Chloroplast Genome Analysis of Liriope spicata var. prolifera, Ophiopogon japonicus in Sichuan and Zhejiang / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To determine the chloroplast genomes of Liriope spicata var. prolifera, Ophiopogon japonicus in Sichuan and Zhejiang, analyze their sequence characteristics and complete the screening of specific DNA barcodes. Method::The chloroplast genomes of L. spicata var. prolifera, O. japonicus in Sichuan and Zhejiang were sequenced, spliced and annotated through high-throughtput sequencing technology, and the structural characteristics and phylogenetic relationships of chloroplast genomes were analyzed by bioinformatics. Result::The total length of chloroplast genome of L. spicata var. prolifera was 155 998 bp, the total content of guanine and cytosine (GC) was 37.7%, and 85 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes were successfully annotated, a total of 274 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were detected, the number of codons encoding leucine was the most, while the number of codons encoding tryptophan was the least. The total length of chloroplast genome of O. japonicus in Sichuan province was 156 078 bp, the total content of GC was 37.8%, and 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes were successfully annotated, a total of 265 SSRs were detected, the number of codons encoding leucine was the most, while the number of codons encoding tryptophan was the least. The total length of chloroplast genome of O. japonicus in Zhejiang province was 156 207 bp, the total content of GC was 37.7%, and 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes were successfully annotated, a total of 274 SSRs were detected with the highest number of codons encoding leucine and the lowest number of codons encoding tryptophan. Conclusion::The phylogenetic trees show that compared with O. japonicus in Sichuan province, L. spicata var. prolifera is more closely related to O. japonicus in Zhejiang province. The variation of non-coding regions of L. spicata var. prolifera, O. japonicus in Zhejiang and Sichuan is greater than that in the coding region. The entire chloroplast genome can be used as a super barcode for identifying species of Ophiopogon and Liriope.

Ecoepidemiología de las lesiones causadas por medusas urticantes en el balneario de Monte Hermoso. Buenos Aires. Argentina / Ecoepidemiology of lesions caused by venomous jellyfish in Monte Hermoso beach. Buenos Aires. Argentina

En la costa sudoeste bonaerense uno de los principales desafíos para el turismo es el tratamiento y la prevención de envenenamientos por medusas. Hasta el momento se conocen tres especies de medusas urticantes que arriban a la costa: Chrysaora lactea, Liriope tetraphylla y Olindias sambaquiensis. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron: calcular los parámetros poblacionales de las medusas urticantes, efectuar el diagnóstico diferencial de los síntomas causados por envenenamiento, analizar el número de afectados en relación a la abundancia de medusas urticantes, evaluar la elección diferencial del centro de atención primaria elegido por los afectados y confeccionar un algoritmo diagnóstico. El número de medusas urticantes en el año 2016 fue cinco veces mayor que en 2017. Liriope tetraphylla registró las mayores abundancias promedio, frecuencias y dominancias relativas. En 2016 coincidió su mayor abundancia con el mayor porcentaje de afectados. En 2016 se registraron 69 casos totales de envenenamiento y en 2017 se identificaron 79 casos. En 2017 el porcentaje de personas afectadas por O. sambaquiensis no presentó una correlación con la abundancia promedio de esta especie. Liriope tetraphylla causó lesiones eritematomaculo-papulares acompañadas de prurito sin dolor, C. lactea provocó lesiones eritemato-vesiculosas de dolor moderado y O. sambaquiensis lesiones eritemato-edematosas lineales de dolor intenso con hiperpigmentación residual. No existe tratamiento específico para el envenenamiento, la terapéutica diferencial es sintomática. Las primeras acciones son comunes para las tres especies: lavar con solución fisiológica o agua de mar limpia y aplicar compresas frías.

