An immunohistochemical study of the pancreatic endocrine cells of the ddN mouse.

The regional distribution and frequency of the pancreatic endocrine cells in the ddN mouse were studied using specific antisera against insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and human pancreatic polypeptide (hPP). In the pancreatic islets, most of insulin-immunoreactive (IR) cells were located in the central region, and glucagon-, somatostatin and hPP-IR cells were located in the peripheral region regardless of the lobe. In the splenic part, glucagon-IR cells were also located in the central regions, and more numerous somatostatin-IR cells were detected in the central regions as compared with the duo-denal part. hPP-IR cells were restricted to the peripheral regions in both lobes but more numerous cells were detected in the duodenal portion. In the exocrine parenchyma of the splenic lobe, only insulin- and glucagon-IR cells were detected but all four kinds of IR cells were observed in the duodenal portion. In addition, insulin and hPP-IR cells were also demonstrated in the pancreatic duct regions. In conclusion, some strain-dependent characteristic distributional patterns of pancreatic endocrine cells were found in the ddN mouse with somewhat different distributional patterns between the two pancreatic lobes

Renal protective effects of vicenin-2 and scolymoside in a mouse model of sepsis

This study was initiated to determine whether 2 structurally related flavonoids found in Cyclopia subternata—vicenin-2 (VCN) and scolymoside (SCL)—could modulate renal functional damage in a mouse model of sepsis, and to elucidate the relevant underlying mechanisms. The potential of VCN and SCL treatment to reduce renal damage induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery in mice was measured via assessment of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lipid peroxidation, total glutathione, glutathione peroxidase activity, catalase activity, and superoxide dismutase activity. Treatment with either VCN or SCL resulted in elevated plasma levels of BUN and creatinine, and of protein in the urine of mice with CLP-induced renal damage. Moreover, both VCN and SCL inhibited nuclear factor κB activation and reduced the induction of nitric oxide synthase and excessive production of nitric acid. VCN and SCL treatment also reduced the plasma levels of interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, reduced lethality due to CLP-induced sepsis, increased lipid peroxidation, and markedly enhanced the antioxidant defense system by restoring the levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase in kidney tissues. The present results suggest that VCN and SCL protect mice from sepsis-triggered renal injury

Visualization of Bonghan Microcells by Electron and Atomic Force Microscopy

*Corresponding author. Biomedical Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Korea. E-mail: [email protected]: The origin of adult stem cells remains an open question. If they derive from embryos, it is difficult to determine the mechanism which interrupts their differentiation during tissue formation. In the 1960s, the Bonghan microcell was suggested as one possible, yet to be described, route of stem cell production, such that they have the potential to proliferate to produce normal cells. Materials and Methods: In this study, Bonghan microcells were isolated from Bonghan tissues on rat organ surfaces, and their detailed morphology examined by electron and atomic force microscopy. Results: The ultrastructure observed distinguished them from apoptotic bodies and other microorganisms, and their unique, possible proliferation feature, as protruding threads, was imaged by atomic force microscopy

Visualization of Bonghan Microcells by Electron and Atomic Force Microscopy

*Corresponding author. Biomedical Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Korea. E-mail: [email protected]: The origin of adult stem cells remains an open question. If they derive from embryos, it is difficult to determine the mechanism which interrupts their differentiation during tissue formation. In the 1960s, the Bonghan microcell was suggested as one possible, yet to be described, route of stem cell production, such that they have the potential to proliferate to produce normal cells. Materials and Methods: In this study, Bonghan microcells were isolated from Bonghan tissues on rat organ surfaces, and their detailed morphology examined by electron and atomic force microscopy. Results: The ultrastructure observed distinguished them from apoptotic bodies and other microorganisms, and their unique, possible proliferation feature, as protruding threads, was imaged by atomic force microscopy

Decrease in intestinal endocrine cells in Balb/c mice with CT-26 carcinoma cells

The density of intestinal endocrine cells, in Balb/c mice with colon 26 (CT-26) carcinoma cells, were examined immunohistochemically at 28 days after implantation. After CT-26 cell administration there was a significant decrease in most of the intestinal endocrine cells (p < 0.01) compared with the control group. The significant quantitative changes in the intestinal endocrine cell density might contribute to the development of the gastrointestinal symptoms commonly encountered in cancer patients

