• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.663-672
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• 2024

The use of nanoparticles as a delivery system for a specific antigen could solve many limitations of mucosal vaccine applications, such as low immunogenicity, or antigen protection and stabilization. In this study, we tested the ability of nasally administered chitosan nanoparticles loaded with glycoprotein B of murine cytomegalovirus to induce an immune response in an animal model. The choice of chitosan nanoparticle type was made by in vitro evaluation of sorption efficiency and antigen release. Three types of chitosan nanoparticles were prepared: crosslinked with tripolyphosphate, coated with hyaluronic acid, and in complex with polycaprolactone. The hydrodynamic size of the nanoparticles by dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, stability, loading efficiency, and release kinetics with ovalbumin were evaluated. Balb/c mice were immunized intranasally using the three-dose protocol with nanoparticles, gB, and adjuvants Poly(I:C) and CpG ODN. Subsequently, the humoral and cell-mediated antigen-specific immune response was determined. On the basis of the properties of the tested nanoparticles, the cross-linked nanoparticles were considered optimal for further investigation. The results show that nanoparticles with Poly(I:C) and with gB alone raised IgG antibody levels above the negative control. In the case of mucosal IgA, only gB alone weakly induced the production of IgA antibodies compared to saline-immunized mice. The number of activated cells increased slightly in mice immunized with nanoparticles and gB compared to those immunized with gB alone or to negative control. The results demonstrated that chitosan nanoparticles could have potential in the development of mucosal vaccines.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.63-81
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• 1997

This study was performed in order to identify changes of the plasma membrane proteins in rat submandibular gland tumors induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene [DMBA] and X-irradiation. Two kinds of tumor associated membrane proteins (protein A and B) were isolated with 3 M KCl extraction from rat submandibular gland tumors induced by DMBA and X-irradiation. To identify their antigenicities, immunoelectrophoresis and double immunodiffusion was carried out with various proteins extracted from liver, heart, skin and pancreas of adult rats and from embryonic liver, heart and skin. The rabbit antisera against the protein A did not cross-react with any of the proteins extracted from the above mentioned tissues, suggesting that protein A might be tumor specific antigen. However, the rabbit antisera against protein B was precipitated with proteins extracted from the liver of adult and embryonic rats. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of these two proteins (A and B) showed that protein A was a dimer with molecular weights of 69,000 and 35,000 dalton, whereas protein B was a monomer with molecular weight of 50,000 dalton.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.182-189
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• 2011

Background: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) appear to play an important role in the control and prevention of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. The pp65 antigen is a structural protein, which has been defined as a potential target for effective immunity against HCMV infection. Incorporation of an 11 amino acid region of the HIV TAT protein transduction domain (Tat) into protein facilitates rapid, efficient entry into cells. Methods: To establish a strategy for the generation of HCMV-specific CTLs in vitro, recombinant truncated N- and C-terminal pp65 protein (pp65 N&C) and N- and C-terminal pp65 protein fused with Tat (Tat/pp65 N&C) was produced in E.coli system. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with pp65 N&C or Tat/pp65 N&C protein and immune responses induced was examined using IFN-${\gamma}$ ELISPOT assay, cytotoxicity assay and tetramer staining. Results: DCs pulsed with Tat/pp65N&C protein could induce higher T-cell responses in vitro compared with pp65N&C. Moreover, the DCs pulsed with Tat/pp65 N&C could stimulate both of $CD8^+$ and $CD4^+$ T-cell responses. The T cells induced by DCs pulsed with Tat/pp65 N&C showed higher cytotoxicity than that of pp65-pulsed DCs against autologous lymphoblastoid B-cell line (LCL) expressing the HCMV-pp65 antigen. Conclusion: Our results suggest that DCs pulsed with Tat/pp65 N&C protein effectively induced pp65-specific CTL in vitro. Tat fusion recombinant protein may be useful for the development of adoptive T-cell immunotherapy and DC-based vaccines.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.115-123
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• 2012

