Crude water extracts of 13 traditional Korean medicinal ingredients used for leiomyomal treatment were prepared and used to treat human uterine normal myometrial and leiomyomal cell cultures. All the ingredients inhibited proliferation and altered the morphology of both myometrial and leiomyomal cells. Among the 13 ingredients, n-hexane-, chloroform-, and ethylacetate-soluble fractions were extracted from seven ingredients that potently inhibited cell proliferation in their water extract form. Among these, the ethylacetate-fraction of Phlomis umbrosa and Spatholobus suberectus, and the chloroform-fraction of Curcuma zedoaria and S. suberectus inhibited leiomyomal cell proliferation significantly compared to myometrial cell proliferation. Similarly, immunohistochemical analysis showed the inhibition of transforming growth factor-beta receptor 2 in leiomyomal tissue after treatment with the fractions of the ingredients. Moreover, the chloroform-fraction of C. zedoaria was subfractionated by open column chromatography. Two of the eight subfractions (fractions 6 and 7) potently inhibited cell proliferation in leiomyoma compared to myometrium. Further study will be performed with the goal of isolating specific compounds from two effective subfractions of C. zedoaria, ethylacetate-fraction of P. umbrosa, and the ethylacetate and chloroform-fractions of S. suberectus. The present study may be helpful in developing an alternative remedy to leiomyoma with minimal side-effects compared to the current treatments.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been characterized as a potent vasoconstrictor secreted by the endothelium, and play a major role in the regulation of vascular tone. It has been also known to participate in inflammatory reactions. The production of ET-1 by macrophages during infection and inflammation is related to tissue perfusion and leukocyte extravasation. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of IL-8/CXCL8, as a major inflammatory chemokine, for ET-1 expression in macrophges. Expression of ET-1 mRNA in mouse peritoneal macrophages (PeMφ) was weaker than that in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). However, expression of IL-8/CXCL8-induced ET-1 mRNA in PeMφ was much more stronger than that in SHR and WKY VSMCs. Maximum expression of ET-1 mRNA was observed at 50 ng/ml dose of IL-8/CXCL8 and occurred at 2 h after addition of IL-8/CXCL8. Expression of ET-1 by IL-8/CXCL8 was dependent on NF-κB activation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Baicalein, a 12-lipoxygenase (LO) inhibitor, inhibited the expression of IL-8/CXCL8-induced ET-1 mRNA. This inhibitory action of baicalein was mediated via ERK1/2 inactivation. Induction of 12-LO mRNA by IL-8/ CXCL8 and expression of ET-1 mRNA by 12-LO metabolite, 12(S)-HETE were also detected. The expression of IL-8/ CXCL8-induced ET-1 mRNA was not detected in PeMφ transfected with 12-LO siRNA. These results suggest that IL-8/CXCL8 can act as one of main inducers of ET-1 in vascular inflammatory reactions, and ET-1 expression by IL-8/CXCL8 is related to 12-LO pathway in PeMφ.

Extrapelvic endometriosis is a rare disease. The majority of extrapelvic endometriosis cases involve scar tissue following obstetric and gynecologic procedures. We have treated two cases of extrapelvic incisional endometriosis. A 39 year old female patient with cyclic vaginal spotting after laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy due to uterine myoma and a 35 year old female patient with a painful palpable abdominal mass after cesarean section. Both underwent complete excision and were proven to have endometriosis by pathology. Here we report on both cases and review the medical literatures. 1)

Background: Secretory phospholipase A 2 (sPLA 2 ) are a group of extracellular enzymes that release fatty acids at the sn-2 position of phospholipids. Group IIA sPLA 2 (sPLA 2 -IIA) has been detected in the inflammatory fluids, and its plasma level increases in the inflammatory disease. This study examined the effect of sPLA 2-IIA on mouse macropahges in order to investigate the potential mechanism of sPLA 2 -induced inflammation.Materials and Methods: Wild type PLA 2 and mutant H48Q PLA 2 were purified from HEK293 cells transfected with the corresponding plasmids, and the PLA 2 activities were measured using 1-palmitoyl-2-[1-14 C]linoleoyl-3-phosphatidylethanolamine as substrates. The TNF-α and IL-6 released in the supernatants were determined by ELISA. In addition, the TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA were analyzed by RT-PCR.Results: sPLA 2 -IIA stimulated the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in a dose-and time-dependent manner. In addition, the effect of sPLA 2 -IIA on cytokine production from the macrophage was found to be associated with the accumulation of their specific mRNA. The mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-6 peaked at 2 and 6 hours in a time-dependent manner, respectively. the binding of sPLA 2 -IIA to the receptors.