Mori Fructus improves cognitive and neuronal dysfunction induced by beta-amyloid toxicity through the GSK-3β pathway in vitro and in vivo

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

A growing body of literature supports the concept that antiaging herbs may be potential candidates for use in treating age-related neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer׳s disease (AD). Mori Fructus is a well-known traditional herbal medicine, food, and dietary supplement. This study employed models of amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced AD to investigate the protective effects of Mori Fructus ethanol extract (ME) against age-related disease and cognitive deficits.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To examine the protective effect of ME, we measured cell viability, cytotoxicity, and survival in rat primary hippocampal cultures. We performed behavioral tests and histological analysis in mouse models of AD induced by Aβ(25-35) toxicity. To investigate the mechanism underlying the protective effect, we performed western blotting using antibodies against apoptotic markers as well as the nonphosphorylated and phosphorylated forms of Akt, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), and tau. We also measured apoptotic marker fluorescence intensity.

RESULTS

ME significantly attenuated Aβ-induced cell damage, enhanced Akt and GSK-3β phosphorylation, and reduced tau phosphorylation. ME reduced apoptotic markers that were activated by GSK-3β, and reduced reactive oxygen species production. Further, ME decreased the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X expression ratio, mitochondria depolarization, cytochrome c release from mitochondria, and caspase-3 activation. We confirmed that ME treatment improved cognitive impairment and neuronal cell death induced by Aβ(25-35) toxicity in the mouse hippocampus via its antiapoptotic activity.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that ME protects cognition and neurons in AD-like models induced by Aβ via reduction of tau phosphorylation and apoptosis through GSK-3β inactivation.

Coriander alleviates 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced contact dermatitis-like skin lesions in mice

Contact dermatitis (CD) is a pattern of inflammatory responses in the skin that occurs through contact with external factors. The clinical picture is a polymorphic pattern of skin inflammation characterized by a wide range of clinical features, including itching, redness, scaling, and erythema. Coriandrum sativum L. (CS), commonly known as coriander, is a member of the Apiaceae family and is cultivated throughout the world for its nutritional and culinary values. Linoleic acid and linolenic acid in CS have various pharmacological activities. However, no study of the inhibitory effects of CS on CD has been reported. In this study, we demonstrated the protective effect of CS against 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced CD-like skin lesions. CS, at doses of 0.5-1%, applied to the dorsal skin inhibited the development of CD-like skin lesions. Moreover, the Th2-mediated inflammatory cytokines, immunoglobulin E, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-4, and IL-13, were significantly reduced. In addition, CS increased the levels of total glutathione and heme oxygenase-1 protein. Thus, CS can inhibit the development of CD-like skin lesions in mice by regulating immune mediators and may be an effective alternative therapy for contact diseases.

Non-invasive assessment of cutaneous wound healing using fluorescent imaging

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Optical imaging is a very important technique in the biomedical sciences. The purpose of this study was to develop an in vivo optical system for fluorescent imaging and molecular imaging applications using quantum dots (QDs).

METHODS

The in vivo optical system was composed of modular parts, including a light source, light guide, excitation filter wheel, excitation filters, emission filter wheel, emission filters, liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF), macro lens, dark chamber, and a cooled charged-coupled device (CCD) camera for recording images. Filters were selected based on the excitation and absorption spectra of QDs to allow spectral separation and optimization of the acquired image. In contrast with conventional systems, our system allows selection of the emission bandwidth.

RESULTS

The system was tested in an in vivo study using a wound-healing model in nude mice. The healing process was examined after injection of fibroblasts and keratinocytes labeled with two different sets of QDs. The different QD probes were readily detected and distinguished using our system.

CONCLUSION

An in vivo optical system is a very useful tool for the detection of genes, proteins, and small-molecule drugs inside living animals, and this imaging modality can also be adopted for real-time visualization of cancer cell metastasis in live animals.

Antioxidant effects of the sarsaparilla via scavenging of reactive oxygen species and induction of antioxidant enzymes in human dermal fibroblasts

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight causes distinct changes in collagenous skin tissues as a result of the breakdown of collagen, a major component of the extracellular matrix. UV irradiation downregulates reactive oxygen species (ROS)-elimination pathways, thereby promoting the production of ROS, which are implicated in skin aging. Smilax glabra Roxb (sarsaparilla) has been used in folk medicine because of its many effects. However, no study on the protective effects of sarsaparilla root (SR) on human dermal fibroblasts has been reported previously. Here, we investigated the protective effect of SR against oxidative stress in dermal fibroblasts. SR significantly inhibited oxidative damage and skin-aging factor via mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Also, SR decreased Ca(2+) and ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential, dysfunction, and increased glutathione, NAD(P)H dehydrogenase and heme oxygenase-1. These results demonstrate that SR can protect dermal fibroblasts against UVB-induced skin aging via antioxidant effects.

