• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.439-452
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• 2005

Zinc is ubiquitous in all living cells. Structural and catalytic properties of cellular enzymes are zinc dependent. Zinc deficiency leads to a variety of pathological abnormalities with immune impairment. It is an established fact that nutritional status contributes to overall immune response of individuals. Outcome of zinc deficiency on immune system is so drastic that it is difficult to conceive at the first instance. Zinc supplementation has been advocated to prevent diarrheal disease in children with poor nutritional status. The bioavailability of zinc depends upon its sources. Moreover it varies between monogastrics and ruminants. Controversy still prevails between inorganic and organic sources of zinc with respect to their superiority in bioavailability. Zinc exerts immunostimulatory effects in various laboratory and farm animals. Animals having congenital zinc deficiency diseases like A46 lethal trait usually die due to impairment of the immune system unless treated with zinc. The immune mechanism of zinc and its effect on animals and man are discussed. Zinc has been considered as extremely safe at higher therapeutic doses, but does not provide any beneficial effect but rather may cause immunosuppression. More recently, zinc has been prescribed for immunodeficient hosts, to modulate the immune system so that to a certain extent it can combat against opportunistic pathogens.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.380-385
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• 2008

Ethanolic extracts of T. cordifolia and C. asiatica were evaluated for immunostimulatory effect in mice against sheep RBCs as antigen by three models viz. delayed type hypersensitivity reaction, ercent change in neutrophil count and haemagglutination titre. Immunostimulatory effect in the presence of immunosuppressant agent, cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was also investigated. T. cordifolia and C. asiatica significantly (p < 0.001, p < 0.05 respectively) enhanced foot pad thickness when measured after 24 hours of sheep RBC antigen challenge. Both the plant materials increased foot pad thickness even after being subjected to immunosuppressant exposure. T. cordifolia revealed enhanced neutrophil counts, while C. asiatica had no significant effect on neutrophil counts. T. cordifolia exhibited significantly (P < 0.01) elevated neutrophil levels even in the presence of cyclophosphamide administration. Both the plants exhibited humoral antibody response, as haemagglutination titre values were significantly high as compared to control. T. cordifolia and C. asiatica could combat immunosuppressant effect of cyclophosphamide (P < 0.01). This suggests that T. cordifolia and C. asiatica can be regarded as biological response modifiers and can be utilized for the development of immunostimulating agent among plant sources.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.421-427
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• 2001

Osteoclasts, cells primarily involved in bone resorption, originate from the hematopoietic precursor cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage and differentiate into multinucleated mature forms. We developed an in vitro osteoclast culture system using embryonic chicken bone marrow cells. This culture system can be utilized in studies on the differentiation and function of osteoclasts. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) have been implicated in diverse cellular functions including proliferation, migration, and survival. Using the developed avian osteoclast culture system, we examined the involvement of these kinases in osteoclast differentiation by employing specific inhibitors of the kinases. We Found that the inhibition of the PI 3-kinase, p38, or ERK interfered with osteoclast formation, suggesting that the signaling pathways that involve these molecules participate in the process of chicken osteoclast differentiation.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.105-109
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• 2006

Pinus densiflora belongs to the Pinaceae family which has been widely used for health promoting purposes as folk medicine or as a food. Various curative effects of different parts of the pine have been reported including as a remedy for carcinoma. We examined the effects of pine needle water extracts (PNE) on macrophage function using peritoneal macrophage, pre-osteoclast bone macrophage (Raw 264.7 cell) and brain macrophage (C6 microglia). When peritoneal macrophages were treated with various concentrations of PNE ($1{\sim}100{\mu}g/mL$) for 24 hours, phagocytic activity was significantly increased, whereas it had no effect on tumoricidal activity and NO production. However, the treatment of Raw 264.7 with PNE resulted in the enhancement of NO production at high concentration ($100{\mu}g/mL$). Furthermore, the treatment of C6 with PNE increased the production of NO in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas PNE suppressed NO production in $LPS/IFN-{\gamma}-stimulated$ microglia. These results suggest that PNE has differential immunomodulatory effects on macrophages.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.268-272
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• 2006