Human placenta extract (hPE) has therapeutic potential against certain diseases such as burn injury, liver cirrhosis and chronic wound through stimulating tissue repair processes. However, the effects of hPE on liver regeneration in animals are unknown. This study investigated the effect of hPE on the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) during liver regeneration induced by partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. The activities of AST, ALT and ALP increased during a few days after PH. A high level of ALP was particularly seen at day 3 in the control group. All the levels of experimental groups were normalized by day 5 after PH. On immunohistochemistry, the expression of PCNA increased at the early days, showed a peak at day 3 after PH. The PCNA staining was more obvious in the experimental group over the whole period. By western blotting, PCNA seemed to be more strongly expressed in the hPE injected group in the early stage and fell to almost undetectable levels at day 7. On immunocytochemical observations, the number of PCNA-gold particles in the nuclei at day 1 of the hPE treated groups was more than those of the untreated groups. The results suggest that hPE could accelerate liver regeneration induced by PH involving the expression of PCNA in rats.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1606-1613
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• 2015

Porcine pleuropneumonia is an infectious disease caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. The identification of A. pleuropneumoniae genes, specially expressed in vivo, is a useful tool to reveal the mechanism of infection. IVIAT was used in this work to identify antigens expressed in vivo during A. pleuropneumoniae infection, using sera from individuals with chronic porcine pleuropneumonia. Sequencing of DNA inserts from positive clones showed 11 open reading frames with high homology to A. pleuropneumoniae genes. Based on sequence analysis, proteins encoded by these genes were involved in metabolism, replication, transcription regulation, and signal transduction. Moreover, three function-unknown proteins were also indentified in this work. Expression analysis using quantitative real-time PCR showed that most of the genes tested were up-regulated in vivo relative to their expression levels in vitro. IVI (in vivo-induced) genes that were amplified by PCR in different A. pleuropneumoniae strains showed that these genes could be detected in almost all of the strains. It is demonstrated that the identified IVI antigen may have important roles in the infection of A. pleuropneumoniae.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.292-311
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• 2017

Purpose: Beyond the limited scope of non-specific polyclonal regulatory T cell (Treg)-based immunotherapy, which depends largely on serendipity, the present study explored a target Treg subset appropriate for the delivery of a novel epitope spreader Pep19 antigen as part of a sophisticated form of immunotherapy with defined antigen specificity that induces immune tolerance. Methods: Human polyclonal $CD4^+CD25^+CD127^{lo-}$ Tregs (127-Tregs) and $na\ddot{i}ve$ $CD4^+CD25^+CD45RA^+$ Tregs (45RA-Tregs) were isolated and were stimulated with target peptide 19 (Pep19)-pulsed dendritic cells in a tolerogenic milieu followed by ex vivo expansion. Low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) and rapamycin were added to selectively exclude the outgrowth of contaminating effector T cells (Teffs). The following parameters were investigated in the expanded antigen-specific Tregs: the distinct expression of the immunosuppressive Treg marker Foxp3, epigenetic stability (demethylation in the Treg-specific demethylated region), the suppression of Teffs, expression of the homing receptors CD62L/CCR7, and CD95L-mediated apoptosis. The expanded Tregs were adoptively transferred into an $NOD/scid/IL-2R{\gamma}^{-/-}$ mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis. Results: Epitope-spreader Pep19 targeting by 45RA-Tregs led to an outstanding in vitro suppressive T cell fate characterized by robust ex vivo expansion, the salient expression of Foxp3, high epigenetic stability, enhanced T cell suppression, modest expression of CD62L/CCR7, and higher resistance to CD95L-mediated apoptosis. After adoptive transfer, the distinct fate of these T cells demonstrated a potent in vivo immunotherapeutic capability, as indicated by the complete elimination of footpad swelling, prolonged survival, minimal histopathological changes, and preferential localization of $CD4^+CD25^+$ Tregs at the articular joints in a mechanistic and orchestrated way. Conclusions: We propose human $na\ddot{i}ve$ $CD4^+CD25^+CD45RA^+$ Tregs and the epitope spreader Pep19 as cellular and molecular targets for a novel antigen-specific Treg-based vaccination against collagen-induced arthritis.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.240-243
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• 2004

