Romaine Lettuce/Skullcap Mixture Improves Sleep Behavior in Vertebrate Models.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of romaine lettuce leaves extract (RE), skullcap root extract (SE) and their mixture on sleep behaviors in vertebrate models. HPLC analysis showed that RE contains lactucopicrin (0.02±0.

Two combined amino acids promote sleep activity in caffeine-induced sleepless model systems.

Background/objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological and sleep-promoting effects of combined γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) using caffeine-induced sleepless fruit flies, ICR mice, and Sprague-Dawley rats.

Materials/methods: Video-tracking analysis was applied to investigate behavioral changes of . Pentobarbital-induced sleep test and electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns were used for analysis of sleep latency, duration, and quantity and quality of sleep in vertebrate models.

Veterinary drug, 17β-trenbolone promotes the proliferation of human prostate cancer cell line through the Akt/AR signaling pathway.

Trenbolone acetate (TBA) is a synthetic anabolic steroidal growth factor that is used for rapid muscle development in cattle. The absorbed TBA is hydrolyzed to the active form, 17β-trenbolone (17 TB; 17β-hydroxy-estra-4,9,11-trien-3-one) in meat and milk products, which can cause adverse health effects in humans. Similar to 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 17 TB was reported to exhibit endocrine disrupting effects on animals and humans due to its androgenic effect via binding to the androgen receptor.

Nardostachys jatamansi Ethanol Extract Ameliorates Aβ42 Cytotoxicity.

The Nardostachys jatamansi DC (NJ) root has been used as a sedative or analgesic to treat neurological symptoms and pain in traditional Korean medicine. Here, we investigate the potential effects of NJ on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and reveal the molecular mechanism through which NJ exerts its effects. The neuroprotective effect of the NJ root ethanol extract against β amyloid (Aβ) toxicity was examined in vitro using a cell culture system and in vivo using a Drosophila AD model.

Perinatal exposure to low-dose imidacloprid causes ADHD-like symptoms: Evidences from an invertebrate model study.

The fundamental diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism consists of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which lead to abnormal social interactions and repetitive and restricted behavior. Several food contaminants are suspected of being a possible contributing factor to the present-day increase in diseases, such as obesity and ADHD, and pesticides are also considered as a contributor to the increased prevalence of ADHD. Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide with lower toxicity to mammals.

Assessment of androgen receptor agonistic/antagonistic effects on 25 chemicals in household applicants by OECD in vitro stably transfected transcriptional activation assays.

The aim of this study is to assess the androgen receptor (AR) agonistic/antagonistic effects on various chemicals, which are used in household products including cleaning agents and wetted tissues by in vitro OECD test guideline No. 458 (using AR-EcoScreen™ cell line) and the me-too test method (using 22Rv1cell line), which was adopted as OECD project No. 4.

Photoprotective effects of topical ginseng leaf extract using Ultraflo L against UVB-induced skin damage in hairless mice.

Background: Abnormal activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) plays an important role in UV-induced wrinkle formation, which is a major dermatological problem. This formation occurs due to the degeneration of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, we investigated the cutaneous photoprotective effects of Ultraflo L treated ginseng leaf (UTGL) in hairless mice.

Syringaresinol induces mitochondrial biogenesis through activation of PPARβ pathway in skeletal muscle cells.

Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) plays a crucial role in cellular energy metabolism that directly impacts mitochondrial biogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that syringaresinol, a pharmacological lignan extracted from Panax ginseng berry, moderately binds to and activates PPARβ with KD and EC50 values of 27.62±15.

Effect of Layer-by-Layer (LbL) Encapsulation of Nano-Emulsified Fish Oil on Their Digestibility Ex Vivo and Skin Permeability In Vitro.

Omega-3 rich fish oils are extremely labile, thus requiring control of oxidation and off flavor development. A recently proposed emulsification method, layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition, was found to be a plausible method to enhance the characteristics of bioactive ingredients, especially lipids. The present work was designed to test the possibility of enhancing the uptake and utilization of omega-3 fatty acids present in fish oil.

Sleep-promoting effects of the GABA/5-HTP mixture in vertebrate models.

The aim of this study was to investigate the sleep-promoting effect of combined γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) on sleep quality and quantity in vertebrate models. Pentobarbital-induced sleep test and electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis were applied to investigate sleep latency, duration, total sleeping time and sleep quality of two amino acids and GABA/5-HTP mixture. In addition, real-time PCR and HPLC analysis were applied to analyze the signaling pathway.

Sleep-promoting effects of a GABA/5-HTP mixture: Behavioral changes and neuromodulation in an invertebrate model.

Aims: This study was to investigate the sleep promoting effects of combined γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), by examining neuronal processes governing mRNA level alterations, as well as assessing neuromodulator concentrations, in a fruit fly model.

Main Methods: Behavioral assays were applied to investigate subjective nighttime activity, sleep episodes, and total duration of subjective nighttime sleep of two amino acids and GABA/5-HTP mixture with caffeine treated flies. Also, real-time PCR and HPLC analysis were applied to analyze the signaling pathway.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields promote survival and neuronal differentiation of human BM-MSCs.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) are known to affect biological properties such as differentiation, regulation of transcription factor and cell proliferation. However, the cell-protective effect of PEMF exposure is largely unknown. The aim of this study is to understand the mechanisms underlying PEMF-mediated suppression of apoptosis and promotion of survival, including PEMF-induced neuronal differentiation.

