Effect of Pachybasin on General Toxicity and Developmental Toxicity in Vivo.

To document the safety of pachybasin, a secondary metabolite of Trichoderma harzianum, for use as a bioagricultural agent, it was subjected to general toxicological testing in mice and developmental toxicity in zebrafish. With either 5 or 20 mg kg pachybasin i.p.

Effects of sarcosine and N, N-dimethylglycine on NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory field potentials.

Background: Sarcosine, a glycine transporter type 1 inhibitor and an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor co-agonist at the glycine binding site, potentiates NMDA receptor function. Structurally similar to sarcosine, N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG) is also N-methyl glycine-derivative amino acid and commonly used as a dietary supplement. The present study compared the effects of sarcosine and DMG on NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory field potentials (EFPs) in mouse medial prefrontal cortex brain slices using a multi-electrode array system.

Deep-sea water containing selenium provides intestinal protection against duodenal ulcers through the upregulation of Bcl-2 and thioredoxin reductase 1.

Deep-sea water (DSW), which is rich in micronutrients and minerals and with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, may be developed as marine drugs to provide intestinal protection against duodenal ulcers. We determined several characteristics in the modified DSW. We explored duodenal pressure, oxygenation, microvascular blood flow, and changes in pH and oxidative redox potential (ORP) values within the stomach and duodenum in response to tap water (TW, hardness: 2.

Involvement of pachybasin and emodin in self-regulation of Trichoderma harzianum mycoparasitic coiling.

Our aim was to determine the effects of two secondary metabolites secreted by Trichoderma harzianum, pachybasin and emodin, on the mycoparasitic coiling behavior and cAMP content of T. harzianum. The number of T.

Toluene exposure during brain growth spurt and adolescence produces differential effects on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated currents in rat hippocampus.

Toluene, an industrial organic solvent, is voluntarily inhaled as drug of abuse. Because inhibition of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors is one of the possible mechanisms underlying developmental neurotoxicity of toluene, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of toluene exposure during two major neurodevelopmental stages, brain growth spurt and adolescence, on NMDA receptor-mediated current. Rats were administered with toluene (500 mg/kg, i.

Antinociceptive actions of honokiol and magnolol on glutamatergic and inflammatory pain.

The antinociceptive effects of honokiol and magnolol, two major bioactive constituents of the bark of Magnolia officinalis, were investigated on animal paw licking responses and thermal hyperalgesia induced by glutamate receptor agonists including glutamate, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and metabotropic glutamate 5 receptor (mGluR5) activator (RS)-2-chloro-5-hydroxyphenylglycine (CHPG), as well as inflammatory mediators such as substance P and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in mice. The actions of honokiol and magnolol on glutamate-induced c-Fos expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn were also examined. Our data showed that honokiol and magnolol blocked glutamate-, substance P- and PGE2-induced inflammatory pain with similar potency and efficacy.

Effects of honokiol and magnolol on acute and inflammatory pain models in mice.

The antinociceptive actions of honokiol and magnolol, two major bioactive constituents of the bark of Magnolia officinalis, were evaluated using tail-flick, hot-plate and formalin tests in mice. The effects of honokiol and magnolol on the formalin-induced c-Fos expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn as well as motor coordination and cognitive function were examined. Data showed that honokiol and magnolol did not produce analgesia in tail-flick, hot-plate paw-shaking and neurogenic phase of the overt nociception induced by intraplantar injection of formalin.

Effects of toluene exposure during brain growth spurt on GABA(A) receptor-mediated functions in juvenile rats.

Toluene is a commonly abused inhalant. Its neurobiological effects are, at least in part, mediated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA(A)) receptors. Since GABA(A) receptor function is critical during brain development, the long-term effects of toluene exposure during brain growth spurt were investigated.

Inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB is associated with neuroprotective effects of glycyrrhizic acid on glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in primary neurons.

Glycyrrhizic acid is an herbal drug with a broad spectrum of antiviral activities and pharmacological effects and multiple sites of action. We investigated whether glycyrrhizic acid protects against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity and the underlying mechanisms. We found that glycyrrhizic acid protected against neurotoxicity in rat primary neuronal cultures and hippocampal slices by suppression of the glutamate-induced apoptosis.