In the present study, the alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna (TA) and Arjunolic acid (AA) were studied fur its anti-asthmatic and anaphylactic activity. Treatment with TA (250 & 500 mg/kg) and AA (50 & 100 mg/kg) has shown significant protection against mast cell disruption in rats induced by compound 48/80. TA and AA also protected the guinea pig against histamine as well as acetylcholine induced bronchospasm. Both TA & AA exhibited better protection against histamine release than against acetylcholine release. Anti-asthmatic and anaphylactic activity may be possibly due to membrane stabilizing potential and inhibition of antigen induced histamine and acetylcholine release.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.591-597
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• 1999

The study was carried out on the biochemical characters of Cd-BP(II) after isolation and purification of the protein from the liver of rat ip injection with Cd. A continued study has been doing whether Cd-BP(II) could be induced by Cd or by the other metals such as Zn and Cu. Antisera were made against the antigen of Cd-BP(II) from New Zealand white rabbits. We carried out g-globulin purification, then Ouchterlony test and gel immunodiffusion test. Cd-BP(II) was also found in normal tissues of rat. It was induced up to a considerable level by Cd, whose induced level was higher than that Cu or Zn treatment. The level of induction by Cu or Zn pretreatment plus Cd treatment was lower than that by single treatment of Cu or Zn. Such a result was presumably related to the Cd toxicity.

• Molecular Medicine Reports
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.1911-1918
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• 2019

Traditional herbal medicines are being increasingly used worldwide to treat cancer. Radix Sophorae Flavescentis (RSF) is a Chinese herb, which has numerous pharmacological properties, including anti-tumour effects. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying RSF-induced apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells (AGS cells). We found that RSF treatment (20-200 ㎍/ml) inhibited the proliferation of AGS cells and increased the sub-G1 phase ratio. RSF-induced cell death was associated with the downregulation of BCl-2 and upregulation of Bax. In addition to increasing the expression levels of apoptosis-mediating surface antigen FAS and Fas ligand, RSF also activated caspase-3; however, mitogen-activated protein kinase appeared to inhibit RSF-induced cell death. RSF also led to an increased production of reactive oxygen species. Based on these results, we propose that RSF could be a potential therapeutic agent for gastric cancer.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.895-913
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• 2000

It is becoming increasingly clear that human gingival fibroblasts(HGF) may play a role in regulating immune responsiveness in inflammatory periodontal lesions. Stimulation of HGF with locally-secreted T cell cytokine $IFN_{\gamma}$ induces human leukocyte antigen class II(HLA II) expression on HGF, which is one of the characteristic feature of professional antigen presenting cells(pAPC). However, $IFN_{\gamma}$-treated HGF and other nonprofessional antigen presenting cells(npAPC) are known to be ineffective or less effective antigen presenter to resting T cells. This study, therefore, was undertaken in an effort to elucidate the differences in expression of cell surface molecules between npAPC in periodontal tissues, such as HGF and periodontal ligament fibroblasts(PDLF), and pAPC such as monocytes/macrophages. Using flow cytometry, the levels of cell surface expression of HLA-D, ICAM-1, LFA-3, and B7-1, which are involved in antigen presentation, were determined in HGF, PDLF and human myelomonocytic cell line THP-1. $IFN_{\gamma}$ clearly induced HLA-D expression on both of fibroblasts and monocytes dose dependently. However, expression level on monocytes were 4 to 5 times higher than that on fibroblasts, and induction rate was faster in monocytes than in fibroblasts. The levels of ICAM-1 expression on fibroblasts and monocytes were enhanced by $IFN_{\gamma}$ in a dose dependent manner. On the other hand, the expression of LFA-3 molecule, which could be detected in fibroblasts and monocytes without cytokine stimulation, was no more enhanced by addition of $IFN_{\gamma}$. B7-1, important costimulatory molecule in T cell activation and proliferation, was not detected on both of fibroblasts and monocytes even when stimulated with $IFN_{\gamma}$, except on monocytes fully differentiated by pretreatment of PMA and treated by $IFN_{\gamma}$. These results suggest that delayed expression of HLA-D and absence of B7-1 on $IFN_{\gamma}$ - treated fibroblasts may at least in part be involved in the ineffectiveness of fibroblasts as primary APC. And it is postulated that although periodontal fibroblasts may not serve as primary APC in normal periodontium, sustained expression of HLA II on ubiquitous fibroblasts in inflammatory lesions may perpetuate immune responses and produce chronic inflammation and tissue injury.