Inhibition of Melanogenesis by Abietatriene from Vitex Trifolia Leaf Oil

Vitex trifolia L. has been used traditionally to treat various illnesses, such as inflammation, headache, migraine, and gastrointestinal infections. We analyzed and evaluated the composition of V. trifolia leaf oil. Based on the results, we isolated abietatriene from V. trifolia leaf oil and investigated the effect of V. trifolia leaf oil and its active compound abietatriene on melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. They significantly decreased melanin contents and melanogenic factors, such as tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and MITF dose-dependently in both protein and mRNA levels. Protein and mRNA expressions were determined by Western blot analysis and quantitative real time RT-PCR. Findings indicate that V. trifolia leaf oil and abietatriene reduce melanogenesis by regulating the expression of melanogenic factors. These results suggest that V. trifolia leaf oil and abietatriene could comprise a useful therapeutic agent for treating hyperpigmentation and used as effective skin-whitening agents.

The hyperexpressions of putative stem cells in the eutopic endometrium of patients with advanced endometriosis / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: Recently it has been proposed that stem cells may be associated with the pathogenesis of endometriosis. The purposes of this study are to investigate whether the eutopic endometrial cells of women with or without endometriosis show the characteristics of stem cells in vitro and have a difference of the expressions of the undifferentiated stem cell markers as OCT-4 and CXCR4. METHODS: A total of 6 women with advanced endometriosis and a total of 10 women without endometriosis, adenomyosis or leiomyoma were included in this study. The eutopic endometrial cells, which were obtained from the menstrual blood at menstrual cycle day 2 to 4, were cultured in vitro for approximately 2 weeks, subsequently the putative very small stem cells were separated by Percoll density gradient method and were cultured. The expressions of OCT-4 and CXCR4 were analyzed by real time RT-PCR. RESULTS: The eutopic endometrial cells of the group of endometriosis compared with the control group showed the different morphological characteristics in vitro; more commonly heterogeneous supportive cells, very small round cells less than 3 micrometer and 5~15 micrometer sized hyperchromatic round cells. After the separation of very small round cells by Percoll density gradient method, these cells showed the several characteristics of stem cells; self-renewal, asymmetric cell division, colony formation and embryoid body-like formation. Also These cells showed the similar characteristics of very small embryonic-like stem cells; the mobile cells smaller than erythrocyte, the cell migration or adhesion to supportive cells, the sphere formation by cell aggregation and the formation of new differentiated cell by cell fusion. The expressions of OCT-4 and CXCR4 in the group of endometriosis are respectively 5.66 times and 17.69 times as high as the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The very small round cells less than 3 micrometer and 5~15 micrometer sized hyperchromatic round cells, which showed the several characteristics of stem cells in vitro, were more common in eutopic endometrial cells of patients with endometriosis and the expressions of OCT-4 and CXCR4 were significantly higher. This study suggests that stem cells might play a key role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and OCT-4 and CXCR4 might be used as a tool for diagnosis or follow-up.

Incidence of Candidemia and Related Mortality Following Severe Burns

PURPOSE: Severe burn patients are easily exposed to infection due to immune compromise and loss of skin barrier. But in spite of advances in burn treatment, complication due to infection has significant influence in mortality and morbidity. Broad spectrum antibiotics are used empirically to reduce bacterial infection in severe burn patients but results in suppression of normal flora and mucosal damage in intestine which facilitates fungal growth. We investigated the incidence, frequent onset time, characteristics of patients with candidemia and found appropriate time for use of antifungal agents and treatment of infection. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients who were admitted to Hangang sacred heart hospital burn ICU between January 2007 and December 2008. RESULTS: In 2007 395 patients were admitted to BICU and 66 patients (16.7%) had fungal infection. In 2008 331 patients were admitted to BICU and 77 patients (23.3%) had fungal infection. Fungus was isolated in blood culture in 22 patients (5.6%) and 7 patients (2.1%) in 2007 and 2008 respectively. 20 patients out of 28 patients with candidemia received ventilator care (p=0.037), mean stay in ICU was 52.2 days in patients with positive blood culture compared with 36.5 days in patients with negative blood culture (p=0.049). Mortality in candidemia patients was 42.9% (p=0.022) which was high. CONCLUSION: Candidemia frequently occurs in patients receiving ventilator care, and as stay in ICU lengthens financial burden increases and results in higher mortality and morbidity. Lowering morbidity through strict infection control and monitoring is needed.