Effects of long-term administration of royal jelly on pituitary weight and gene expression in middle-aged female rats.

To determine the effects of ingested royal jelly (RJ) on the pituitary in middle-aged female rats, we performed a long-term RJ administration test. Several animals showed age-related increases in pituitary weight, and RJ administration compensated for the increase. RJ tended to down-regulate prolactin mRNA and up-regulated thyroid-stimulating hormone beta mRNA in the pituitary.

Protective effects of free radical scavenger edaravone against xanthine oxidase-mediated permeability increases in human intestinal epithelial cell monolayer.

The barrier function of the intestinal mucosa can be disturbed under a variety of pathologic insults. Reactive oxygen species play an important role in intestinal mucosal injury. This in vitro study examines the hypothesis that a free radical scavenger, edaravone (ED), ameliorates gut epithelial permeability increase caused by xanthine oxidase (XO)-mediated oxidative stress in a cell monolayer model.

Enteral supplementation enriched with glutamine, fiber, and oligosaccharide prevents gut translocation in a bacterial overgrowth model.

Background: Normal gut flora plays an important role in the intestinal mucosal barrier function under various critical conditions. The flora may alter after severe insults, such as trauma and shock. Enteral nutrition should preserve the gut environment; however, full support is usually difficult for severely ill patients because of impaired gastrointestinal motility.

AMP N(1)-oxide, a unique compound of royal jelly, induces neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells via signaling by protein kinase A independent of that by mitogen-activated protein kinase.

Earlier we identified adenosine monophosphate (AMP) N(1)-oxide as a unique compound of royal jelly (RJ) that induces neurite outgrowth (neuritegenesis) from cultured rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells via the adenosine A(2A) receptor. Now, we found that AMP N(1)-oxide stimulated the phosphorylation of not only mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) but also that of cAMP/calcium-response element-binding protein (CREB) in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of MAPK activation by a MEK inhibitor, PD98059, did not influence the AMP N(1)-oxide-induced neuritegenesis, whereas that of protein kinase A (PKA) by a selective inhibitor, KT5720, significantly reduced neurite outgrowth.

10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, a major fatty acid from royal jelly, inhibits VEGF-induced angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is reported to be a potent pro-angiogenic factor that plays a pivotal role in both physiological and pathological angiogenesis. Royal jelly (RJ) is a honeybee product containing various proteins, sugars, lipids, vitamins and free amino acids. 10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10HDA), a major fatty acid component of RJ, is known to have various pharmacological effects; its antitumor activity being especially noteworthy.

Estrogenic activities of Fatty acids and a sterol isolated from royal jelly.

We have previously reported that royal jelly (RJ) from honeybees (Apis mellifera) has weak estrogenic activity mediated by interaction with estrogen receptors that leads to changes in gene expression and cell proliferation. In this study, we isolated four compounds from RJ that exhibit estrogenic activity as evaluated by a ligand-binding assay for the estrogen receptor (ER) beta. These compounds were identified as 10-hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic acid, 10-hydroxydecanoic acid, trans-2-decenoic acid and 24-methylenecholesterol.

Protective effects of Chinese propolis and its component, chrysin, against neuronal cell death via inhibition of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in SH-SY5Y cells.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and ischemic disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Chinese propolis and its constituents [chrysin, galangin, pinocembrin, caffeic acid, and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE)] against tunicamycin-induced neuronal cell death in SH-SY5Y cells. Both Chinese propolis and chrysin concentration-dependently inhibited such cell death, the tunicamycin-induced activation of caspase-3, and the effects of tunicamycin on mitochondria [release of cytochrome c into the cytosol and disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim)].

Cannabidiol prevents a post-ischemic injury progressively induced by cerebral ischemia via a high-mobility group box1-inhibiting mechanism.

We examined the cerebroprotective mechanism of cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive component of marijuana, against infarction in a 4-h mouse middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion model. Cannabidiol was intraperitoneally administrated immediately before and 3h after cerebral ischemia. Infarct size and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, a marker of neutrophil, monocyte/macropharge, were measured at 24h after cerebral ischemia.

