Honokiol, an active compound of is involved in restoring normal baroreflex sensitivity in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

This study investigated the effects of methanol extract (MEMO) on baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) in the hypercholesterolemic rabbits and the involved molecular mechanisms. Male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into Control (normal diet), Cholesterol (0.5% w/w cholesterol diet), and Magnolia groups (0.

Ursolic acid suppresses leptin-induced cell proliferation in rat vascular smooth muscle cells.

Accumulating lines of evidence indicate that high leptin levels are associated with adverse cardiovascular health in obese individuals. Proatherogenic effects of leptin include endothelial cell activation and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration. Ursolic acid (UA) has been reported to exhibit multiple biological effects including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Flexibility of internal and external glenohumeral rotation of junior female tennis players and its correlation with performance ranking.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the internal and external rotation of the dominant and nondominant shoulders of adolescent female tennis players. The correlation between the shoulder rotation range of motion and the player's ranking was also analyzed. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-one female junior tennis players who were 13 to 18 years old participated in this study.

Thymol reduces oxidative stress, aortic intimal thickening, and inflammation-related gene expression in hyperlipidemic rabbits.

Atherosclerosis plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular diseases, and is often associated with oxidative stress and local inflammation. Thymol, a major polyphenolic compound in thyme, exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we measured the in vitro antioxidant activity of thymol, and investigated the effect of thymol on high-fat-diet-induced hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.

Ursolic acid plays a protective role in obesity-induced cardiovascular diseases.

The metabolic disturbance of obesity is one of the most common risk factors of atherosclerosis. Resistin, an obesity-induced adipokine, can induce the expression of cell adhesion molecules and the attachment of monocytes to endothelial cells, which play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Ursolic acid, a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in fruits and many herbs, exhibits an array of biological effects such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties.

The Possible Mechanism of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) for Alzheimer's Disease.

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been modified by β and γ-secretase that cause amyloid deposits (plaques) in neuronal cells. Glyceraldhyde-derived AGEs has been identified as a major source of neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In a previous study, we demonstrated that glyceraldehyde-derived AGEs increase APP and Aβ via ROS.

Cell migration is regulated by AGE-RAGE interaction in human oral cancer cells in vitro.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are produced in an irreversible non-enzymatic reaction of carbohydrates and proteins. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are known to have elevated AGE levels, which is viewed as a risk factor of diabetes-related complications. In a clinical setting, it has been shown that patients with oral cancer in conjunction with DM have a higher likelihood of cancer metastasis and lower cancer survival rates.

Induction of necrosis in human liver tumor cells by α-phellandrene.

α-Phellandrene (α-PA) is a component of dietary spices and herbs. The effect of α-PA on anticancer is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of α-PA on liver tumor cell death fate.

Effect of sulforaphane on growth inhibition in human brain malignant glioma GBM 8401 cells by means of mitochondrial- and MEK/ERK-mediated apoptosis pathway.

In recent studies, sulforaphane (SFN) has been seen to demonstrate antioxidant and anti-tumor activities as well as potent chemopreventive action against cancer. The present study investigates the anti-proliferation (using MTT assay, SFN demonstrated cytotoxic activity against GBM 8401 cell with IC(50) values at 35.52 μM) and induced apoptosis of SFN 24-h treatment in the cells of human brain malignant glioma GBM 8401 cells.

Demethoxycurcumin Retards Cell Growth and Induces Apoptosis in Human Brain Malignant Glioma GBM 8401 Cells.

Demethoxycurcumin (DMC; a curcumin-related demethoxy compound) has been recently shown to display antioxidant and antitumor activities. It has also produced a potent chemopreventive action against cancer. In the present study, the antiproliferation (using the MTT assay, DMC was found to have cytotoxic activities against GBM 8401 cell with IC(50) values at 22.

Altered nitroxidergic and NMDA receptor-mediated modulation of baroreflex-mediated heart rate in obese Zucker rats.

Arterial baroreflex, an important physiological regulatory system for buffering systemic blood pressure, is impaired in obesity. This study investigated whether the blunted baroreflex function in obesity is attributed to the altered nitroxidergic or N-methyl--aspartate (NMDA) mechanism. Baroreflex bradycardia responses, blood pressure and heart rate in 30 lean and 30 obese anesthetized Zucker rats (8-12 weeks of age) were assessed after injecting phenylephrine with intravenous preadministration of saline (control), dextromethorphan (DXM, NMDA receptor antagonist, 10 mg kg(-1)) or N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, 100 mg kg(-1)).

Chlorogenic acid attenuates adhesion molecules upregulation in IL-1beta-treated endothelial cells.

Background: Expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAM) on the endothelium and the attachment of monocytes to endothelium may play a major role in the early atherogenic process. Chlorogenic acid is a phenolic compound present in coffee, apples, pears, berries, almonds, artichokes, and aubergines. Previous studies have indicated that CA possesses antioxidant activity in vitro.

Changing clinical presentations and survival pattern in trisomy 18.

