Lichens have been known to possess multiple biological activities, including anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activities. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis. Hence, VCAM-1 is a possible therapeutic target in the treatment of the inflammatory disease. However, the effect of lobaric acid on VCAM-1 has not yet been investigated and characterized. For this study, we examined the effect of lobaric acid on the inhibition of VCAM-1 in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-stimulated mouse vascular smooth muscle cells. Western blot and ELISA showed that the increased expression of VCAM-1 by TNF-alpha was significantly suppressed by the pre-treatment of lobaric acid (0.1-10 mug/ml) for 2 h. Lobaric acid abrogated TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activity through preventing the degradation of IkappaB and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), and p38 mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase. Lobaric acid also inhibited the expression of TNF-alpha receptor 1 (TNF-R1). Overall, our results suggest that lobaric acid inhibited VCAM-1 expression through the inhibition of p38, ERK, JNK and NF-kappaB signaling pathways, and downregulation of TNF-R1 expression. Therefore, it is implicated that lobaric acid may suppress inflammation by altering the physiology of the atherosclerotic lesion.
Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; Blotting, Western ; Down-Regulation ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; Inflammation ; Lichens ; Mice ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; NF-kappa B* ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Physiology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1*

A 26-year-old man with intermittent lower, abdominal, cramping pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea was found to have intussusception by computed tomography. Whole emergency laparotomy was performed, intus-susception reduced spontaneously. Postoperately, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) was diagnosed by colonoscopy and barium enema. Innumerous polyps were found in the entire colon and one of these was presumed to have caused sigmoid invagination. If is believed that FAP is quite a rare cause of colonic intus-susception. This case of a 26-year-old man with an intussusception of the colon due to FAP is herein reported. It is important that surgeons and internists are aware of this rare cause of intussusception due to FAP because of the therapeutic implications.
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli* ; Adult ; Barium ; Colon* ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonoscopy ; Diarrhea ; Emergencies ; Enema ; Humans ; Intussusception* ; Laparotomy ; Muscle Cramp ; Nausea ; Polyps ; Vomiting