Age-related increases in cellular damage and death have been associated with oxidative stress. Mitochondrial biogenesis is likely to be involved in the regulation of cell metabolism and signal transduction. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that mitochondrial biogenesis is a key regulator of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Our results demonstrate that Pinus koraiensis leaf (PKL) extract reduces oxidative stress and, at the same time, stimulates the proliferation of mitochondria through a peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor coactivator 1 α (PGC-1α) signaling pathway. The effects of PKLs were associated with the induction of genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial biogenesis pathways, and were largely explained by PKLmediated decrease in PGC-1α acetylation and an increase in PGC-1α activity. PKL extracts induced a PGC-1α dependent pathway in mitochondria capable of efficient and balanced bioenergetics to reduce oxidative stress and attenuate endogenous oxidative damage.
Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and Raphanus Sativus Linne herbal mixture (SRE) is a Chinese herbal medicine. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of SRE as an active ingredient for 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) and to predict the underlying therapeutic mechanisms and involved pathways using network pharmacological analysis. Treatment with SRE accelerated the development of AD-like lesions, improving thickness and edema of the epidermis. Moreover, administering the SRE to AD-like mice suppressed immunoglobulin E and interleukin-4 cytokine and reduced T lymphocyte differentiation. In silico, network analysis was used to predict the exact genes, proteins, and pathways responsible for the therapeutic effect of the SRE against DNCB-induced AD. These results indicated that the SRE exerted protective effects on the DNCB-induced AD-like model by attenuating histopathological changes and suppressing the levels of inflammatory mediators. Therefore, the SRE can potentially be a new remedy for improving AD and other inflammatory diseases and predicting the intracellular signaling pathways and target genes involved. This therapeutic effect of the SRE on AD can be used to treat DNCB-induced AD and its associated symptoms.
The accumulation of oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction is an important factor that contributes to aging. The Psoralea corylifolia seeds (PCS), commonly known as “Boh-Gol-Zhee” in Korea, have been used traditionally as a medicinal remedy. We investigated whether an extract of PCS has protective effects on oxidative stress and mitochondrial function in hepatocytes. The PCS extract showed an antisenescence effect on human diploid fibroblasts as evidenced by a decreased expression ofp16INK4amRNA and senescence-associated β -galactosidase staining. PCS extract treatment reduced H 2 O 2 -induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in HepG2 cells, inhibited ROS production in hepatocytes of aged mice, and increased superoxide dismutase activity. In H 2 O 2 -treated HepG2 cells, PCS extract treatment recovered ATP production. PCS extract treatment recovered the oxygen consumption rate and inhibited reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential induced by oxidative stress, suggesting improvement of mitochondrial function. In addition, PCS extract treatment recovered peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1 α and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 mRNA and protein expression, and inhibited mitochondrial genome damage. Treatment with the major component of PCS extract, bakuchiol, also recovered mitochondrial dysfunction. On the basis of these results, we conclude that PCS extract inhibits ROS production and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by oxidative stress in hepatocytes.
7β-Hydroxycholesterol (cholest-5-ene-3, 7-diol, 7β-OHC) showed the cytotoxicity on human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa), 10 μM of 50% inhibitory concentration. We evaluated 7β-OHC as the possibility of radiation sensitizer. The combination effect of 7β-OHC and γ-irradiation was measured using colony forming assay and flow cytometer with propidium iodide and DiOC_6 stained cells, respectively. The combined treatment of 7β-OHC and γ-irradiation did not show significant enhancing effects on HeLa cells.
Helianthus tuberosus has been known to inhibit the growth of weeds and other plants sharing its habitat. This study was conducted to identify the allelochemicals of Helianthus tuberosus which were extracted with water and solvents. Aqueous extracts of leaf, stem, root, tuber and tuber peel of Helianthus tuberosus except tuber did not show significant differences in phytotoxicity to alfalfa seedlings. It was considered that Helianthus tuberosus contained fewer or less potential water-soluble substances that were toxic to alfalfa. Methanol extract of leaves of Helianthus tuberosus was sequentially partitioned in increasing polarity with n-hexane, ethylacetate and n-butanol. Each extract had a yield of 148, 12, 15.7 and 9.5g, respectively. Inhibitory effects on germination of alfalfa seeds treated with four fractions were not significantly different. But the significant reductions on hypocotyl length were observed for all the solvent extracts. Among the four fractions, the ethylacetate fraction showed the most significant inhibition effect on bioassay with alfalfa. Further separation of the active ethylacetate fraction by open column chromatography led to the 25 subfractions. In bioassay of each sub-fraction with alfalfa seeds, sub-fraction No. 13 showed the most inhibitory effect on seedling growth. H NMR and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that sub-fraction No. 13 was the mixture of straight-chain saturated fatty acids.
Baicalein (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone) is a phenolic flavonoid compound derived mainly from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, a medicinal plant traditionally used in oriental medicine. In our previous study, baicalein attenuated mitochondrial oxidative stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and by induction of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 transcription factor-mediated manganese superoxide dismutase. In the present study, the protective effects of baicalein against oxidative stress-induced damage, especially cellular components including DNA, lipid, and protein, were studied. The results of this study showed that baicalein scavenged intracellular ROS. Baicalein inhibited the H 2 O 2 -induced DNA damage that was demonstrated by decreased phospho-H2A.X expression and DNA tail formation. In addition, it prevented the lipid peroxidation shown by the fluorescence intensity of diphenyl-1-pyrenylphosphine and the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Moreover, baicalein inhibited protein oxidation demonstrated by protein carbonyl formation. Furthermore, baicalein protected cells via the inhibition of apoptosis induced by H 2 O 2 . The findings of this study suggest that baicalein provides protection for cellular components against oxidative damage via scavenging ROS and inhibiting apoptosis.
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