Clinical implications of antimitochondrial antibodies in type 1 autoimmune hepatitis: a longitudinal study.

Background/aims: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver disease characterized by the presence of antinuclear antibodies. However, antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) and bile duct changes, which are the characteristics of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), can be detected in AIH patients.

Methodology: Twenty patients with definite AIH were prospectively followed-up, and the serial changes in AMA profiles were determined.

A dipeptide YY derived from royal jelly proteins inhibits renin activity.

Renin is the rate limiting enzyme in the renin-angiotensin (RA) system that regulates blood pressure and electrolyte balance. In this study, we investigated the renin inhibitory effect of a royal jelly (RJ)-derived peptide. A dipeptide YY was isolated from the digested fraction of RJ proteins by proteases and was found to inhibit human renin activity.

Neonatal isoimmune thrombocytopenia caused by type I CD36 deficiency having novel splicing isoforms of the CD36 gene.

Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT) occurs because of transplacentally acquired maternal platelet alloantibodies. Most of the alloantibodies are against human platelet antigens, but the alloantibody against CD36 is rare. A full-term female baby was delivered by a mother who experienced two spontaneous abortions.

Delayed treatment with minocycline ameliorates neurologic impairment through activated microglia expressing a high-mobility group box1-inhibiting mechanism.

Background And Purpose: Minocycline, a semisynthetic tetracycline antibiotic, has been reported to ameliorate brain injury and inhibit microglial activation after focal cerebral ischemia. However, the cerebroprotective mechanism of minocycline remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated that mechanism of minocycline in a murine model of 4-hour middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion.

AMP N1-oxide potentiates astrogenesis by cultured neural stem/progenitor cells through STAT3 activation.

We earlier identified adenosine monophosphate (AMP) N1-oxide as a unique compound of royal jelly (RJ) that induces neurite outgrowth from cultured rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. In the present study, the effects of AMP N1-oxide on the proliferation and/or differentiation of cultured neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) were examined. As for cell proliferation, low micromolar concentrations of AMP N1-oxide or its parent compound, AMP, similarly enhanced the NSC proliferation-inducing activity of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), although neither compound tested alone affected cell proliferation.

Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase ameliorates lung injury in rats after gut ischemia-reperfusion.

Background: Gut hypoperfusion is considered to be a critical event for organ failure during severe surgical insults. The mechanism of remote organ injury after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) may involve the excessive nitric oxide (NO) production; however, its role has been controversial. We sought to determine whether a selective inducible NO synthase inhibitor, aminoguanidine (AG), ameliorates pulmonary microvascular injury after superior mesenteric artery occlusion.

Royal jelly and its unique fatty acid, 10-hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic acid, promote neurogenesis by neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro.

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) proliferate vigorously as neurospheres in medium containing basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), but start differentiating into neurons, astrocytes or oligodendrocytes in FGF-2-free medium. An extract of royal jelly (RJ) significantly increased the percentage in the total cell population of not only neurons immunoreactive for class III beta-tubulin (Tuj1) but also astrocytes immunoreactive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and oligodendrocytes immunoreactive for 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) generated from NSCs, but decreased that of nestin-positive NSCs. These results highlight a novel and outstanding property of the RJ, i.

Royal jelly-induced neurite outgrowth from rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells requires integrin signal independent of activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases.

We showed earlier that neurite outgrowth of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells was stimulated by royal jelly extract (PERJ) or its unique component, AMP N(1)-oxide, via adenosine A2a receptors. In this study, we found that stimulated neurite outgrowth occurred in medium supplemented with serum, but not in serum-free medium. The pentapeptide GRGDS, which includes the RGD sequence commonly shared by extracellular matrix (ECM) components, could attenuate the effect of serum, suggesting that integrin receptor signaling was essential for the neurite outgrowth induced by PERJ or AMP N(1)-oxide.

