Jaeyong Kim

Antioxidant effect of Tianwang Buxin Pills: a traditional Chinese medicine formula: double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their derivatives play important roles in the development of diseases such as, cardiovascular disease, ischemic disease, and aging. Much effort has been devoted to finding both an effective and non-toxic antioxidant traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal formula. Tianwang Buxin Pills (TBPs) have been used in TCM to treat mild cognitive impairment and palpitations. Recently, research has revealed that TBPs are effective against oxidative stress and psychological stress in experimental studies. However, randomized controlled trials (RCT) are rare. This study was conducted to assess the antioxidative and anti-stress effects of TBPs by analyzing (determination) reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs test) of the blood, the stress response inventory (SRI), and the Korean version of the WHO Quality of Life Scale Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF) in 39 healthy volunteers (Placebo group = 20, TBPs group = 19) before and after oral administration of TBPs for 4 weeks. However, d-ROMs test, SRI, and WHOQOL-BREF values did not differ significantly between the two groups. These results indicate that TBPs do not effectively restrain ROS or their derivatives.

Antidepressant-Like Effects of Vaccinium bracteatum in Chronic Restraint Stress Mice: Functional Actions and Mechanism Explorations

The fruit of Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb. (VBF) is commonly known as the oriental blueberry in Korea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of water VBF extract (VBFW) in a mouse model of chronic restraint stress (CRS) and to identify the underlying mechanisms of its action. The behavioral effects of VBFW were assessed in the forced swim test (FST) and open field test (OFT). The levels of serum corticosterone (CORT), brain monoamines, in addition to the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway were evaluated. VBFW treatment significantly reduced the immobility time and increased swimming time in FST without altering the locomotor activity in unstressed mice. Furthermore, CRS mice treated with VBFW exhibited a significantly decreased immobility time in FST and serum CORT, increased locomotor activity in OFT, and enhanced brain monoamine neurotransmitters. Similarly, VBFW significantly upregulated the ERKs/Akt signaling pathway in the hippocampus and PFC. In addition, VBFW may reverse CORT-induced cell death by enhancing cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein expression through the up-regulation of ERKs/Akt signaling pathways. In addition, VBFW showed the strong antagonistic effect of the 5-HT[Formula: see text] receptor by inhibiting 5-HT-induced intracellular Ca[Formula: see text] and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Our study provides evidence that antidepressant-like effects of VBFW might be mediated by the regulation of monoaminergic systems and glucocorticoids, which is possibly associated with neuroprotective effects and antagonism of 5-HT[Formula: see text] receptor.