On the Southwest coast of Buenos Aires Province one of the main challenges for tourism is the treatment and prevention of poisoning by jellyfish. So far, three species of venomous jellyfish arriving to the coast have been identified: Chrysaora lactea, Liriope tetraphylla, and Olindias sambaquiensis. The objectives of this study were: to calculate the population parameters of the venomous jellyfish, to carry out a differential diagnosis of the symptoms caused by poisoning, to analyze the number of individuals affected in relation to the abundance of this jellyfish, to evaluate which primary care centers are chosen by those affected, and to develop a diagnostic algorithm. The number of venomous jellyfish in 2016 was five times higher than in 2017. The highest average abundance, frequency, and relative dominance were recorded for L. tetraphylla. In 2016, its greatest abundance coincided with the highest percentage of people affected by this species. A total of 69 confirmed cases of poisoning caused by the three species were recorded in 2016 and 79 cases in 2017. In 2017, the percentage of people affected by O. sambaquiensis was not correlated with the average abundance of this species. Liriope tetraphylla caused erythematous-maculopapular lesions accompanied by painless pruritus; C. lactea caused erythematous-vesicular lesions of moderate pain and O. sambaquiensis caused linear erythematous-edematous lesions with severe pain and residual hyperpigmentation. At present, there is no specific treatment for poisoning, the differential therapy is symptomatic. The recommended actions are common for all three species: wash the skin with physiological solution or clean sea water and apply cold compresses.

Textual Research of Chinese Herb Maidong / 中国药师

Objective:To perform textual researches on name, origin and distribution of Maidong to clarify the medicinal varieties and history recorded in ancient literatures and provide evidence for clinical use. Methods:Ancient herbal works were performed textual research, and the resource investigation and modern data were analyzed. Results:According to the ancient herbal records and modern researches, Maidong had lots of alias, while only Maimendong and Maidong were used as the medicine common names. According to the records of main origin, original plant morphological and medicinal characteristics of Maimendong, it was preliminarily concluded that Maidong recorded in the ancient herbal records was mainly produced in Jiande of Zhejiang province, Mianyang of Sichuan prov-ince, Xiangyang of Hubei province and the surrounding areas. The chemical compositions and pharmacological activities of Maidong and Shanmaidong were similar;therefore, they both could be used as the medicines. Conclusion:In the light of the ancient and mod-ern medicinal customs, modern chemistry and pharmacology researches and clinical practice of TCM, it deserves further discussion on whether Maidong and Shanmaidong can be used as multi source varieties of traditional Chinese medicines just like Polygonaceae plants palmatum L. , Rheum tanguticum Maxim, ex Balf. and Rheum officinale Baill. , and Ranunculaceae plants Coptis chinensis Franch. , Coptis deltoidea C. Y. Cheng et Hsiao and Coptisteeta Wall.

Comparison of development condition of different Liriope spicata seedlings / 中国中药杂志

The study identified the main morphological index of the seedlings classification including seedling age,the root width and number of newborn buds and coarse roots, according to the local agricultural production techniques and assessment of Liriope spicata's growth and development condition. After carrying on K cluster analysis of the morphological, we separated the seedlings into two levels. The first level (Ⅰ)： the new talent with the root width exceeding two point five millimeters, the new born buds exceeding three, and with the coarse root exceeding one. The second level (Ⅱ)： the old talent with the root width below one millimeters, the newborn buds below two and without coarse root. The study surveyed the plants' growth index dynamics, as well as the yield and quality of the tuberous root. The experimental results suggested that the growth condition of seedling Ⅰwas better, the yield of earthnut higher, the quality of earthnut more excellent. The study lied the foundation of L. spicata's grading standards and standardized production.

The genus Liriope: Phytochemistry and pharmacology / 中国天然药物

Liriope (Liliaceae) species have been used as folk medicines in Asian countries since ancient times. From Liriope plants (8 species), a total of 132 compounds (except polysaccharides) have been isolated and identified, including steroidal saponins, flavonoids, phenols, and eudesmane sesquiterpenoids. The crude extracts or monomeric compounds from this genus have been shown to exhibit anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities. The present review summarizes the results on phytochemical and biological studies on Liriope plants. The chemotaxonomy of this genus is also discussed.