Fourth generation CP violation effects on B-->Kpi, phiK, and rhoK in next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD.

We study the effect from a sequential fourth generation quark on penguin-dominated two-body nonleptonic B meson decays in the next-to-leading order perturbative QCD formalism. With an enhancement of the color-suppressed tree amplitude and possibility of a new CP phase in the electroweak penguin amplitude, we can account better for A(CP)(B(0)-->K+ pi-)-A(CP)(B+-->K+ pi0). Taking |V(t's)V(t'b)| approximately 0.

Is there a self-preserving hypothermic mechanism in shock?

Hypoxia-induced hypothermia (HIH) is regarded as an adaptive response to hypoxia in a variety of creatures, but no details of the mechanism have yet been elucidated in the clinical setting. This study was designed to analyze alteration of core body temperature with hemorrhagic shock and to clarify HIH in the clinical setting. Patients were categorized in the hemorrhage shock (S, n = 15) or cardiopulmonary arrest (C, n = 88) group.

Autoimmune pancreatitis with extreme elevation of DUPAN-2.

An 80-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with complaints of jaundice and liver dysfunction. She was found to have a high titer of serum IgG4, positive rheumatoid factor and marked elevation of DUPAN-2 (11,148 U/ml). Computed tomography showed swelling of the pancreas, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed diffuse irregular narrowing of the main pancreatic duct, which are typical findings of autoimmune pancreatitis.

Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC) prevents cerebral infarction via hypothalamic-independent hypothermia.

Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), a primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, has been reported to act as a neuroprotectant via the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor. In this study, Delta(9)-THC significantly decreased the infarct volume in a 4 h mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model. The neuroprotective effect of Delta(9)-THC was completely abolished by SR141716, cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist, and by warming the animals to 31 degrees C.

Vaticanol C, a novel resveratrol tetramer, reduces lymph node and lung metastases of mouse mammary carcinoma carrying p53 mutation.

Purpose: The effects of vaticanol C (Vat-C), a novel resveratrol tetramer, were studied in a mouse metastatic mammary cancer model carrying mutations in p53 that produce a metastatic spectrum similar to that seen in human breast cancers.

Methods: Mammary tumors, induced by inoculation of syngeneic BALB/c mice with BJMC3879 cells, were subsequently treated with Vat-C at 0, 100 and 200 ppm in their diet.

Results: The in vitro study demonstrated that Vat-C induced apoptosis, as inferred by morphological changes, nucleosomal DNA fragmentation and elevated activities of caspases.

Water extract of propolis and its main constituents, caffeoylquinic acid derivatives, exert neuroprotective effects via antioxidant actions.

We investigated whether water extract of Brazilian green propolis (WEP) and its main constituents [caffeoylquinic acid derivatives (3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid) and cinnamic acid derivatives (p-coumaric acid, artepillin C, drupanin, baccharin)] exert neuroprotective effects against the retinal damage induced by oxidative stress. Additionally, their neuroprotective effects were compared with their antioxidant effects. WEP, 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid, and p-coumaric acid (but not artepillin C, baccharin, or drupanin) concentration-dependently inhibited oxidative stress-induced neurotoxicity [achieved using L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO) to deplete glutathione in combination with glutamate to inhibit cystine uptake] in cultured retinal ganglion cells (RGC-5, a rat ganglion cell line transformed using E1A virus).

Royal jelly stimulates bone formation: physiologic and nutrigenomic studies with mice and cell lines.

Royal jelly (RJ) has diverse physiological and pharmacological functions. We observed its weak estrogenic activity in the previous study. RJ stimulated the proliferation of mouse osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells at 0.

Expression of interleukin-1beta, cyclooxygenase-2, and prostaglandin E2 in a rotator cuff tear in rabbits.

We investigated the specific factors related to shoulder pain due to a rotator cuff tear using a model in rabbits. A rotator cuff tear was surgically created, and the expression of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was analyzed. In the supernatant of the tissue culture of the torn tendon, IL-1beta production was detected.