• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.47-62
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• 2009

Atopic dermatitis induced NC/Nga mice were used to investigate the efficacy of HYT on the recovery of dermatitic symptoms by how HYT influenced the immune related factors. The results are as below: 1. Compared to the control, HYT treated group showed recovery of atopic dermatitis by the naked eye observation, and significant reduction of dermatits index was observed after 14 weeks. 2. HYT treated group showed significant decrease of the ratio of CCR3+, B220+/IgE+, and Gr-1+/CD11b+ immune cells in dorsal skin by 40.5%, 34.2%, and 48.1%, respectively. 3. HYT treated group showed increase in the ratio of CD19+ immune cells within PBMC by 10.8%, as well as decrease in CD3+, CD3+/CD69+, NKT+ ratios by 5.3%, 35.2%, and 44.9%, respectively. 4. HYT treated group showed increase in the expression of IFN-$\gamma$ in serum by 589.3%, whereas the expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, TNF-$\alpha$, MCP-1 and RANTES were decreased by 31.4%, 82.1%, 97.1%, 39.5%, 83.7%, 26.1%, 48.6%, respectively. A 47.2% decrease in IgE expression was also observed. The results above strongly supported the improvement of atopic dermatitis by HYT treatment through immune modulation. Further studies on the synergistic effect of each ingredients of HYT and therapeutic effects according to the dosage of each ingredient should be followed for clinical applications. This work was (partly) supported by the RIC program of MKE(Ministry of Knowledge Economy) in Daejeon University.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.63-79
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• 2009

Atopic dermatitis induced NC/Nga mice were used to investigate the efficacy of Hyunggaeyunkyotanggamibang(HYGB) on the recovery of dermatitic symptoms through its influence on the immune related factors. The results are as below: 1. HYGB treated group showed improvement of atopic dermatitis with naked eye observation, and significant decrease of dermatitis index was observed after 14 weeks. 2. HYGB treated group showed significant decrease of the ratio of CCR3+, B220+/IgE+, and CD11b+/Gr-1+ immune cells in dorsal skin by 41.7%, 21.5%, and 23.8%, respectively. 3. HYGB treated group showed an increase of CD19+ immune cells by 10.3% in PBMC, whereas CD3+, CD3+/CD69+, NKT+ immune cells were decreased by 4.3%, 42.9%, and 21.7%, respectively. 4. HYGB treated group showed an increase in the expression of IFN-$\gamma$ in the serum by 514.3%. However, the expressions of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, TNF-$\alpha$, MCP-1 and RANTES were decreased by 21.2%, 69.8%, 90.5%, 28.7%, 72.2%, 26.1%, and 19.9%, respectively. Also, the expression of IgE was decreased by 44.3%. 5. HYGB treated group showed a decrease of the expression of IL-4 and IL-5 by 43% and 44.3%. The results above indicated that HYGB clinically used for atopic dermatitis treatment has objective validity, and therefore can be provided as the basic data for EBM(Evidence based medicine) construction for anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory studies.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.191-206
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• 2006

Objective & Methods : The purpose of this study is to observe the effects of Angelicae Pubescentis Radix herbal-acupuncture solution(APR-HAS) at Joksamni(ST36) on collagen IT induced arthritis in DBA/1J mice. The author performed several experimental items to analyze several cytokines and immune cells related with RA. Results : 1. In the APR-HA group, the incidence of arthritis and arthritis index were significantly decreased. 2. In APR-HA group, the levels of IL-6, $INF-{\gamma}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$, IgG, IgM, $IL-{\beta}$ and Anti-collagen II in serum of the CIA mouse were significantly decreased. 3. In APR-HA group, the level of $IFN-{\gamma}$, IL-4 in the CIA mouse spleen cell culture were significantly decreased. 4. In histology, the cartilage destruction and synovial cell proliferation were decreased in the APR-HA group, and the collagen fiber expressions in the APR-HA group were similar with that of the Normal group. 5. In the APR-HA group, CD3e+/CD19+ and CD4+/CD8+ were similarly maintained as Normal group in the CIA mouse lymph nodes, 6. In the APR-HA group, CD3e+/CD69+ was significantly decreased in the CIA mouse joint. 7. In the APR-HA group, CD11a+/CD19+ and CD11b+/Gr-l+ were significantly decreased in the CIA mouse lymph nodes 8. In the APR-HA group, CD4+/CD25+ was decreased in the CIA mouse spleen cell. 9. In the APR-HA group, CD4+/CD25+ was similarly maintained as Normal group in the CIA mouse lymph nodes.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.30-47
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• 2006

