Chang-Jin Lim

Anti-angiogenic, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Lonicera japonica extract

This study aimed to elucidate some novel pharmacological activities of Lonicera japonica (Caprifoliaceae), which is widely used in Oriental folk medicine. The ethanolic extract of L. japonica (LJ) dose dependently inhibited chick chorioallantoic membrane angiogenesis. The antinociceptive activity of LJ was assessed using the acetic acid‐induced constriction model in mice. LJ showed anti‐inflammatory activity in two in‐vivo models: the vascular permeability and air pouch models. LJ suppressed the production of nitric oxide via down‐regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase in lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. However, LJ was unable to suppress induction of cyclooxygenase‐2 in the stimulated macrophage cells. LJ decreased the reactive oxygen species level in the stimulated macrophage cells. In brief, the flowers of L. japonica possess potent anti‐angiogenic and antinociceptive activities, in addition to anti‐inflammatory activity, which partly supports its therapeutic efficacy.

Evaluation of anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity of coenzyme Q10 in experimental animals

Objectives This work aimed to assess some pharmacological activities of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in animal experimental models.

Anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-nociceptive activities of an ethanol extract of Salvia plebeia R. Brown.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCEnSalvia plebeia R. Brown has been used for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases, cold and tumors in many countries, including Korea and China.nnnAIM OF THE STUDYnThis study aimed to assess anti-inflammatory and related activities of an ethanol extract (SPEE) prepared from the dried whole parts of Salvia plebeia.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnAnti-angiogenic and anti-nociceptive activities of SPEE were analyzed using the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay and acetic acid-induced writhing response, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity of SPEE was evaluated using acetic acid-induced vascular permeability, carrageenan-induced inflammation in the air pouch and analyses of nitrite content and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) level in the macrophage cells.nnnRESULTSnSPEE gave rise to a significant inhibition in chick chorioallantoic membrane angiogenesis. SPEE exhibited anti-inflammatory activities in vascular permeability and air-pouch models. In the air-pouch model, SPEE was able to diminish exudate volume, number of polymorphonulcear leukocytes and nitrite content. SPEE also displayed anti-nociceptive activity in the writhing response model in mice. SPEE significantly decreased nitrite content and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells, while it could not modulate cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels in the stimulated phages. SPEE decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the stimulated macrophages.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe ethanol extract (SPEE) of Salvia plebeia possesses anti-inflammatory and related anti-angiogenic, anti-nociceptive and antioxidant activities, which offers partial support to its folkloric use.

Anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-nociceptive activities of Saururus chinensis extract

UNLABELLEDnETHNOPHARMACOLGICAL RELEVANCE: The aerial parts of Saururus chinensis Baill. are used for the treatment of edema and inflammatory diseases in the Oriental folk medicine.nnnAIM OF THE STUDYnThis study aimed to elucidate anti-inflammatory and related activities of the ethanol extract (SC) of the dried aerial parts of Saururus chinensis Baill.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnAnti-angiogenic and anti-nociceptive activities of SC were analyzed using the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay and acetic acid-induced writhing response, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity of SC was evaluated using acetic acid-induced vascular permeability, carrageenan-induced air pouch formation and analyses of nitrite content and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) level in the macrophage cells.nnnRESULTSnSC dose-dependently displayed a strong inhibition in the CAM angiogenesis. SC showed significant anti-nociceptive activity in the writhing model. The anti-inflammatory activity of SC was also assessed in the two in vivo models, such as vascular permeability and air pouch models in mice. SC suppressed production of nitric oxide and induction of iNOS and cyclooxygenase-2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe aerial parts of Saururus chinensis possess potent anti-angiogenic and anti-nociceptive activities in addition to anti-inflammatory activity, which partly supports its therapeutic efficacy.