Laxative effects of Liriope platyphylla are tightly correlated with suppression of endoplasmic reticulum stress in loperamide-induced constipation of SD rats / 한국실험동물학회지

A dysfunction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response can result in various diseases, including cancer, inflammation, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. To investigate whether ER stress response can play an essential role in the induction and treatment of chronic constipation, alterations in the key parameters for ER stress were measured in loperamide (Lop) induced constipation Sprague Dawley (SD) rats treated with aqueous extracts of Liriope platyphylla (AEtLP), which has been shown to have a laxative effect. Symptoms of chronic constipation including alteration of stool parameters and the transverse colon's structure were successfully induced by Lop treatment. Laxative effects such as enhancement of stools parameters, recovery of the mucosa thickness, increased muscle thickness and recovery of flat luminal surface were also observed in the Lop+AEtLP treated group. Furthermore, enhancement of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) phosphorylation and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 beta (IRE1β) expression, key indicators for ER stress, that were observed in the Lop+vehicle treated group were significantly recovered in the Lop+AEtLP treated group, although the phosphorylation level of c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) remained constant. Moreover, alterations in the transcription level of the marker genes X-box binding protein 1 (XBP-1) and growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible protein (GADD34) were similar to those of eIF2α and IRE1β. However, their level was slightly or completely recovered after AEtLP treatment. Overall, this study provides the first evidence that ER stress response may be tightly correlated with chronic constipation induced by Lop treatment, as well as the laxative effects of AEtLP.

Beneficial effects of ethanol extracts of Red Liriope platyphylla on vascular dysfunction in the aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats / 한국실험동물학회지

Some biological effects of Red Liriope platyphylla (RLP) on various chronic diseases including Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and obesity were suggested after a report of the production from Liriope platyphylla (L. platyphylla, LP) roots using a steaming process. To examine the beneficial effects of ethanol extracts RLP (EEtRLP) on the vascular dysfunction of hypertension, alterations in key factors related to vascular regulation and antioxidant conditions were investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) after EEtRLP treatment for 2 weeks. High levels of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity were detected in 500 or 1,000 mg/mL EEtRLP. Although no significant improvement of systolic blood pressure or aortic wall thickness were observed in the EEtRLP treated group, the expression level of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and ACE2 increased significantly after EEtRLP treatment. Moreover, the concentration of aldosterone and K ion in serum rapidly recovered in the EEtRLP treated group relative to the vehicle treated group. Furthermore, the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were significantly increased in the EEtRLP treated group relative to the vehicle treated group, while the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and NOx in the serum of the same group were recovered to the level of Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. Overall, the results presented herein provide novel evidence that EEtRLP treatment may improve vascular dysfunction in the aorta of the SHR through up regulation of the antioxidant state and down regulation of aldosterone and K ion concentration. These results also suggest that EEtRLP may be a potential candidate for treatment of various chronic diseases showing vascular dysfunction.

Novel cytotoxic steroidal glycosides from the roots of Liriope muscari / 中国天然药物

The present study was designed to investigate the chemical constituents and bioactivities of the roots of Liriope muscari (Decne.) L.H. Bailey. The compounds were isolated through various chromatography techniques, including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures were elucidated by infrared (IR), mass spectrometric (MS), 1D- and 2D-NMR analyses in comparison with reference data. In addition, the cytotoxicity of these compounds against human breast cancer MDA-MB-435 cells was evaluated by the MTT assay. Two new steroidal glycosides, 25(R, S)-ruscogenin-1-O-[β-D-fucopyranosyl (1→2)]-[β-D-xylopyranosyl(1→3)]β-D-glucopyranoside (Liriopem I, 1) and 25(R, S)- ruscogenin-1-O-[β-D-fucopyranosyl (1→2)]-[β-D-xylopyranosyl(1→4)]-β-D-fucopyranoside (Liriopem II, 2 and two known compounds LM-S6 (3) and DT-13 (4) were isolated and identified. Liriopem I(1), liriopem II(2) and DT-13 (4) showed remarkable cytotoxicity with IC50 values being (0.58 ± 0.08), (0.05 ± 0.10), and (0.15 ± 0.09) μg·mL(-1), respectively. In summary, compounds 1 and 2 identified in the present study exerted cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells, providing a basis for future development of these compounds as novel anticancer agents.

