BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The biological activity in antibacterial and antioxidative action of essential oils (EOs) have been investigated. In this study, we tried to evaluate the effects of Chamaecyparis obtusa EOs on producing chemical mediators by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). SUBJECTS AND METHOD: PBMCs from healthy volunteers were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) in the presence of varying concentrations of EOs. Cytotoxic effects of EOs were measured using an aqueous cell proliferation assay kit and supernatants were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-5, and interferon-γ (INF-γ) protein levels were measured to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of essential oil. RESULTS: EOs were found to have cytotoxic effects on PBMCs at levels of over 1%. EOs not only could induce PBMCs to produce chemical mediators, but it also significantly inhibited the LPS induced TNF-α and INF-γ productions as well as the PHA induced INF-γ production. CONCLUSION: EOs had cytotoxic effects at high concentrations and modulated chemical mediator productions from PBMC. These data suggest that EOs could be used to treat immunologic or inflammatory diseases.
Cell Proliferation ; Chamaecyparis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Healthy Volunteers ; Interleukin-5 ; Methods ; Necrosis ; Oils, Volatile

This study was carried out to examine the action mechanism of Chamaecyparis obtusa oil (CO) on hair growth in C57BL/6 mice. For alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) activities in the skin tissue, at week 4, the 3% minoxidil (MXD) and 3% CO treatment groups showed an ALP activity that was significantly higher by 85% (p < 0.001) and 48% (p < 0.05) and an gamma-GT activity that was significantly higher by 294% (p < 0.01) and 254% (p < 0.05) respectively, as compared to the saline (SA) treatment group. For insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA expression in the skin tissue, at week 4, the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly higher expression by 204% (p < 0.05) and 426% (p < 0.01) respectively, as compared to the SA group. At week 4, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly higher expression by 74% and 96% (p < 0.05) respectively, however, epidermal growth factor (EGF) expression in the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly lower expression by 66% and 61% (p < 0.05) respectively, as compared to the SA group. Stem cell factor (SCF) expression in the MXD and CO groups was observed by immunohistochemistry as significant in a part of the bulge around the hair follicle and in a part of the basal layer of the epidermis. Taking all the results together, on the basis of effects on ALP and gamma-GT activity, and the expression of IGF-1, VEGF and SCF, which are related to the promotion of hair growth, it can be concluded that CO induced a proliferation and division of hair follicle cells and maintained the anagen phase. Because EGF expression was decreased significantly, CO could delay the transition to the catagen phase.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Chamaecyparis* ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Epidermis ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Hair Follicle ; Hair* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Mice ; Minoxidil ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Stem Cell Factor ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

To investigate the chemical constituents of Chamaecyparis obtusa var. breviramea f. crippsii, various column chromatography and spectroscopic methods were used for the isolation and elucidation of compounds. One new monoterpenoid glucoside, (4S)-4-isopropylcyclohex-l-enecarboxylic acid 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), together with five known compounds, (4R)-p-menth-l-ene-7, 8-diol 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), skimmin (3), 7-[[6-O-(6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]oxy]-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (4), stigmast-4-en-3-one (5) and 1, 4-benzenedicarboxylic acid 1-butyl-4-(2-methylpropyl) ester (6) were isolated and identified from the twigs of this plant. All compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. The methanol extract of this plant showed cytotoxicity on cancer cell lines A549, BGC-823, Du145 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values of 0.94, 1.07, 0.95 and 0.96 microg x mL(-1), respectively. Yet, compounds 1, 2 and 3 showed no cytotoxicity on cancer cell lines HeLa, BGC-823 and A549.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Chamaecyparis ; chemistry ; Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Monoterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Stigmasterol ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology