage, and the levels of cytokines IFN- γ , IL-1 ß , IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 (P40), IL-12 (P70), IL-17, and TNF- α were assessed. LJE alone caused a significant improvement of colitis signs such as colon length, histological score, and IL-1 ß and IL-6 production. LJE and probiotics demonstrated a synergistic effect by the histological score and levels of IL-1 ß , IL-6, and IL-12 (P40) but not IFN- γ , IL-10, and IL-12 (P70). In conclusion, LJE was effective in inducing protection against colitis in mice and acted synergistically with probiotics.