Quisqualis indica extract ameliorates low urinary tract symptoms in testosterone propionate-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia rats / 한국실험동물학회지

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease in old-age males, accounting for approximately 77% of morbidity within the age range of 40 to 70 years. It has been shown that morbidity increases with social graying. Quisqualis indica linn (QI) has been used to treat inflammation, stomach pain, and digestion problems. In this study, we evaluated the symptom-regulating effects of QI extract on a testosterone-induced BPH rat model. After inducing BPH in rats using testosterone propionate (TP) injection, we assessed basal intraurethral pressure (IUP) and increments of IUP elicited by electrical field stimulation (5 V, 5, 10, or 20 Hz) or phenylephrine (Phe) (0.01, 0.03, 0.1 mg/kg IV). To induce BPH, 8-week-old rats were subjected to a daily subcutaneous TP (3 mg/kg) injection for 4 weeks. Finasteride (Fina) (10 mg/kg PO) was administered to the rats in the first treatment, while QI (150 mg/kg PO) was administered to those in the second group. Blood pressure was measured together with IUP, after which low urinary tract (LUT), ventral prostate (VP), testicle, and corpus spongiosum were isolated and weighed. Basal IUPs for the Fina- and QI-treated groups were 87.6 and 86.8%, respectively.LUT and VP organ weights in the QI group were lower than those in the Fina group. However, the QI group showed significantly reduced electrical stimulated or Phe-induced IUP increment compared to the Fina and BPH groups. These results proved that QI can be beneficial for BPH symptoms by inhibiting 5α-reductase and consequently decreasing prostate and releasing urinary pressure.

Effect of fermented soybean curd residue (FSCR; SCR-meju) by aspergillus oryzae on the anti-obesity and lipids improvement / 한국영양학회지

In this study, we designed to confirm the dietary effect of anti-obesity of fermented soybean curd residue (FSCR; SCR-Meju; Biji-meju) by A. oryzae, which is well known as a Korean traditional meju microbe. We observed that body weight gain, serum and hepatic lipid profile, as well as the activity of ROS generating enzyme and ROS scavenging enzyme in high-fat diet induced obese mice fed experimental diet (SCR and SCR-meju). Body weight gain and epididymal fat weight of HC (high-fat diet control) was markedly higher than that of NC (Normal control). Conversely, body weight gain and epididymal fat weight of the SCR (Biji) and SCR-meju (Biji-meju) group was significantly lower than that of HC; these of the SCR-meju group was lower than that of the SCR group. Furthermore, serum TG and total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol contents of SCR and SCR-meju groups were lower than that of HC, and HDL-cholesterol level of the SCR-meju group was significantly higher than that of HC. In conclusion, although precise mechanisms of the antiobese effects of SCR-meju in this study are unknown, the present study provides an experimental evidence that SCR-meju may prevent obesity and obesity related metabolic syndromes, such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes, and liver disease by high-fat diet. Nevertheless, further study in this filed will be needed.

Single-Dose Oral Toxicity of Fermented Scutellariae Radix Extract in Rats and Dogs

The aim of this study was to investigate the acute oral toxicity of fermented Scutellariae Radix (JKTMHGu-100) in rats and dogs. JKTM-HGu-100 was orally administered at a dose of 2,000 mg/kg in Sprague-Dawley rats. An escalating single-dose oral toxicity test in beagle dogs was performed at doses of 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg with 4-day intervals. Clinical signs, changes in body weight, mortality, and necropsy findings were examined for 2 weeks following oral administration. No toxicological changes related to the test substance nor mortality was observed after administration of a single oral dose of JKTM-HGu-100 in rats or dogs. Therefore, the approximate lethal dose (LD) for oral administration of JKTMHGu-100 in rats was considered to be over 2,000 mg/kg, and the maximum tolerance doses (MTDs) in rats and dogs were also estimated to be over 2,000 mg/kg. These results indicate that JKTM-HGu-100 shows no toxicity in rodents or non-rodents at doses of 2,000 mg/kg or less.

In vivo metabolism of Talosin A, new isoflavonol glycoside from Kitasatospora kifunensis, in rats

The isoflavonol glycoside Talosin A, genistein (GT)-7-alpha-L-6-deoxy talopyranose (GT-Tal), was first isolated from the culture broth of Kitasatospora kifunensis MJM341. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the oral absorption and metabolism of the newly isolated isoflavonol glycoside, GT-Tal compared to genistin (GT-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside; GT-Glu). Free GT-Glu and GT-Tal could not be detected prior to enzymatic hydrolysis of the corresponding conjugates in rat plasma. Following oral administration of GT-Tal (15 min), GT-Tal was rapidly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and metabolized into GT-Tal conjugates with a mean Cmax of 2.74 microg/mL. GT-Tal was further metabolized to its aglycone, free GT and conjugated GT. After oral administration, GT-Glu was absorbed after being convereted to its aglycone and then further metabolized into its conjugate metabolites (free GT with a mean Cmax of 0.24 mg/mL at 1.25 h; conjugated GT with a mean Cmax of 1.31 mg/mL at 2.00 h). Significant differences in absorption and metabolism of GT-Tal and GT-Glu were observed. GT-Tal was metabolized into its corresponding conjugates or underwent deglycosylation to form GT, whereas GT-Glu was metabolized into its aglycone, GT.

