The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effect and its mechanism on Radix Aconiti(RA) extract in lung cancer cell lines. RA extract treatment decreased the cell viability in a dose-dependent fashions in lung cancer cells including A549, H460, H23 and H157 cells. Many investigators reported that A549 and H460 cells expressed wild-type p53, but H23 and H157 cells preserved mutated p53. After treatment with RA extract in A549 and H460 cells, we measured the expression of p53 protein levels using Western blot. analysis. In both cells treated with RA extracts, p53 protein expressions were increased in a dose-dependent manner. In our experiments, RA extracts also have cytotoxic effects in H23 and H157, which have mutated p53. Treatment with RA extract decreased bcl-2 protein expressions in both cells. These results suggest that RA extracts have cytotoxic effects via p53 expression increase and bcl-2 inhibitable pathways in A549, H460 cells and H23, H157 cells, respectively.

Many naturally occurring plant extracts are studied for their beneficial effects for health and particularly on cancer. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, occurs in both normal and pathological conditions, including cancer Dysregulation of apoptosis allows transformed cells to continually and uninhibitedly enter the cell cycle, thus perpetuating the sequence of mutation, genomic instability and, finally, oncogenesis. To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of the extract of Fructus Trichosanthis (EFT) on leukemic HL-60 cells and its mechanism, HL-60 cells in vitro in culture medium were given different doses of the extract. The inhibitory rate of cells were measured by microculture tetrazolium assay, cell apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry, morphology of cell apoptosis was observed by DAPI fluorescence staining, and the activations of caspases and PARP were detected using Western blotting analysis. The extract could activate the caspase-3 and caspase-8, induce PARP cleavage, inhibit growth of HL-60 cells, and cause apoptosis significantly The suppression was in dose-dependent manner. Marked morphological changes of cell apoptosis including condensation of chromatin and nuclear fragmentation were observed clearly by DAPI fluorescence staining especially. These results will provide strong laboratory evidence of EFT for clinical treatment of acute leukemia.

To evaluate the effect of Jingansikpungtang water extract on cultured mouse spinal sensory neuron which was inhibited by glucose oxidase(GO)-induced cytotoxicity, NR assay and TBARS assay for lipid peroxidation were carried out after the cultured mouse spinal sensory neuron were pre-incubated with various concentrations of Jingansikpungtang water extract for 3 hours prior to exposure of GO. GO, a oxygen radical, decreased the survival rate of the cultured mouse spinal sensory neuron cells on NR assay. Jingansikpungtang water extract have efficacy of decreasing lipid peroxidation increasing by GO in cultured mouse spinal sensory neuron. From above the results, it is concluded that Jingansikpungtang has marked efficacy as a treatment for the damages caused in the GO-mediated oxidative process..

In other to elucidate the neuroprotective effects of Haeahwan on oxidant-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat spinal motor neurons, the colorimetric assay such as MTT, NR, LDH, Lipid peroxidation was also carried out after cultured spinal motor neurons from neonatal rat were treated with the medium containing various concentrations of Methylmercuric chloride(MMC) for 8 hours. In addition, the protective effect of Haeahwan water extract extracts on the neurotoxicity induced by oxygen radicals was examined in these cultures. The results were as follows : 1.Survival rate of cultured spinal motor neurons were remarkably decreased by MMC depending on different kinds of concentrations. 2.NR50 of MMC as 50μM. 3.Haeahwan water extract inhibited significantly the increase in LDH activities induced by MMC.

In order to examine toxic effect of Jangwonhwan on cultured mouse cerebral cortical neurons inhibited by neurotoxicity induced by Xanthine Oxidase/Hypoxanthine(XO/HX), MTT and lipid peroxidation assay were performed after cerebral cortical neurons were preincubated with various concentrations of Jangwonhwan water extract before treatment of cells with XO/HX. The result were as follows ; 1. XO/HX induced cell degeneration such as the decrease of cell viability was measured by MTT in the cultured mouse cerebral cortical neurons 2. Jangwonhwan water extract was effective in the decrease of lipid peroxidation of neurons produced by XO/HX. From the above results, it is suggested that Xanthine Oxidase/Hypoxanthine(XO/HX) induces the inhibition of cell viability in cultuerd mouse cerebral cortical neurons and Jangwonhwan was effective in cultured neurons damaged by XO/HX.