Gene-gene Interaction in Cerebral Infarction Patients : A Study on Relationship Between Apolipoprotein E, ACE Gene Polymorphism and Sasang Constitution

Kim Jong Kwan,Kim Hyoung Soon,Bae Young Chun,Lee Sang Min,Kim Kyung Yo,Joo Jong Cheon The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2004 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.18 No.4

Sasang Constitutional Medicine is a major branch of Korean Traditional Medicine. The differences of disease susceptibility to be shown in Sasang constitution may be due to genetic factors. Therefore, I examined interrelationship among cerebral infarction (CI), apolipoprotein E (apo E) gene polymorphism, and Sasang constitutional classification. Apo E is a key protein modulating the highly atherogenic apoB containing lipoproteins and is a candidate gene for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). The ε2 and/or ε4 alleles were the first to be implicated in premature CAD, which resulted in this polymorphism being extensively studied. I investigated the association between apo E genotype and CI by case-control study in a Korean population. I also classified CI patients and control group into groups according to Sasang Constitutional Medicine. 218 CI patients and 379 controls without CI were examined. Apo E genotype was determined by 8% polyacrylamide gel separation after DNA amplification. A frequency of apo E ε3/ε3 in the apo E genotype distribution was higher in the CI patients compared with that in controls. Also, it was widely known that Taeumin was easily attacked with CI, but there was no association between apo E polymorphim and Taeumin. However, the Taeumin constitution did not enhance the relative risk for CI in the subjects with apo E ε2 and/or ε4 alleles. No differences in the apo E genotypes frequencies were observed in the Taeumin compared with that in the other constitutions. In addition, I investigated whether the DD(deletion/deletion) or ID(insertion/deletion) genotype of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene, a candidate gene for CI, was associated with CI, Taeumin constitution, and apo E polymorphism. As a result, the frequency of Taeumin constitution was significantly higher in CI patients with both apo E ε3/ε4 and ACE ID/DD genotypes than in the remaining Sasang constitutions. In summary, it was concluded that the apo E polymorphism is a major risk factor for CI in Koreans and the ACE ID/DD genotype enhanced the relative risk for CI in the subjects with apo E ε3/ε4 genotype and Taeumin constitution.

Study on The Responseness to Oriental Medicine Therapy and Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism in Korean Cerebral Infarction Patients

Lee, Se-Yun,Lee, Yoon-Kyoung,Kim, Jae-Su,Lee, Kyung-Min,Jung, Tae-Young,Lim, Seong-Chul The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2008 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.22 No.4

Ischemic brain injury such as cerebral infarction is characterized by acute local inflammatory response mediated by cytokines. The mechanism of cytokines involved in cerebral infarction progression are uncompletely revealed yet. We investigated to find out the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of interleukin 4 receptor(IL4R) and Oriental Medicine therapy efficacy in patients with cerebral infarction for 2 weeks. Oriental Korean Medicine therapies (herbal medicine and acupuncture) were applied daily and motor functions of patients were assessed using the modified cerebral vascular accident (MCVA) scores. Genotyping for IL4R polymorphism was done by pyrosequencing analysis. In IL4R genotypes and the frequency of alleles, there was no significant difference between cerebral infarction patients (n=124) and controls group (n=175). And there was also no significant difference among good and bad responders in cerebral infarction patients. In this study the IL4R genotype might not be the risk factor or a good predictive genetic marker for good and bad responders in cerebral infarction patients in Korean. Further studies including different cytokine genes will be necessary for the exact genetic markers.

Effect of Zedoariae rhizoma on Bronchial Inflammation and Allergic Asthma in Mice

Ahn, Jong-Chan,Ban, Chang-Gyu,Park, Won-Hwan The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2006 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.20 No.6

