Gender-dimorphic effects of adipose-derived stromal vascular fractions on HUVECs exposed to oxidative stress.

Stromal vascular fractions (SVFs) are a heterogeneous collection of cells within adipose tissue that are being studied for various clinical indications. In this study, we aimed to determine whether SVF transplantation into impaired tissues has differential effects on inflammatory and angiogenetic properties with regard to gender. As reactive oxygen species have been implicated in cardiovascular disease development, we investigated differences in gene and protein expression related to inflammation and angiogenesis in HUVECs co-cultured with adipose-derived SVFs from male (M group) and female (F group) individuals under oxidative stress conditions.

7-cyclopentyl-5-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d] pyrimidin-4-ylamine inhibits the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by suppressing ERK and Akt pathways.

Excessive vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration after vascular injury significantly contributes to the development of occlusive vascular disease. Therefore, inhibiting the proliferation and migration of VSMCs is a validated therapeutic modality for occlusive vascular disease such as atherosclerosis and restenosis. In the present study, we screened chemical compounds for their anti-proliferative effects on VSMCs using multiple approaches, such as MTT assays, wound healing assays, and trans-well migration assays.

A spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor attenuates the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells.

Background: Pathologic vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration after vascular injury promotes the development of occlusive vascular disease. Therefore, an effective chemical agent to suppress aberrant proliferation and migration of VSMCs can be a potential therapeutic modality for occlusive vascular disease such as atherosclerosis and restenosis. To find an anti-proliferative chemical agent for VSMCs, we screened an in-house small molecule library, and the selected small molecule was further validated for its anti-proliferative effect on VSMCs using multiple approaches, such as cell proliferation assays, wound healing assays, transwell migration assays, and ex vivo aortic ring assay.

Proteomic Analysis and Identification of Paracrine Factors in Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Conditioned Media under Hypoxia.

Background/aims: We previously showed that a hypoxic environment modulates the antiarrhythmic potential of mesenchymal stem cells.

Methods: To investigate the mechanism by which secreted proteins contribute to the pathogenesis of antiarrhythmic potential in mesenchymal stem cells, we used two-dimensional electrophoresis combined with MALDI-TOF-MS to perform a proteomic analysis to compare the paracrine media produced by normoxic and hypoxic cells.

Results: The proteomic analysis revealed that 66 protein spots out of a total of 231 matched spots indicated differential expression between the normoxic and hypoxic conditioned media of mesenchymal stem cells.

MicroRNA-Mediated Down-Regulation of Apoptosis Signal-Regulating Kinase 1 (ASK1) Attenuates the Apoptosis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) Transplanted into Infarcted Heart.

Stem cell therapy using adult stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has produced some promising results in treating the damaged heart. However, the low survival rate of MSCs after transplantation is still one of the crucial factors that limit the therapeutic effect of stem cells. In the damaged heart, oxidative stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production can cause the death of transplanted MSCs.

Alterations in Cardiomyocyte Differentiation-Related Proteins in Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exposed to Hypoxia.

Background/aims: It is known that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can have variable responses to hypoxic conditions and that hypoxia may specifically stimulate differentiation into osteogenic, chondrogenic, or adipogenic cells. Based on our previous study, we hypothesized that hypoxia may also induce MSC differentiation into cardiomyocytes and/or cells with comparable phenotypes.

Methods: The differences in the proteomes were specifically investigated in bone marrow-derived rat MSCs (BM-rMSCs) under normoxic and hypoxic conditions using 2-DE combined with a MALDI-TOF-MS analysis and western blot analysis.

Red ginseng (Panax ginseng) decreases isoproterenol-induced cardiac injury via antioxidant properties in porcine.

Red ginseng (RG, Panax ginseng) has been shown to possess various ginsenosides. These ginsenosides are widely used for treating cardiovascular diseases in Asian communities. The present study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective potential of RG against isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI), by assessing electrocardiographic, hemodynamic, and biochemical parameters.

Ginsenoside-Re ameliorates ischemia and reperfusion injury in the heart: a hemodynamics approach.

Ginsenosides are divided into two groups based on the types of the panaxadiol group (e.g., ginsenoside-Rb1 and -Rc) and the panaxatriol group (e.

Cardioprotective potential of Korean Red Ginseng extract on isoproterenol-induced cardiac injury in rats.

The present study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of Korean Red Ginseng extract (KRG) on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac injury in rats, particularly in regards to electrocardiographic changes, hemodynamics, cardiac function, serum cardiac enzymes, components of the myocardial antioxidant defense system, as well as inflammatory markers and histopathological changes in heart tissue. ISO (150 mg/kg, subcutaneous, two doses administered at 24-hour intervals) treatment induced significant decreases in P waves and QRS complexes (p<0.01), as well as a significant increase in ST segments.

Korean Red Ginseng Induced Cardioprotection against Myocardial Ischemia in Guinea Pig.

This study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of Korean red ginseng (KRG) against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in isolated guinea pig heart. KRG has been shown to possess various ginsenosides, which are the major components of Panax ginseng. These components are known naturally occurring compounds with beneficial effects and free radical scavenging activity.

Protective effects of red ginseng extract against vaginal herpes simplex virus infection.

Numerous studies have suggested that Korean red ginseng (KRG) extract has various immune modulatory activities both in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we used a mouse model to examine the effects of orally administered KRG extract on immunity against herpes simplex virus (HSV). Balb/c mice were administered with 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg oral doses of KRG extract for 10 d and then vaginally infected with HSV.

Anti-apoptotic Activity of Ginsenoside Rb1 in Hydrogen Peroxide-treated Chondrocytes: Stabilization of Mitochondria and the Inhibition of Caspase-3.

Chondrocyte apoptosis has been recognized as an important factor in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which produces reactive oxygen species, reportedly induces apoptosis in chondrocytes. The ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) is the principal component in ginseng and has been shown to have a variety of biological activities, such as anti-arthritis, anti-inflammation, and anti-tumor activities.

Assessment of antidiabetogenic potential of fermented soybean extracts in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat.

Most of the available drugs for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM) produce detrimental side effects, which has prompted an ongoing search for plant with the antidiabetic potential. The present study investigated the effect of soybean extracts fermented with Bacillus subtilis MORI, fermented soybean extracts (BTD-1) was investigated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The possible effects of BTD-1 against hyperglycemia and free radical-mediated oxidative stress was investigated by assaying the plasma glucose level and the activity of enzymatic antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA).

Generation of CD2(+)CD8(+) NK Cells from c-kit(+) Bone Marrow Cells in Porcine.

Natural killer (NK) cells provide one of the initial barriers of cellular host defense against pathogens, in particular intracellular pathogens. Because bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), lymphoid protenitors, can give rise to NK cells, NK ontogeny has been considered to be exclusively lymphoid. Here, we show that porcine c-kit(+) bone marrow cells (c-kit(+) BM cells) develop into NK cells in vitro in the presence of various cytokines [interleukin (IL)-2, IL-7, IL-15, IL-21, stem cell factor (SCF), and fms-like tyrosine kinase-3 ligand (FLT3L)].

Increases in blood pressure and heart rate induced by caffeine are inhibited by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate: involvement of catecholamines.

In a previous experiment, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) reduced caffeine-induced locomotor activity and stereotyped behaviors and inhibited caffeine-induced neuronal stimulant activity. This research was performed to give additional evidence that EGCG counteracts caffeine-induced stimulant effects in animals. EGCG inhibited caffeine-induced cardiovascular activation measures, such as arterial pressure and heart rate.