Antimutagenic components in Dunn against -methyl--nitrosourea.

Background: An extract from () Dunn has been reported to show potent antimutagenic effects against -alkyl--nitrosoureas in screening. The aim of this study was to identify the antimutagenic components from extracts of against -methyl--nitrosourea (MNU) in the Ames assay with strain TA1535 and to elucidate the antimutagenic mechanism of the flavonoids.

Results: From the ethyl acetate fraction obtained from fractionation of the methanol extract of Dunn, medicarpin, formononetin and isoliquiritigenin were successfully isolated through a combination of normal- and reversed-phase chromatography.

Role of reactive oxygen species on diesel exhaust particle-induced cytotoxicity in rat cardiac myocytes.

Exposure to air pollution containing diesel exhaust particles (DEP) is associated with an increase in mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular diseases, but the mechanisms by which DEP produces adverse cardiovascular effects at the cellular level are not elucidated. This study investigated the cytotoxic mechanisms underlying DEP-induced neonatal rat cardiac myocytes effects in vitro, focusing on the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS). DEP extracts (DEPE) damaged cells in a concentration- and a time-dependent manner.