• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.463-468
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• 2010

T-cell activation depends on signals received by the T-cell receptor and CD28 co-stimulatory receptor. Since B7.1 and B7.2 molecules expressed on the surface of antigen presenting cells provide co-stimulatory signals through CD28 to T-cells, an inhibitor of CD28-B7.1/B7.2 binding has been proposed as a therapeutic agent for suppression of excessive T-cell activity. Although anti-B7.1/B7.2 antibodies are known to block B7.1 and B7.2 molecules, their effects on intracellular events in antigen presenting cells remain unclear. In this study, anti-B7.1/B7.2 antibodies decreased secretion of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-$\alpha$, IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-12 in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells and peritoneal macrophages. Moreover, anti-B7.1/B7.2 antibodies inhibited $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ phosphorylation and down-regulated expression of co-stimulatory molecules including B7.1, B7.2, and PD-L1 in LPS-stimulated peritoneal macrophages. These findings suggest that CTLA4-Ig and anti-B7.1/B7.2 antibodies may be candidates to treat chronic inflammatory diseases and autoimmune responses caused by excessive activation of both T-cells and macrophages.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.537-541
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• 2020

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and its receptors have been implicated in atopic dermatitis. S1P₂ was found to function as a proallergic receptor, while its antagonist JTE-013 was found to suppress allergic asthma in mice. Topical application of JTE-013 has not been investigated in an in vivo model of atopic dermatitis. Therefore, the therapeutic potential of JTE-013 topical application was evaluated by the use of a 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis mouse model. DNCB-induced inflammation and mast cell accumulation in skin tissues were significantly suppressed by topical JTE-013 treatment in BALB/c mice. DNCB-induced increase of lymph nodes sizes and elevated inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-13, IL-17, and IFN-γ) in lymph nodes were also significantly reduced by the JTE-013 treatment. Elevated serum levels of IgE were significantly suppressed by the topical treatment of JTE-013. In summary, the topical treatment of JTE-013 S1P₂ antagonist suppressed DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis symptoms and immune responses. These results suggested JTE-013 as a potential therapeutic agent for atopic dermatitis.

• 대한한방소아과학회지
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.128-137
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• 2021

Objective The purpose of this study was to confirm the effectiveness of coptidis rhizoma extract-ceramide complex on skin barrier, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and pH reduction, and inflammation of the skin. Methods Coptidis rhizoma extract-ceramide complex was applied in 6-week-old Balb/C mice after dermatitis was induced. To confirm the skin condition changes, TEWL and pH were observed, and filaggrin in the stratum corneum of the skin was observed. Kallikrein-related peptidase (KLK) 7, Protease activated receptor (PAR)-2, Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), and IL-4 were observed in the stratum corneum to confirm the changes in the inflammatory response. Results Filaggrin positive reaction was increased in the experiment group compared to the control group. TEWL and pH were lower in the experiment group compared to the control group. KLK7, PAR2, TSLP, and IL-4 positive responses were decreased in the experiment group compared to the control group. Conclusions It was confirmed that the coptidis rhizoma extract-ceramide complex can relieve the inflammatory response of atopic dermatitis by restoring the skin lipid barrier damage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.81-89
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• 2004

Tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$) and lymphotoxin-$\alpha$ (LT-$\alpha$, TNF-$\beta$) can initiate and perpetuate human diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). TNFs can be blocked by the use of soluble TNF receptors. However, since monomeric soluble receptors generally exhibit low affinity or function as agonists, the use of monomeric soluble receptors has been limited in the case of cytokines such as TNF-$\alpha$, TNF-$\alpha$, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-13, which have adapted to a multi component receptor system. For these reasons, very high-affinity inhibitors were created for the purpose of a TNFs antagonist to bind the TNFR and trigger cellular signal by using the multistep polymerase chain reaction method. First, recombinant simple TNFR-Ig fusion proteins were constructed from the cDNA sequences encoding the extracellular domain of the human p55 TNFR (CD120a) and the human p75 TNFR (CD120b), which were linked to hinge and constant regions of human $IgG_1$ heavy chain, respectively using complementary primers (CP) encoding the complementary sequences. Then, concatameric TNFR-Ig fusion proteins were constructed using recombinant PCR and a complementary primer base of recombinant simple TNFR-Ig fusion proteins. For high level expression of recombinant fusion proteins, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were used with a retroviral expression system. The transfected cells produced the simple concatameric TNFR-Ig fusion proteins capable of binding TNF and inactivating it. These soluble versions of simple concantameric TNFR-Ig fusion proteins gave rise to multiple forms such as simple dimers and concatameric homodimers. Simple TNFR-1g fusion proteins were shown to have much more reduced TNF inhibitory activity than concatameric TNFR-Ig fusion proteins. Concatameric TNFR-Ig fusion proteins showed higher affinity than simple TNFR-Ig fusion proteins in a receptor inhibitor binding assay (RIBA). Additionally, concatameric TNFR-Ig fusion proteins were shown to have a progressive effect as a TNF inhibitor compared to the simple TNFR-Ig fusion proteins and conventional TNFR-Fc in cytotoxicity assays, and showed the same results for collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in mice in vivo.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.205-209
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• 2008

