Δ,2-Hydroxybakuchiol Attenuates Depression in Multiple Rodent Models Possibly by Inhibition of Monoamine Transporters in Brain.

Δ,2-Hydroxybakuchiol is isolated from , which has therapeutic applications in traditional Chinese medicine. Our previous studies have showed that Δ,2-hydroxybakuchiol inhibited the decreased activity of reserpinized mice, suggestive of its antidepressive potential. In this study, we explored the antidepressant profile of Δ,2-hydroxybakuchiol in various rodent models and its possible monoamine-modulating mechanism.

Biological characterization of human amniotic epithelial cells in a serum-free system and their safety evaluation.

Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs), derived from the innermost layer of the term placenta closest to the fetus, have been shown to be potential seed cells for allogeneic cell therapy. Previous studies have shown a certain therapeutic effect of hAECs. However, no appropriate isolation and culture system for hAECs has been developed for clinical applications.

[Protective effect of cotransfection of A20 and HO-1 gene against the apoptosis induced by TNF-α in rat islets in vitro].

Objective: To establish the method for cotransferring human A20 gene and human heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene into the isolated rat islets using lentiviral transfection system, and to study the protective effect of A20 and HO-1 protein against the apoptosis induced by cycloheximide (CHX) and TNF-α, and finally to explore the underlying mechanism.

Method: The A20 gene and HO-1 gene were cloned and inserted into the lentiviral transfection system. The efficacy of gene transfer was measured by the intensity of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fluorescence-positive islets.

Intracerebroventricular transplantation of human amniotic epithelial cells ameliorates spatial memory deficit in the doubly transgenic mice coexpressing APPswe and PS1ΔE9-deleted genes.

Background: Human amniotic epithelial cells (HAECs), which have characteristics of both embryonic and pluripotent stem cells, are therefore a candidate in cell therapy without creating legal or ethical problems. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of intracerebroventricular transplantation of HAECs on doubly transgenic mice of Alzheimer's disease (AD) coexpressing presenilin-1 (PS1) and mutant Sweden amyloid precursor protein (APPswe) genes.

Methods: The offspring mice genotypes were detected using PCR identification of APPswe and PS1 gene.

Postischemic administration of liposome-encapsulated luteolin prevents against ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model.

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases; one such disease is ischemic stroke. Using reactive oxygen species (ROS)-insulted primary neurons, we screened neuroprotectants with clinical potential and then, using ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model, investigated the anti-ischemic potential of candidate neuroprotectants. Here, we showed that luteolin, isolated from the ripe fruit of Perilla frutescens (L.

Structural identification of a new tri-p-coumaroylspermidine with serotonin transporter inhibition from safflower.

We previously reported that safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) ethyl acetate extract (HE) possessed an inhibitory action on serotonin (5HT) uptake in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing 5HT transporter (SERT) (S6 cells). Here, HE was adopted to go through an activity-guided isolation, and then an ingredient with potent SERT inhibitory action was obtained, which was elucidated as N(1),N(5)-(Z)-N(10)-(E)-tri-p-coumaroylspermidine (CX), a new coumaroylspermidine analog, by using spectroscopic methods including extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR analyses.

Luteolin from Purple Perilla mitigates ROS insult particularly in primary neurons.

Increased attention has been paid to the role of oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in neurodegenerative process and pharmaceutical neuroprotective interventions. Food-derived compound luteolin possesses multitarget actions including reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging activity in cultured human endothelial cells or permanent immature rat oligodendrocytes. This study aims to elucidate whether luteolin has a neuroprotective tendency toward ROS-insulted neural cells.

Cynomorium songaricum extracts functionally modulate transporters of gamma-aminobutyric acid and monoamine.

Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. (SY) is a central nervous system-oriented herb material that has actions of anti-dementia, anti-epilepsy, and anti-stress. It is unclear whether SY would be biologically active in functionally regulating neurotransmitter transporters.

Expression of GAT1 in male reproductive system and its effects on reproduction in mice.

The present study was carried out to identify GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) transport protein I (GAT1) in male reproductive organs and to study the effect of GAT1 overexpression on the male reproductive system in GAT1 transgenic mice (TG). Expression and location of GAT1 in testes, epididymis, and sperm of wild-type (WT) mice were identified by immunohistochemistry and western-blot. Histological changes of testes, epididymis, and sperm of transgenic mice overexpressing GAT1 were detected by immunofluorenscent staining and haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining.

Functional activation of monoamine transporters by luteolin and apigenin isolated from the fruit of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt.

Monoamine transporters playing major roles in regulating normal and abnormal synaptic activity are associated with various neuropsychological disorders. In spite of the discovery of a series of structurally different monoamine transporter antagonists for the therapy approach, no practical pharmaceutical can act as a transporter activator. Here, we isolated luteolin and apigenin from the fruit of Perilla frutescens (L.

A novel compound N(1),N(5)-(Z)-N(10)-(E)-tri-p-coumaroylspermidine isolated from Carthamus tinctorius L. and acting by serotonin transporter inhibition.

Safflower, the dry flower of Carthamus tinctorius L., has long been applied for empirically treating cerebral ischemia and depression in traditional Chinese medicine. Pathogenesis of major depression involves monoaminergic transmission.

Safflower extracts functionally regulate monoamine transporters.

Safflower (HH), the dry flower of Carthamus tinctorius L., has long been used to empirically treat neuropsychological disorders such as stroke and major depression in traditional Chinese medicine, and recently been proven effective for regulating levels of dopamine and serotonin in new-born rat brain. The present study assessed whether HH would be bioactive for functionally regulating monoamine transporters using in vitro drug-screening cell lines.

Caulis Sinomenii extracts activate DA/NE transporter and inhibit 5HT transporter.

Caulis Sinomenii (QFT) has analgesic, sedative, and anxiolytic-like actions, and is proven effective for improving drug dependence that is known to be associated with abnormal monoaminergic transmission. We assessed whether QFT would be biologically active in functionally regulating monoamine transporters using CHO cells expressing dopamine transporter (DAT), norepinephrine transporter (NET), or serotonin transporter (SERT) (i.e.

Dopamine transporter inhibitory and antiparkinsonian effect of common flowering quince extract.

Common flowering quince (FQ) is the fruit of Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai. FQ-containing cocktails have been applied to the treatment of neuralgia, migraine, and depression in traditional Chinese medicine. The present study assessed whether FQ is effective in dopamine transporter (DAT) regulation and antiparkinsonism by utilizing in vitro and in vivo assays, respectively.

Bakuchiol analogs inhibit monoamine transporters and regulate monoaminergic functions.

Monoamine transporters play key roles in controlling monoamine levels and modulating monoamine reuptake. The objective of the present study was to identify monoamine transporter inhibitors from herbal sources. We discovered that bakuchiol analogs isolated from Fructus Psoraleae inhibited monoamine transporter uptake to differing degrees.

Inhibitive effects of Fructus Psoraleae extract on dopamine transporter and noradrenaline transporter.

A petroleum ether extract (FP) from Fructus Psoraleae, seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L. (Leguminosae), was found to strongly inhibit dopamine (DA) uptake by dopamine transporter (DAT) heterogeneously expressed cells (D8 cells) and noradrenaline (NE) uptake by noradrenaline transporter (NET) heterogeneously expressed cells, which, however, had no effect on gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter heterogeneously expressed cells and serotonin transporter heterogeneously expressed cells at the concentration up to 100 microg/ml. These inhibitory effects were also confirmed by experiments on SK-N-SH cell line and synaptosomes from rats' brains.

Transplantation of human amniotic epithelial cells improves hindlimb function in rats with spinal cord injury.

Background: Human amniotic epithelial cells (HAECs), which have several characteristics similar to stem cells, therefore could possibly be used in cell therapy without creating legal or ethical problems. In this study, we transplanted HEACs into the injured spinal cord of rats to investigate if the cells can improve the rats' hindlimb motor function.

Methods: HAECs were obtained from a piece of fresh amnion, labeled with Hoechst33342, and transplanted into the site of complete midthoracic spinal transections in adult rats.

A20 overexpression under control of mouse osteocalcin promoter in MC3T3-E1 cells inhibited tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis.

Aim: To construct an A20 expression vector under the control of mouse osteocalcin promoter (OC-A20), and investigate osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell line, which stably overexpresses A20 protein prevented tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced apoptosis.

Methods: OC-A20 vector was constructed by fusing a fragment of the mouse osteocalcin gene-2 promoter with human A20 complementary DNA. Then the mouse MC3T3-E1 cell line, stably transfected by A20, was established.

Protopine inhibits serotonin transporter and noradrenaline transporter and has the antidepressant-like effect in mice models.

The protopine isolated from a Chinese herb Dactylicapnos scandens Hutch was identified as an inhibitor of both serotonin transporter and noradrenaline transporter in vitro assays. 5-hydroxy-DL-tryptophan(5-HTP)-induced head twitch response (HTR) and tail suspension test were adopted to study whether protopine has anti-depression effect in mice using reference antidepressant fluoxetine and desipramine as positive controls. In HTR test, protopine at doses of 5, 10, 20 mg/kg dose dependently increase the number of 5-HTP-induced HTR.

Transactivated minimal E1b promoter is capable of driving the expression of short hairpin RNA.

The strategy that transcribes short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) by RNA polymerase II promoters is expected to present flexible approaches for regulating the patterns of shRNA expression. The capacity of generating shRNA by a modified adenovirus RNA polymerase II E1b promoter was studied. This 49bp promoter consists of a TATA-box and an initiation element.

[Intraventricular transplantation of human neural stem cells into embryonic rats].

Objective: To explore the migration and distribution of human neural stem cells (NSCs) after they were transplanted into lateral cerebroventricles of embryonic rats.

Methods: This study was conducted with the proxy consent and the permission from the Hospitals Ethical Review Committee. The cells from the embryonic human cortices were mechanically dissociated.