Plasma Choline Concentration of Some Korean Young Adults and Correlation with Dietary Choline Intake

The purpose of this study is to investigate the concentration of plasma choline of Korean and to clarify the relationship between plasma choline concentration and choline intake. Plasma choline concentration of 30 young adults (15 males, 15 females) aged 20 - 30 years living in Deajeon metropolitan city are analyzed and their dietary choline intake. Choline content of one day meal was directly analyzed with the use of enzymatic method. Plasma choline concentration from more than 12 hr fasting blood was analyzed by using HPLC-MS. Choline intakes of male subjects were in the range of 253.51 - 1724.14 mg and those of female subjects were in the range of 240.85 - 938.06 mg. Mean intakes of choline were 634.53+/-353.68 mg in male subjects and 473.99+/-183.76 mg in female subjects. Plasma choline concentration of total subjects was in the range of 5.08 - 14.01 micro mol/L. Mean plasma choline concentration was 9.19+/-2.05 micro mol/L in male subjects and 8.11+/-1.70 micro mol/L in female subjects. Plasma choline concentration did not show significant correlation with choline intake in male and total subjects, but showed positive correlation with choline intake in female subjects (p<0.05). This result shows that more studies on large scaled samples are needed.

The anti-thrombotic activity of surfactins

Platelet aggregation was inhibited and the density of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) clots was decreased by the preincubation of PRP with surfactins, an acidic lipopeptide of Bacillus subtilis complex BC1212 isolated from soybean paste, in dose-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that surfactins are able to prevent a platelet aggregation leading to an inhibition of additional fibrin clot formation, and to enhance fibrinolysis with facilitated diffusion of fibrinolytic agents.

A study of bone resorption at the posterior border of distal segment after bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy of manibular prognathic patients

PURPOSE: This study is to predict the changes of the distal segment by investing the resorption of the excessive distal segment regarding the amount of setback after BSSRO. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 20 patients with Mandible prognathism treated by Obwegeser-Dal Pont method during the years 2000 to 2002 were selected for this study. Group A consisted of 5 males and 5 females with a setback amount of 10mm and above(Mean 10.80mm+/-1.03, n=20) and Group B consisted of 2 males and 8 females with a setback amount of below 10mm.(Mean 6.10mm+/-1.10, n=20) Panorama X-ray was taken at day 1, 1month, 3months, 6months, and 12months after the surgery. Resorption areas of excessive distal segment were measured on these panorama X-rays and compared. RESULTS: There was bone resorption in both groups. Group A showed more bone resorption than Group B. Group B showed slightly higher resorption rate than Group A. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the resorption rates of Group A and Group B. (P>0.05) CONCLUSION: More bone resorption occurred with a larger amount of setback and about one third of the excessive distal segment underwent resorption, irrespective of the amount of setback.

Determination of Roxithromycin by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry after Multiple-Dose Oral Administration in Broilers

A highly sensitive and specific method for the determination of roxithromycin in broiler tissues by LC/MS was developed and validated. A dichloromethane extract of the sample was separated on C18 reversed-phase column with acetonitrile-50 mM ammonium acetate (80:20, v/v) as the mobile phase and analyzed by LC/MS via atmospheric pressure ionization/electrospray ionization interface. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 1 ng/g and 5 ng/g. The method has been successfully applied to determine for roxithromycin in various tissues of broilers. Residue concentrations were associated with administered dose. At the termination of treatment, roxithromycin was found in all collected samples for both dose groups. Liver was detected to have the highest residual concentration of roxithromycin. Residue concentrations of roxithromycin were lower than its LOQ in all tissues from both dose groups 10 days after the treatment of roxithromycin mixed with drinking water at a dose rate of 15 mg/L or 60 mg/L to each broiler for 7 days.

Simultaneous Determination of Various Macrolides by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Macrolides are frequently used in veterinary medicine as therapeutic and preventive agents for various diseases. It is difficult to determine macrolides simultaneously with conventional methods due to their similar structures. A simultaneous analysis for erythromycin, roxithromycin, tiamulin and tylosin with LC/MS has been developed. Separation was performed on C18 reversed phase column. Mobile phase was gradiently flowed with 10 mM ammonium acetate and methanol. The mass spectrometer was run in the positive mode and selective ion monitoring mode. The molecular ions were [M+H]+ form at m/z 837.5 for erythromycin, at m/z 859.5 for roxithromycin, at m/z 494.2 for tiamulin and at m/z 916.7 for tylosin. Limits of detection were in the range from 0.001 to 0.01 microgram/g lower than their MRLs.