• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.1106-1115
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• 2009

Mori Ramulus has multiple applications in Korean traditional medicine prescription because it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by reducing macrophage activities. Yet, no studies on the anti-arthritic activity of EMR (extract of Mori Ramulus) have been reported in vitro and in vivo. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with chronic inflammation characterized by hyperplasia of synovial cells in affected joints, which ultimately leads to the destruction of cartilage and bone. Because collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is similar to RA in pathological symptoms and immune reactions, there have been several reports concerning RA using CIA mouse model. Here, we investigated the effects of Mori Ramulus on RA using CIA mice. The importance of CD4+ Th1 cells in RA progress was previously indicated and studies further showed that Th17 cells play a prime role in severity of disease. Accordingly, the present study was focused on CIA associated with CD4+ Th1 cells and Th1 7 cells. DBA/1OlaHsd mice were immunized with bovine type II collagen (CII). After a second collagen immunization, mice were treated with EMR once a day for 4 weeks. The severity of arthritis within the paw joints was evaluated by histological assessment of cartilage destruction and pannus formation. Immune cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), draining lymph node (DLN) and paw joints, cytokine production and gene expression were assessed from CIA mouse using ELISA, FACS and real-time PCR analysis. Administration of EMR significantly suppressed the progression of CIA and inhibited the production of TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 and IL-17 in the serum. The erosion of cartilage was dramatically reduced in mouse knees after treatment with EMR. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that EMR significantly suppressed the progression of CIA and that this action was mediated by the decreased production of TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6, IL-17 and collagen II-specific antibody in the serum. EMR suppressed Th17 cells and reduced level of IL-6 via B cell suppression, and thus, the levels of autoantibodies produced from B cells were decreased. Furthermore, EMR suppressed NKT cells which directly stimulate B cells and develop imbalance of Th1/Th2 cell. Oral administration of EMR (100 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg) significantly suppressed the progression of CIA, which is comparable to that of methotrexate (MTX, 0.3 mg/kg) used as a positive control. We are currently studying the mechanism underlying the therapeutic role for EMR in CIA mice.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.249.1-249
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• 2001

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2006

The Sasang constitutional medicine classifies the mankind into four constitutional types according to the individual psychological and physical traits. Differences in the Sasang constitutional medicine may be explained by the genetic factors. In order to determine the association of Sasang constitutional classification and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) in genetic susceptibility to ischemic stroke, we classified the four constitutional types in ischemic stroke patients (n = 125) and the healthy control subjects (n = 107), and genotyped for IL-1Ra polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. The distribution of the $IL1RN^*1/IL1RN^*2$ genotype in the ischemic stroke patients was significantly different from the healthy controls (OR = 6.09; P =0.0134). And the prevalence of $IL1RN^*1/IL1RN^*2$ genotype was increased in Taeum-in ischemic stroke patients, as compared to Taeum-in healthy controls (OR = 14.71; P = 0.0144). These results suggest that $IL1RN^*1/IL1RN^*2$ genotype in Taeum-in might be associated with the increasing risk for ischemic stroke. Furthermore, this relationship could provide the basis for a new approach in the investigation of the etiology of ischemic stroke.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2006