Recently, Sun et al (2008) reported that the IL6R polymorphism is associated with schizophrenia. Therefore, to detect the association between polymorphisms of interleukin 31 receptor A (IL31RA) and schizophrenia, we genotyped 9 SNPs [rs9292101 (intron 1), rs1009639 (exon 2, Pr043Pro), rs2161582 (intron 2), rs68761890 (intron 5), rs16884629 (intron 6), rs11956465 (intron 12), rs12153724 (intron 12), and rs16884641 (intron 14)] using the Golden Gate assay on Illumina BeadStation 500 GX. Two hundred eighteen patients with schizophrenia and 379 normal subjects were recruited. Patients with schizophrenia were diagnosed according to DSM-IV, and control subjects without history of psychiatric disorders were selected. We used SNPStats, Haploview, HapAnalyzer, SNPAnalyzer, and Helixtree programs for the evaluation of genetic data. Of nine polymorphisms, three SNPs (rs9292101, rs1009639, and rs11956465) were associated with schizophrenia. The rs9292101 and rs11956465 showed significant associations with the risk of schizophrenia in the codominant [rs9292101, odds ratio (OR)=0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.58${\sim}$0.95, p=0.017] and recessive (rs11956465, OR=0.64, 95% CI=0.42${\sim}$0.96, p=0.034) models, respectively. The rs1009639 also was statistically related to schizophrenia in both codominant (OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.60${\sim}$0.97, p=0.025) and dominant (OR=0.66, 95% CI=0.44${\sim}$0.98, p=0.035) models. Two linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks were made. In the analysis of haplotypes, a haplotype (GCT) in block 1 and a haplotype (CCACAG) in block 2 showed significant associations between schizophrenia and control groups (haplotype GCT, frequency=0.509, chi square=4.199, p=0.040; haplotype CCACAG, frequency=0.289, chi square=5.691, p=0.017). The results suggest that IL31RA may be associated with risk of schizophrenia in Korean population.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.107-114
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• 2014

Taste is an important sense in survival and growth of animals. The growth and maintenance of taste buds, the receptor organs of taste sense, are under the regulation of various neurotrophic factors. But the distribution aspect of neurotrophic factors and their receptors in distinct taste cell types are not clearly known. The present research was designed to characterize mRNA expression pattern of neurotrophic factors and their receptors in distinct type of taste cells. In male 45-60 day-old Sprague-Dawley rats, epithelial tissues with and without circumvallate and folliate papillaes were dissected and homogenized, and mRNA expressions for neurotrophic factors and their receptors were determined by RT-PCR. The mRNA expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT3), receptor tyrosine kinase B (TrkB), exclusion of nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-4/5 (NT4/5), receptor tyrosine kinase A (TrkA), receptor tyrosine kinase C (TrkC), and p75NGFR were observed in some population of taste cell. In support of this result and to characterize which types of taste cells express NT3, BDNF, or TrkB, we examined mRNA expressions of NT3, BDNF, or TrkB in the $PLC{\beta}2$ (a marker of Type II cell)-and/or SNAP25 (a marker of Type III cell)-positive taste cells by a single taste cell RT-PCR and found that the ratio of positively stained cell numbers were 17.4, 6.5, 84.1, 70.3, and 1.4 % for $PLC{\beta}2$, SNAP25, NT3, BDNF, and TrkB, respectively. In addition, all of $PLC{\beta}2$-and SNAP25-positive taste cells expressed NT3 mRNA, except for one taste bud cell. The ratios of NT3 mRNA expressions were 100% and 91.7% in the SNAP25-and $PLC{\beta}2$-positive taste cells, respectively. However, two TrkB-positive taste cells co-expressed neither $PLC{\beta}2$ nor SNAP 25. The results suggest that the most of type II or type III cells express BDNF and NT3 mRNA, but the expression is shown to be less in type I taste cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.860-873
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• 2018

Although ginseng marc is a by-product obtained during manufacturing of various commercial ginseng products and has been routinely discarded as a waste, it still contains considerable amounts of potential bioactive compounds, including saponins and polysaccharides. Previously, we reported that ginseng oligosaccharides derived from ginseng marc polysaccharides by enzymatic hydrolysis exert immunostimulatory activities in macrophages and these activated macrophages are in turn able to inhibit the growth of skin melanoma cells by inducing apoptosis. In the present study, a more detailed investigation of the immunostimulatory activity and underlying action mechanisms of an enzymatic hydrolysate (GEH) containing these oligosaccharides derived from ginseng marc polysaccharides was performed. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured in GEH-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages using RT-PCR analysis and ELISA. The expression levels of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4, Dectin-1, and MerTK were measured by RT-PCR analysis or western blot analysis, and the phagocytic activities of GEH-challenged bone marrow-derived macrophages toward apoptotic Jurkat cells were assayed using fluorescence microscopy. GEH induced the production of both proinflammatory cytokines $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6, and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in RAW 264.7 cells. The expression of the TLR2 and MerTK mRNAs was increased upon GEH treatment. Phagocytosis of apoptotic Jurkat cells was enhanced in GEH-treated macrophages. Based on the results, this enzymatic hydrolysate (GEH) containing oligosaccharides exerts immunostimulatory effects by maintaining the balance between M1 and M2 cytokines, facilitating macrophage activation and contributing to the efficient phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. Therefore, the GEH could be developed as value-added, health-beneficial food materials with immunostimulatory effects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권14호
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• pp.6073-6080
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• 2015

