No abstract

We investigated the leaves of Kleinhovia hospita, a plant which has been traditionally used in Indonesia as phytotherapy to cure liver disease, to describe antioxidant materials from plant sources. K. hospita leaves were extracted with methanol and further partitioned into n-hexane, diethyl ether, and ethyl acetate. The antioxidant activity of each fraction and the residue was assessed using a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method and their cytotoxicity on HepG2 liver cancer cells was determined by a MTT assay. The K. hospita leaf methanol extract showed strong antioxidant activity (96%) compared with vitamin C (98%) by the DPPH method and the measured activity from the subsequent extracts of the methanol extract were 48.9% for n-hexane, 74.0% for diethyl ether, 84.3% for ethyl acetate, and 77.1% for the residue. The MTT assay showed the cytotoxicity of the methanol extract on HepG2 cells at 14%, 76%, and 80% at concentrations of 50 microg/mL, 87.5 microg/mL, and 125 microg/mL, respectively. Leaf extracts of the medicinal plant K. hospita showed potent antioxidant activity and moderate cytotoxicity on HepG2 liver cancer cells.

Many researchers have focused on the oligomeric form of proanthocyanidins with a lower level of polymerization found in foodstuffs such as grape seeds and blackberries. The present study indicated that the oral administration of oligomers isolated from persimmon fruits extended the lifespan of senescence-accelerated mouse prone/8 (SAMP8), a murine model of accelerated senescence. On the other hand, oligomer-treated SAMP8 did not show stereotypical behavior. We also revealed that the oral administration of oligomers improved spatial and object recognition memory in SAMP8. The density of axons in the hippocampal CA1 was significantly increased by oligomer administration. Moreover, the administration of oligomers increased the phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2 in the hippocampal CA3, hypothalamus, and choroid plexus. We speculate that memory improvement accompanied by histological changes may be induced directly in the hippocampus and indirectly in the hypothalamus and choroid plexus through VEGFR-2 signaling. In the present study, we elucidated the protective effect of oligomers against memory impairment with aging. VEGFR-2 signaling may provide a new insight into ways to protect against memory deficit in the aging brain.

To help the clinicians prescribe acupoints easily and effectively, we developed one simple flow chart to select acupoints. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of flow chart to select acupoints in dogs. Total 102 dogs showing intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) (n = 12), vomiting (n = 11), diarrhea (n = 2), abdominal pain (n = 5), cough (n = 66), or epilepsy (n = 6) received acupuncture treatment according to the chart, and its outcomes were evaluated as regards clinical symptoms, duration, treatment numbers, and recovery time. Dogs (8/8) with IVDD from grades I to III recovered over periods of 5 days to 6 weeks after 1–12 treatments, while 1/4 dogs with grade IV recovered over 7 weeks after 15 treatments. Vomiting dogs with acute/subacute (n = 8) and chronic symptoms (n = 3) required about 1 and 7 treatments to recover fully, respectively. All dogs (n = 5) with abdominal pain showed fast relief within 24 hours after acupuncture. Two diarrhea cases recovered over 2–9 days after 1-2 treatments. Fifty-four of 66 coughing dogs were recovered by 1-2 treatments. And 5 of 6 epilepsy dogs under a regular acupuncture treatment had no epileptic episode during followup of 12 months. These results suggest that this flow chart can help the clinicians prescribe acupoints effectively.

Objectives：This study was performed to investigate effect of evodiae fructus on acute reflux esophigitis rat induced by pylorus and forestomach ligation operation. Methods：Twenty-four laboratory rats were divided four groups and each group had six rats；normal intact group, acute reflux esophagitis (RE) control group, two experiment RE group treated extract of evodiae fructus 600 mg/kg (EEF600) and 300 mg/kg (EEF300). All rats was fasted for 18 hr but free water, we induced RE by pylorus and forestomach ligation operation. Intact group and RE control group rats were orally administered a distilled water and two experiment groups were orally administed with EEF 600 mg/5ml/kg and 300 mg/5ml/kg. One hour after, rats were anesthetized, intact group was cut the abdomen open and sutured with 2.0 silk thread. RE control group and EEF group were cut the abdomen open, ligated pyloric canal and forestomach with 2.0 silk thread and sutured. Six hour after the operation, rats were sacrified, collected bloods in the abdominal vein, disectted a esophagus and stomach. The stomach was washed a 1 ml PBS and the esophagus was cut longitudinally and pictured a innter mucosa area to research damages in esophagus.Results：The esophagic tissue damage percentage of reflux esophagitis rat was increased compared to that of normal intact group. But esophagic damage percentage of EEF 600 were significantly decreased compared to that of RE control group. But there was no difference on gastric juice pH between control RE, alpha-tocopherol administration rat group and EEF administration rat group. In esophagus of RE control rat, gastric damage occurred severely and injury percentage of mucosa were increased, but EEF 600 mucous inflammatory damage percentage was significantly compared to that of RE control group. Proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 in serum on RE control group were markedly grew than those of intact rat, those of vechicle group treated with EEF 600 and EEF 300 were remarkably decreased compared to production of proinflammatory cytokine of RE control group. In microscopic observation, intact group rat had no hyperemia, mucous injury and exclusion, ulcer and edema. But it could showed mucosa damages, submucosa edema and ulcer in RE control. However, administration of EEF 600 and EEF 300 made esophagus have less inflammation and injury by gastric acid. Conclusions：The results suggest that antiinflammatory Effect of EEF could attenuate the severity of reflux esophagitis and prevent the esophageal mucosal damage, and validate its therapeutic use in esophageal reflux disease.