The saponin DT-13 inhibits gastric cancer cell migration through down-regulation of CCR5-CCL5 axis / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To investigate the effect of DT-13 on gastric cancer cell migration, and to explore the possible mechanisms underlying the anti-metastasis activity of DT-13.@*METHODS@#Growth inhibition of DT-13 was analyzed by the MTT assay. Cell migration was measured by the scratch-wound assay and transwell double chamber assay. To investigate the possible mechanisms underlying the anti-metastasis activity of DT-13, chemokine receptors that are involved in cancer metastasis (CCR2, CCR5, CCR7, CXCR4, and CXCR6) were detected by conventional PCR. The effect of DT-13 on CCR5 and CXCR4 expression was further evaluated by quantitative PCR and Western blot, respectively. The secretion of CCL5 (ligand of CCR5) and SDF-1 (ligand of CXCR4) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).@*RESULTS@#DT-13 inhibited BGC-823 and HGC-27 cell growth in a dose dependent manner, and the estimated IC50 value for 24 h treatment was 23.5 ± 5.1 μmol·L(-1) for BGC-823 cells and 35.6 ± 7.6 μmol·L(-1) for HGC-27 cells. DT-13 also significantly decreased gastric cancer cell migration. DT-13 significantly decreased the gene expression of CCR5 in both BGC-823 and HGC-27 gastric cancer cells, and moderately reduced the expression of CXCR4. Similar to the results of gene expression, significant down-regulation of CCR5 protein was observed, but CXCR4 protein levels were much less affected. CCL5 secretion, but not SDF-1 production, was inhibited by DT-13.@*CONCLUSION@#DT-13 inhibited gastric cancer cell migration by down-regulation of the CCR5-CCL5 axis.

Red Liriope platyphylla stimulated the insulin secretion through the regulation of calcium concentration in rat insulinoma cells and animal models / 한국실험동물학회지

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Red L. platyphylla (RLP) on calcium and glucose levels during insulin secretion. To achieve this, alteration of insulin and calcium concentrations was measured in rat insulinoma-1 (INS-1) cells and animal models in response to RLP treatment. In INS-1 cells, maximum secretion of insulin was detected upon treatment with 200 microg/mL of RLP for 20 min. Nifedipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker, effectively inhibited insulin secretion from INS-1 cells. Regarding calcium levels, the maximum concentration of intracellular calcium in INS-1 cells was obtained by treatment with 100 microg/mL of RLP, whereas this level was reduced under conditions of 200 microg/mL of RLP. Further, RLP-treated INS-1 cells showed a higher level of intracellular calcium than that of L. platyphylla (LP), Korea White Ginseng (KWG), or Korea Red Ginseng (KRG)-treated cells. This RLP-induced increase in intracellular calcium was abrogated but not completely abolished upon treatment with 40 microM nifedipine in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the insulin level was dramatically elevated upon co-treatment with high concentrations of glucose and RLP, whereas it was maintained at a low level in response to glucose and RLP co-treatment at low concentrations. In an animal experiment, the serum concentration of calcium increased or decreased upon RLP treatment according to glucose level compared to vehicle treatment. Therefore, these results suggest that insulin secretion induced by RLP treatment may be tightly correlated with calcium regulation, which suggests RLP is an excellent candidate for diabetes treatment.

Precautionary effects of Red Liriope platyphylla on NGF secretion and Abeta42 deposition under the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease in Tg2576 mice / 한국실험동물학회지

