Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (Panax ginseng) has been used for several thousand years to prolong longevity in Asian countries. Ginsenosides are the most active components isolated from ginseng and belong to damarane saponin which are separated into protopanaxadiol and protopanaxtriol. To evaluate the complex effect of ginsenoside in apo E null mice, ginseng extract were intraperioneally (i.p.) injected and provided high-cholesterol diet for 12 weeks. Ginseng extract came from were i.p. injected with dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks in the last experimental duration. Ginseng extract used experiment was abundant Rb1, Rc, Re, and Rg1 and PD:PT ratio was 1.2. The high-cholesterol diet induced liver damage was significantly reduced by ginseng extract. Results from plasma lipid profiles and atherogenic index were improved by ginseng extracts. The GE group significantly decreased plasma TG and TC by 73% and 61% compared to apo E (-/-) group. Also ginseng extract tend to decrease lipid profiles and lipidperoxidation contents in liver and heart. Ginseng extract with an abundant amount of Rg1 significantly suppressed the apoptosis induction of cardiac tissue. In conclusion, ginseng extract (PD:PT = 1) was improved lipid profiles and anti-oxidant effects.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Apolipoproteins E ; Apoptosis ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Diet ; Ginsenosides ; Heart ; Humans ; Liver ; Longevity ; Mice ; Panax ; Plasma ; Porphyrins ; Sapogenins ; Saponins ; Triterpenes

DHA, one of w-3 fatty acids, modulates cell growth or death though the changes of apoptotic signaling in human endothelial ECV304 cells. We investigated the effects of DHA on the changes of apoptotic signaling in human vascular endothelial ECV304 cells using lipid peroxidation (LPO) metabolites. LPO could be originated by dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid (LA), arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA caused cell death of ECV304 cells compared to LA, AA or control as evidenced by changes in cell morphology and MTT assay. LPO levels was significantly elevated by 10 fold in DHA-treated ECV 304 cells and caspase-3 activity was increased by DHA corresponding to increasing incubation times compared to control. One of reasons of the cell death in DHA-treated ECV304 cells could be expected that caspase activity, marker for mitochondrial damages, might be triggered by the increasing LPO levels. Our results strongly indicated that DHA induced LPO production has an important role on apoptotic signaling pathway in ECV304 cells. LPO production in endothelial cells which was metabolized by oxidation of dietary PUFA, might be one of risk factors in the initial progression of atherosclerosis.
Apoptosis* ; Arachidonic Acid ; Atherosclerosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Endothelial Cells ; Fatty Acids ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; Humans* ; Linoleic Acid ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Risk Factors

Transplantation of islet cells into diabetic patients is a promising therapy, provided that the islet cells are able to evade host immune rejection. With improved islet viability, this strategy may effectively reverse diabetes. We applied 2% calcium alginate to generate small and large capsules to encapsulate porcine neonatal pancreatic cell clusters (NPCCs) using an air-driven encapsulator. After encapsulation, the viability was assessed at 1, 4, 7, 14 and 28 days and secretion of functional insulin in response to glucose stimulation were tested at days 14 and 28. Selective permeability of the small alginate capsules was confirmed using various sizes of isothiocyanate-labeled dextran (FITC-dextran). Encapsulation of NPCCs was performed without islet protrusion in the small and large capsules. The viability of NPCCs in all experimental groups was greater than 90% at day 1 and then gradually decreased after day 7. The NPCCs encapsulated in large capsules showed significantly lower viability (79.50 +/- 2.88%) than that of naive NPCCs and NPCCs in small capsule (86.83 +/- 2.32%, 87.67 +/- 2.07%, respectively) at day 7. The viability of naive NPCCs decreased rapidly at day 14 (75.67 +/- 1.75%), whereas the NPCCs encapsulated in small capsules maintained (82.0 +/- 2.19%). After 14 and 28 days NPCCs' function in small capsules (2.67 +/- 0.09 and 2.13 +/- 0.09) was conserved better compared to that of naive NPCCs (2.04 +/- 0.25 and 1.53 +/- 0.32, respectively) and NPCCs in large capsules (2.04 +/- 0.34 and 1.13 +/- 0.10, respectively), as assessed by a stimulation index. The small capsules also demonstrated selective permeability. With this encapsulation technique, small capsules improved the viability and insulin secretion of NPCCs without islet protrusion.
Alginates/chemistry/metabolism ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Capsules/chemistry ; Cell Survival ; Diabetes Mellitus/pathology/*therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glucuronic Acid/chemistry/metabolism ; Graft Rejection/etiology/*prevention & control ; Hexuronic Acids/chemistry/metabolism ; Humans ; Insulin/secretion ; Islets of Langerhans/*metabolism/pathology ; Islets of Langerhans Transplantation/*methods ; Postoperative Complications/etiology/*prevention & control ; *Swine