Search

Background/Aims. Buyang Huanwu decoction (BHD) is a traditional Chinese and Korean herbal medicine prescription that has been widely used to treat various diseases including cerebral ischemia, gynecological disease, and neurological disorders. BHD is commonly used as a variable modified combination for synergistic therapeutic effects. However, the mechanism by which modified BHD (mBHD) produces anti-inflammatory effects has not been elucidated yet. The purpose of this study was to develop mBHD with diminished potential side effects and verify its anti-inflammatory effects. Methods. A cytotoxicity assay for BHD was performed using the MTT assay. Following treatment with BHD, mBHD-1, and mBHD-2 in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), nitric oxide (NO) secretion was detected in cell supernatants using a NO detection kit. The expression of proinflammatory mediators was detected using RT-PCR and western blotting. To verify the mechanism of mBHD, specific inhibitors of JNK (SP600125) or p38 (SB203580) were used for co-treatment with mBHD, and then the changes in NO and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were measured. Results. Both mBHD-1 and mBHD-2 showed greater anti-inflammatory effects than BHD. Both mBHD-1 and mBHD-2 inhibited NO secretion and decreased the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS. Treatment with a p38 inhibitor and a JNK inhibitor in mBHD-1- and mBHD-2-treated cells resulted in inhibition of NO and iNOS. Conclusion. We provided the first experimental evidence that mBHD may be a more useful anti-inflammatory than BHD. High concentrations or long-term use of BHD may be harmful to inflammatory status. Therefore, the length of treatment and concentration should be considered depending on the targeted disease.

The objective of the present study was to develop a concoction of natural products that could dramatically improve immune function with minimal possible side effects. Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai and Ficus erecta var. sieboldii are plants that are native to Jeju Island, Korea and are known to be rich in physiologically active substances. We prepared a mixture of different proportions and extraction conditions using two natural plants and determined their optimum mixing ratio and extraction method by assessing immune function-related biomarkers in RAW264.7 macrophages. Optimal extract (HR02/04(8:2)-W) was selected from in vitro experiments and its immunity-enhancing efficacy was evaluated in mice. After oral administration of extract to BALB/c mice for 2 weeks, nitric oxide production in the peritoneal exudate cells, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, cytokine expression in splenocytes, and total cell number of immune tissues and phenotype analysis were evaluated. Our results demonstrated that HR02/04(8:2)-W significantly enhanced the immune system by increasing natural killer cell activity, cytokine expression, and total number of cells in immune tissues. In conclusion, our study validates the role of HR02/04(8:2)-W in enhancing immunity and its potential development as a functional food.

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in cardiac injury during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Despite a potent cardioprotective activity of KR-33889, a novel poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, its underlying mechanism remains unresolved. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of KR-33889 against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in rat cardiomyocytes H9c2 cells and isolated rat hearts. H2O2 caused severe injury to H9c2 cells, mainly due to apoptosis, as revealed by TUNEL assay. However, KR-33889 pretreatment significantly attenuated H2O2-induced apoptosis of H9c2 cells, which was accompanied by decrease in expression of both cleaved caspase-3 and Bax and increase in Bcl-2 expression and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. KR-33889 also significantly enhanced the expression of anti-oxidant enzymes including heme oxygenase-1, Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), Mn-SOD, and catalase, thereby inhibiting production of intracellular ROS. Furthermore, KR-33889 reversed H2O2-induced decrease in phosphorylation of Akt, GSK-3β, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and SAPK/JNK during most H2O2 exposure time. In globally ischemic rat hearts, KR-33889 inhibited both I/R-induced decrease in cardiac contractility and apoptosis by increasing Bcl-2, decreasing both cleaved caspase-3 and Bax expression, and enhancing expression of anti-oxidant enzymes. Taken together, these results suggest that KR-33889 may have therapeutic potential to prevent I/R-induced heart injury in ischemic heart diseases mainly by reducing oxidative stress-mediated myocardial apoptosis.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Many studies have emphasized that flavonoids, found in various fruits, vegetables, and seeds, as well as tea and red wine, have potential health-promoting and disease-preventing effects. Rhamnetin is a flavonoid that exhibits antioxidant capabilities. However, little is known about its effect on cardiac myocytes under oxidative stress and the underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells were subjected to H 2 O 2 , to study the protective effect of rhamnetin on cell viability, apoptosis, and ROS production. Signaling proteins related to apoptosis, survival, and redox were analyzed by Western blot. Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of SIRTs were tested by real time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results We investigated the protective effects of rhamnetin against H 2 O 2 -induced apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. Rhamnetin protected cells against H 2 O 2 -induced cell death without any cytotoxicity, as determined by the XTT assay, LDH assay, TUNEL assay, Hoechst 33342 assay, and Western blot analysis of apoptosis-related proteins. Rhamnetin also enhanced the expression of catalase and Mn-SOD, thereby inhibiting production of intracellular ROS. Furthermore, rhamnetin recovered the H 2 O 2 -induced decrease in phosphorylation of Akt/GSK-3β and MAPKs (ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and JNK) and pretreatment with their inhibitors, attenuating the rhamnetin-induced cytoprotective effect. Further studies with real time-PCR and a sirtuin inhibitor showed that cardioprotection by rhamnetin occurred through induction of SIRT3 and SIRT4. Conclusions Taken together, these results suggest that rhamnetin may have novel therapeutic potential to protect the heart from ischemia-related injury.

Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) isolated from Cordyceps militaris, a species of the fungal genus Cordyceps, has been shown to exhibit many pharmacological functions, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. In this study, we investigated the preventive role of cordycepin in ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury of isolated rat hearts and anesthetized rats. After Sprague-Dawley rats received cordycepin (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg) or control (0.5 % carboxyl methylcellulose) orally once a day for a week, hearts were isolated and mounted on Langendorff heart perfusion system. Isolated hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer for 15-min pre-ischemic stabilization period and subjected to 30-min global ischemia and 30-min reperfusion. Cordycepin administration (10 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly increased left ventricular developed pressure during the reperfusion period compared to that in the control group, but without any effect on coronary flow. Cordycepin (10 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly increased the phosphorylation of Akt/GSK-3β/p70S6K pathways, which are known to modulate multiple survival pathways. In addition, cordycepin decreased Bax and cleaved caspase-3 expression while increasing Bcl-2 expression, Bcl-2/Bax ratio, and heme oxygenase (HO-1) expression in isolated rat hearts. In anesthetized rats subjected to 30 min occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery/2.5-h reperfusion, cordycepin (1, 3, and 10 mg/kg, i.v.) administered 15 min before the onset of ischemia dose-dependently decreased the infarct size in left ventricle. In conclusion, cordycepin could be an attractive therapeutic candidate with oral activity against I/R-associated heart diseases such as myocardial infarction.

Many studies have emphasized that flavonoids, found in various fruits, vegetables, and seeds, as well as tea and red wine, have potential health-promoting and disease-preventing effects. Rhamnetin is a flavonoid that exhibits antioxidant capabilities. However, little is known about its effect on cardiac myocytes under oxidative stress and the underlying mechanisms.H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells were subjected to H2O2, to study the protective effect of rhamnetin on cell viability, apoptosis, and ROS production. Signaling proteins related to apoptosis, survival, and redox were analyzed by Western blot. Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of SIRTs were tested by real time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR).We investigated the protective effects of rhamnetin against H₂O₂-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. Rhamnetin protected cells against H₂O₂-induced cell death without any cytotoxicity, as determined by the XTT assay, LDH assay, TUNEL assay, Hoechst 33342 assay, and Western blot analysis of apoptosis-related proteins. Rhamnetin also enhanced the expression of catalase and Mn-SOD, thereby inhibiting production of intracellular ROS. Furthermore, rhamnetin recovered the H₂O₂-induced decrease in phosphorylation of Akt/GSK-3β and MAPKs (ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and JNK) and pretreatment with their inhibitors, attenuating the rhamnetin-induced cytoprotective effect. Further studies with real time-PCR and a sirtuin inhibitor showed that cardioprotection by rhamnetin occurred through induction of SIRT3 and SIRT4.Taken together, these results suggest that rhamnetin may have novel therapeutic potential to protect the heart from ischemia-related injury.

Poly(adenosine 5'-diphosphate ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a nuclear enzyme activated by DNA strand breaks and plays an important role in the tissue injury associated with ischemia and reperfusion. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of 5-aminoisoquinolinone (5-AIQ), a PARP inhibitor, against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. 5-AIQ pretreatment significantly protected against H2O2-induced cell death, as determined by the XTT assay, cell counting, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay, and Western blot analysis of apoptosis-related proteins such as caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2. Upregulation of antioxidant enzymes such as manganese superoxide dismutase and catalase accompanied the protective effect of 5-AIQ on H2O2-induced cell death. Our data also showed that 5-AIQ pretreatment protected H9c2 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis by triggering activation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), and that the protective effect of 5-AIQ was diminished by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 at a concentration that effectively abolished 5-AIQ-induced Akt and GSK-3β activation. In addition, inhibiting the Akt/GSK-3β pathway by LY294002 significantly attenuated the 5-AIQ-mediated decrease in cleaved caspase-3 and Bax activation and H9c2 cell apoptosis induction. Taken together, these results demonstrate that 5-AIQ prevents H2O2-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells by reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species production, regulating apoptosis-related proteins, and activating the Akt/GSK-3β pathway.