Red Liriope platyphylla (RLP) has been manufactured from Liriope platyphylla (L. platyphylla, LP) roots using steaming process and investigated as a curative agent for treatment of diabetes, obesity and neurodegenerative disorders. To examine the precautionary effects of aqueous extract RLP (AEtRLP) on the preclinical stages of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), alterations of the key factors influencing AD were investigated in Tg2576 mice after AEtRLP7 treatment for 4 months. Abeta-42 peptides level was significantly decreased in the brain of AEtRLP7-treated Tg2576 mice compared to vehicle-treated Tg2576 mice, although significant differences on improving behavioral defects were not observed in the same group. The concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) in serum was also higher in AEtRLP7-treated Tg2576 mice than vehicle-treated Tg2576 mice. However, the phosphorylation of TrkA and Erk among the downstream effectors of the high affinity NGF receptor was significantly lower in AEtRLP7-treated Tg2576 mice. A similar pattern was observed in the expression level of downstream effectors within low affinity NGF receptor. Overall, these results suggest that AEtRLP7 can contribute to preventing the production and deposition of Abeta-42 peptides during the early progression stage of AD in the brain of Tg2576 mice through increased NGF secretion.

Medusas (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) de una zona de afloramiento costero, Bahía Culebra, Pacífico, Costa Rica / Medusae (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from a coastal upwelling zone, Culebra Bay, Pacific, Costa Rica

The hydromedusae have an important role in marine trophic webs due to their predatory feeding habits. This is the first study of this group of gelatinous marine zooplankton in a coastal upwelling area of Central America. The composition and abundance variability of hydromedusae were studied during six months in 1999 at four stations in Culebra Bay, Gulf of Papagayo, Pacific coast of Costa Rica (10º37’ N-85º40’ W). A total of 53 species were identified, of which 26 are new records for Costa Rica, 21 are new records for Central America, and eight are new records for the Eastern Tropical Pacific. The more abundant species (more than 30% of the total abundance) were Liriope tetraphylla, Solmundella bitentaculata and Aglaura hemistoma. Six species occurred throughout the sampling period, 10 were present only during the dry season (December-April), and 17 were so during the rainy season (May-November). Significant differences of medusan abundances were found between seasons (dry vs. rainy). Maximum abundance (2.1±4.3ind./m³) was recorded when upwelled deeper water influenced the Bay, as indicated by local higher oxygen concentrations and lower water temperatures. The relatively high species richness of medusae found in Culebra Bay is probably related to factors like the pristine condition of the Bay, the arrival of oceanic species transported by the Equatorial Counter Current (ECC), the eastward shoaling of the Costa Rica Dome, and local currents. Illustrations of the 15 more important species are included to facilitate their identification and foster future work in the region.

Las hidromedusas tienen un papel importante en redes tróficas marinas debido a sus hábitos alimenticios depredadores. Este es el primer estudio de este grupo del zooplancton gelatinoso en un area de afloramiento costero en América Central. Durante seis meses de 1999, se estudió la abundancia de hidromedusas en cuatro estaciones en Bahía Culebra, Golfo de Papagayo, costa Pacífica de Costa Rica (10º 37’N-85º40’W). Se identificó un total de 53 especies de las que 26 son registros nuevos para Costa Rica, 21 son registros nuevos para América Central y 8 son nuevos registros para el Pacífico Oriental Tropical. Las especies más abundantes durante el estudio (con más de 30% de la abundancia total) fueron Liriope tetraphylla, Solmundella bitentaculata y Aglaura hemistoma. Seis especies se presentaron en todos los muestreos, 10 especies se presentaron únicamente durante la época seca y 17 se presentaron únicamente durante la época lluviosa. Se mostraron diferencias significativas entre las épocas lluviosa y seca. La máxima abundancia promedio de hidromedusas (2.1±4.3 ind./m³) fue encontrada durante las fechas que se espera el afloramiento costero, indicado por alta concentración de oxígeno y baja temperatura. La rica composición de especies encontrada en Bahía Culebra puede ser el resultado de varios factores, incluyendo la condición prístina de la bahía, el transporte de especies por la Contra Corriente Nor-Ecuatorial (NECC) y los aportes de origen terrestre. Se incluyen ilustraciones de las 15 especies más importantes para facilitar su identificación y promover estudios futuros en la región.

