• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.209-212
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• 2005

In the present study, we have tested the effects of 21 salt marsh plants on cell proliferation of mouse immune cells (spleen and thymus) using MTT assay in culture. The methanolic extracts of six salt marsh plants (Rosa rugosa, Ixeris tamagawaensis, Artemisia capillaris, Tetragonia tetragonoides, Erigeron annus, and Glehnia littoralis) showed very powerful suppressive effects of mouse immune cell death and significant activities of cell proliferation in vitro. Especially, the methanolic extract of Rosa rugosa was found to have fifteen times compared to the control treatment, demonstrating that Rosa rugosa may have a potent stimulation effect on immune cell proliferation. These results suggest that several salt marsh plants including Rosa rugosa could be useful for further study as an immunomodulating agent.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2007

This review summarizes the cause of allergy and control by lactic acid bacteria. Atopic diseases such as asthma, rhinitis, eczema and food allergy have increased in most industrialized countries of the world during the last 20 years. The reasons for this increase are not clear and different hypotheses have been assessed including increased exposure to sensitizing allergens or decreased stimulation of the immune system during critical periods of development. Probiotic bacteria, which beneficially affect the host by improving its microbial balance, may mediate anti-allergenic effects by immune stimulation. Although more clinical evidences are required, the possible role of specific LAB strains in the prevention of allergic diseases has become more evident. since the role of functional food is important for prevention, it is expected for the more anti-allergy fermented milk products to be on the market.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.471-478
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• 2014

Investigating gene expression of immune cells of whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) under polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) stimulation is valuable for understanding the immune response of organism to RNA viruses. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a standard method for quantification of gene expression studies. However, the reliability of qRT-PCR data critically depends on proper selection of reference genes. In the study, using two different analysis programs, geNorm and NormFinder, we systematically evaluated the gene expression stability of six candidate reference genes (GAPDH, ACTB, B2M, RPL4, TBP, and PPIA) in samples of whole blood and PBMC with or without poly I:C stimulation. Generally, the six candidate genes performed a similar trend of expression stability in the samples of whole blood and PBMC, but more stably expressed in whole blood than in PBMC. geNorm ranked B2M and PPIA as the best combination for gene expression normalization, while according to NormFinder, TBP was ranked as the most stable reference gene, followed by B2M and PPIA. Comprehensively considering the results from the two programs, we recommended using the geometric mean of the three genes, TBP, PPIA and B2M, to normalize the gene expression of whole blood and PBMC with poly I:C stimulation. Our study is the first detailed survey of the gene expression stability in whole blood and PBMC with or without poly I:C stimulation and should be helpful for investigating the molecular mechanism involved in porcine whole blood and PBMC in response to poly I:C stimulation.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.188-203
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• 2023

Lysozymes are well-known antibacterial enzymes that mainly target the peptidoglycan layer of the bacterial cell wall. Animal lysozymes are mainly categorized as g-type, c-type, and i-type based on protein sequence and structural differences. In this study, c-type (AcLysC) and g-like-type (AcLysG-like) lysozymes from Amphiprion clarkii were characterized in silico via expressional and functional approaches. According to in silico analysis, open reading frames of AcLysC and AcLysG-like were 429 bp and 570 bp, respectively, encoding the corresponding polypeptide chains with 142 and 189 amino acids. Elevated expression levels of AcLysC and AcLysG-like were observed in the liver and the heart tissues, respectively, as evidenced by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. AcLysC and AcLysG-like transcript levels were upregulated in gills, head kidney, and blood cells following experimental immune stimulation. Recombinant AcLysC exhibited potent lytic activity against Vibrio anguillarum, whereas recombinant AcLysG-like showed remarkable antibacterial activity against Vibrio harveyi and Streptococcus parauberis, which was further evidenced by scanning electron microscopic imaging of destructed bacterial cell walls. The findings of this study collectively suggest the potential roles of AcLysC and AcLysG-like in host immune defense.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.45-50
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• 2018

Rock bream iridovirus (RBIV) is a megalocytivirus widely infected in various fish species in Korea, causing symptoms of acute inflammation and enlargement of spleen. In our previous study, RBIV induced the initial upregulation but later down-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and IFN1 gene expression. Signal transducers and activators of transcriptions (STAT) are transcription factors involved in the regulation of immune genes including IFNs. This study was conducted to analyse the expression of STAT2. The expressional study of STAT2 gene was performed in head kidney and spleen upon RBIV infection and immune stimulants like LPS or poly I:C in vitro. Consequently, STAT2 gene expression pattern was different in head kidney and spleen as it was significantly up-regulated by LPS from 4 h to 8 h but down-regulated at 24 h while up-regulated by poly I:C at 8 h in head kidney while, in spleen, STAT2 gene expression was down regulated by LPS but significantly up-regulated by poly I:C. Upon RBIV stimulation, STAT2 gene expression was significantly down-regulated by high dose RBIV at 4 h but up-regulated at 8 h and 24 h in head kidney. In spleen cells, it was up-regulated by medium dose RBIV at 4 h and by high dose RBIV at 4 h and 8 h but down regulated later then. In vivo, STAT2 gene expression was not significantly affected by RBIV infection while significant up-regulated by vaccination at day 7 post-vaccination, indicating STAT2 gene can be involved in adaptive immune response in rock bream.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.670-677
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• 2007