Antioxidant and Protective Effects of Bupleurum falcatum

Bupleuri Radix (BR), the dried roots of Bupleurum falcatum L., has been used in folk medicine as an antiinflammatory and antioxidative agent. The aqueous extract of BR was evaluated for its possible ameliorative effect in the regulation of hyperthyroidism in l-thyroxine- (LT4-) induced rat model. After oral administration of 300, 150, and 75 mg/kg of BR extracts, once a day for 15 days from 12th LT4 treatments, changes on the body, thyroid gland, liver, and epididymal fat pad weights, serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, asparte aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase concentrations, hepatic lipid peroxidation, glutathione contents, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities were investigated with thyroid gland, liver, and epididymal fat histopathological changes. The effects of BR extracts were compared with that of propylthiouracil, a standard antithyroid drug 10 mg/kg (intraperitoneally). In this experiment, BR extracts dose dependently reversed LT4-induced hyperthyroidisms, and these effects indicating their potential in the regulation of hyperthyroidism. Further, the BR extract normalized LT4-induced liver oxidative stresses, and also reduced liver and epididymal fat pad changes. BR extracts 150 mg/kg showed comparable effects on the LT4-induced rat hyperthyroidism as compared with PTU 10 mg/kg. These effects of BR may help the improvement of hyperthyroidisms and accompanied various organ damages

In Vivo

Platycodin D is a major pharmacological constituent of Platycodi radix and has showed various pharmacological activities through oxidative stress defense mechanisms. Here, possible antitumor, anticachexia, and immunomodulatory activities of platycodin D were observed on the H520 tumor cell-bearing athymic nude mice after confirming the in vitro cytotoxicity. Platycodin D was orally administered at dose levels of 200, 100, and 50 mg/kg, once a day for 35 days from 15 days after implantation. The results were compared with gemcitabine 160 mg/kg intraperitoneally treated mice (7-day intervals). Platycodin D showed favorable cytotoxic effects on the H520 cells, and also dose-dependently decreased the tumor volumes and weights with increases of apoptotic cells (caspase-3 and PARP immunopositive cells), iNOS and TNF-α immunoreactivities, decreases of COX-2 immunoreactivities in tumor masses. Platycodin D also showed dose-dependent immunostimulatory and anticachexia effects. Gemcitabine showed favorable cytotoxity against H520 tumor cell and related in vivo antitumor effects but aggravated the cancer related cachexia and immunosuppress in H520 tumor cell-bearing athymic nude mice. Taken together, it is considered that oral treatment of platycodin D has potent antitumor activities on H520 cells through direct cytotoxic effects, increases of apoptosis in tumor cells, and immunostimulatory effects and can be control cancer related cachexia

In vitro antioxidant and anti-adipogenic effects of slendesta, standard potato extracts containing 5% protease inhibitor II

Background: The objective of the present study is to observe the anti-adipogenic effects of Slendesta (SLD), a standard potato protein extracts containing 5% potato protease inhibitor II (PI2) on the 3T3-L1 preadipocytes which are able to differentiate into mature adipocytes and accumulate lipids, as an obesity model with cytotoxicity and antioxidant effects.Materials and Methods: The cytotoxicity of SLD was observed against 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell line by MTT assay, and also antiadipogenic effects were observed through lipid accumulation assay during 3T3-L1 differentiation as comparing with N-Acetyl-Lcysteine (NAC). In addition, antioxidant effects of SLD were detected by free radical scavenging capacity and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity as comparing with ascorbic acid.Results: The SLD showed obvious cytotoxicity against 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cell line at higher concentrations, from 1.5 mg/ml for 72 h treatment, and the cytotoxic IC50 of SLD after 24, 48 and 72 h treatment times were detected as 10.11 ± 0.67, 5.71 ± 0.37 and 5.34 ± 0.21 mg/ml, respectively. The SLD also concentration-dependently inhibited the lipid accumulations formatted during 3T3-L1 cell differentiations. The adipogenic specific genes including PPARγ, C/EBPα, C/EBPβ and leptin were found to be reduced in SLD and NAC-treated cells compared to control cells. Furthermore, the SLD effectively showed DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 161.98 ± 64.65 μg/ml) and SOD-like effects (IC50 = 284.54 ± 54.47 μg/ml), and the cellular ROS was significantly inhibited in the SLD-treated cells compared to control cells.Conclusion: The results suggest that SLD effectively inhibit the differentiations of 3T3-L1 preadipose cell probably through antioxidant activities and direct cytotoxicity in case of higher concentration, along with satiety effects mediated by increases of circulating cholecystokinin. These findings are considered as direct evidences that SLD may serve as a predictable functional ingredient for obesity as an alternative therapy.Key words: Slendesta, potato protease inhibitor II, 3T3-L1 cell, cytotoxicity, anti-adipogenic effects, antioxidant effects