Toxicity of red Liriope platyphylla manufactured by steaming process on liver and kidney organs of ICR mice / 한국실험동물학회지

Red Liriope platyphylla (RLP) produced by steaming process has been reported to enhance the secretion of insulin and nerve growth factor (NGF). However, there has been no report on the toxicity of RLP in the specific organs of mice. To investigate the toxic effect of RLP, we tried to observe a significant alteration on body weight, food/water intake, organ weight, liver pathology and kidney pathology in female ICR mice received 12.5, 25.0 and 50.0 mg/kg body weight/day of RLP via gavage for 10 days. Out of seven organs including brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and ovary, two organs (heart and lung) showed significantly decreased weights in the medium dosage RLP-treated group, whereas weights of other organs were maintained at constant levels in all dosage groups. In the liver toxicity analysis, no significant increase of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate amino-transferase (AST) were detected in any RLP-treated group compared to vehicle-treated group. The specific pathological changes induced by most of toxic compounds were not observed in the liver in microscopic examination. Furthermore, in the kidney toxicological analysis, a significant enhancement of the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration was detected in the high dosage RLP-treated group compared to the vehicle-treated group. However, the serum creatinine (CA) concentration on the serum biochemistry as well as the pathological changes in microscopic examination were not significantly different between the vehicle- and RLP-treated groups. Therefore, these results suggest that RLP does not induce any specific toxicity in liver or kidney tissues of mice, although the BUN level slightly increased in 50.0 mg/kg of RLP-treated group.

Aqueous extract of Liriope platyphylla, a traditional Chinese medicine, significantly inhibits abdominal fat accumulation and improves glucose regulation in OLETF type II diabetes model rats / 한국실험동물학회지

Liriope platyphylla is a medical herb that has long been used in Korea and China to treat cough, sputum, neurodegenerative disorders, obesity, and diabetes. The aims of this study were to determine the antidiabetic and antiobesity effects of aqueous extract of L. platyphylla (AEtLP) through glucose and lipid regulation in both pre-diabetes and obesity stage of type II diabetes model. Two concentrations of AEtLP were orally administrated to OLETF (Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty) rats once a day for 2 weeks, after which changes in glucose metabolism and fat accumulation were measured. Abdominal fat mass dramatically decreased in AEtLP-treated OLETF rats, whereas glucose concentration slightly decreased in all AEtLP-treated rats. However, compared to vehicle-treated OLETF rats, only AEtLP10 (10% concentration)-treated OLETF rats displayed significant induction of insulin production, whereas AEtLP5 (5% concentration)-treated OLETF rats showed a lower level of insulin. Although serum adiponectin level increased in only AEtLP5-treated rats, significant alteration of lipid concentration was detected in AEtLP5-treated OLETF rats. Expression of Glut-1 decreased in all AEtLP-treated rats, whereas Akt phosphorylation increased only in AEtLP10-treated OLETF rats. Furthermore, the pattern of Glut-3 expression was very similar with that of Glut-1 expression, which roughly corresponded with the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-teminal kinase (JNK) and p38 in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Therefore, these findings suggest that AEtLP should be considered as a therapeutic candidate during pre-diabetes and obesity stage capable of inducing insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells, glucose uptake in liver cells, as well as a decrease in fat and lipid accumulation.

Genetic diversity of Liriope muscari using SRAP markers / 中草药

Objective: To study the genetic diversity of Liriope muscari. Methods: The genetic diversity of 47 populations was analyzed by SRAP marker technique. Results: Fifteen primers amplified 323 polymorphic bands, and the average percentage of polymorphic bands reached to 88.47%. The average of polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.90. Nei's gene diversity index (H) was 0.197 7 and Shannon's information index (I) was 0.319 0. Gene differentiation index (Gst) was 0.252 8. Cluster analysis using UPGMA method showed that genetic similarity coefficient ranged in 0.59-0.99. Conclusion: L. muscari shows higher genetic diversity and the majority of genetic variation occurs in populations.