There are detailed descriptions of the clinical experiences and prescriptions of asthma in traditional Korean medicine. Zedoariae rhizoma is one of the Korean herbal medicines used to treat bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis for centuries. However, the therapeutic mechanisms of this medication are still far from clear, In this study, a house-dust-mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus [Der p])-sensitized murine model of asthma was used to evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of Zedoariae rhizoma on the allergen-induced airway inflammation in asthma. Three different protocols were designed to evaluate the treatment and/or long-term prophylacitic effect of Zedoariae rhizoma in Der p-sensitized mice. Cellular infiltration and T-cell subsets in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)of allergen-challenged mice were analyzed. Intrapulmonary lymphocytes were also isolated to evaluate their response to allergen stimulation. When Zedoariae rhizoma was administered to the sensitized mice before AC (groups A and C), it suppressed airway inflammation by decreasing the number of total cells and eosinophil infiltration in the BALF, and downregulated the allergen- or mitogen-induced intrapulmonary lymphocyte response of sensitized mice as compared to those of controls. This immunomodulatory effect of Zedoariae rhizoma may be exerted through the regulation of T-cell subsets by elevation or activation of the CD8+ and double-negative T-cell population in the lung. However, the administration of Zedoariae rhizoma to sensitized mice 24 h after AC (group B) did not have the same inhibitory effect on the airway inflammation as Zedoariae rhizoma given before AC. Thus, the administration of Zedoariae rhizoma before AC has the immunomodulatory effect of reducing bronchial inflammation in the allergen-sensitized mice. On the other hand, to determine the potentiality of prophylactic and/or therapeutic approaches using a traditional herbal medicine, Zedoariae rhizoma, for the control of allergic disease, we examined the effects of oral administration of Zedoariae rhizoma on a murine model of asthma allergic responses. When oral administration of Zedoariae rhizoma was begun at the induction phase immediately after OVA sensitization, eosinophilia and Th2-type cytokine production in the airway were reduced in OVA-sensitized mice following OVA inhalation. These results suggest that the oral administration of Zedoariae rhizoma dichotomously modulates allergic inflammation in murine model for asthma, thus offering a different approach for the treatment of allergic disorders.

Radical Scavenging Activity of Gallic Acid from Woodfordia Fruticosa Flowers

Bhatt, Lok Ranjan,Yook, Chan-Nam,Choi, Hwa-Jung,Baek, Seung-Hwa The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2008 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.22 No.4

Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz (Lythraceae) is used in the treatment of various ailments in traditional medicines. DPPH activity guided fractionation and purification process was used to identify the free radical-scavenging components from the flowers of this plant. The methanolic extract of the plant was first fractionated into four extracts; namely, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and water fractions. Among them, the ethyl acetate fraction was found to be the most effective and was further subjected to activity guided-fractionation and isolation procedures. After successive column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20, gallic acid, which is responsible for the radical scavenging activity, was isolated and its structure was elucidated by spectral methods ($^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR) and by comparison with literature.

Protective Effects of Dodam Water Extract (Dodam) Against Rotenone-Induced Neurotoxicity in Neuro-2A Cells

Youn, Myung-Ja,Park, Seong-Yeol,Park, Cha-Nny,Kim, Jin-Kyung,Kim, Yun-Ha,Kim, Eun-Sook,Moon, Byung-Soon,So, Hong-Seob,Park, Raek-Il The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2008 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.22 No.2

Dodam formula (Dodam) has been used for neurodegenerative disease in Oriental medicine. Dodam is capable of protecting diverse kinds of cells from damage caused by a variety of toxic stimuli. In the present study, we investigated the underlying protective mechanism of Dodam on rotenone-induced cytotoxicity in rat neuroblastoma Neuro-2A cells. Treatment with Neuro-2A cells with rotenone caused the loss of cell viability, and condensation and fragmentation of nuclei, which was associated with the elevation of ROS level, and lipid peroxidation, the increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Rotenone induced mitochondrial dysfunction characterized by mitochondrial membrane potential loss and cytochrome-c release. These phenotypes induced by rotenone were reversed by pretreatment with Dodam. Our results suggested that major features of rotenone-induced neurotoxicity are partially mediated by mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, and that Dodam markedly protects Neuro-2A cells from oxidative injury. These data indicated that Dodam might provide a useful therapeutic strategy in treatment of the neurodegenerative diseases caused by oxidative injuries.

Antioxidative Properties of Sachil-Tang Extract

Yi, Hyo-Seung,Moon, Jin-Young The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2009 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.23 No.4

Sachil-Tang (SCT) has been traditionally used as a prescription of spasm of the esophagus by stress, pectoralgia and oppressive feeling of the chest in Oriental medicine. This study was carried out to investigate the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of SCT and its inhibitory effect on intracellular oxidation and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using various methods. The SCT extract showed a strong inhibitory effect on free radical generating model systems, including DPPH radical, superoxide anions, hydroxyl radical, peroxynirite and nitric oxide. Besides, the SCT extract exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate induced by $FeCl_2$-ascorbic acid, and protected plasmid DNA against the strand breakage in a Fenton's reaction system. The SCT extract also inhibited copper-mediated oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and repressed relative electrophoretic mobility of LDL. Furthermore, the SCT extract protected intracellular oxidation induced by various free radical generators and inhibited expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in HUVECs. These results suggest that SCT can be an effective natural antioxidant and a possible medicine of atherosclerosis.

