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Post by beebs on Oct 31, 2012 16:43:11 GMT -5
Starting this thread with Gingseng the study shows reduction in brain inflammation. A word of caution. I took Gingseng as teenager. It made me restless, insomnia, nervous energy etc.. Look up side effects and self monitor. Effects of ginsenoside Re on LPS-induced inflammatory mediators in BV2 microglial cells Kang-Woo Lee, So Young Jung, Sun-Mi Choi and Eun Jin Yang For all author emails, please log on. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012, 12:196 doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-196 Published: 26 October 2012 Abstract (provisional) Background Microglial activation plays an important role in neurodegenerative diseases by producing several pro-inflammatory enzymes and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation leads to the activation of microglial cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and is associated with the pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, including PD, AD, and ALS. Ginseng is a natural antioxidant used in herbal medicine and contains ginsenosides (Rb1, Rg1, Rg3, Re, and Rd), which have anti-neoplastic and anti-stress properties. This study demonstrates the involvement of the anti-inflammatory signaling pathway, ginsenoside-Re (G-Re), which is one of the ginsenosides mediated by LPS-induced neuroinflammation in BV2 microglial cells. Methods BV2 microglial cells were pretreated with 2 mug/ml G-Re and stimulated with 1 mug/ml LPS to induce neuroinflammation. To investigate the effect of G-Re on LPS-induced cell signaling, we performed western blotting and immunofluorescence using specific antibodies, such as phospho-p38, COX2, and iNOS. Results Pretreatment with 2 mug/ml G-Re was neuroprotective against 1 mug/ml LPS-treated microglial cells. The neuroprotective events induced by G-Re treatment in neuroinflammation occurred via the phospho-p38, iNOS, and COX2 signaling pathways in BV2 cells. Conclusion Taken together, we suggest that G-Re exerts a beneficial effect on neuroinflammatory events in neurodegenerative diseases. www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/196/abstract
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Post by beebs on Dec 11, 2012 16:07:37 GMT -5
My TCM doctor highly recommends these for angina, and during a heart attack. Its said to minimize damage to the cardiac muscle during a heart attack. Worth looking into taking Reishi tincture during angina attacks, which will have the same effect of GTN minus toxicity. GTN can alter some genes leading to heart failure. See previous post. The cardioprotective effect of danshen and gegen decoction on rat hearts and cardiomyocytes with post-ischemia reperfusion injuryFan Hu, Chi-Man Koon, Judy Yuet-Wa Chan, Kit-Man Lau and Kwok-Pui Fung For all author emails, please log on. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012, 12:249 doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-249 Published: 10 December 2012 Abstract (provisional) Background Danshen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix) and Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix) have been used for treating heart disease for several thousand years in China. It has been found that a Danshen and Gegen decoction (DG) exhibiting an anti-atherosclerosis effect, which improves the patients' heart function recovery. Pre-treatment with DG was reported to have protective effects on myocardium against ischemia/reperfusion injury. In the present study, we aim to investigate the post-treatment effect of DG on ischemic-reperfusion injuries ex vivo or in vitro and the underlying mechanisms involved. Methods The rat heart function in an ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) model was explored by examining three parameters including contractile force, coronary flow rate and the release of heart specific enzymes within the heart perfusate. In vitro model of hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R), the protective effect of DG on damaged cardiomyocytes was investigated by examining the cell structure integrity, the apoptosis and the functionality of mitochondria. Results Our results showed that DG significantly improved rat heart function after I/R challenge and suppressed the release of enzymes by damaged heart muscles in a dose-dependent manner. DG also significantly inhibited the death of cardiomyocytes, H9c2 cells, with a H/R challenge. It obviously decreased cell apoptosis, protected the mitochondrial function and cell membrane skeleton integrity on H9c2 cells. The cardio-protection was also found to be related to a decrease in intracellular calcium accumulation within H9c2 cells after I/R challenge. Conclusion The potential application of DG in treating rat hearts with an I/R injury has been implied in this study. Our results suggested that DG decoction could act as an anti-apoptotic and anti-ion stunning agent to protect hearts against an I/R injury. www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/249/abstract
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