• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.583-588
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• 2013

To determine alteration of immune responses during visceral larva migrans (VLM) caused by Toxascaris leonina at several time points, we experimentally infected mice with embryonated eggs of T. leonina and measured T-helper (Th) cell-related serial cytokine production after infection. At day 5 post infection (PI), most larvae were detected from the lungs, spleen, intestine, and muscle. Expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and CCL11 (eotaxin) showed a significant increase in most infected organs, except the intestine. However, expression of the CXCL1 (Gro-${\alpha}$) gene was most highly enhanced in the intestine at day 14 PI. Th1-related cytokine secretion of splenocytes showed increases at day 28 PI, and the level showed a decrease at day 42 PI. Th2-related cytokine secretion of splenocytes also showed an increase after infection; in particular, IL-5 level showed a significant increase at day 14 PI, and the level showed a decrease at day 28 PI. However, levels of Th17-related cytokines, IL-6 and IL-17A, showed gradual increases until day 42 PI. In conclusion, Th1, Th2, and Th17-related cytokine production might be important in immune responses against T. leonina VLM in experimental mice.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.301-308
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• 2012

In fascioliasis, T-helper 2 (Th2) responses predominate, while little is known regarding early immune phenomenon. We herein analyzed early immunophenotype changes of BALB/c, C57BL/6, and C3H/He mice experimentally infected with 5 Fasciola hepatica metacercariae. A remarkable expansion of $CD19^+$ B cells was observed as early as week 1 post-infection while $CD4^+/CD8^+$ T cells were down-regulated. Accumulation of $Mac1^+$ cells with time after infection correlated well with splenomegaly of all mice strains tested. The expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ mRNA in splenocytes significantly decreased while that of IL-4 up-regulated. IL-$1{\beta}$ expression was down-modulated in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, but not in C3H/He. Serum levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}$ were considerably elevated in all mice during 3 weeks of infection period. These collective results suggest that experimental murine fascioliasis might derive immune suppression with elevated levels of TGF-${\beta}$ and IL-4 during the early stages of infection.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.92-98
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• 2013

This study was carried out to evaluate the immunomodulatory capacity of edible mushrooms, including Sarcodon aspratus, Letinus edodes and Grifola frondosa in mice. BALB/c mice were administered 50, 500, and 1000 mg/kg body weight of various mushrooms five times a week over 4 weeks through oral administration. The control mice were administered distilled water. No significant changes in body weight were observed. IL-4 and $IFN{\gamma}$ production was evaluated with splenic T lymphocytes stimulated in vitro with phytohemagglutinins for 48 hr. The mice group administered Sarcodon aspratus, Grifola frondosa tend to higher ratio of $IFN{\gamma}$ versus IL-4 than the other groups. In addition, the ratio of plasma IgG2a versus IgG1 was also elevated in mice treated with Sarcodon aspratus. These results indicated that Sarcodon aspratus can enhance type-1 helper T cell-mediated cellular immunity. And also, S. aspratus seems to be one of the most useful mushrooms for immunomedicine.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.515-520
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• 2011