Effects of Steaming Time and Frequency for Manufactured Red Liriope platyphylla on the Insulin Secretion Ability and Insulin Receptor Signaling Pathway / 한국실험동물학회지

In oriental medicine, Liriope platyphylla (LP) has long been regarded as a curative herb useful for the treatment of diabetes, asthma, and neurodegenerative disorders. The principal objective of this study was to assess the effects of steaming time and frequency for manufactured Red LP (RLP) on insulin secretion ability and insulin receptor signaling pathway. To achieve our goal, several types of LPs manufactured under different conditions were applied to INS cells and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic ICR mice, after which alterations in insulin concentrations were detected in the culture supernatants and sera. The optimal concentration for the investigation of insulin secretion ability was found to be 50 ug/mL of LP. At this concentration, maximum insulin secretion was observed in the INS cells treated with LP extract steamed for 3 h (3-SLP) with two repeated steps (3 h steaming and 24 h air-dried) carried out 9 times (9-SALP); no significant changes in viability were detected in any of the treated cells. Additionally, the expression and phosphorylation levels of most components in the insulin receptor signaling pathway were increased significantly in the majority of cells treated with steaming-processed LP as compared to the cells treated with LP prepared without steaming. With regard to glucose transporter (GLUT) expression, alterations of steaming time induced similar responses on the expression levels of GLUT-2 and GLUT-3. However, differences in steaming frequency were also shown to induce dose-dependent responses in the expression level of GLUT-2 only; no significant differences in GLUT-3 expression were detected under these conditions. Furthermore, these responses observed in vitro were similarly detected in STZ-induced diabetic mice. 24-SLP and 9-SALP treatment applied for 14 days induced the down-regulation of glucose concentration and upregulation of insulin concentration. Therefore, these results indicated that the steaming processed LP may contribute to the relief of diabetes symptoms and should be regarded as an excellent candidate for a diabetes treatment.

The Symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis in NC/Nga Mice Were Significantly Relieved by the Water Extract of Liriope platyphylla / 한국실험동물학회지

Atopic dermatitis is an well-known skin disease showing inflammatory, chronically relapsing, non-contagious and pruritic symptoms. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of Liriope platyphylla (LP) on atopic dermatitis of NC/Nga mice. To achieve this, NC/Nga mice were treated with four different conditions including vehicle, phthalic anhydride (PA), PA+5% LP and PA+10% LP, and the changes of immune-related factors were detected after 2 weeks. The pathological phenotypes of atopic dermatitis such as erythema, ear thickness, edema, scab and discharge were significantly decreased in PA+10% LP cotreated groups compare to PA treated group. Also, the weight of lymph node and thymus in immune organs were gradually decreased in LP treated groups, while the weight of spleen was slightly increased in same group. Furthermore, toluidine blue staining analysis, a method used to specifically identify the mast cell, showed that the decrease of master cell infiltration into the dermis were statistically observed in PA+5% LP and PA+10% LP5% cotreated groups. Especially, the decrease of IgE concentration was detected only PA+10% LP cotreated group, although this level was maintained in PA+5% LP cotreated group. Therefore, these results suggested that the water extracts of LP may contribute the relieve of atopic dermatitis symptoms and be considered as an excellent candidate for a atopic dermatitis-therapeutic drug.

Effects of total aminoacid of liriope spicata lour on experimental myocardial ischemia / 中国药理学通报

We found previously that water soluble extract of Liriope spicata Lour (SanMaiDong) possesses cardioprotective action. The paper reported that effects of total aminoacid ex- traded from Liriope spicata Lour (Tal) on experimental myocardial ischemia in rats. The results indicate that Tal (5 mg?kg-1 ,ip) obviously antagonized ischemic ECG changes induced by pituitrin in rats. In myocardial ischemic rats caused by isoprenaline (8 mg?kg-1) Tal 15 mg? kg-1ip significantly reduced ST and decreased CPK release and lowered the content of MDA. In a myocardial ischemic mode) induced by ligat-ing the left anterior descending coronary artery in rats, Tal 15 mg?kg-1ip remarkably decreased plasma CPK and FFA levels and was found todiminish the infarct size. The ratio of its infarct size (5. 80%) is similar to that of propranolol (5. 41%),but apparently smaller than that of ligated group (18.55%). The results suggest that Tal can protect ischemic myocardium and this action may relate to the prevention of my-ocardial lipid peroxication and improvement of myocardial metabolism.