Bomi Lee

Antiallergic effect of the root of Paeonia lactiflora and its constituents paeoniflorin and paeonol

The root of Paeonia lactiflora PALL (PL, Family Paeoniaceae) has been used frequently as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent in traditional medicines of Korea, China and Japan. To evaluate antiallergic effect of PL, we isolated its main constituents, paeoniflorin and paeonol, and evaluated in vivo their inhibitory effects against passive cutaenous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction induced by IgE-antigen complex and scratching behaviors induced by compound 48/80. PL, paeoniflorin and paeonol potently inhibited PCA reaction and scratching behaviors in mice. Paeoniflorin exhibited the most potent inhibition against scratching behaviors and the acetic acid-induced writhing syndrome in mice. Paeonol most potently inhibited PCA reaction and mast cells degranulation. These findings suggest that PL can improve IgE-induced anaphylaxis and scratching behaviors, and may be due to the effect of its constituents, paeoniflorin and paeonol.

Effect of electroacupuncture on response to immobilization stress.

Forced immobilization is a simple and effective stressor which produces large increases in heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI). This study investigated the effects of electroacupuncture on BP, HR, and plasma catecholamine levels in rats challenged with immobilization stress. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received electroacupuncture (3 Hz, 0.2 ms pulses, 20 mA) for 30 min after start of immobilization stress (180 min). Needlepoints corresponded to Shaohai (HT3) and Neiguan (PC6) on the heart and pericardium channel. BP and HR were monitored with an indwelling carotid catheter, and blood samples were taken from the jugular vein. Blood (for HPLC determination of NE and EPI), mean BP, and HR were sampled at rest and during the immobilization stress at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min. Electroacupuncture at HT3 and PC6 points but not at control points (TE5, LI11, and tail) significantly reduced the expected increases in BP, HR, and attenuated plasma levels of NE and EPI in response to 3 h of immobilization stress. Results provide strong evidence that electroacupuncture effectively reduces BP and HR increases and plasma catecholamine increases in rats challenged with immobilization stress.

Timosaponin AIII, a saponin isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides, ameliorates learning and memory deficits in mice.

Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge (AA, family Liliaceae), which primarily contains xantones, such as mangiferin, and steroidal saponins, such as timosaponin AIII and sarsasapogenin, has been used as an anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-platelet aggregation, and anti-depressant agent in traditional Chinese medicine. In the present study, the memory-enhancing effects of these saponins were investigated in scopolamine-treated mice. Among saponins, timosaponin AIII (TA3) significantly reversed the scopolamine-induced deficits in a passive avoidance test and in the Morris water maze test. TA3 also increased hippocampal acetylcholine levels in scopolamine-treated mice and dose-dependently inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity (IC(50) value, 35.4 microM). When TA3 (50 mg/kg) was orally administered to mice and its blood concentration was measured by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, the C(max) of TA3 occurred 4-6 h after TA3 treatment. The memory-enhancing effect of TA3 was greater when it was administered 5 h before the acquisition trial than 1 h before. Scopolamine treatment in mice increased brain levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta expression. However, treatment with TA3 and scopolamine inhibited the increase of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta expression. These results suggest that scopolamine may cause learning and memory deficits that are further complicated by inflammation. TA3 also inhibited the activation of NF-kappaB signaling in BV-2 microglia and in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells induced with TNF-alpha or scopolamine. Nevertheless, TA3 may ameliorate memory deficits, mainly by inhibiting AChE.

Inhibitory effects of steroidal timosaponins isolated from the rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides against passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction and pruritus.

To investigate the antiallergic effect of the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides (AA, family Liliaceae), which was found to inhibit the mouse passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction induced by the antigen-immunoglobulin E (IgE) complex in preliminary experiments, main steroidal saponins, timosaponins AIII, BIII, and D, were isolated and their inhibitory effects against PCA reaction and scratching behaviors investigated in mice. Oral administration of three main steroidal sapogenins blocked the PCA reaction and scratching behaviors, timosaponin AIII was the most potent. However, intraperitoneal administration of timosaponin AIII showed weak inhibition. To understand its metabolism and antiallergic mechanism, timosaponin AIII was anaerobically incubated with human intestinal microflora to afford a main metabolite, sarsasapogenin. Intraperitoneal administration of sarsasapogenin inhibited allergic reaction more potently than timosaponin AIII. In addition, sarsasapogenin more potently inhibited degranulation and IL-4 protein expression of RBL-2H3 cells induced by IgE-antigen complex than timosaponin AIII. On the basis of these findings, antiallergic effect of AA may be due to those of its steroidal constituents, and that of timosaponin AIII may be activated by using intestinal microflora.

Lactic acid bacteria increase antiallergic effect ofArtemisia princeps pampanini SS-1

Artemisia princeps Pampanini, which is called Ssajuarissuk in Korean (SS-1), was fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and their passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction-inhibitory activity was investigated. Of these fermented agents, SS-1 extract fermented withBifidobacterium infantis K-525 (F-SS-1) most effectively inhibited the release of β-hexosamindase from RBL-2H3 cells induced IgE. In IgE-induced RBL-2H3 cells, F-SS-1 inhibited proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expression. Oral administration of SS-1 and F-SS-1 to mice inhibited passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction induced by IgE and scratching behaviors induced by compound 48/80. The inhibitory activity of F-SS-1 against scratching behaviors induced by compound 48/80. The inhibitory activity of F-SS-1 against scratching behaviors was more effective than that of SS-1. These findings suggest that the fermentation of SS-1 with LAB can increase its antiallergic activity.

Mangiferin inhibits passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction and pruritus in mice.

The antiallergic effect of mangiferin isolated from the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge (family Liliaceae) was measured in vitro and in vivo. Orally and intraperitoneally administered mangiferin potently inhibited passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction induced by IgE-antigen complex as well as pruritus induced by compound 48/80 in mice. Mangiferin also inhibited the expression of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha and the IgE-switching cytokine IL-4 as well as transcription factor NF-kappaB activation in RBL-2H3 cells stimulated by IgE-antigen complex. These findings suggest that mangiferin may improve PCA reaction and pruritus.

Anti-scratching Behavioral Effects of N-Stearoyl-phytosphingosine and 4-Hydroxysphinganine in Mice

N-Stearoyl-phytosphingosine (SPS) and 4-hydroxysphinganine (phytosphingosine, PS), which are sphingolipids frequently found in mammalian skin, plants, and yeast, have been used as ingredients in cosmetics. In mice, treatment with SPS and PS inhibited histamine-induced scratching behavior and vascular permeability. These agents inhibited the expression of the allergic cytokines, IL-4 and TNF-α, and the activation of the transcription factors, NF-κB and c-jun, in histamine-stimulated skin tissues. These agents also showed potent anti-histamine effects in the Magnus test using guinea pig ileum. Based on these results, SPS and PS may improve scratching behavioral reactions in skin by regulating the action of histamine and the activation of the transcription factors NF-κB and c-jun.