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The capitula of Chrysanthemum morifolium and C. indicum are used to prepare Chrysanthemi Flos in traditional Japanese Kampo medicine. In our previous study, we reported on the agonistic effect of methanol extract of C. indicum capitulum on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ. We further isolated (E)-tonghaosu from C. indicum capitulum as one of the active ingredients. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the PPAR-γ agonistic activity of a methanol extract of C. morifolium capitulum (MCM) in which (E)-tonghaosu could not be detected. MCM exhibited PPAR-γ agonistic activity in a concentration-dependent manner, and at a dose of 100 µg/ml, it showed similar activity to pioglitazone (30 µM), a standard PPAR-γ agonist. Through activity-guided fractionation, we isolated two geometric isomers, (E)- (1) and (Z)-B-ring-homo-tonghaosu (2), as the active ingredients of MCM. Both compounds exerted concentration-dependent PPAR-γ agonistic effects, and 1 had higher activity than 2. At 1.4 µM, 1 had similar activity to pioglitazone (30 µM), which was achieved by 2 at a concentration of 140 µM. Thus, 1 has the potential to become a lead compound for the drug discovery of PPAR-γ agonists. We compared the activities and the contents of (E)-, (Z)-tonghaosu, 1, and 2 among 13 commercial samples of Chrysanthemi Flos, including those derived from both C. morifolium and C. indicum. Their PPAR-γ agonistic activities were not related to the contents of these compounds. 1 and 2 were detected in the samples derived from both species but (E)- and (Z)-tonghaosu were not detected in the samples derived from C. morifolium; hence (E)- and (Z)-tonghaosu can serve as marker compounds to identify the capitula of C. indicum in Chrysanthemi Flos samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxaliplatin (L-OHP) is a platinum-based anticancer agent used to treat various types of cancer. It frequently causes acute and chronic peripheral neuropathies, such as cold allodynia and mechanical hyperalgesia. Ninjin'yoeito (NYT) is a formula used in traditional Japanese Kampo medicine to improve recovery from diseases and other medical disorders. We previously reported that treatment with a boiling-water extract of NYT prevented L-OHP-induced damage to neurite-like outgrowths from differentiated PC12 cells. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the in vivo effects of NYT on L-OHP-induced neuropathic pain in mice and identify the active ingredients in NYT. Treatment with NYT extract significantly ameliorated both cold allodynia and mechanical hyperalgesia induced by L-OHP. While L-OHP treatment suppressed neurite outgrowths from primary dorsal root ganglion cells in vitro, NYT extract blocked this suppression in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the herbal components of NYT, the extract of ginseng ( Panax ginseng roots) showed a protective effect against neurite damage induced by L-OHP, and one of its active ingredients was identified as ginsenoside Rg. Ginseng extract partially relieved L-OHP-induced neuropathic pain in mice. Our results suggest that NYT could be an attractive agent for treating L-OHP-induced neuropathic pain, and that the active ingredient of NYT may be ginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ninjin'yoeito (NYT) is a formula of Japanese traditional kampo medicine composed of 12 crude drugs, and is designed to improve the decline in constitution after recovery from disease, fatigue, anemia, anorexia, perspiration during sleep, cold limbs, slight fever, chills, persistent cough, malaise, mental disequilibrium, insomnia, and constipation. Oxaliplatin (L-OHP) is a platinum-based anticancer drug used to treat colorectal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers. However, it often causes acute and chronic peripheral neuropathies including cold allodynia and mechanical hyperalgesia. In this study, we investigated the preventive effects of NYT on neuronal degeneration caused by L-OHP using PC12 cells, which are derived from the rat adrenal medulla and differentiate into nerve-like cells after exposure to nerve growth factor. L-OHP treatment decreased the elongation of neurite-like projection outgrowths in differentiated PC12 cells. When PC12 cells were treated with NYT hot water extract, neurodegeneration caused by L-OHP was significantly prevented in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the 12 crude drugs composing NYT, the extract of Ginseng (the root of Panax ginseng) exhibited the strongest preventive effects on neurodegeneration in differentiated PC12 cells. By activity-guided fractionation, we found that the fraction containing ginsenosides displayed preventive activity and, among several ginsenosides, ginsenoside F exhibited significant preventive effects on L-OHP-induced decreases in neurite-like outgrowths in differentiated PC12 cells. These results suggest that NYT and ginseng are promising agents for preventing L-OHP-induced neuropathies and present ginsenoside F as one of the active ingredients in ginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a case of pulmonary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), which was thought to arise from extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma). A 68-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of cough and bloody sputum. The chest X-ray and computed tomography revealed a mass with cavitation in the right lower lobe. Transbronchial biopsy specimens revealed a granulomatous infiltration without malignant cells. However, diagnosis of MALT lymphoma was established from gastric biopsy specimen. Subsequently, a right lower lobectomy was performed because of hemoptysis. Examination of the resected specimen revealed a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which was considered to have transformed from MALT lymphoma, because both lung and stomach lesions had the chromosomal translocation t(11;18)(q21;q21) in common. In addition, there were no nodules, masses, alveolar or interstitial infiltrates in the lung fields, which are usually observed in the case of marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of bronchial mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. These findings indicate that involvement of DLBCL have to be considered in patients with MALT lymphoma and cavitary lesion of the lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: The traditional antihistamine chlorpheniramine ameliorates panic attacks, phobias, and lowered mood, and this therapeutic effect is independent of the blockade of histamine H receptors. Since chlorpheniramine inhibits the reuptake of serotonin (5-HT), the anxiolytic-like effect of chlorpheniramine may be produced by an increase in serotonergic function. Objective: To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic-like effects of chlorpheniramine in mice, we examined the involvement of 5-HT systems in the prefrontal cortex that is a crucial region in the regulation of emotional function. Results: Chlorpheniramine (0.05-5 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently and significantly decreased the duration of freezing behavior in both the elevated open-platform and conditioned fear tests. The anti-freezing effects of chlorpheniramine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) in these tests were inhibited by pretreatment with the non-selective antagonist at 5-HT receptors, methiothepin (0.01 mg/kg, s.c.). In addition, the local injection of chlorpheniramine (10-100 ng/mouse) and 5-HT (1-10 μg/mouse) into the medial part of the prefrontal cortex (mPFC) dose-dependently and significantly decreased the duration of freezing behavior in the elevated open-platform test. In a microdialysis study, chlorpheniramine (0.5 and 5 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently and significantly increased the extracellular 5-HT level in the mPFC. In addition, the local perfusion of chlorpheniramine (10 and 30 μM), but not of the selective H1 receptor antagonist, cetirizine, into the mPFC markedly increased the extracellular 5-HT level in the mPFC. Conclusion: The anxiolytic-like effect of chlorpheniramine is produced, at least in part, by the facilitation of serotonergic neurotransmission in the PFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for the determination of sulfur-containing amino acid residues, cysteine (Cys) and methionine (Met) in proteins has been developed with pyrolysis-gas chromatography. Characteristic sulfur compounds among the complicated pyrolysis products formed from protein samples were separated by using a high resolution fused silica capillary column and selectively detected by flame photometric detector (FPD). In order to improve the reproducibility, an internal standard substance, benzothiophene, was pyrolyzed at 600 °C together with the protein samples. Thus the observed pyrograms were interpreted in terms of the compositional analysis. On the basis of the relative peak intensities of CHSH and HS, the simultaneous determinations of Cys and Met residues in various enzyme proteins were successfully carried out with 10-12% and 5-6% of relative standard deviations, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]