Neuroprotective activity of honokiol and magnolol in cerebellar granule cell damage.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of honokiol and magnolol, two major bioactive constituents of the bark of Magnolia officinalis, against neuron toxicity induced by glucose deprivation, excitatory amino acids and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells. Cell membrane damage was measured with a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2 thiazoyl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to assess mitochondrial activity, reflecting cell survival. Results showed that honokiol and magnolol alone did not affect mitochondrial function and cell damage, but significantly reversed glucose deprivation-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell damage.

Involvement of Ca2+ signaling in tachykinin-mediated contractile responses in swine trachea.

Neuropeptide tachykinins, present within sensory nerves, have been implicated as neurotransmitters involved in nonadrenergic and noncholinergic airway muscle contraction. The signal transduction pathways of tachykinins on muscle contraction and Ca2+ mobilization were investigated in swine trachea. Tachykinins, substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA), concentration (1 nM to 1 microM)-dependently induced contractile responses with removal of epithelium, whereas neurokinin B (NKB) did not alter the muscle tension.

Differential inhibitory effects of honokiol and magnolol on excitatory amino acid-evoked cation signals and NMDA-induced seizures.

The effects of honokiol and magnolol, two major bioactive constituents of the bark of Magnolia officinalis, on Ca(2+) and Na(+) influx induced by various stimulants were investigated in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells by single-cell fura-2 or SBFI microfluorimetry. Honokiol and magnolol blocked the glutamate- and KCl-evoked Ca(2+) influx with similar potency and efficacy, but did not affect KCl-evoked Na(+) influx. However, honokiol was more specific for blocking NMDA-induced Ca(2+) influx, whereas magnolol influenced with both NMDA- and non-NMDA activated Ca(2+) and Na(+) influx.

Neonatal toluene exposure alters agonist and antagonist sensitivity and NR2B subunit expression of NMDA receptors in cultured cerebellar granule neurons.

Toluene has been reported to antagonize the function of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. In this study, the effects of neonatal toluene exposure on NMDA receptors in primarily cultured cerebellar granule neurons were examined. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with toluene (0, 200, 500, and 1000 mg/kg, i.

Effects of trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene on muscle contractile responses and epithelial prostaglandin release and acetylcholinesterase activity in swine trachea.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PERC) have been reported to induce respiratory complications such as airway hyperactivity and asthma. The present study was designed to investigate their influence on smooth muscle contraction and epithelial release of prostanoids in swine trachea. Results showed that TCE and PERC exposure did not alter the basal tone of tracheal smooth muscle.

The mechanism of honokiol-induced and magnolol-induced inhibition on muscle contraction and Ca2+ mobilization in rat uterus.

The effects of honokiol and magnolol extracted from the Magnolia officinalis on muscular contractile responses and intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization were investigated in the non-pregnant rat uterus. Honokiol and magnolol (1-100 micromol/l) were observed to inhibit spontaneous and uterotonic agonists (carbachol, PGF(2alpha), and oxytocin)-, high K(+)-, and Ca(2+) channel activator (Bay K 8644)-induced uterine contractions in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibition rate of honokiol on spontaneous contractions appeared to be slower than that of magnolol-induced response.

Inhibition of smooth muscle contraction by magnolol and honokiol in porcine trachea.

Magnolol and honokiol are the two major phenolic constituents of the plant medicine "Houpo" ( Magnolia obovata), which is used in the treatment of chest tightness and asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of magnolol and honokiol on smooth muscle tone in porcine trachea. Magnolol and honokiol (0.

Role of ryanodine receptors in chloroform-induced contraction in Swine tracheal smooth muscle.

Chloroform has been reported to induce inhalation intoxication in the respiratory tract. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of chloroform on muscle contraction in isolated swine tracheal smooth muscle. Chloroform (30-1000 ppm) reversibly and concentration-dependently provoked smooth muscle contraction.

Aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons alter the contractile responses of tracheal smooth muscle in piglet.

Aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons (ACHs) are widely used in several industrial processes and are also found in many commercial household products. They are classified as hazardous air pollutants, since ACHs exposure induces respiratory complications including airway hyperactivity. However, the contribution of airway smooth muscle tone to ACH-induced respiratory dysfunction has not been elucidated.