Gab-Chul Choo

Guggulsterone attenuates cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis via inhibition of ERK and JNK activation.

Guggulsterone (GS), a plant steroid and a compound found at high levels in Commiphora myrrha, exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and cholesterol-lowering effects. However, the potential of GS to ameliorate acute pancreatitis (AP) is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of GS on cerulein-induced AP. AP was induced by intraperitoneally injecting supramaximal concentrations of the stable cholecystokinin analog cerulein (50 μg/kg) hourly for 6 h. In the GS-treated group, GS was administered intraperitoneally (10, 25, or 50mg/kg) 1 h before the first cerulein injection. Mice were sacrificed 6 h after the final cerulein injection. Blood samples were collected to measure serum lipase levels and evaluate cytokine production. The pancreas and lung were rapidly removed for morphologic and histological examinations, flow cytometry analysis, myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay, and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Pre-treatment with GS attenuated cerulein-induced histological damage, reduced pancreas weight/body weight ratio, decreased serum lipase levels, inhibited infiltrations of macrophages and neutrophils, and suppressed cytokine production. Additionally, GS treatment suppressed the activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in the pancreas in cerulein-induced pancreatitis. In conclusion, our results suggest that GS attenuates AP via deactivation of ERK and JNK.

Phylogeny of the selected members of family Cornaceae as inferred from PCR-RFLP analysis of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)

PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism) analysis of cpDNA and PCR-RFLP of rDNA were performed to assess the phylogenetic relationship in seven species of the family Cornaceae. Four pairs of primers, trnD/trnT, trnH/trnK, psaA/trnS and rbcL/ORF106, and one restriction enzyme (HinfI) were used for RFLP-PCR of cpDNA, and two primer pairs ITS5/ITS2 and ITS3/ITS4 with one restriction enzyme (HhaI) were used for ITS1 and ITS2 regions of rDNA, successively. Restriction products produced by trnH/trnK-HinfI and psaA/trnS-HinfI for cpDNA and ITS5/ITS2-HhaI and ITS3/ITS4-HhaI for rDNA, generated very informative bands from all of the seven species studied. A total of 147 scores were recorded and used in PHYLIP (phylogeny inference package) to generate a combined phylogenetic tree. The family was divided into two clades: the Aucuba clade and the cornaceous clade. The cornaceous clade further divided into two subclades: the previously suggested blue- or white-fruited dogwoods (C. walteri and C. macrophylla) and the Cornelian cherries (C. officinalis), and the big-bracted dogwoods (C. kousa and C. florida). The opposite-leaved blue- or white-fruited dogwoods were found to be close sisters to the alternate-leaved blue- or white-fruited dogwoods and all sisters to the Cornelian cherries. C. kousa and C. florida were found to be close sisters under big-bracted dogwoods. Based on the topology portrayed by the phylogenetic tree obtained, it is possible to conclude that big-bracted dogwoods are the most primitive member followed by the intermediates – the cornelian cherries, and the blue- or white-fruited dogwoods are the most advanced members, while the Aucuba clade is the most primitive in the family.

Fertilization and Tree Density Effects on Cellulose Decomposition in a Larix leptolepis Plantation

Cellulose mass loss by cellulose filter papers was measured for 3 time (35 days, 70 days, 105 days) incubation during the growing season (from May to September 2002) with different tree density and after fertilization in a Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) plantation. Cellulose mass loss rates were significantly different between tree density types and fertilization treatments during the study periods. After 105 day incubation of cellulose filter paper, cellulose mass loss rates were significantly higher in the low tree density (70.1 ) than in the high tree density (49.9). Cellulose mass loss rates averaged 62.8 in the fertilization and 58.9% in the unfertilization treatments during the same periods. However, cellulose mass loss was not significantly different between the forest floor and the mineral soil layer except for 35 day incubation. The results indicate that cellulose decomposition rates are a useful index to express differences in organic matter decomposition activity in different tree density and after fertilizer treatments.