Objective : The present study is aimed to elucidate the effects of Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense on immunomodulation and the potential as an herbal remedy for cancer treatment. Method : It was performed through measurement of effects Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense extract (CJE) on NO production, NK cell cytotoxicity and cytokine gene expressions related with macrophage and NK cell activity. Result : 1. CJE did not show any direct cytotoxic effects on 7250, HT1080, Hep G2 and CT-26 cells. 2. CJE activated macrophages partially to product NO and up-regulated gene expressions for iNOS in RAW 264.7 cells. 3. CJE promoted cytotoxicity of NK cells against YAC-1 cells at higher concentration than 200 ${\mu}g/ml$. 4. CJE up-regulated gene expressions for $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-2, iNOS, $IFN-{\gamma}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in mice splenocytes.　５. CJE inhibited lung tumor metastasis induced by CT-26 cell transplantation compared with the control group.　Conclusion : It could be concluded that CJE is an effective herbal drug for immune modulating and anti-cancer treatment by promoting activity of macrophages and NK cells.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2016

Objectives: Poncirus trifoliata Rafinesque has been known to have anti-allergic effects in skin diseases. However, anti-atopic dermatitis effects of P. trifoliata Rafinesque have not been studied yet in skin diseases. The present study evaluated the anti-atopic dermatitis effects of P. trifoliata Rafinesque (PTR) using external treatments on AD. Methods: AD lesions were induced by the repeated application of 2, 4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) on the shaved back of BALB/c mice. $100{\mu}{\ell}$ of PTR extracts was applied to the AD lesions for 11 days. Histological assessments, mast cells count and serum levels of IgE were analyzed. The anti-pruritic effects of PTR were examined by the change of scratching frequency and nerve growth factor (NGF) expression. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effects of PTR were examined by the expressions of Th2/Th1 cytokines and pro-inflammatory in dorsal skin. Results: Histopathological findings showed that topical application of PTR decreased the thickness of dermal and epidermal skin compared with the DNCB group. PTR also notably decreased the mast cells count and serum IgE. The scratching behavior of mice and expression of NGF were significantly reduced. In addition, PTR group significantly suppressed the IL-4, IL-6, IFN-${\gamma}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$ cytokines compared to the DNCB group. Conclusions: These results indicated that P. trifoliata Rafinesque possess anti-pruritus and anti-atopic dermatitis properties. Therefore, P. trifoliata Rafinesque might be used for treatment of pruritus and atopic dermatitis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2943-2948
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• 2012

Arsenic exposure is a serious health hazard worldwide. We have previously established that it may result in immune suppression by upregulating Th2 cytokines while downregulating Th1 cytokines and causing lymphocytic death. Treatment modalities for arsenic poisoning have mainly been restricted to the use of chelating agents in the past. Only recently have combination therapies using a chelating agent in conjunction with other compounds such as anti-oxidants, micronutrients and various plant products, been introduced. In the present study, we used T11TS, a novel immune potentiating glycopeptide alone and in combination with the sulfhydryl-containing chelator, mono-iso-amyl-dimarcaptosuccinic acid (MiADMSA) as a therapeutic regimen to combat arsenic toxicity in a mouse model. Results indicated that Th1 cytokines such as TNF-${\alpha}$, $IFN{\gamma}$, IL12 and the Th2 cytokines such as IL4, IL6, IL10 which were respectively downregulated and upregulated following arsenic induction were more efficiently restored to their near normal levels by T11TS alone in comparison with the combined regimen. Similar results were obtained with the apoptotic proteins studied, FasL, BAX, BCL2 and the caspases 3, 8 and 9, where again T11TS proved more potent than in combination with MiADMSA in preventing lymphocyte death. The results thus indicate that T11TS alone is more efficient in immune re-establishment after arsenic exposureas compared to combination therapy with T11TS+MiADMSA.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.315-320
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• 2013

Here, we show that radicicol, a fungal antibiotic, resulted in marked inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) transcription by the pancreatic beta cell line MIN6N8a in response to cytokine mixture (CM: TNF-${\alpha}$, IFN-${\gamma}$, and IL-$1{\beta}$). Treatment of MIN6N8a cells with radicicol inhibited CM-stimulated activation of NF-${\kappa}B$/Rel, which plays a critical role in iNOS transcription, in a dose-related manner. Nitrite production in the presence of PD98059, a specific inhibitor of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase-1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway, was dramatically diminished, suggesting that the ERK1/2 pathway is involved in CM-induced iNOS expression. In contrast, SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38, had no effect on nitrite generation. Collectively, this series of experiments indicates that radicicol inhibits iNOS gene expression by blocking ERK1/2 signaling. Due to the critical role that NO release plays in mediating destruction of pancreatic beta cells, the inhibitory effects of radicicol on iNOS expression suggest that radicicol may represent a useful anti-diabetic activity.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.10a
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• pp.128-128
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• 2018