Sauchinone, a lignan from Saururus chinensis, protects human skin keratinocytes against ultraviolet B-induced photoaging by regulating the oxidative defense system

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight induces matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression, which are responsible for collagenous extracellular matrix proteins breakdown in skin, causing photoaging. Sauchinone is reported to have various bioactivity such as antioxidative, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of sauchinone against UVB (50 mJ/cm(2))-induced photoaging in HaCaT human epidermal keratinocytes. Sauchinone, at 5-40 µM, significantly protected keratinocytes against UVB-induced damage as assessed by cell viability and toxicity assay. Additionally, sauchinone, at 20-40 µM, prevented the upregulation of MMP-1 proteins and reduction of type 1 collagen induced by UVB. Other assays revealed that, in keratinocytes, sauchinone decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and increased glutathione levels and heme oxygenase-1. Sauchinone also inhibited UVB-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. These results demonstrated that sauchinone protects skin keratinocytes through inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 MAPK signaling via upregulation of oxidative defense enzymes.

6-Shogaol, an active compound of ginger, protects dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease models via anti-neuroinflammation

AIM

6-Shogaol [1-(4-hydroxy-methoxyphenyl)-4-decen-one], a pungent compound isolated from ginger, has shown various neurobiological and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 6-shogaol on neuroinflammatory-induced damage of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD) models.

METHODS

Cultured rat mesencephalic cells were treated with 6-shogaol (0.001 and 0.01 μmol/L) for 1 h, then with MPP(+)(10 μmol/L) for another 23 h. The levels of TNF-α and NO in medium were analyzed spectrophotometrically. C57/BL mice were administered 6-shogaol (10 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1), po) for 3 d, and then MPTP (30 mg/kg, ip) for 5 d. Seven days after the last MPTP injection, behavioral testings were performed. The levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and macrophage antigen (MAC)-1 were determined with immunohistochemistry. The expression of iNOS and COX-2 was measured using RT PCR.

RESULTS

In MPP(+)-treated rat mesencephalic cultures, 6-shogaol significantly increased the number of TH-IR neurons and suppressed TNF-α and NO levels. In C57/BL mice, treatment with 6-shogaol reversed MPTP-induced changes in motor coordination and bradykinesia. Furthermore, 6-shogaol reversed MPTP-induced reductions in TH-positive cell number in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and TH-IR fiber intensity in stratum (ST). Moreover, 6-shogaol significantly inhibited the MPTP-induced microglial activation and increases in the levels of TNF-α, NO, iNOS, and COX-2 in both SNpc and ST.

CONCLUSION

6-Shogaol exerts neuroprotective effects on DA neurons in in vitro and in vivo PD models.

Diagnostic efficacy of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI for the detection and characterisation of liver metastases: comparison with multidetector-row CT

OBJECTIVES

We compared the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and 16-slice multidetector CT (MDCT) with respect to their abilities to detect hepatic metastases and differentiate hepatic metastases from hepatic cysts and haemangiomas.

METHODS

67 patients with 110 liver metastases (size 0.3-2.5 cm), 33 haemangiomas (size 0.5-1.5 cm) and 17 cysts (size 0.3-1.0 cm) underwent 4-phase MDCT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI, including early dynamic phases, post-contrast T(2) weighted turbo spin echo sequences and 20 min hepatocyte-selective phases. Two observers independently analysed each image in random order. Sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy for lesion detection and differentiation for MDCT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI were calculated using receiver operating characteristic analysis.

RESULTS

For both observers, the Az values of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI (mean, 0.982 and 0.981) were significantly higher than the Az values of MDCT (mean, 0.839 and 0.892) (p<0.05) for the detection of metastases and for the differentiation of metastases from haemangiomas and cysts. Sensitivities of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI with regard to the detection and characterisation of liver metastases (mean, 96.9% and 96.0%) were significantly higher than those of MDCT (mean, 78.7% and 75.0%) (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI showed higher diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity than did MDCT for the detection of hepatic metastases and for the differentiation between hepatic metastases and hepatic haemangiomas or cysts.