ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Gamisasangja-tang (GST) is a traditional herbal formula prescribed for patients with intractable pruritus in association with various inflammatory skin diseases. To evaluate the effects of GST on pruritic skin inflammation and investigate its cellular and molecular mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS We orally administered GST to NC/Nga (NC) mice, an animal model ...

Dynamic changes in the reduction-oxidation (redox) state of the tissue lead to the pathophysiological condition. Reduced homocysteine causes dysfunctions in endothelium. The proliferation of smooth muscle cells may lead to occlusive vascular disease, ischemia, and heart failure, but whether fibrosis and hypertension are a consequence of smooth muscle proliferation is unclear. Redox changes duri...

Background: Adipose tissue obtained by liposuction may be an accessible source of stem cells for future clinical application in tissue regeneration. Cryopreservation maintains stem cells in a live state for long periods of time, without impairing their function. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a cryopreservation protocol on the proliferation of adipose-derived stem cells. Meth...

The objective of this study is to investigate antimicrobial action of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gel and hyaluronate gel (Gengigel) on dental biofilm. Pooled supra and subgingival dental biofilm were obtained from healthy individuals and incubated aerobically and anaerobically. Plaque bacteria investigated including Streptococcus constellatus, Streptococcus mitis, Eikenella corrodens, Fusobacteriu...

Proliferation and synthetic function (i.e. the capacity to release numerous chemokines and cytokines) of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) are important in airway remodeling induced by cigarette smoke exposure. However, the molecular mechanism has not been clarified. Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 7 (TRPM7) is expressed ubiquitously and is crucial for the cellul...

Background Male infertility has been reported following long-term sulfasalazine, however, the precise effects of co-trimoxazole on sperm quality is controversial. Objective In this study, we evaluated the effects of co-trimoxazole and its co-administration with folic acid on sperm quality and histological changes of testes in male rats. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, 136 ...

poorly if at all in strains other than dba (@1@).In strain dba (@1@)it grows steadily as a localized tumor with almost no regression. It was found in preliminary experiments to elicit a relatively mild leukocytic reaction. The mice used in quantitative experiments with 5-37 were all males of the Car worth Farms W Strain (CFW), but dba, Swiss, and CSH mice also were found convenient in pre limin...

PURPOSE TAK-165 is a new potent inhibitor of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) tyrosine kinase. Several reports suggest HER2 expression in bladder cancer, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and androgen-independent prostate cancer. We therefore investigated the antitumor effect of TAK-165 on these urological cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Western blot analysis was performed to conf...

BACKGROUND We recently reported that eugenol exerted comparable cytotoxicity towards human normal and tumor cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of eugenol on interleukin-8 (IL-8) production by IL-1β-stimulated oral cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS The viable cell number was determined by direct cell counting with a hemocytometer after trypsinization. IL-8 released into the cul...

BACKGROUND Cutaneous melanoma is an aggressive malignancy; its incidence is increasing worldwide and its prognosis remains poor. Clinical observations indicate that estrogen receptor β (ERβ) is expressed in melanoma tissues and its expression decreases with tumor progression, suggesting its tumor suppressive function. These experiments were performed to investigate the effects of ERβ activation...