Essential Oils from the Medicinal Herbs Upregulate Dopamine Transporter in Rat Pheochromocytoma Cells.

The dopamine transporter (DAT) protein, a component of the dopamine system, undergoes adaptive neurobiological changes from drug abuse. Prevention of relapse and reduction of withdrawal symptoms are still the major limitations in the current pharmacological treatments of drug addiction. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of essential oils extracted from Elsholtzia ciliata, Shinchim, Angelicae gigantis Radix, and Eugenia caryophyllata, well-known traditional Korean medicines for addiction, on the modulation of dopamine system in amphetamine-treated cells and to explore the possible mechanism underlying its therapeutic effect.

Suppression of T-cell proliferation by and B7-H1 expression on human liver-derived stem cells.

Background: Many types of stem cells have been widely used for the treatment of liver diseases. The therapeutic effect of stem cells is predominantly based on the immune regulatory properties of these cells.

Methods: We isolated human liver stem cells (HLSCs), which are considered intrahepatic stem cells, and examined their suppression of T-cell proliferation induced by phytohemagglutinin.

p53 signalling mediates acupuncture-induced neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with a selective loss of dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. Recently, it has been demonstrated that acupuncture treatment has protective effects in PD. However, to date, the molecular mechanisms underlying acupuncture's effect on DA neuronal protection are largely unknown.

Inhibitory effects of Saururus chinensis and its components on stomach cancer cells.

Saururus chinensis (SC) Baill. (Saururaceae), a perennial herb commonly called Chinese lizard's tail or Sam-baekcho in Korea, has been used in the treatment of edema, gonorrhea, jaundice, and inflammatory diseases. Recently, several reports have been commissioned to examine the anti-cancer activities of this plant.

DHEA Alleviates Oxidative Stress of Muscle Cells via Activation of Nrf2 Pathway.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been proposed to regulate muscle dystrophy, while the underlying mechanisms for its protection against muscle atrophy are unknown. The present study was carried out to improve our understanding of the mechanism of DHEA's protective effect on muscle cells. We observed that DHEA significantly decreased the loss of cell death associated with H2O2-induced toxicity.

Illite improves memory impairment and reduces Aβ level in the Tg-APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model of Alzheimer׳s disease through Akt/CREB and GSK-3β phosphorylation in the brain.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The use of illite in Korean medicine has a long history as a therapeutic agent for various cerebrovascular diseases. According to Dongui Bogam, illite can be used for Qi-tonifying, phlegm dispersing and activation of blood circulation which is an important principle for the treatment of brain-associated diseases.

Aim Of The Study: This study was undertaken to evaluate beneficial effects of illite on the neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer׳s disease (AD).

Alteration in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after treatment of mice with herbal mixture containing Euphoria longana, Houttuynia cordata and Dioscorea japonica.

Background: Literature data indicate that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cyclic-AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and phospho-CREB (pCREB) may have a place in depression. BDNF belongs to the neurotrophin family that plays an important role in proliferation, survival and differentiation of different cell populations in the mammalian nervous system. The herbal mixture used in the present study consists of Euphoria longana, Houttuynia cordata and Dioscorea japonica.

Clozapine induces chloride channel-4 expression through PKA activation and modulates CDK5 expression in SH-SY5Y and U87 cells.

Objectives: Second-generation antipsychotic drugs, such as clozapine, were reported to enhance neurite outgrowth by nerve growth factor in PC12 cells. The authors previously showed that chloride channel 4 (CLC-4) is responsible for nerve growth factor-induced neurite outgrowth in neuronal cells. In this study, we examined whether clozapine induces CLC-4 in neuroblastoma and glioma cells.

Stimulation of neural differentiation in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields incorporated with MNPs.

Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) have been investigated as a new cell-therapeutic solution due to their capacity that could differentiate into neural-like cells. Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) therapy has emerged as a novel technique, using mechanical stimulus to differentiate hBM-MSCs and significantly enhance neuronal differentiation to affect cellular and molecular reactions. Magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (MNPs) have recently achieved widespread use for biomedical applications and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-labeled nanoparticles are used to increase their circulation time, aqueous solubility, biocompatibility, and nonspecific cellular uptake as well as to decrease immunogenicity.

B7-H1 inhibits T cell proliferation through MHC class II in human mesenchymal stem cells.

B7-H1 on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is known to modulate immune response. However, its expression pattern and exact immunomodulatory mechanism are unclear. In this study, we examined the immunomodulatory mechanism through the expression pattern of B7-H1 and major histocompatibility complex class II in various MSCs.

In vitro differentiation of human liver-derived stem cells with mesenchymal characteristics into immature hepatocyte-like cells.

Liver transplantation is severely limited by donor shortage although it is the only effective treatment for end-stage liver disease. So the best alternative is hepatocyte transplantation. For obtaining human hepatocytes, some stem cells originating from extrahepatic or intraheptic tissues have been isolated and characterized.