The aim of the present study was to identify the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of peat moss aqueous extract (PME) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. To demonstrate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of PME, the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines were measured using Griess reagent and cytokine ELISA kits, respectively. Reverse transcript...

BACKGROUND High salt intake suppresses the effect of nitric oxide (NO) in the peripheral resistance vessels in animal models. We tested the hypothesis that the modulation of endogenous NO is related to salt sensitivity in human hypertension. METHODS AND RESULTS Inpatients with essential hypertension (n=24) were maintained on a normal-salt diet (12 g/d NaCl) for 3 days, a low-salt diet (2 g), ...

AIM To Quantitatively analyze the nitric oxide (NO) and Ca2+ in apoptosis of esophageal carcinoma cells induced by arsenic trioxide (As2O3). METHODS The cell line SHEEC1, a malignant esophageal epithelial cell induced by HPV in synergy with TPA in our laboratory, was cultured in a serum-free medium and treated with As2O3. Before and after administration of As2O3, NO production in cultured med...

OBJECTIVES Nitric oxide (NO), a product of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), contributes in germ cell apoptosis. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of Aloe vera gel (AVG) on male Wistar rat reproductive organ, serum NO level, and expression of iNOS gene in leydig cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Adult male Wistar rats (n=36) were used for experiments in three groups. The experimen...

Corticosteroids are considered to be one of the most effective medicine for asthma by suppressing airway inflammation. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of prednisolone in the sputum of exacerbated asthmatics. Clinical severity, cell differentials, levels of interleukin (IL)-5, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), EG2+ eosinophils, and nitric oxide (NO) metabolites were measur...

BACKGROUND Schisandrae Fructus, the dried fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (Magnoliaceae), is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of a number of chronic inflammatory diseases. This study examined the anti-inflammatory effects of Schisandrae Fructus ethanol extract (SF) on the production of pro-inflammatory substances in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264....

OBJECTIVE Nitric oxide produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) possesses multiple anti-atherosclerotic properties. Hence, enhanced expression of eNOS and increased Nitric oxide levels may protect against the development of atherosclerosis. Piper sarmentosum is a tropical plant with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Piper sa...

The talk at the I.C.C.M. was an introduction to moonshine. As there are already several survey articles on what is known about moonshine ([B94], [B99], [D-M94], [DM96], [F-H98], [J]), this paper differs from the talk and will concentrate mainly on what we do not know about it. Moonshine is not a well defined term, but everyone in the area recognizes it when they see it. Roughly speaking, it mea...

Beauvericin (BEA), a cyclic hexadepsipeptide produced by the fungus Beauveria bassiana, is known to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial actions. However, how BEA suppresses macrophage-induced inflammatory responses has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the anti-inflammatory properties of BEA and the underlying molecular mechanisms using lipopolysaccharide...

BACKGROUND Punica granatum (pomegranate), an edible fruit originating in the Middle East, has been used as a traditional medicine for treatment of pain and inflammatory conditions such as peptic ulcer. The numerous risks associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for treatment of pain and inflammation give rise to using medicinal herbs as alternative therapies. This study aim...