Ginsenoside Rb1 alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in human dental pulp cells via the PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, and MAPK signalling pathways.

AIM: Among numerous constituents of Panax ginseng, a constituent named Ginsenoside Rb1 (G-Rb1) has been studied to diminish inflammation associated with diseases. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of G-Rb1 on human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and aimed to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODOLOGY: The KEGG pathway analysis was performed after RNA sequencing in G-Rb1- and LPS-treated hDPCs. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis were used for the assessment of cell adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines. Statistical analysis was performed with one-way ANOVA and the Student-Newman-Keuls test. RESULTS: G-Rb1 did not exhibit any cytotoxicity within the range of concentrations tested. However, it affected the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, as these showed reduced levels with exposure to LPS. Additionally, less mRNA and protein expressions of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were shown. With the presence of G-Rb1, decreased levels of PI3K/Akt, phosphorylated IκBα and p65 were also observed. Furthermore, phosphorylated ERK and JNK by LPS were diminished within 15, 30 and 60 min of G-Rb1 exposure; however, the expression of non-phosphorylated ERK and JNK remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: G-Rb1 suppressed the LPS-induced increase of cell adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines, while also inhibiting PI3K/Akt, phosphorylation of NF-κB transcription factors, ERK and JNK of MAPK signalling in hDPCs.

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.

Case report: magnetic resonance imaging of vaginal malignant melanoma.

We report two cases of vaginal melanoma with magnetic resonance imaging findings. The first melanoma was a bilobular polypoid mass with melanotic and amelanotic components, which arose from the lateral wall of the vaginal canal. The melanotic melanoma showed high signal intensity (SI) on T1-weighted images and low SI on T2-weighted images, which was not suppressed by a fat-saturated sequence. Another melanoma showed a pale brown polypoid mass in the vagina, which revealed intermediate SI on T1-weighted images and high SI on T2-weighted images. On fat-suppressed images, both tumors were more clearly demonstrated with high SI.