The Neuroprotective Effect of Methanol Extract of Gagamjungjihwan and Fructus Euodiae on Ischemia-Induced Neuronal and Cognitive Impairment in the Rat

Gagamjungjihwan (GJ), a decoction consisting of five herbs including ginseng, Acori Graminei Rhizoma, Uncariae Ramulus et Uncus, Polygalae Radic and Frustus Euodiae (FE), has been widely used as herbal treatment for ischemia. In order to investigate the neuroprotective action of this novel prescription, we examined the influence of GJ and FE on learning and memory using the Morris water maze and studied their affects on the central cholinergic system in the hippocampus with neuronal and cognitive impairment. After middle cerebral artery occlusion was applied for 2 h, rats were administered GJ (200 mg kg−1, p.o.) or FE (200 mg kg−1, p.o.) daily for 2 weeks, followed by training and performance of the Morris water maze tasks. Rats with ischemic insults showed impaired learning and memory of the tasks. Pre-treatment with GJ and FE produced improvement in the escape latency to find the platform. Pre-treatments with GJ and FE also reduced the loss of cholinergic immunoreactivity in the hippocampus. The results demonstrated that GJ and FE have a protective effect against ischemia-induced neuronal and cognitive impairment. Our results suggest that GJ and FE might be useful in the treatment of vascular dementia

Inhibitory Effects of Coptidis rhizoma and Berberine on Cocaine-induced Sensitization

Substantial evidence suggests that the behavioral and reinforcing effects of cocaine can be mediated by the central dopaminergic systems. Repeated injections of cocaine produce an increase in locomotor activity and the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the main dopaminergic areas. Protoberberine alkaloids affect neuronal functions. Coptidis rhizoma (CR) and its main compound, berberine (BER) reduced the dopamine content in the central nervous system. In order to investigate the effects of CR or BER on the repeated cocaine-induced neuronal and behavioral alterations, we examined the influence of CR or BER on the repeated cocaine-induced locomotor activity and the expression of TH in the brain by using immunohistochemistry. Male SD rats were given repeated injections of saline or cocaine hydrochloride (15 mg/kg, i.p. for 10 consecutive days) followed by one challenge injection on the 4th day after the last daily injection. Cocaine challenge (15 mg/kg, i.p) produced a larger increase in locomotor activity and expression of TH in the central dopaminergic areas. Pretreatment with CR (50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o.) and BER (200 mg/kg, p.o.) 30 min before the daily injections of cocaine significantly inhibited the cocaine-induced locomotor activity as well as TH expression in the central dopaminergic areas. Our data demonstrate that the inhibitory effects of CR and BER on the repeated cocaine-induced locomotor activity were closely associated with the reduction of dopamine biosynthesis and post-synaptic neuronal activity. These results suggest that CR and BER may be effective for inhibiting the behavioral effects of cocaine by possibly modulating the central dopaminergic system

Effectiveness of a village-based intervention for depression in community-dwelling older adults: a randomised feasibility study

Although a focus on late-life depression may help preventing suicide in older adults, many older people, especially those living in rural areas, have relatively low accessibility to treatment. This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a village-based intervention for depression targeting older adults living in rural areas. A community-based randomised pilot trial was performed in two small rural villages in South Korea. Two villages were randomly selected and assigned to the intervention or active control group; all older adults living in the two villages (n = 451) were included in the intervention program or received standard Community Mental Health Service (CMHS) care, and the effectiveness of the program was examined using representative samples from both groups (n = 160). The 12-week intervention included case management according to individual risk level and group-based activities. Healthy residents living in the intervention village who played major roles in monitoring at-risk older individuals were supervised by CMHS staff. The score on the Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (SGDS-K) was the primary outcome, while social network, functional status, and global cognitive function were secondary outcomes. Linear mixed models including the factors of intervention group, time, and their interaction were used to examine group differences in changes in primary and secondary outcomes from baseline to follow up. Overall, there was no significant group × time interaction with respect to the SGDS-K score, but older individuals with more depressive symptoms at baseline (SGDS-K ≥ 6) tended to have a lower likelihood of progressing to severe depression at post-intervention. The social network was strengthened in the intervention group, and there was a significant group × time interaction (F[df1, df2], 5.29 [1, 153], p = 0.023). This study examined a 12-week village-based intervention for late-life depression in which the CMHS helped village-dwellers deal with late-life depression in their communities. Although the intervention improved social interactions among older adults, it did not reduce depressive symptoms. Further studies including more rural villages and long-term follow up are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this prevention program. NCT04013165 (date: 9 July 2019, retrospectively registered)

Effect of Perioperative Perineural Injection of Dexamethasone and Bupivacaine on a Rat Spared Nerve Injury Model

