title: Oriental Medicine Woohwangchungsimwon Attenuates Kainic Acid-Induced Seizures and Neuronal Cell Death in the Hippocampus.
abstract: Woohwangchungsimwon (WCW) is an oriental medicine that has been extensively prescribed in Asia to patients with apoplexy, high blood pressure, acute/chronic convulsion, and so on. However, the potential therapeutic value of WCW in treating the pathologic brain has not yet been fully investigated. In the present study, we evaluated whether WCW has beneficial effects on kainic acid (KA)-induced excitotoxicity. An intraperitoneal injection of KA (40 mg/kg) and an intracerebroventricular injection of KA (0.2 μg) produced typical seizure behavior and neuronal cell death in the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal layers of the hippocampus, respectively. However, the systemic administration of WCW significantly attenuated the seizure behavior and neuronal cell death. WCW was found to exert the best protective effect when it was administrated 2 hours before a KA injection. Moreover, this WCW-induced neuroprotection was accompanied by a reduction in microglia activation and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxyganase-2 in the hippocampus. These results suggest that WCW has therapeutic potential to suppress KA-induced pathogenesis in the brain by inhibiting inflammation.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Convergence Medical Science, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.|2 Brain Korea 21 Plus Program, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Convergence Medical Science, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Minhee
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Convergence Medical Science, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.|2 Brain Korea 21 Plus Program, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Jeong
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 2 Brain Korea 21 Plus Program, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.|3 Department of Herbology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.|4 Institute of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hocheol
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Kyu
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Convergence Medical Science, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.|2 Brain Korea 21 Plus Program, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.|4 Institute of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ik-Hyun
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Cho