Inhibitory effects of SKI3246, the rhizome extract of Atractylodes japonica, on visceral hypersensitivity in experimental irritable bowel syndrome rat models.

We evaluated the effect of SKI3246, the 50% ethanol extract of the rhizome of Atractylodes japonica, on visceral hypersensitivity, which is a major characteristic feature of IBS. We used various rat models of visceral hypersensitivity to assess the visceral pain responses to colorectal distension (CRD) in comparison with conventional IBS treatments. Oral administration of SKI3246 dose-dependently and significantly attenuated the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) score in a model of acetic acid-induced visceral hypersensitivity.

Anti-gastritis and wound healing effects of Momordicae Semen extract and its active component.

Momordicae Semen, Momordica cochinchinensis Springer (Cucurbitaceae), has long been known to effectively relieve boils, rheumatic pain, and hemorrhoids. In this study, we investigated whether Momordicae Semen extract (MSE) has anti-gastritis effects in various rodent models and also explored possible mechanisms for the gastroprotective effects of MSE. MSE provided remarkable protective effects, comparable to those of rebamipide, in ethanol- and diclofenac-induced acute gastritis.

SK-PC-B70M alleviates neurologic symptoms in G93A-SOD1 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice.

SK-PC-B70M, an oleanolic-glycoside saponins fraction extracted from the root of Pulsatilla koreana, carries active ingredient(s) that protects the cytotoxicity induced by Aβ(1-42) in SK-N-SH cells. It was recently demonstrated that SK-PC-B70M improved scopolamine-induced deficits of memory consolidation and spatial working memory in rats, and reduced Aβ levels and plaque deposition in the brains of the Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer disease. In the present study, we investigated whether SK-PC-B70M produces helpful effects on the pathology of the G93A-SOD1 transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

SK-PC-B70M confers anti-oxidant activity and reduces Abeta levels in the brain of Tg2576 mice.

SK-PC-B70M is an oleanolic-glycoside saponin-enriched fraction derived from the root of Pulsatilla koreana. Recently, it was reported that hederacolchiside-E is an active ingredient of SK-PC-B70M that confers a neuroprotective effect against the cytotoxicity induced by Abeta(1-42) in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. SK-PC-B70M improves scopolamine-induced impairments of spatial working memory in rats.

LC-MS/MS method for determination of hederacolchiside E, a neuroactive saponin from Pulsatilla koreana extract in rat plasma for pharmacokinetic study.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was applied to pharmacokinetic study of a neuroactive oleanolic-glycoside saponin, hederacolchiside E from SK-PC-B70M, a standardized extract of Pulsatilla koreana in rat. Rat plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation with acetonitrile, eluted from C(18) column, and analyzed using electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS in negative ion mode. Digoxin was used as an internal standard.

SK-PC-B70M from Pulsatilla koreana improves scopolamine-induced impairments of memory consolidation and spatial working memory.

Previous studies have shown that hederacolchiside-E from Pulsatilla koreana has neuroprotective effects and cognition-enhancing effects. Subsequently, in the current study, we demonstrate that oral administrations of oleanolic-glycoside saponins enriched fraction from P. koreana, designated as SK-PC-B70M, improve impairments in memory consolidation and spatial working memory by systemic injection of scopolamine, a muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist.

Repeated amphetamine treatment induces neurite outgrowth and enhanced amphetamine-stimulated dopamine release in rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells) via a protein kinase C- and mitogen activated protein kinase-dependent mechanism.

Repeated intermittent treatment with amphetamine (AMPH) induces both neurite outgrowth and enhanced AMPH-stimulated dopamine (DA) release in PC12 cells. We investigated the role of protein kinases in the induction of these AMPH-mediated events by using inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC), mitogen activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) or protein kinase A (PKA). PKC inhibitors chelerythrine (100 nm and 300 nm), Ro31-8220 (300 nm) and the MAP kinase kinase inhibitor, PD98059 (30 micro m) inhibited the ability of AMPH to elicit both neurite outgrowth and the enhanced AMPH-stimulated DA release.

Repeated, intermittent treatment with amphetamine induces neurite outgrowth in rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells).

Repeated, intermittent treatment with amphetamine (AMPH) leads to long-term neurobiological adaptations in rat brain including an increased number and branching of dendritic spines. This effect depends upon several different cell types in the intact brain. Here we demonstrate that repeated, intermittent AMPH treatment induces neurite outgrowth in cultured PC12 cells without the requirement for integrated synaptic pathways.

Enhanced amphetamine-mediated dopamine release develops in PC12 cells after repeated amphetamine treatment.

We previously demonstrated that rats treated with repeated, intermittent amphetamine displayed enhanced amphetamine-mediated dopamine release in the striatum. In this study, we examined whether amphetamine pretreatment would elicit enhanced amphetamine-mediated dopamine release in a cultured cell line in the absence of intact synaptic connections. PC12 cells pretreated with 1 microM amphetamine produced over twofold increase in amphetamine-mediated dopamine release upon challenge with 1 microM amphetamine as compared with vehicle-treated cells.