Neuropathic pain resulting from diverse causes is a chronic condition for which effective treatment is lacking. The goal of this study was to test whether dexamethasone exerts a preemptive analgesic effect with bupivacaine when injected perineurally in the spared nerve injury model. Methods: Fifty rats were randomly divided into five groups. Group 1 (control) was ligated but received no drugs. Group 2 was perineurally infiltrated (tibial and common peroneal nerves) with 0.4 % bupivacaine (0.2 ml) and dexamethasone (0.8 mg) 10 minutes before surgery. Group 3 was infiltrated with 0.4 % bupivacaine (0.2 ml) and dexamethasone (0.8 mg) after surgery. Group 4 was infiltrated with normal saline (0.2 ml) and dexamethasone (0.8 mg) 10 minutes before surgery. Group 5 was infiltrated with only 0.4 % bupivacaine (0.2 ml) before surgery. Rat paw withdrawal thresholds were measured using the von Frey hair test before surgery as a baseline measurement and on postoperative days 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21. Results: In the group injected preoperatively with dexamethasone and bupivacaine, mechanical allodynia did not develop and mechanical threshold forces were significantly different compared with other groups, especially between postoperative days 3 and 9 (P < 0.05)

Geographic Variation in Advertisement Calls in a Tree Frog Species: Gene Flow and Selection Hypotheses

In a species with a large distribution relative to its dispersal capacity, geographic variation in traits may be explained by gene flow, selection, or the combined effects of both. Studies of genetic diversity using neutral molecular markers show that patterns of isolation by distance (IBD) or barrier effect may be evident for geographic variation at the molecular level in amphibian species. However, selective factors such as habitat, predator, or interspecific interactions may be critical for geographic variation in sexual traits. We studied geographic variation in advertisement calls in the tree frog Hyla japonica to understand patterns of variation in these traits across Korea and provide clues about the underlying forces for variation.We recorded calls of H. japonica in three breeding seasons from 17 localities including localities in remote Jeju Island. Call characters analyzed were note repetition rate (NRR), note duration (ND), and dominant frequency (DF), along with snout-to-vent length.The findings of a barrier effect on DF and a longitudinal variation in NRR seemed to suggest that an open sea between the mainland and Jeju Island and mountain ranges dominated by the north-south Taebaek Mountains were related to geographic variation in call characters. Furthermore, there was a pattern of IBD in mitochondrial DNA sequences. However, no comparable pattern of IBD was found between geographic distance and call characters. We also failed to detect any effects of habitat or interspecific interaction on call characters.Geographic variations in call characters as well as mitochondrial DNA sequences were largely stratified by geographic factors such as distance and barriers in Korean populations of H. japonica. Although we did not detect effects of habitat or interspecific interaction, some other selective factors such as sexual selection might still be operating on call characters in conjunction with restricted gene flow

Therapeutic effects of Hominis placenta herb-acupuncture in adjuvant-induced arthritis rat

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, characterized by leukocyte infiltration, a chronic inflammation of the joint, a pannus formation and the extensive destruction of the articular cartilage and bone. Several proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) have been implicated in the pathological mechanisms of synovial tissue proliferation, joint destruction and programmed cell death in rheumatoid joint. In the Korean traditional medicine, Hominis placenta (HP) as an herbal solution of herb-acupuncture has been widely used to treat the inflammatory diseases including RA. In order to study the medicinal effect of HP herb-acupuncture on rheumatoid joint, an adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) was generated by the injection of 1.5 mg of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, emulsified in squalene, to the base of the tail of Spraque-Dawley (SD) rats. After onset stage of polyarthritis, HP was daily injected to the Zusanli (ST36) acupuncture points in both of rat lags and the expression patterns of cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 at the knee joint were analyzed using immunostaining and RT-PCR. The HP herb-acupuncture was found to be effective to alleviate the arthritic symptoms in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats as regards the joint appearance and the expression profiles of inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, therapeutic effects of HP herb-acupuncture on the rat with AIA might be related to anti-inflammatory activities of the hurb-acupuncture

Recording localities for <i>H. japonica</i>.

<p><i>n₁</i> is the number of calls recorded, and <i>n₂</i> is the number of samples for DNA analysis.</p><p>Habitat was classified as rice paddy (R) or non-rice paddy (N). Patry was classified as sympatry (S) if a locality was in the Gyeonggi Province or as allopatry (A) if a locality was outside the Gyeonggi Province <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0023297#pone.0023297-Yang3" target="_blank">[87]</a>.</p

The relationship between the geographic distance and differences in call characters in <i>H. japonica</i>.

<p>Mantel tests were performed for all samples (1,000,000 permutations) and for the mainland samples only (1,000,000 permutations). See the main text for abbreviation of call characters.</p