Background: Calcineurin plays a crucial role in T cell activation, cell growth, apoptosis, and angiogenesis, and its over-expression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy and stroke. However, the expression and function of calcineurin in the pathologic lesion of chronic inflammatory diseases, like rheumatoid synovium, remain to be defined. This study was aimed to determine the role of calcineurin in inflammatory arthritis and investigate the expression and function of calcineurin in the rheumatoid synovium and synoviocytes, the actual site of chronic inflammation. Methods: Immuno-histochemical staining using specific antibody to calcineurin was perfomed in the synovium of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients were isolated from RA and OA patients, and cultured with IL-1${\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$ in the presence or absence of cyclosporin A, a calcineurin inhibitor. The calcineurin expression was assessed by phosphatase assay and Western blotting analysis. IL-6, -10, -17, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -2, -3, and -9 released into the culture supernatants were measured by ELISA. After transfection with GFP-Cabin 1 gene into synoviocytes, the levels of IL-6 and MMPs were measured by ELISA. Results: Calcineurin was highly expressed in the lining layer of synovium and cultured synoviocytes of RA patients. The elevated calcineurin activity in the rheumatoid synoviocytes was triggered by proin flammatory cytokines such as IL-1${\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$. In contrast, IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, failed to increase the calcineurin activity. The targeted inhibition of calcineurin by the over-expression of Cabin 1, a natural calcineurin antagonist, inhibited the production of IL-6 and MMP-2 by rheumatoid synoviocytes in a similar manner to the calcineurin inhibitor, cyclosporin A. Conclusion: These data suggest that abnormal activation of calcineurin in the synoviocytes may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic arthritis, and thus provide a potential target for controlling inflammatory arthritis.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.509-518
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was myokine product and role with physical activity and literature review. There is accumulating epidemiological evidence that a physically active life plays an independent role in the protection against type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, dementia and even depression. And myokine has been regarded an important factor of exercise training and brain growth factor for the prevention of Alzheimier's disease. During exercise the release of anti-inflammatory myokine from contracting muscle controled the metabolic response, and IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-10, and IL-15 controled muscle hypertrophy, myogenesis and angiogenenesis. IL-6 promoted the lipid metabolism through AMPK activation. IL-1Ra, IL-10 and sTNF-R inhibited $TNF-{\alpha}$ as the pro-inflammatory cytokine. IL-15 increased the releasing volume from contracting muscle, and promoted the anabolic factor of muscle growth. IL-7 and IL-8 activated the angiogenesis through the more activation of C-X-C receptor signal transmission.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.190-197
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• 2004

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic synovial inflammation which leads to joint destruction. Gene therapy of RA targets the players of inflammation or articular destruction. However, viral vectors have safety problems and side effects, while non-viral vectors suffer from inefficient gene transfer and fast loss of gene expression. To overcome the limits of non-vial vectors, an EBV-based plasmid which is known to exert prolonged high level gene expression can be used. Methods: pEBVGFP, pEBVIL-10, and pEBVvIL-10 were constructed by cloning GFP, IL-10, and vIL-10 genes into an EBV-based plasmid, respectively. The pGFP was used as a control plasmid. Each constructs were lipofected into HIG-82 rabbit synoviocytes. The expression of GFP was monitored by FACS and confocal microscopy. IL-10 and vIL-10 expressions were measured by ELISA. Results: GFP expression 2 days after transfection was achieved in 33.2% of cells. GFP-expressing cells transfected with pGFP decreased rapidly from 4 days after transfection and disappeared completely by 11 days. Cells transfected with pEBVGFP began to decrease slowly from 4 days. But GFP expression was detected for over 35 days. In addition, HIG-82 cells transfected with pEBVIL-10 ($44.6{\pm}1.5ng/ml$) or pEBVvIL-10 ($51.0{\pm}5.7ng/ml$) secreted these cytokines at high levels. High level cytokine production by hygromycin selection was maintained at least for up to 26 days after transfection. Conclusion: These results suggest that the EBV-based plasmid has a potential to improve non-viral gene transfer system and may be applicable to treat RA without the drawbacks of viral vectors.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.114-120
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• 2011

Chronic inflammation has been implicated as one of the important etiological factors in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To investigate the role of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the development of T2DM, we conducted a case-control study to assess the association between IL4/IL4R polymorphisms and disease risk. We firstly identified single nucleotide poly-morphisms (SNP) at IL4 and IL4RA loci by sequencing the loci in Korean participants. Case-control studies were conducted by genotyping the SNPs in 474 T2DM cases and 470 non-diabetic controls recruited from community-based cohorts. Replication of the associated signals was performed in 1,216 cases and 1,352 controls. We assessed effect of IL4 -IL4RA interaction on T2DM using logistic regression method. The functional relevance of the SNP associated with disease risk was determined using a reporter expression assay. We identified a strong association between the IL4 promoter variant rs2243250 and T2DM risk (OR=0.77; 95% CI, 0.67~0.88; p=$1.65{\times}10^{－4}$ in the meta-analysis). The reporter gene expression assay demonstrated that the presence of rs2243250 might affect the gene expression level with ~1.5-fold allele difference. Our findings contribute to the identification of IL4 as a T2D susceptibility locus, further supporting the role of anti-inflammatory cytokines in T2DM disease development.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.242-247
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• 2003