Although polysaccharide is believed to play an important role in the medicinal effect of Dendrobium chrysotoxum Lindl (DCL), its role as an antioxidant and in anti-hyperglycemic induction was not reported. In this study, polysaccharide with molecular weight of approximately 150 kDa, herein named DCLP, was isolated from the stem of DCL, and its antioxidative, hypoglycemic and immune stimulating effects were evaluated using various in vitro and in vivo assay systems. DCLP inhibited hydroxyl radicals ($^{\cdot}$OH)-mediated deoxyribose degradation by scavenging hydroxyl radicals directly as well as by chelating iron ions. DCLP also showed dose-dependent scavenging activity on superoxide anions ($O_2^{{\cdot}-}$) and offered significant protection (p < 0.001) against glucose oxidase-mediated cytotoxicity in Jurkat cells. DCLP had immune stimulating effects, as evidenced by the DCLP-mediated increases in the level of DNA synthesis, viability, and cytokine secretion in mouse lymphocytes. Moreover, oral administration of DCLP produced a significant reduction in blood glucose level in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. These findings suggest that DCLP has a potential utility in treating patients who require enhanced antioxidation, immune function and/or hypoglycemic activity.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.605-613
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• 2020

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of plant flavonoid (quercetin) on immune parameters, growth performance, and nutrient digestibility in growing pigs challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 40 crossbred ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) growing pigs; initial body weight (BW) of 26.95 ± 1.26 kg were used in a six-week experimental trial. Pigs were randomly allocated into one of four treatment groups in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with the following factors; without LPS challenge and with LPS challenge (day 21) supplemented with or without 0.1% flavonoid according to BW (2 replicate pens per treatment with 2 gilts and 3 barrows per pen). The single-dose LPS (100 ug / kg BW) injection showed trends tended to be increased in interleukin-6 (IL-6) after 2 h and 6 h of challenge compared with unchallenged pigs. However, other measured immune indices (white blood cell, immunoglobulin G, lymphocyte, and tumor necrosis factor), growth performance, and nutrient digestibility were not significantly different between challenged and non-challenged animals. The supplementation of flavonoid significantly increased (p < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) during day 0-21, tended to increase dry matter and nitrogen digestibility, significantly reduced IL-6, increased Ig-G and WBC concentrations and increased lymphocytes percentage regardless of LPS challenge.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1145-1149
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• 2004

Immunomodulatory feed additives might offer alternatives to antimicrobial growth promoters in poultry production. This experiment was carried out to test the effect of $\beta$-glucan supplementation on the growth performance and immune response in broilers. Total of 160 day-old broilers were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups fed corn-soybean diets containing 0, 0.012, 0.025 or 0.05% of $\beta$-glucan supplement in a 6 week feeding experiment. Growth performance, antibody titer against New Castle vaccine, lymphocyte blastogensis, and peritoneal macrophage chemotaxis activity of broilers were evaluated. Results showed that there were no significant differences in weight gain and feed efficiency among the treatments, and no differences in antibody titer was observed. Supplementation of $\beta$-glucan did not elevate the lymphocyte blastogensis among treatments, following stimulation with different mitogens. However, supplementation with 0.025 and 0.05% $\beta$-glucan enhanced the macrophage chemotaxis activity of broilers. These results suggest that $\beta$-glucan may enhance some cell-mediated immune responses of chickens by modulate macrophages ability.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.147-159
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• 1991

Effects of twenty-one different flavonoids and their related compounds on the phagocytosis of colloidal carbon by macrophages in liver and spleen humoral immune responses against bacterial $\alpha$-amylase and cellular immune responses against oxazolone and dinitrofluorobenzene were studied in vivo and in vitro. It was shown that most of the flavonoids accelerated significantly the phagocytosis, and they suppressed significantly not only humoral and cellular immune responses but also the development of immunological memory after the antigenic stimulation. Especially, malvin was the most active in phagocysis, and disodium cromoglycate and morin were the most active in humoral and cellular immunosuppression, respectively. Daidzuin had the most potent inhibitory activity in the development of memory cells. The structure-activity relationships of the flavonoids in immunosuppression became apparant from these results: 1. The presence of $C_{2-3}$ double bond and $C_4$ Ketone group in C-ring was important for their immunosuppressive activity. 2. Flavonoids with benzene ring at 2 or 3 position in C-ring showed the almost same activities. 3. The opening of C-ring did not affect their immunosuppressive activity. 4. The glycosylated flavonoids at 3 position in C-ring were less less potent than their aglycones. 5. Di-or tri-hydroxylated flavonoids in B-ring were more potent than mono-hydroxylated. 6. Chromanochromanone also had the immunosuppressive activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.662-670
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• 2006

It is well documented that an extract of European mistletoe has a variety of biological effects, such as the stimulation of cytokine production from immune cells, and additional immunoadjuvant activities. While the European mistletoe has been studied intensively, we know less about Korean mistletoe as a therapeutic plant, especially as a possible immunomodulating drug. This study will investigated the effects of Korean mistletoe lectin (Viscum album L. var. coloratum agglutinin, VCA) on murine splenocytes to investigate whether VCA acts as an immunomodulator, which could lead to improved immune responses in these cells. The results showed that VCA inhibited cell proliferation at higher concentrations (at 1-8 ng/ml) and enhanced cell proliferation at lower concentrations (at 4-32 pg/ml). Further studies were carried out to determine if the pro-proliferative or anti-proliferative activity exhibited by VCA was correlated with cytokine secretion. Consequently, interferon (IFN)-$\gamma$ secretion was decreased in concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated murine splenocytes by VCA (4-64 ng/ml), but there was no change in IL-4 levels. This suggests that VCA has the ability to modulate murine splenocyte proliferation and can possibly act on the balance of Th1/Th2 cellular immune responses.