This study was carried out to evaluate the immunomodulatory capacity of edible mushrooms, including Lepista nuda, Corprinis comatus, Letinus edodes, and Pleurotus eryngii, in mice. BALB/c mice were administered 1, 50, and 500 mg/kg body weight of various mushrooms five times a week over 4 weeks through gastric intubation. The control mice were administered distilled water. No significant changes in body weight were observed. IL-4 and IFN${\gamma}$ production was evaluated with splenic T lymphocytes stimulated in vitro with phytohemagglutinins for 48 hr. The mice group administered L. edodes showed significantly higher ratio of IFN${\gamma}$ versus IL-4 than the other groups. In addition, the ratio of plasma IgG2a versus IgG1 was also significantly elevated in mice treated with L. edodes. However, no significant change was observed in ratio of IgG2a versus IgG1 in splenic B lymphocytes stimulated in vitro with lipopolysaccharides for 7 days. These results indicate that L. edodes can enhance type-1 helper T cell-mediated cellular immunity.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.171-185
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation of Allium hookeri (AH) root powder on the gut microbiome, immunity, and health in broiler chickens fed experimental diets from d 10 to 28. A total of 60 10-day-old Ross 308 broilers were weighed and assigned to two dietary treatments with 5 birds per cage in a randomized complete block design based on body weight. The two experimental diets consisted of a control diet based on corn-soybean meal and the control diet supplemented with 0.3% AH root powder. All birds were fed ad libitum with experimental diets and water for 18 d. At 28 d, two birds near the median weight from each cage were selected for cecal content and small intestinal tissue sample collection. The addition of AH changed the gut microbiome by increasing probiotic candidate beneficial bacteria such as Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Limosilactobacillus, Cuneatibacter, and Ruminoccoides. Regarding gut immunity, the supplementation of AH resulted in changes in intestinal immune cells, including reduced CD3+CD4+ T cells, which are a type of helper T cell, in the small intestine of birds (P=0.049). Additionally, there was a tendency to increase the expression of antioxidant function-related gene such as GPX2 (P=0.060), but no significant changes were observed in cytokines such as IL1b, IL6, and IL10. Overall, the addition of AH root powder may have positive effects on the microbiome of the chickens. This may help promote gut health in broiler chickens at the age of d 10 to 28.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.185-191
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the effects of immune cell activation and the antitumor effect for the combination of treatment with X-irradiation and E/eutherococcus senticosus Maxim Root (ESMR) on mouse tumor cells. Materials and Methods: ESMR (250g) was extracted with 80% methanol, concentrated under decompression and lyophilized. To determine whether ESMR is able to activate the immune cells or not, the proliferation of splenocytes in vitro and the number of B cells and T cells in splenic lymphocytes in ESMR-pretreated mice were evaluated. X-irradiation was given to the mouse fibrosarcoma tumor cells (FSa II) by 250 kv X-irradiation machine. The cytotoxicity of ESMR was evaluated from its ability to reduce the clonogenecity of FSa II cells. In X-irradiation alone group, each 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy was given to FSa II cells. In X-irradiation with ESMR group, 0.2 mg/ml of ESMR was exposed to FSa II cells for 1 hour before X-irradiation. Results: The proliferation of cultured mouse splenocytes and thymocytes were enhanced by the addition of ESMR in vitro. The number of B cells and T cells in mouse splenic lymphocytes was significantly increased in ESMR pretreated mice in vivo. In FSa II cells that received a combination of 0.2 mg/ml of ESMR with X-irradiation exposure, the survival fraction with a dose of 2, 4 and 6 Gy was $0.39{\pm}0.005$, $0.22{\pm}0.005$ and $0.06{\pm}0.007$, respectively. For FSa II cells treated with X-irradiation alone, the survival fraction with a dose of 2, 4 and 6 Gy was $0.76{\pm}0.02$, $0.47{\pm}0.008$ and $0.37{\pm}0.01$. The difference in the survival fraction of the mouse FSa II cells treated with and without ESMR was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: Treatment with ESMR increased cell viability of mouse splenocytes in vitro and especially the subpopulation of B cells and T cells in splenocytes in ESMR-pretreated mice. However, treatment with ESMR did not increase the level of Th and Tc subpopulations in the thymocytes. Treatment with the combination of ESMR and X-irradiation was more cytotoxic to mouse tumor cells than treatment with X-irradiation alone; this finding was statistically significant.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.682-688
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• 2013

We investigated a physiological function by fermenting a medicinal mushroom, (Cudrania tricuspidata fruit). A fermentation using lactic acid bacteria and the extracts isolated from 70% ethanol fractionation was included in cultured mouse spleen cells for cytokine secretion. As a result, total polyphenol content improved by 47% by organic acid fermentation. This was regarded as immune activity in fermented C. tricuspidata fruits, as the levels of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4 secretion increased. In addition, when the extracts were treated with a stimulant lipopolysaccharide, the secretion of helper T (Th) 1 cytokines IL-2, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ was suppressed, while the secretion of Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10 significantly increased. Therefore, this study suggests that fermentative C. tricuspidata fruit extracts can contribute to the suppression of cellular immune reactions induced by the expression of Th1 cells and activation of the expression of Th2 cells inducing humoral immune reactions associated with the antibody generation by B lymphocytes.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.179-191
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• 2009

