Effect of Enterococcus faecalis 2001 on colitis and depressive-like behavior in dextran sulfate sodium-treated mice: involvement of the brain-gut axis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including those with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, have higher rates of psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety; however, the mechanism of psychiatric disorder development remains unclear. Mice with IBD induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water exhibit depressive-like behavior. The presence of Lactobacillus in the gut microbiota is associated with major depressive disorder. Therefore, we examined whether Enterococcus faecalis 2001 (EF-2001), a biogenic lactic acid bacterium, prevents DSS-induced depressive-like behavior and changes in peripheral symptoms. METHODS: We evaluated colon inflammation and used the tail suspension test to examine whether EF-2001 prevents IBD-like symptoms and depressive-like behavior in DSS-treated mice. The protein expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), and cleaved caspase-3 in the rectum and hippocampus was assessed by western blotting. Hippocampal neurogenesis, altered nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) p65 morphometry, and the localization of activated NFκB p65 and XIAP were examined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Treatment with 1.5% DSS for 7 days induced IBD-like pathology and depressive-like behavior, increased TNF-α and IL-6 expression in the rectum and hippocampus, activated caspase-3 in the hippocampus, and decreased hippocampal neurogenesis. Interestingly, these changes were reversed by 20-day administration of EF-2001. Further, EF-2001 administration enhanced NFκB p65 expression in the microglial cells and XIAP expression in the hippocampus of DSS-treated mice. CONCLUSION: EF-2001 prevented IBD-like pathology and depressive-like behavior via decreased rectal and hippocampal inflammatory cytokines and facilitated the NFκB p65/XIAP pathway in the hippocampus. Our findings suggest a close relationship between IBD and depression.

Antidementia effects of Enterococcus faecalis 2001 are associated with enhancement of hippocampal neurogenesis via the ERK-CREB-BDNF pathway in olfactory bulbectomized mice.

Our previous study showed that Enterococcus faecalis 2001 (EF-2001) suppresses colitis-induced depressive-like behavior through the enhancement of hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. In the present study, we investigated the effect of EF-2001 on the cognitive behavior of olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) mice and its molecular mechanisms. The OBX-induced cognitive dysfunction was significantly suppressed by EF-2001. Moreover, EF-2001 also recovered the reductions in p-ERK1/2, p-CREB, BDNF and DCX levels and in neurogenesis observed in the hippocampus of OBX mice. These results suggest that EF-2001-induced antidementia effects are associated with enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis through the ERK-CREB-BDNF pathway.

Anxiolytic effect of Gardeniae Fructus-extract containing active ingredient from Kamishoyosan (KSS), a Japanese traditional Kampo medicine.

Kamishoyosan (KSS), a Kampo formula used to treat menopausal psychotic syndromes in women, consists of ten crude herbal drugs. The anxiolytic effect of KSS was investigated by the social interaction (SI) test using mice, and whether the effect of KSS was due to the stimulating and/or sedating effects was examined by the open field locomotion test. Furthermore, the present study examined the effect of individual crude drugs in KSS by the SI test to clarify its active components. Oral administration of KSS increased the total SI time in a dose-dependent manner (50--200 mg/kg), but this effect was not observed over a dose of 300 mg/kg. On the other hand, there were no significant changes observed for the open field locomotion test. These results suggest that the appearance of KSS-induced SI behavior is due to an anxiolytic effect. The unaltered results of the open field test indicated that KSS was neither a stimulant nor sedative. To identify the essential herbs in KSS, the effects of "the component herbs in KSS" and "KSS minus one component herb" using the SI test were examined. An increase in the SI time was observed for hot water extracts of Menthae herba and Gardeniae Fructus, the same as for the KSS treatment. On the other hand the effect of KSS on the SI time was reduced to the control level for KSS minus Gardeniae Fructus, KSS minus Paeoniae Radix, KSS minus Glycyrrhizae Radix and KSS minus Hoelen. Oral administration of Gardeniae Fructus-extract or its common constituent, geniposide increased the SI time in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that Gardeniae Fructus and geniposide play a role in the anxiolytic effect of KSS.

Pharmaceutical terms reflecting the change in practice in Japan.