Water-Soluble Fraction of Rheum Undulatum Attenuates $Amyloid-\beta-induced$ Neuronal Death and Microglial Activation in Vitro

Jung Bo Mi,Kim Sung Ok,Yun Su Jin,Hwang Eun Joo The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2005 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.19 No.4

Oxidative stressand glia-associated chronic inflammation have been linked to the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. Rhei rhizoma has been commonly used as a purgative and a haemostatic agent in traditional oriental medicine. Recently, the methanol extract from a dried root of Rheum undulatumhas been shown to have anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we tested the potential of the extract of Rheum undulatum for neuroprotective agent. The aqueous extract of Rheum undulatum reduced cell death and p53 phosphorylation in neuronal cells and attenuated levels of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNAs in BV2 microglial cells treated with $amyloid-\beta$

Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase (ERK) is Required for Water Extract of Nardostachys chinersis-Induced Differentiation in HL-60 Cells

Yoon, Sang-Hak,Ju, Sung-Min,Kim, Nam-Su,Park, Sung-Cheol,Park, Jin-Young,Kim, Sung-Hoon,Song, Yung-Sun,Jeon, Byung-Hun The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2006 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.20 No.5

The root and rhizomes of Nardostachys chinensis belonging to the family Valerianaceae has been used for medicinal therapy in Korean traditional medicine. The parts have been especially used to elicit stomachic and sedative effects. Our previous studies reported that the water extract of N. chinensis has induced granulocytic differentiation inhuman promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells. The Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are serine/threonine kinases involved in the regulation of various cellular responses, such as cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the signaling pathways on the HL-60 cell differentiation induced by N. chinensis. Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) increased time-dependently in differentiation of HL-60 cells induced by N. chinersis. Activation of p38 increased slightly at 24 h after N. chinensis treatment, but activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was unaffected. Inhibitor of ERK (PD98059) significantly reduced NBT reduction activity induced by N. chinensis in HL-60 cells. In contrast, p38 inhibitor (SB203580) did not inhibit the cell differentiation. These results indicated that activaiton of ERK may De involved in HL-60 cell differentiation induced by N. chinensis.

Genetic Polymorphism of Interleukin 10 Gene and Sasang Constitution in Bell's Palsy Patients

Kim, Jong-Won,Seo, Jung-Chul,Jung, Tae-Young The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2005 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.19 No.2

We hypothesized that the IL10 gene is important candidate in the development of Bell's palsy and specific genotypic and allelic variations should be associated with Bell's palsy in the Korean population. In this study, we assessed the SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) of IL10 in patients with Bell's palsy. 62 patients with Bell's palsy were selected from the subjects who visited for the Bell's palsy service of the department of acupuncture & moxibustion, college of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University from May 2002 to May 2003. Pyrosequencing was performed for genetic analyses. There was no statistically significant genotypic distribution difference between control and Bell's palsy group And there was not statistically significant allelic frequency difference between control and Bell's palsy group. In this study the IL10 genotypemight not be the risk factor of Bell's palsy patients in Korean. studies will be necessary for the exact genetic markers. Establishment of more systemic approach and high quality of prospective cohorts will be necessary for the good prediction of genetic markers.

Neuroprotective Effects of Guh-Poong-Chung-Sim-Hwan on Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Rats

Lim, Ha-Sup,Kim, Jeung-Beum The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and T 2005 동의생리병리학회지 Vol.19 No.1

This study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Guh-Poong-Chung-Sim-Hwan(GCH) on ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) in Sprague-Dawley rats. The effects of GCH administration on the size of the brain infarct and the functional status of the rats after ischemia were examined, as well as the expression of COX-2 in acute phase. The recovery of motor functions for 7 days and the brain infarct were examined to find out the delayed effects of daily GCH-administration as well. In conclusion, we found that GCH reduced both functional deficits and brain damage in the MCAO rat model of stroke. In addition, high doses of GCH reduced COX-2 expression in the penumbra. It is well known that herbal medication including GCH is very safe for humans. Accordingly, our results support the clinical use of this GKM for the treatment of stroke and offer the possibility that a potent neuroprotective agent could be developed from Korean herbal medicines.