Up-regulation of defense enzymes is responsible for low reactive oxygen species in malignant prostate cancer cells

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in a diversity of important phenomena in the process of tumor development. To investigate the alterations of oxidative stress and their related systems in tumor progression, a variety of components in the antioxidative stress defense system were examined in prostate cancer cell lines, PC3 and LNCaP. Cell surface molecules involved in metastasis were expressed highly in PC3 cells compared with LNCaP cells, and strong invasion ability was shown in PC3 cells only. ROS level in LNCaP cells was twice higher than that in PC3 cells, although nitric oxide (NO) level was similar between the two cell lines. The content of GSH increased up to about 2-fold in PC3 compared with LNCaP. Activities of glutathione reductase, thioredoxin reductase, and glutathione S-transferase except catalase are significantly higher in PC3 cells than in LNCaP cells. Furthermore, oxidative stress-inducing agents caused down-regulation of GSH and glutathione S-transferase much more significantly in LNCaP cells than in PC3 cells. These results imply that malignant tumor cells may maintain low ROS content by preserving relatively high anti-oxidative capacity, even in the presence of stressful agents.

Glutathione reductase plays an anti-apoptotic role against oxidative stress in human hepatoma cells.

The cellular roles of glutathione reductase (GR) in the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced apoptosis were studied using the HepG2 cells transfected with GR. The overexpression of GR caused a marked enhancement in reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio, and significantly decreased ROS levels in the stable transfectants. Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), under the optimal condition for apoptosis, significantly decreased cellular viability and total GSH content, and rather increased ROS level, apoptotic percentage and caspase-3 activity in the mock-transfected cells. However, hydrogen peroxide could not largely generate these apoptotic changes in cellular viability, ROS level, apoptotic percentage, caspase-3 activity and total GSH content in the cells overexpressing GR. Taken together, GR may play a protective role against oxidative stress.

Anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-nociceptive activities of sedum sarmentosum extract

This study aimed to assess some novel pharmacological activities of Sedum sarmentosum Bunge, a perennial herb widely distributed on the mountain slopes in Oriental countries and traditionally used for the treatment of certain inflammatory diseases. Sedum sarmentosum was extracted with absolute methanol to generate the methanol extract (SS). SS exhibited a significant inhibitory activity in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) angiogenesis in a dose-dependent manner (IC(50)=2.29 microg/egg). The anti-nociceptive activity of SS was demonstrated using acetic acid-induced writhing model in mice. SS reduced the levels of anti-inflammatory markers, such as volume of exudates, number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and nitrite content, in the air pouch model. It dose-dependently exhibited an inhibitory activity in the acetic acid-induced vascular permeability in mice. It suppressed production of nitric oxide in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. Additionally, it suppressed induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the activated macrophages. In brief, the results provide some pharmacological basis for the therapeutic use of Sedum sarmentosum.

Enhancement of anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive actions of red ginseng extract by fermentation

Objectivesu2002 This work aimed to compare some pharmacological properties of red ginseng extract (RG) and fermented red ginseng extract (FRG).

Potentiation of antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of cultured wild ginseng root extract through probiotic fermentation.

This work aimed to determine some pharmacological properties of non‐fermented (WG) and fermented (FWG) extracts of cultured wild ginseng root.

Assessment of the anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of ethyl vanillin

The present work aimed to assess novel pharmacological properties of ethyl vanillin (EVA) which is used as a flavoring agent for cakes, dessert, confectionary, etc. EVA exhibited an inhibitory activity in the chorioallantoic membrane angiogenesis. Anti-inflammatory activity of EVA was convinced using the two in vivo models, such as vascular permeability and air pouch models in mice. Antinociceptive activity of EVA was assessed using acetic acid-induced writhing model in mice. EVA suppressed production of nitric oxide and induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. However, EVA could not suppress induction of cyclooxygenase-2 in the LPS-activated macrophages. EVA diminished reactive oxygen species level in the LPS-activated macrophages. EVA also suppressed enhanced matrix metalloproteinase-9 gelatinolytic activity in the LPSactivated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. EVA at the used concentrations couldn’t diminish viability of the macrophage cells. Taken together, the anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive properties of EVA are based on its suppressive effect on the production of nitric oxide possibly via decreasing the reactive oxygen species level.