Cimicifugae Rhizoma (CR) belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, which has been traditionally used to treat climacteric complaints, antipyretics and diaphoresis as an alternative medicine for estrogen hormone replacement therapy with estrogens. Recently, it has been reported that different extract fractions of CR have various effects such as anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities. The current study investigated the immunomodulatory effects of Cimicifugae Rhizoma water extracts (CRE) in the macrophage-like cell line, Raw 264.7. Our results showed that CRE ($1\sim50\;{\mu}g/mL$) stimulated tumoricidal activity and NO production, whereas phagocytic activity was inhibited at the same concentrations. Additionally, iNOS mRNA expression was significantly increased in Raw 264.7 exposed to CRE as demonstrated by RT-PCR. These results indicate that the tumoricidal activity induced by CRE may be mediated by the production of NO and these activities may be useful for the treatment of diseases such as cancer.

• Food Industry And Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.34-40
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• 2008

• 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.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.79-92
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• 1999

Background/Aims: Aplastic anemia is defined as pancytopenia (anaemia, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia) result from aplasia of the bone marrow. Many studies have shown that survival rate of aplastic anemia is 50-60% with immunomodulation therapy. In Korea, there is a lack of research considering oriental herbal medicine with aplastic anemia. Methods: It was compared and analyzed that recently several experimental or clinical reports of oriental herbal medicine on aplastic anemia. Results and Conclusion: The oriental herb of Panax ginseng radix, Cprdonopsis pilosula radix, Astragalus membranaceus radix, Atractylodes marcrocephala. Cervi Cornu Parvum, Epimedii Herba, Boshniakiae Herba, Morindae Radix, Angelicae gigantis Radix, Cascutae Semen, Lycii Fructus, Polygoni Multiflori Radix potently stimulated hematopoietic stem cell activity, Response rate to oriental herbal medicine of aplastic anemia was 30-60% and effect rate of aplastic anemia was 73-93%, Bian zheng Lun zhi(辨證論治 treatment according to syndrome differentiation) which based on Shen xu(腎虛) is presumed to approach highest degree effect in response rate.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.189-193
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Lycium chinense Miller fruit and its representative constituent betaine on reduction of immobility time and blood parameters in balb/c mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated the immobility time and the changes in aspects of blood biochemical parameters by the administration of L. chinense Miller fruit and its representative constituent betaine, after the forced swimming test. The immobility time was significantly reduced about 41.3% and 53.6%, respectively, in the animal of L. chinense Miller fruit and its representative constituent betaine-administrated group for 7 days, in comparison with that of the control group. The level of blood urea nitrogen was significantly decreased in L. chinense Miller fruit and its representative constituent betaine-treated group compared with the control group (P < 0.05), respectively. In addition, the interlukin-2 levels of mice in L. chinense Miller fruit and betaine treated group was increased compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that L. chinense Miller fruit and betaine might be helpful in the immune function improvement, enhance physical stamina, and fatigue recovery.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.281-286
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• 2012

Helminthic infections afflict over 1.5 billion people worldwide, while Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects one third of the world's population, resulting in 2 million deaths per year. Although tuberculosis and helminthic infections coexist in many parts of the world, and it has been demonstrated that the T-helper 2 and T-regulatory cell responses elicited by helminths can affect the ability of the host to control mycobacterial infection, it is still unclear whether helminth infections in fact affect tuberculosis disease. In this review article, current progress in the knowledge about the immunomodulation induced by helminths to diminish the protective immune responses to bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination is reviewed, and the knowledge about the types of immune responses modulated by helminths and the consequences for tuberculosis are summarized. In addition, recent data supporting the significant reduction of both M. tuberculosis antigen-specific Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR9 expression, and pro-inflammatory cytokine responses to TLR2 and TLR9 ligands in individuals with M. tuberculosis and helminth co-infection were discussed. This examination will allow to improve understanding of the immune responses to mycobacterial infection and also be of great relevance in combating human tuberculosis.