Anti-inflammatory effects of the combined extracts of Achyranthes japonica nakai and Aralia continentalis kitagawa in vitro and in vivo.

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of mixed extracts of Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJ) and Aralia continentalis Kitagawa (AC) (ratios of 1:2, 1:3, 1:5, 2:1, 3:1 and 5:1) on RAW264.7 macrophages and evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of the mixed extracts of AJ and AC by measuring IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNFα using the ELISA kit assay. In particular, the formation of nitric oxide (NO) was found to decrease in the group treated with the combined extracts of AJ and AC at all ratios. In particular, extracts of ratio of 2:1 (AJ:AC) deceased the formation of NO level that is approximately 60% of the group treated with only lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Also, extracts of ratio of 2:1 (AJ:AC) reduced the production of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNFα and PGE2 with statistical significance. Volunteers over the age of 50 who complain of discomfort in knee joints were selected as the experimental subjects. The subjects took daily administration of 2000 mg of the combined extracts of ratio of 2:1 (AJ:AC) for 12 weeks. A survey (VAS (Visual Analog Scale), WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index)) was conducted after the 12 weeks of oral administration. The experimental group showed the change between each visit and baseline time compared with the control group. In the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, VAS score and WOMAC stiffness score decreased significantly. And the WOMAC total score and function score tended to decrease. In the per-protocol (PP) analysis, the WOMAC stiffness score was significantly decreased and the VAS and WOMAC total and function scores were decreased. There was no significant difference in all parameters of ITT and PP in radiological examinations.

Close relationship between SARS-coronavirus and group 2 coronavirus.

The sudden appearance and potential lethality of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in humans has resulted in a focusing of new attention on the determination of both its origins and evolution. The relationship existing between SARS-CoV and other groups of coronaviruses was determined via analyses of phylogenetic trees and comparative genomic analyses of the coronavirus genes: polymerase (Orf1ab), spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M) and nucleocapsid (N). Although the coronaviruses are traditionally classed into 3 groups, with SARS-CoV forming a 4th group, the phylogenetic position and origins of SARS-CoV remain a matter of some controversy. Thus, we conducted extensive phylogenetic analyses of the genes common to all coronavirus groups, using the Neighbor-joining, Maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian methods. Our data evidenced largely identical topology for all of the obtained phylogenetic trees, thus supporting the hypothesis that the relationship existing between SARS-CoV and group 2 coronavirus is a monophyletic one. Additional comparative genomic studies, including sequence similarity and protein secondary structure analyses, suggested that SARS-CoV may bear a closer relationship with group 2 than with the other coronavirus groups. Although our data strongly suggest that group 2 coronaviruses are most closely related with SARS-CoV, further and more detailed analyses may provide us with an increased amount of information regarding the origins and evolution of the coronaviruses, most notably SARS-CoV.

Enhanced antitumor activity [correction for activitiy] of trans(+/-)-1,2-diaminocyclo- hexaneglutamatoplatinum(II) formulated with stealth liposome.

The antitumor platinum(II) compound, [Pt(dach)(Glu)] (dach=trans(+/-)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, Glu=glutamate) was formulated with a stealth liposome to improve its biological activity. Liposomes were composed of PC/PEG2000-PE/CH (PC=1,2-diacyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine; PEG2000-PE=poly(ethylene glycol)2000-1,2-diacyl-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine; CH=cholesterol) involving different acyl moieties of phospholipids such as DO (dioleoyl), DM (dimyristoyl) or DS (distearoyl) group. Among the different acyl groups in the stealth liposomes, the DM formulation was optimal for the preparation of the liposomal [Pt(dach)(Glu)] at the mole ratio of DMPC/PEG2000-DMPE/CH=50/5/45 and at the weight ratio of drug/lipid=1/20, which is represented as L-[Pt(dach)(Glu)]. In vitro cytotoxicity was examined in sensitive A2780 and ME180 and their cisplatin-resistant A2780/PDD and ME180/PDD cancer cells. L-[Pt(dach)(Glu)] was 2 approximately 3 times more cytotoxic than the free complex [Pt(dach)(Glu)] and cisplatin in sensitive cells, and 4 approximately 8 times more cytotoxic in resistant cells. Thus, the resistance index of L-[Pt(dach)(Glu)] was 1.3 approximately 2 while those of the free complex and cisplatin were 5 approximately 6, which indicates that L-[Pt(dach)(Glu)] overcome the cisplatin resistance in both resistant cells. In vivo antitumor activity was assayed against the L1210/S leukemia. The optimal activities (% T/C) of the free complex and L-[Pt(dach)(Glu)] were >459/20 and >442/200 mg/kg, respectively. Considering the amount of the platinum complex in L-[Pt(dach)(Glu)], the liposomal [Pt(dach)(Glu)] displayed 2-fold higher drug potency than the free complex. The biodistribution experiment using LE52 tumor-bearing mouse showed excellent lung targeting property of L-[Pt(dach)(Glu)].