YOU ARE NOW CONNECTED TO THE TOXLINE (1981 FORWARD, NON-ROYALTY) FILE. ==PYCNOGENOL== 1 AUTHOR Rong Y AUTHOR Li L AUTHOR Shah V AUTHOR Lau BH TITLE Pycnogenol protects vascular endothelial cells from t-butyl hydroperoxide induced oxidant injury. SOURCE Biotechnol Ther; VOL 5, ISS 3-4, 1994, P117-26 ABSTRACT The active oxygen induced and free radical mediated oxidation of biological molecules, membranes, and tissues has been suggested as a major cause of cancer, atherosclerosis, and aging. Damage of endothelial cells may lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In the present study, the antioxidant effect of pycnogenol (procyanidins extracted from Pinus maritima) was investigated in vitro using vascular endothelial cells. Confluent monolayers of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) were preincubated with different concentrations of pycnogenol for 16 h, washed, and then exposed to an organic oxidant t-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) for 3 or 4 h. Cellular injury was assessed by measuring cell viability with methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay and by determining the release of intracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Lipid peroxidation products of PAEC were monitored as malondialdehyde (MDA) with a thiobarbituric acid fluorometric assay. Incubation of tBHP (75, 100, or 125 microM) with PAEC decreased cell viability, increased LDH release, and elevated MDH production. Preincubation of PAEC with pycnogenol (10-80 micrograms/mL) before tBHP exposure significantly increased cell viability, decreased LDH release, and reduced MDA production. These results demonstrate that pycnogenol can protect vascular endothelial cells from oxidant injury. The data thus suggest that pycnogenol may be useful for the prevention of disorders associated with oxidative damage. 2 AUTHOR Forlines DR AUTHOR Tavenner T AUTHOR Malan JC AUTHOR Karchesy JJ TITLE Plants of the Olympic Coastal Forests: ancient knowledge of materials and medicines and future heritage. SOURCE Basic Life Sci; VOL 59, 1992, P767-82 (REF: 51) ABSTRACT The indigenous people of the west coast of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula have used a wide variety of forest plants for centuries to make materials and medicines. The late David Forlines shared at least eight generations of the knowledge of uses of these plants for materials and medicines with us in hopes that this information might be used 'to help science catch up with the old people.' Dyes, paints and adhesives were some of the materials made. The medicines were often administered as teas, but in some cases, fresh plant material was required. Some parallels were found to European and Chinese uses of similar species. Plants from the family Rosaceae had the greatest number of medicinal uses, but several other plant families known to contain polyphenols were also encountered. The role of polyphenols in the use of these plants is difficult to estimate because in many cases the plants have not been studied chemically. A preliminary screening indicated that many of the plants were rich in procyanidins and associated compounds. 3 AUTHOR Brasseur T TITLE [Flavonoids as medicines] SOURCE J Pharm Belg; VOL 44, ISS 6, 1989, P403-10 (REF: 35) ABSTRACT Although flavonoids have been used for a long time, many medical practitioners and pharmacists know very little about them. This article gives a few particulars of some flavonoids and plant extracts: rutin, water soluble derivatives of rutin, citroflavonoids, anthrocyanins, procyanidins, silymarin, Ginkgo biloba, Chrysanthellum indicum and Lespedeza capitata. 2 AUTHOR Sakar MK AUTHOR Ercil D AUTHOR Engelshowe R TITLE Procyanidins in the cones of Pinus halepensis SOURCE Int. J. Pharmacogn.; VOL 29 ISS 3 1991, P221-224, (REF 11) ABSTRACT IPA COPYRIGHT: ASHP The isolation and identification of procyanidins and catechins from the unripe cones of Pinus halepensis are described. YOU ARE NOW CONNECTED TO THE MEDLINE (1994 - 97) FILE. 4 AUTHOR Cheshier JE AUTHOR Ardestani-Kaboudanian S AUTHOR Liang B AUTHOR Araghiniknam M AUTHOR Chung S AUTHOR Lane L AUTHOR Castro A AUTHOR Watson RR TITLE Immunomodulation by pycnogenol in retrovirus-infected or ethanol-fed mice. SOURCE Life Sci 1996;58(5):PL 87-96 ABSTRACT Pycnogenol is a commercial mixture of bioflavonoids that exhibits antioxidative activity. The effects of dietary pycnogenol on immune dysfunction in normal mice as well as those fed ethanol or infected with the LP-BM5 murine retrovirus were determined. The ethanol consumption and retrovirus infection caused abnormalities in the function and/or structure of a broad array of cells involved in humoral and cellular immunity. Pycnogenol enhanced in vitro IL-2 production by mitogen-stimulated splenocytes if its production was suppressed in ethanol-fed or retrovirus-infected mice. Mitogenesis of splenocytes did not show a significant change in mice treated with pycnogenol. It reduced the elevated levels of interleukin-6 produced in vitro by cells from retrovirus infected mice and IL-10 secreted by spleen cells from mice consuming ethanol. Natural killer cell cytotoxicity was increased with pycnogenol treatment.