Background: Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disorder that is characterized by a marked proliferation of keratinocytes, vascular dilation and leukocyte infiltration. Cytokines play important roles in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders. An overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines was characterized in psoriasis plaque. Among these cytokines, IL-$1{\beta}$ is major pro-inflammatory cytokine synthesized during the infection and inflammatory process. The IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) competes for the same IL-1 receptor for $IL-1{\alpha}$ and $-1{\beta}$, which prevents activation of the target cells. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL-$1{\beta}$ gene have been reported at position -31, -511 and +3954. Within the IL-1Ra gene (IL-1RN), there is a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) of an 86 bp length in intron 2. These polymorphisms related to cytokine production and associated with various diseases. Methods: We investigated the polymorphisms of IL-1B (promoter -511 and +3954) and IL-1RN on 114 psoriasis patients and 311 healthy normal controls in Korean. We performed PCR-RFLP on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-1B (promoter -511 and +3954) and fragment analysis on IL-1RN 86 bp VNTR polymorphism. Results: The frequency of IL-1B $-511^*1$ allele (patients vs. controls; 50.0% vs. 42.3%, RR=1.4) was significantly increased and IL-1B $-511^*2$ allele (patients vs. controls; 50.0% vs. 57.7%, RR=0.7) decreased in psoriasis patients compared to normal controls. We also analyzed the IL-1B -511 polymorphism according to patients' characters (age of onset, sex and family history). The IL-1B -511 alleles were significantly associated in patients with male and family history than health normal controls. There were no significant associations of IL-1B +3954 and IL-1RN polymorphisms with psoriasis patients. Conclusion: These results suggest that the polymorphism of IL-1B -511 could be genetic susceptibility to psoriasis in Koreans.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.221-229
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-oral microbial activity and anti-inflammatory effects of rosmarinic acid (RA) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells on a titanium (Ti) surface during osseointegration, and to confirm the possibility of using RA as a safe natural substance for the control of peri-implantitis (PI) in Ti-based dental implants. Methods: A disk diffusion test was conducted to confirm the antimicrobial activity of RA against oral microorganisms. In order to confirm the anti-inflammatory effects of RA, inflammatory conditions were induced with 100 ng/ml of LPS in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells on the Ti surface treated with or without 14 ㎍/ml of RA. The production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in LPS-stimulated MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells on the Ti surface was confirmed using an NO assay kit and PGE2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were performed to confirm the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in total RNA and protein. Results: RA showed weak antimicrobial effects against Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli, but no antimicrobial activity against the bacteria Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and the fungus Candida albicans. RA reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, NO and PGE2, and proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, in LPS-stimulated MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells on the Ti surface at the protein and mRNA levels. Conclusion: RA not only has anti-oral microbial activity, but also anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts on the Ti surface, therefore, it can be used as a safe functional substance derived from plants for the prevention and control of PI for successful Ti-based implants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.103-115
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• 2006

$\beta$-Glucan is a glucose polymer that has linkage of $\beta$-(1,3), -(1,4) and -(1,6). As exclusively found in fungal and bacterial cell wall, not in animal, $\beta$-glucans are recognized by innate immune system. Dendritic cells (DC) or macrophages possesses pattern recognition molecule (PRM) for binding $\beta$-glucan as pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP). Recently $\beta$-glucan receptor was cloned from DC and named as dectin-l which belongs to type II C-type lectin family. Human dectin-1 is consisted of 7 exons and 6 introns. The polypeptide of dectin-1 has 247 amino acids and has cytoplasmic, transmembrane, stalk and carbohydrate recognition domains. Dectin-1 could recognize variety of beta-1,3 and/or beta-1,6 glucan linkages, but not alpha-glucans. In our macrophage cell line culture system, dectin-1 mRNA was detected in RA W264.7 cells by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Dectin-1 was also detected in the murine organs of spleen, thymus, lung and intestines. Treatment of RA W264.7 cells with $\beta$-glucans of Ganoderma lucidum (GLG) resulted in increased expression of IL-6 and TNF-$\alpha$ in the presence of LPS. However, GLG alone did not increase IL-6 nor TNF-$\alpha$. These results suggest that receptor dectin-1 cooperate with CD14 to activate signal transduction that is very critical in immunoresponse.