Background: The clinical presentations and survival patterns of infants with trisomy 18 have changed with increasing utilization of prenatal ultrasound and amniocentesis, and improvements in neonatal intensive care.

Methods: We obtained data on duration of survival, male to female ratio, and clinical details for patients with trisomy 18, and calculated the prevalence rate.

Results: We studied 31 consecutive trisomy 18 infants.

Early or late surgical ligation of medical refractory patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants.

Optimal time to surgical ligation of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in very-low-birth-weight (< 1500 g) premature infants remains an area of controversy. We compared the outcomes of early or late ligation of medical refractory PDA in very-low-birth-weight premature infants. Fifty-six infants underwent surgical closure of PDA after failure of or having contraindications to medical treatment.

Genomic-wide analysis of lymphatic metastasis-associated genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To identify the genes related to lymph node metastasis in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 32 HCC patients with or without lymph node metastasis were investigated by high-throughput microarray comprising 886 genes.

Methods: The samples of cancerous and non-cancerous paired tissue were taken from 32 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy with lymph node dissection. Total RNA was extracted from the cells obtained by means of laser microdissection (LCM) and was amplified by the T7-based amplification system.

Carnosic acid prevents the migration of human aortic smooth muscle cells by inhibiting the activation and expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9.

The migration and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activation of vascular smooth muscle cells may play key roles in the development of atherosclerosis. Carnosic acid (CA) is a phenolic compound found in herbs, including rosemary and sage. Previous studies indicated that CA possesses antioxidant activity in vitro.

Ellagic acid suppresses oxidised low-density lipoprotein-induced aortic smooth muscle cell proliferation: studies on the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression.

Proliferation of intimal vascular smooth muscle cells is an important component in the development of atherosclerosis. Ellagic acid is a phenolic compound present in fruits (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries) and walnuts. The present study investigated the effect of ellagic acid on the oxidised LDL (ox-LDL)-induced proliferation of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMC).

Inhibitory effect of Magnolia officinalis and lovastatin on aortic oxidative stress and apoptosis in hyperlipidemic rabbits.

Oxidative stress and apoptosis are 2 major characteristics of the progression of atherosclerosis. Both lovastatin and Magnolia officinalis are hypocholesterolemic agents. Therefore, we investigated the effect of M.

Increase of adiponectin receptor gene expression by physical exercise in soleus muscle of obese Zucker rats.

Aerobic exercise, including treadmill running has been widely used to treat insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. We studied the effects of endurance training on gene expression of adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) in skeletal muscle of obese Zucker rats: the 8-week moderate exercise program consisted of treadmill running at 20 m/min and 0 degrees gradient for 1 h/day, 7 days/week. After 8 weeks, insulin action on glucose disposal rate was measured by glucose-insulin index, the product of the areas under the curve of glucose and insulin during intraperitoneal glucose tolerance testing.

Increased prevalence of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene polymorphism in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Objective: To assess the association of the interleukin (IL)-1beta and the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) gene polymorphisms with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

Design: Genotyping of the 2 IL-1beta gene (IL1B) polymorphisms (promoter and exon) and the IL-1Ra gene (IL1RN) polymorphism (intron 2) was performed using polymerase chain reaction and restriction length fragment polymorphism analyses.

Setting: Prospective study, tertiary medical center.

Altered expression profile of superoxide dismutase isoforms in nasal polyps from nonallergic patients.

Objective/hypothesis: Nasal polyposis (NP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the upper respiratory tract. The pathophysiology is unknown but has been shown to be multifactorial. Free radical-mediated damage has been implicated in the pathogenesis of NP.

Merit of physical exercise to reverse the higher gene expression of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in obese Zucker rats.

Effects of endurance training on the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), a rate-limiting enzyme of gluconeogenesis, were studied in the obese Zucker rats. We used a moderate exercise program consisting of treadmill running at 20 m/min and 0-degree gradient for 1 h/day, 7 days/week, for 8 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, insulin action on glucose disposal rate was measured using the glucose-insulin index, the product of the areas under the curve of glucose and insulin during the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test.

Elucidating the inhibitory mechanisms of magnolol on rat smooth muscle cell proliferation.

The pathological mechanism of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty-induced restenosis has been attributed to outgrowth of vascular smooth muscle cells. Pretreatment with antioxidants has been shown to reduce restenosis. Magnolol, an active compound of Magnolia officinalis, has exhibited approximately 1,000 times more potent antioxidant effects than alpha-tocopherol.

Reduction of oxidative stress and apoptosis in hyperlipidemic rabbits by ellagic acid.

Oxidative stress is one of the major risk factors for coronary artery disease. Ellagic acid is a phenolic compound present in fruits and nuts, and has been found to have antioxidative property. Twenty-four New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits were assigned randomly into four dietary groups.

Reduction of oxidative stress and atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic rabbits by Dioscorea rhizome.

Hyperlipidemia may induce oxidative stress, which is important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Dioscorea rhizome (DR) is the powdered form of yams, and possesses antioxidant and hypolipidemic function. We therefore investigated the antioxidative and antiatherogenic effects of DR on hyperlipidemic rabbits.