Background: Melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7 (MDA-7)/interleukin-24 (IL-24), a unique tumor suppressor gene, has killing activity in a broad spectrum of cancer cells. Herein, plasmids producing mda-7 proteins fused to different RGD peptides (full RGD4C and shortened RGD, tRGD) were evaluated for apoptosis induction with a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, Hep-G2. The study aim was to improve the apoptosis potency of mda-7 by tethering to RGD peptides. Materials and Methods: Three plasmids including mda-7, mda-7-RGD and mda-7-tRGD genes beside a control vector were transfected into Hep-G2 cells. After 72 hours incubation, cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. In addition, the rate of apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry using PI/annexin staining. To detect early events in apoptosis, 18 hours after transfection, expression of the BAX gene was quantified by real time PCR. Modeling of proteins was also performed to extrapolate possible consequences of RGD modification on their structures and subsequent attachment to receptors. Results and Conclusions: In MTT assays, while all mda-7 forms showed measurable inhibition of proliferation, unmodified mda-7 protein exhibited most significant effect compared to control plasmid (P<0.001). Again, flow cytometry analysis showed a significant apoptosis induction by simple mda-7 gene but not for those RGD-fused mda-7 proteins. These findings were also supported by expression analysis of BAX gene (P<0.001). Protein modelling analysis revealed that tethering RGD at the end of IL-24/Mda7 disrupt attachment to cognate receptor, IL-20R1/IL-20R2. In conclusion, fusion of RGD4C and shortened RGD peptides to carboxyl terminal of mda7, not only reduce apoptosis property in vitro but also disrupt receptor attachment as demonstrated by protein modelling.

• 한국식품영양과학회지
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.267-272
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• 2017

본 연구에서는 팔미틴산을 처리한 지방간질환 간세포 모델과 비만/당뇨 동물 모델인 KK/HlJ 마우스를 이용하여 피세아테놀과 레스베라트롤 투여가 염증조절에 주는 영향을 알아보고자 하였다. 4주간의 피세아테놀과 레스베라트롤 섭취는 공복혈당과 경구당부하 검사 2시간 후 AUC를 감소시켜 혈당 조절 개선 효과를 보였다. 또한, 팔미틴산을 처리한 지방간질환 간세포 모델에 피세아테놀과 레스베라트롤을 처리한 결과 염증조절 경로인자인 TLR4와 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 발현을 유의적으로 감소시켰다. 이를 in vivo 비만/당뇨 동물 모델인 KK/HlJ 마우스의 간 조직에서 확인한 결과 피세아테놀 섭취는 NLRP3와 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 간 조직에서의 발현을 유의적으로 감소시켰고, IL-1 발현을 감소시키는 경향을 보였다. 하지만 동량의 레스베라트롤 섭취는 이와 같은 항염증 효과를 보이지 않았다. 결론적으로 혈당 조절 개선 효과와 항염증 효과에 있어 피세아테놀이 레스베라트롤보다 우수한 효과를 가지고, 피세아테놀의 항염증 효과는 혈당 조절 개선 효과에 부분적으로 기여할 것으로 제안한다.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.37-42
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• 2013

Receptor activator of NF-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL) is an essential cytokine for osteoclast differentiation, activation and survival. T lymphocytes such as $T_{17}$ cells, a subset of T helper cells that produce IL-17, play an important role in rheumatoid arthritic bone resorption by producing inflammatory cytokines and RANKL. It has not yet been clearly elucidated how T cell activation induces RANKL expression. T cell receptor activation induces the activation of nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) and expression of its target genes. In this study, we examined the role of NFAT in T cell activation-induced RANKL expression. EL-4, a murine T lymphocytic cell line, was used. When T cell activation was induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin, RANKL expression increased in a time-dependent manner. In the presence of cyclosporin, an inhibitor of NFAT activation, this PMA/ionomycin-induced RANKL expression was blocked. Overexpression of either NFATc1 or NFATc3 induced RANKL expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation results demonstrated that PMA/ionomycin treatment induced the binding of NFATc1 and NFATc3 to the mouse RANKL gene promoter. These results suggest that NFATc1 and NFATc3 mediates T cell receptor activation-induced RANKL expression in T lymphocytes.