Background: The present study examines a hypothesis that short allergen-derived peptides may shift an Aspergillus fumigatus (Afu-) specific TH2 response towards a protective TH1. Five overlapping peptides (P1-P5) derived from Asp f1, a major allergen/antigen of Afu, were evaluated for prophylactic or therapeutic efficacy in BALB/c mice. Methods: To evaluate the prophylactic efficacy, peptides were intranasally administered to naive mice and challenged with Afu-allergens/antigens. For evaluation of therapeutic efficacy, the mice were sensitized with Afu-allergens/antigens followed by intranasal administration of peptides. The groups were compared for the levels of Afu-specific antibodies in sera and splenic cytokines evaluated by ELISA. Eosinophil peroxidase activity was examined in the lung cell suspensions and lung inflammation was assessed by histopathogy. Results: Peptides P1-, P2- and P3 decreased Afu-specific IgE (84.5~98.9%) and IgG antibodies (45.7~71.6%) in comparison with Afu-sensitized mice prophylactically. P1- and P2-treated ABPA mice showed decline in Afu-specific IgE (76.4~88%) and IgG antibodies (15~54%). Increased IgG2a/IgG1 and IFN-${\gamma}$/IL-4 ratios were observed. P1-P3 prophylactically and P1 therapeutically decreased IL-5 levels and eosinophil peroxidase activity. P1 decreased inflammatory cells' infiltration in lung tissue comparable to non-challenged control. Conclusion: Asp f1-derived peptide P1, prophylactically and therapeutically administered to Balb/c mice, is effective in regulating allergic response to allergens/antigens of Afu, and may be explored for immunotherapy of allergic aspergillosis in humans.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1681-1685
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• 2013

Background: Head and neck SCC is a common cancer related to various factors. IL-10, a pleiotropic cytokine produced by macrophages, T-helper-2 cells, and B lymphocytes, is thought to play a potential pathogenetic or therapeutic role in a number of human conditions, such as inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer. The present study was designed to evaluate the relation between tissue expression, serum and salivary levels of IL-10 in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) and their correlation with clinicopathologic features. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from 30 patients with HNSCCs and 24 healthy volunteers. IHC analysis was used to examine the tissue expression and ELISA was employed to measure serum and salivary levels. Results: Our study showed tissue expression of IL-10 to be significantily higher in patients (P: 0.001), but there was no relation between tissue expression, serum and salivary levels of the marker (P>0.05). Also except for a positive correlation between tissue expression of IL-10 and stage (P: 0.044), there was no relation between this marker and clinicopathologic features. There was no correlation between serum and salivary levels in either patients or controls. Conclusions: It seems there is no correlation between level of IL-10 in serum and saliva and this marker in saliva and serum does not reflect tissue expression.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.420-427
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• 2011

The use of lactic-acid bacteria (LAB) is effective for preventing and curing immune disorders by activating the immune system in the digestive tract and the consequent immune response in the blood. In this study, LAB and mixed LABs were used in an atopic dermatitis (AD) mouse model. Alleviation of AD was observed based on the change in cytokine level and immunohistochemical staining. An ex vivo test showed that immunoglobulin-E and interleukin (IL)-4 levels were significantly lower in all groups treated with LAB than in the group treated with only 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Results of an in vivo test based on the ex vivo results showed that the scratch score decreased in all groups treated with the LAB and particularly decreased in the group treated with mixed LABs. Additionally, the T helper (Th) 1 cytokines interferon-gamma and IL-12p40 were upregulated by the LAB and mixed-LABs, whereas levels of the Th2 cytokine IL-4 were downregulated in a mouse model of AD-like skin lesions. Furthermore, hematoxylin & eosin and immunohistochemical staining of the dorsal area of the mice in each group showed that AD improved in the LAB-treated groups. These results suggest that LAB and mixed LABs inhibit the development of AD in NC/Nga mice by suppressing the Th2 cell response and increasing the Th1 cell response. Our results indicate that mixed LABs are better than LAB for treating AD-like skin lesions.