Anti-inflammatory effects of Houttuynia cordata supercritical extract (HSE) were investigated in a carrageenan-air pouch model. HSE (200 mg/kg, oral) suppressed exudation and albumin leakage, as well as inflammatory cell infiltration. Dexamethasone (2 mg/kg, i.p.) only decreased exudation and cell infiltration, while indomethacin (2 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced exudate volume and albumin content. HSE lowered tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-α and nitric oxide (NO), as well as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Dexamethasone only reduced TNF-α and NO, while indomethacin decreased TNF-α and PGE2. The suppressive activity of HSE on NO and PGE2 production was confirmed in RAW 264.7. These results demonstrate that HSE exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting both TNF-α-NO and cyclooxygenase II-PGE2 pathways.
1. BST204, a purified ginseng dry extract containing a high concentration of racemic Rh2 and Rg3 mixtures, is being developed for supportive care use in cancer patients in Korea. This study investigates the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of BST204 in rats. 2. After oral administration of BST204, only the S epimers, S-Rh2 and S-Rg3, could be determined in rat plasma. The poor absorption of the R-epimers, R-Rh2 and R-Rg3, may be attributed to lower membrane permeability and extensive intestinal oxygenation and/or deglycosylation into metabolites. The AUC and Cmax values of both S-Rh2 and S-Rg3 after BST204 oral administration were proportional to the administered BST204 doses ranged from 400 mg/kg to 2000 mg/kg, which suggested linear pharmacokinetic properties. 3. There were no statistically significant differences in the pharmacokinetics of S-Rh2 and S-Rg3 after oral administration of pure S-Rh2 (31.5 mg/kg) and S-Rg3 (68 mg/kg) compared with oral administration of BST204, 1000 mg/kg. These indicated that the presence of other components of BST204 extract did not influence the pharmacokinetic behavior of S-Rh2 and S-Rg3. 4. After oral dosing of BST204, S-Rh2 and S-Rg3 were distributed mainly to the liver and gastrointestinal tract in rats. 5. Our finding may help to understand pharmacokinetic characteristics of S-Rh2, R-Rh2, S-Rg3, and R-Rg3, comprehensively, and provide useful information in clinical application of BST204.
We developed and validated an accurate and sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantitation of ginsenoside Rg3 and Rh2 epimers (R-Rg3, S-Rg3, R-Rh2, and S-Rh2) in rat plasma. Analytes were extracted from 0.1 mL aliquots of rat plasma by liquid-liquid extraction, using 2 mL of ethyl acetate. In this assay, dioscin (500 ng/mL) was used as an internal standard. Chromatographic separation was conducted using an Acclaim RSLC C18 column (150 × 2.1 mm, 2.2 μm) at 40°C, with a gradient mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid in distilled water and in acetonitrile, a flow rate of 0.35 mL/min, and a total run time of 20 min. Detection and quantification were performed using a mass spectrometer in selected reaction-monitoring mode with negative electrospray ionization at m/z 783.4 → 161.1 for R-Rg3 and S-Rg3, m/z 621.3 → 161.1 for R-Rh2 and S-Rh2, and m/z 867.2 → 761.5 for the internal standard. For R-Rg3 and S-Rg3, the lower limit of quantification was 5 ng/mL, with a linear range up to 500 ng/mL; for R-Rh2 and S-Rh2, the lower limit of quantification was 150 ng/mL, with a linear range up to 6000 ng/mL. The coefficient of variation for assay precision was less than 10.5%, with an accuracy of 86.4-112%. No relevant cross-talk or matrix effect was observed. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of 400 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg of BST204, a fermented ginseng extract, to rats. We found that the S epimers exhibited significantly higher plasma concentrations and area under curve values for both Rg3 and Rh2. This is the first report on the separation and simultaneous quantification of R-Rg3, S-Rg3, R-Rh2, and S-Rh2 in rat plasma by LC-MS/MS. The method should be useful in the clinical use of ginseng or its derivatives.
Recently, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis has been reported to have immunostimulating properties in an immunosuppressed-animal model. However, the immunological activities of Lactococcus lactis and the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this report, we evaluated the immunostimulating activity and associated mechanisms of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis GCWB1176 (GCWB1176) in macrophages and cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed mice. In a series of safety tests, GCWB1176 was found to have a negative response to hemolysis, as well as susceptibility to antibiotics. Administration of GCWB1176 elevated natural killer (NK) cell activities; concanavalin A-induced T cell proliferation; and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-12 in CTX-induced immunosuppressed mice. In RAW264.7 macrophages, treatment with GCWB1176 induced phagocytic activity and increased the production of nitric oxide (NO) and expression of inducible NO synthase. Simultaneously, GCWB1176 increased the production of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-10 and IL-12 from mouse splenocytes and RAW264.7 cells. In addition, GCWB1176 significantly increased the transcriptional activities of NF-κB and iNOS. Taken together, GCWB1176 improved immune function through the activation of macrophages and NK cells. These findings suggest that dietary supplementation of GCWB1176 may be used to enhance immunity.
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