Explore the vast range of titles available.

Inflammation is emerging as a key contributor to many vascular diseases and furthermore plays a major role in autoimmune diseases, arthritis, allergic reactions, and cancer. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a component constituting the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, is commonly used for an inflammatory stimuli to mimic inflammatory diseases. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor and regulates gene expression particularly related to the inflammatory process. (Lardizabalaceae) is widely used as a traditional herbal medicine for rheumatism and osteoporosis and as an analgesic, sedative, and diuretic in Korea, Japan, and China. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of YRA-1909, the leaf aqueous extract of using LPS-activated rat peritoneal macrophages and rodent inflammation models. YRA-1909 inhibited the LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory cytokine production in rat peritoneal macrophages without causing cytotoxicity and reduced inducible NO synthase and prostaglandin E levels without affecting the cyclooxygenase-2 expression. YRA-1909 also prevented the LPS-stimulated Akt and NF-κB phosphorylation and reduced the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema, xylene-induced ear edema, acetic acid-induced vascular permeation, and cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation in a dose-dependent manner in mice and rats. leaf extract YRA-1909 had anti-inflammatory activity and that involves modulation of Akt/NF-κB signaling. Thus, YRA-1909 is safe and effective for the treatment of inflammation.

Climacterium is a series of physical and mental symptoms occurring in women and men due to decreased levels of sex hormones. Women lose the ability to become pregnant due to decreased ovarian estrogen production; the initial symptom being hot flushes. In addition, urogenital atrophy, sexual dysfunction, mood changes, and osteoporosis occur. Extracts of (SH) and (VB) fruits, with a wide range of biological activities, are widely used in traditional herbal medicine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mitigation of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes and postmenopausal osteoporosis after combinatorial treatment with SH and VB (SHVB) of ovariectomized (OVX) rats. We measured the bone regenerative effect of SHVB on receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand-induced osteoclast differentiation and on ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis . We investigated the effect of SHVB in a rat model of menopausal hot flushes, in which the tail skin temperature increases following ovariectomy-induced rapid decline in estrogen levels. SHVB inhibited osteoclast formation and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity in primary mouse bone marrow-derived cells. In an estrogen deficiency-induced rat model, measurement of serum bone turnover factors showed that treatment with SHVB lowered the increased bone turnover. Additionally, SHVB decreased OVX-induced bone loss of the total femur. SHVB inhibited osteoclast differentiation, prevented bone mass reduction, and improved trabecular bone structure and biochemical markers in OVX-induced osteoporosis. In addition, administration of SHVB significantly ameliorated the changes in skin temperature in OVX rats. SHVB improved the symptoms of menopause. These results provide the foundation for developing SHVB as a natural substance to replace hormones in the future.

Background/Objectives: Male climacteric syndrome (MCS) affects quality of life through psychological, somatic, sexual, and endocrine-related symptoms. This study evaluated whether a botanical formulation containing Elaeagnus multiflora fruit and Cynanchum wilfordii extracts (EMF_CWW) improved MCS-related symptoms compared with placebo. Methods: We conducted a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Clinical Research Information Service registration: KCT0010695) in 70 men aged 45–75 years with MCS. Participants received EMF_CWW (1500 mg/day) or placebo. The primary outcome was the change in Aging Males’ Symptoms (AMS) total score from baseline to Week 12. Secondary outcomes included AMS subdomains, Androgen Deficiency in Aging Males (ADAM) positivity, hormonal parameters, lipid profile, and safety. Efficacy analyses were conducted in the per-protocol population (n = 64), and safety analyses were conducted in the safety population (n = 70). Results: EMF_CWW did not demonstrate superiority over placebo for the primary outcome. AMS total score decreased in both groups (treatment: −14.2 ± 12.5; placebo: −15.5 ± 12.3), with no significant between-group difference (p = 0.6726). AMS subdomains and ADAM positivity also improved in both groups without significant between-group differences. Free testosterone increased non-significantly in the treatment group (+0.8 ± 2.4 pg/mL; p = 0.0727) and significantly in the placebo group (+1.3 ± 2.6 pg/mL; p = 0.0076), with no between-group difference (p = 0.8720). No treatment-related serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions: EMF_CWW did not demonstrate efficacy superior to placebo for improving MCS-related symptoms or hormonal outcomes. The improvements observed in both groups highlight placebo responsiveness, regression to the mean, and symptom variability in MCS trials. No apparent short-term safety signal was observed; however, long-term safety cannot be concluded. Larger trials with standardized repeated morning testosterone measurements are required.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of the prostate gland. Cynanchum wilfordii has been reported to improve sexual behavior in male rats. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of an aqueous extract of C. wilfordii (CWW) against BPH development in a testosterone-induced BPH rat model. The rats were divided into the following six groups: sham/vehicle; BPH/vehicle; BPH/finasteride; and three CWW doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg). After a 4-week treatment with CWW, the rats were euthanized at scheduled times, and their prostates were weighed, followed by a histopathological examination. Prostate growth inhibition rates in rats administered CWW 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg were 54.5%, 51.8%, and 50.1%, respectively. The BPH/CWW group showed decreased serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels compared to the BPH/vehicle group. Furthermore, the BPH/CWW group showed reduced prostate testosterone and DHT levels compared to the BPH/vehicle group. Mechanistically, the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed downregulated mRNA expression levels of the androgen receptor, 5α-reductase, and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) in the BPH/CWW200 group compared with those in the testosterone-induced groups. In conclusion, these findings show the effectiveness of CWW in slowing the progression of testosterone-induced BPH in rats.