The implementation of Iyaku Bungyo, the changed regulations for drug distribution and the proposed change of pharmacy education from a four-year program to a six-year program are rapidly changing the practice of pharmacy. However, pharmacists' activities still remain at the level of simple dispensing and selling of drugs. Also, the terms that describe the essence of pharmacists' activities, such as services in patient care areas are still unclear. In order to solve and improve the problem of terminology for pharmacists' activities the use of terms related to pharmacists' services were examined in historical context. It was found that the terms "Rinsho yakugaku" and "Iryo yakugaku" have been used as having a similar meaning. Further, the term "Iryo yakugaku" was used to denote the comprehensive scope of pharmacists' services including "Rinsho yakugaku". It was verified that "Rinsho yakugaku" is a valid translation for "clinical pharmacy". "Iryo yakugaku" has a more comprehensive translation than "pharmaceutical care", therefore, it appears that "Iryo yakugaku" is a suitable translation for "pharmaceutical services". Hence, we proposed "Iryo yakugaku" as the English translation for "pharmaceutical services" and "Chiryo yakugaku" as the Japanese translation for "pharmaceutical care". There is a need, however for further clarification and definition of pharmacists' activities.

The case for a shift in pharmacists' activities and pharmacy education.

In Japan, pharmacists' activities for the most part consist of dispensing although in some University Hospitals they are directly involved in patient care. In the United States, pharmacists' activities have evolved over forty years in providing drug therapy and have now expanded to improvement in the patient's quality of life. In addition, a six-year pharmacy education program based on patient care is now in place nationally. Furthermore, World Health Organization (WHO) and International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) have made recommendations on pharmacists' activities. Shifting to a six-year pharmacy education in Japan has now been decided, and new approaches are being proposed. For pharmacists to serve society in their role as health care professionals, one needs to examine the activities they are expected to perform and pharmacy education necessary to develop these skills. In this paper, pharmacy education was examined by analyzing and comparing Western countries and Japan, with a focus on Canadian pharmacists' activities and pharmacy education in Alberta.

Pharmacognostic studies on ginger and related drugs--part 1: five sulfonated compounds from Zingiberis rhizome (Shokyo).

Five sulfonated compounds, namely 4-gingesulfonic acid and shogasulfonic acids A, B, C and D, were isolated together with seven known compounds including 6-gingesulfonic acid from Zingiberis rhizome (Japanese name: Shokyo) made out of ginger. Their structures were characterized by means of spectroscopic analysis.

Cytotoxic and radical scavenging activity of blended herbal extracts.

Chinese medicines have been applied to a variety of diseases producing various favorable effects, possibly due to the interactions between individual components. Establishment of an evaluation method for such interactions may facilitate the production of new natural medicines. We investigated here the interaction of the hot water extract of Aconiti Tuber (one of the most prominent Chinese medicines) and that of Scutellariae Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Atractylodesi, Lanceae Rhizoma or Poria, by measuring the superoxide anion (O2-), hydroxyl radical (OH) and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging activity, using ESR spectroscopy. We found that a 1:1 mixture of the hot water extract of one herb and that of another herb (referred to as a combined formula) showed a higher radical scavenging activity and cytotoxic activity than the hot water extract of a 1:1 mixture of two herbs (referred to as a blended formula). Both formulae showed higher cytotoxic activity against human oral tumor cell lines than against normal cells. These data further confirm the medicinal usefulness of combinations of empirical Chinese medicines.

Effect of nutritive and tonic crude drugs on physical fatigue-induced stress models in mice.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the acute anti-fatigue effect of a liquid nutritive and tonic crude drugs (NTDs) on stress induced in mice. After forced walking for 3 or 6h, the NTDs (applied orally, 10 ml/kg) significantly increased locomotor activity, while the administration of NTDs after rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation stress and after immobilization stress did not show a specific effect, having a similar effect as the vehicle with added vitamins, taurine and caffeine. The administration of NTDs after freezing due to electric shock stress showed a specific effect which was not seen in other control groups, water, vehicle (ethanol) and vehicle including vitamins, taurine and caffeine and so resemble the specific effect of NTDs in the stress of forced walking. The present results indicate that the NTDs produced an anti-fatigue effect on the decreased locomotor activity after forced walking and immobility induced by electric stimulation. However, the crude drugs were not effective in improving immobility after sleep deprivation or immobilization stress.