No abstract

Menhaden fish oil (FO) containing n-3 fatty acids dramatically extends the life span and delays the onset and progression of autoimmune disease in (NZBxNZW)F1 (B/W) female mice as compared to those fed corn oil (CO) rich in n-6 lipids. As an inefficient antioxidant defense system has been linked to autoimmune diseases, the present study was undertaken to determine whether the protective action of n-3 lipids is mediated through their antioxidant defense system. Weanling B/W mice were fed a nutritionally adequate, semipurified diet containing CO or krill oil (KO) or FO at 10% level (w/w) ad libitum until the mice were 6.5 months old. All diets contained the same level of vitamin E (21.5 mg/100 g diet). We compared the effects of feeding n-6 and n-3 lipids on survival, kidney disease, hepatic microsomal lipid composition, peroxidation, and on the activity and mRNA expression of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in 6.5-month-old B/W mice. The results showed that when compared to livers from CO-fed mice, livers from KO- and FO-fed mice showed: (i) significantly higher (P < 0.001) activities and expression of CAT, GSH-Px and SOD; (ii) significantly lower (P < 0.001) arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) and linoleic acid (18:2n-6) and higher (P < 0.001) eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) levels in hepatic microsomes; and (iii) significantly lower (P < 0.001) estimated peroxidation indices and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances generation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Transient forebrain ischemia, produced by prolonged deprivation of blood flow to the brain, results in the insidious delayed degeneration of specific vulnerable neurons within the hippocampus.1,2) Among hippocampal neurons, pyramidal cells of the hippocampal CA1 region are most vulnerable to cerebral ischemia. 1,2) Death of the CA1 pyramidal cells following cerebral ischemia causes a variety of neurological dysfunction such as depression and memory deficits. 3,4) In traditional Eastern medicine, the extracts of various Berberidaceae (Berberis aquifolium, Berberis vulgaris and Berberis aristata) are used for rheumatic complaints and other types of chronic inflammation. 5,6) It has been reported that the functional components of the extracts were alkaloid components such as berberine, oxyacanthine, berbamine and palmatine.5) The anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity of the Berberidaceae extract is well established. 7,8) Moreover, cardiotonic 9) and antiarrhythmic 10,11) activities have also been reported. Despite the considerable works done on berberic species in inflammation, cardiotonic and antiarrhythmic effects, its effects and roles in ischemic damage in the brain remains to be elucidated.It has been postulated that the neuronal hyperactivity due to an elevation of extracellular excitatory amino acids during ischemia leads to a massive increase in intracellular-free Ca 2ϩ , which may trigger the process of neuronal degeneration. [12][13][14] In the present study, therefore, we investigated the percentage of berberine by HPLC, which is active ingredient, and the neuroprotective effects of crude berberry extract (BE) against ischemic damage and the temporal and spatial alterations of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor type 1 (NR1) and NR2A/B, the major excitatory amino acid receptors, immunoreactivities in the hippocampus induced by transient ischemia to examine anti-ischemic effects and their roles after transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experimental Animals Male Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) obtained from the Experimental AnimalCenter, Hallym University, Chunchon, South Korea were used in this study. The animals were housed at constant temperature (23°C) at 60% relative humidity under a fixed 12 h light/dark cycle and had free access to food and water. Procedures involving animals and their care conformed with the our institution's guidelines, which are in compliance with current international laws and policies (NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, NIH Publication No. 85-23, 1985, revised 1996). All experiments were conducted to minimize the number of animals used and suffering caused.Plant Materials and Extraction Korean berberry (Berberis koreana) was collected in the area around Gyeonggi-do (South Korea) in September 2001. The plants were authenticated and the voucher specimen was deposited in the departmental herbarium of Kangwon National University. For the preparation of the ethanol extract of Berberis koreana, whole plants of theBerberis k...

No abstract

Berberis koreana extract (BE) has a strong neuroprotective effect after ischemic stroke in gerbils, which is associated with the inhibition of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor. The present study examined the antiinflammatory mechanism of BE after ischemic damage in vitro and in vivo. The BE used contained on average 7.39 +/- 0.78 mg/g of berberine. In PC12 cells with inflammation, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production was significantly reduced by BE. About 75% of pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA1 region of gerbils exposed to 5 min of transient ischemia were protected from ischemic damage by BE. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) immunoreactivity and its protein level in the CA1 region of vehicle-treated animals exposed to an ischemic insult increased with time post-ischemia, whereas no such changes were observed in BE-treated animals exposed to ischemia. PGE2 production in BE-treated ischemic animals was significantly lower than that observed in vehicle-treated ischemic animals. Summarizing, the potent neuroprotective effect of BE was found to be due to the inhibitions of COX-2 expression and PGE2 production and its antiinflammatory activity.