The Extract of Gloiopeltis tenax Enhances Myogenesis and Alleviates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy.

The decline in the function and mass of skeletal muscle during aging or other pathological conditions increases the incidence of aging-related secondary diseases, ultimately contributing to a decreased lifespan and quality of life. Much effort has been made to surmise the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle atrophy and develop tools for improving muscle function. Enhancing mitochondrial function is considered critical for increasing muscle function and health. This study is aimed at evaluating the effect of an aqueous extract of Gloiopeltis tenax (GTAE) on myogenesis and muscle atrophy caused by dexamethasone (DEX). The GTAE promoted myogenic differentiation, accompanied by an increase in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator α (PGC-1α) expression and mitochondrial content in myoblast cell culture. In addition, the GTAE alleviated the DEX-mediated myotube atrophy that is attributable to the Akt-mediated inhibition of the Atrogin/MuRF1 pathway. Furthermore, an in vivo study using a DEX-induced muscle atrophy mouse model demonstrated the efficacy of GTAE in protecting muscles from atrophy and enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and function, even under conditions of atrophy. Taken together, this study suggests that the GTAE shows propitious potential as a nutraceutical for enhancing muscle function and preventing muscle wasting.

Acremonidin E produced by Penicillium sp. SNF123, a fungal endophyte of Panax ginseng, has antimelanogenic activities.

BACKGROUND: Ginseng extracts and ginseng-fermented products are widely used as functional cosmetic ingredients for their whitening and antiwrinkle effects. Recently, increasing attention has been given to bioactive metabolites isolated from endophytic fungi. However, little is known about the bioactive metabolites of the fungi associated with Panax ginseng Meyer. METHODS: An endophytic fungus, Penicillium sp. SNF123 was isolated from the root of P. ginseng, from which acremonidin E was purified. Acremonidin E was tested on melanin synthesis in the murine melanoma cell line B16F10, in the human melanoma cell line MNT-1, and in a pigmented 3D-human skin model, Melanoderm. RESULTS: Acremonidin E reduced melanogenesis in α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-stimulated B16F10 cells with minimal cytotoxicity. qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that acremonidin E downregulated melanogenic genes, including tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), while their enzymatic activities were unaffected. The antimelanogenic effects of acremonidin E were further confirmed in MNT-1 and a pigmented 3D human epidermal skin model, Melanoderm. Immunohistological examination of the Melanoderm further confirmed the regression of both melanin synthesis and melanocyte activation in the treated tissue. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that acremonidin E, a bioactive metabolite derived from a fungal endophyte of P. ginseng, can inhibit melanin synthesis by downregulating tyrosinase, illuminating the potential utility of microorganisms associated with P. ginseng for cosmetic ingredients.

Herbal medicine Siho-sogan-san for functional dyspepsia: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is characterized by persistent and recurrent dyspeptic symptoms, such as postprandial fullness and epigastric pain. Although it is rarely severe or life-threatening, it can degrade the quality of life and cause social and economic issues. As symptoms often persist despite the treatment with conventional Western medicine, herbal medicine can be considered as an alternative for treating FD. Siho-sogan-san (SHS) is a traditional herbal formula prescribed for dyspepsia for hundreds of years. This protocol for a systematic review was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SHS for the treatment of FD through a meta-analysis. METHODS: Studies will be searched from the following electronic databases up to March 2020: Embase, MEDLINE (via PubMED), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Korean Medical Database, KoreaMed, Korean Studies Information Service System, National Digital Science Library, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, and Citation Information by Nii. Randomized controlled trials of SHS and herb-added SHS for treating FD will be selected in this review. The control groups of no-treatment, placebo, and conventional Western medicine will be compared with SHS for its efficacy. The synergetic effect of SHS with Western medicine will also be analyzed in comparison with conventional Western medicine alone. Two independent reviewers will collect the data and assess the risk of bias in individual studies. The total clinical effectiveness rate will be synthesized and evaluated as primary outcome. RESULTS: This systematic review will present an adequate clinical evidence of SHS for the treatment of FD based on specific parameters, including dyspepsia-related symptoms, gastric emptying, and adverse events. CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence for the safety and efficacy of SHS for the treatment of patients with FD. REVIEW REGISTRY UNIQUE IDENTIFYING NUMBER:: reviewregistry952.

Safety and efficacy of Soyo-san for the treatment of functional dyspepsia: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common condition characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal fullness and epigastric pain. With the limitations of conventional Western medical treatments, symptoms often recur and lead to poor quality of life. Soyo-san (SYS) is a traditional herbal medicine that has been frequently used to treat indigestion. This protocol was designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of SYS for treating FD through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Trials will be searched from the following 11 electronic databases, up to March 2020: EMBASE, Medline (via PubMED), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Korean Medical Database (KMbase), KoreaMed, Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS), National Digital Science Library (NDSL), Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), and Citation Information by Nii (CiNii). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of SYS or modified SYS for FD will be included in this systematic review. The effects of control interventions such as placebo, no-treatment, and conventional Western medicine will be compared with those of SYS. RCTs investigating the synergetic effect of SYS and Western medicine compared with conventional Western medicine alone will also be evaluated. Two investigators will independently extract the data and assess the risk of bias in the included studies. The total clinical effective rate will be measured as the main outcome. RESULTS: This systematic review will provide data on the use of SYS in the treatment of FD, based on indicators such as dyspepsia-related symptom score, recurrence rate, and adverse events. CONCLUSION: This study will determine the safety and efficacy of SYS for the treatment of FD. REVIEW REGISTRY UNIQUE IDENTIFYING NUMBER:: reviewregistry969.

Cholic Acid Attenuates ER Stress-Induced Cell Death in Coxsackievirus-B3 Infection.

Coxsackievirus Type B3 (CVB3) is an enterovirus that belongs to the Picornaviridae and causes various diseases such as myocarditis and hand-foot-mouth disease. However, an effective antiviral drug is still not developed. In this study, we looked for potential inhibitors of CVB3 replication by examining the survival of CVB3-infected HeLa cells. We detected an antiviral effect by cholic acid and identified it as a candidate inhibitor of CVB3 replication. Cholic acid circulates in the liver and intestines, and it helps the digestion and absorption of lipids in the small intestine. HeLa cells were cultured in 12-well plates and treated with cholic acid (1 and 10 µg/ml) and 106 PFU/ml of CVB3. After 16 h post-infection, the cells were lysed and subjected to western blot analysis and RT-PCR. The production of the viral capsid protein VP1 was dramatically decreased, and translation initiation factor eIF4G1 cleavage was significantly inhibited by treatment with 10 µg/ml cholic acid. Moreover, cholic acid inhibited ERK signaling in CVB3-infected HeLa cells. RT-PCR showed that the amounts of the CVB3 RNA genome and mRNA for the ER stress-related transcription factor ATF4 were significantly reduced. These results showed that cholic acid strongly reduced ER stress and CVB3 proliferation. This compound can be developed as a safe natural therapeutic agent for enterovirus infections.