Protective effect of water extract of guibi-tang against pulmonary inflammation induced by cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide / 한국실험동물학회지

Water extract of guibi-tang (GB), a traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean herbal medicine, is used to treat memory impairment, insomnia, and peptic ulcers. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of GB on pulmonary inflammation induced by cigarette smoke (CS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). C57BL/6 mice were used to develop a pulmonary inflammation model by exposing them to CS for 1 h per day for 7 days. LPS was intranasally administered to mice under mild anesthesia on day 5. GB was administered 1 h before CS exposure at doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg for 7 days. Our results showed that GB suppressed the CS and LPS induced elevation in inflammatory cell counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), with significant reductions in protein, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 levels. Histological studies revealed that GB decreased the inflammatory cell infiltration into lung tissue caused by CS- and LPS-exposure. GB also significantly decreased the CS and LPS-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the lung tissue. Taken together, GB effectively attenuated airway inflammation caused by CS and LPS. These results indicate that GB is a potential therapeutic herbal formula for pulmonary inflammatory disease.

Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Diagnosis and Assessment of Takayasu Arteritis and Ulcerative Colitis

Takayasu arteritis (TA) and ulcerative colitis (UC), both immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, rarely occur together. This report describes TA in a 29-year old female patient who was being treated for UC for three years. As she had left-side neck pain and headache, she was diagnosed with TA and her response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor was assessed by fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT). Positive responses to the TNF inhibitor were seen by PET/CT for the TA and by endoscopy for the UC. We conclude that TNF inhibitors are effective treatments for both TA and UC. We found that PET/CT is a useful for diagnosing and assessing TA.

Diallyl disulfide attenuates acetaminophen-induced renal injury in rats / 한국실험동물학회지

This study investigated the protective effects of diallyl disulfide (DADS) against acetaminophen (AAP)-induced acute renal injury in male rats. We also investigated the effects of DADS on kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), which are novel biomarkers of nephrotoxicity in renal tissues, in response to AAP treatment. The following four experimental groups were evaluated: (1) vehicle control, (2) AAP (1,000 mg/kg), (3) AAP&DADS, and (4) DADS (50 mg/kg/day). AAP treatment caused acute kidney injury evidenced by increased serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels and histopathological alterations. Additionally, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis showed increased expression of KIM-1 and NGAL proteins in renal tissues of AAP-treated rats. In contrast, DADS pretreatment significantly attenuated the AAP-induced nephrotoxic effects, including serum BUN level and expression of KIM-1 and NGAL proteins. Histopathological studies confirmed the renoprotective effect of DADS. The results suggest that DADS prevents AAP-induced acute nephrotoxicity, and that KIM-1 and NGAL may be useful biomarkers for the detection and monitoring of acute kidney injury associated with AAP exposure.