Nypa fruticans wurmb (NF) has been used as traditional medicinal food in Asian countries. Especially, NF has been used for conventional medicine to treat inflammatory periodontal diseases. Previous studies have been shown that NF has large amount of useful constituents such as phenolic acids, polyphenols and flavonoids. Also, NF is known as having medicinal effects such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering effects. NF has recently been attracted to use complementary medicinal food on inflammatory diseases in Korea. However, there are no obvious effects in inflammatory and metabolic diseases also mechanisms has been studied yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of NF and steamed-NF (SNF), which recently has been used as health food, using Human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and Human mast cell line (HMC-1). The cytotoxicities of NF and SNF were measured by using MTT assays in HaCaT cells and HMC-1 cell. To evaluate anti-inflammatory effects of NF and SNF, HaCaT cells were stimulated with tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ and Interferon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$. Also, HMC-1 cells were stimulated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) and A23187 calcium ionophore (A23187) to induce allergic inflammation. Inflammatory cytokine were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this result, the extract of NF and SNF (0.01 - 1mg/ml) did not show cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells and HMC-1 cells. In addition, the NF and SNF suppressed the production of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 in HaCaT cells at highest concentration. Furthermore, the treatment of SNF significantly inhibited the secretion level of IL-8 in PMA plus A23187-stimulated HMC-1 cells compared with NF treatment group. These results suggest that the extract of NF and SNF may serve as a potential therapy for skin inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.171-183
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• 2007

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of Erythrinae Cortex herbal-acupuncture solution(EC-HAS) at the Joksamni($ST_{36}$) of mice with collagen II-induced arthritis(CIA). Methods : The author performed several experimental procedures to observe the effects of the EC-HAS at the arthritis. The severity of arthritis, changes of cytokine level and antibody level, histological changes of the CIA mouse joint were analyzed. Results : 1. The incidence of arthritis and arthritis index were significantly decreased in the cases which were treated with the EC-HA. 2. Cartilage destruction and synovial cell proliferation were reduced, and the expression of the collagen fibers was similar with that of the normal group. 3. The levels of IL-6, $IFN-{\gamma}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$ in serum of the CIA mice which were treated with the EC-HA were significantly decreased compared with those of the normal group. 4. The levels of IgG, IgM and anti-collagen II in serum of CIA mice when they treated with the EC-HA were significantly decreased compared with those of the normal group. 5. The expression ratio of $CD4^+$ to $CD8^+$ cells in the EC-HA treated mice were maintained as much as the normal group of the lymph nodes in the CIA mice. 6. The $CD3e^+CD69^+$ and $CD11b^+Gr-1^+$ cell populations in the knee joint were significantly decreased in the EC-HA treated group. Conclusions : These results suggest that the EC-HA at the ST36 may be responsible roles to control on the synovial cell proliferation and to prevent the cartilage destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. These results will be important supporting evidence for the practical use of the EC-HA at rheumatoid arthritis clinic in the future.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.137-143
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• 2005

Background: Millions of people in the world are suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD), which is a chronic inflammatory skin disease triggered by Th2 immune responses. The NC/Nga mouse is the most extensively studied animal model of AD. Like human AD, NC/Nga mice demonstrate increased levels of IgE, a hallmark of Th2 immune responses. Adaptive immunity cannot be generated without help of innate immunity. Especially natural killer T (NKT) cells and marginal zone B (MZB) cells have been known to play important roles in linking innate immunity to adaptive immunity. Methods: Through flow cytometric analysis and ELISA assay, we investigated whether these lymphocytes might be altered in number in NC/Nga mice. Results: Our data demonstrated that the number of NKT cells was reduced in NC/Nga mice and IFN${\gamma}$ production by NKT cells upon ${\alpha}-GalCer$ stimulation decreased to the levels of CD1d KO mice lacking in NKT cells. However, reduction of NKT cells in NC/Nga mice was not due to CD1d expression, which was normal in the thymus. Interestingly, there was a significant increase of $CD1d^{high}B220^+$ cells in the spleen of NC/Nga mice. Further, we confirmed that $CD1d^{high}B220^+$ cells are B cells, not dendritic cells. These $CD1d^{high}B220^+$ B cells show $IgM^{high}CD21^{high}CD23^{low}$, a characteristic phenotype of MZB cells. Conclusion: We provide the evidence that there are decreased activities of NKT cells and increased number of MZB cells in the NC/Nga mice. Our findings may thus explain why NC/Nga mice are susceptible to AD.