• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.193-201
• /
• 2012

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an immune disorder that is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the world. The exact etiology of AD remains unknown, and a cure for AD is not currently available. The hypothesis that appropriate early microbial stimulation contributes to the establishment of a balanced immune system in terms of T helper type Th1, Th2, and regulatory T cell (Treg) responses has led to the use of probiotics for the prevention and treatment of AD in light of various human clinical studies and animal experiments. Meta-analysis data suggests that probiotics can alleviate the symptoms of AD in infants. The effects of balancing Th1/Th2 immunity and enhancing Treg activity via the interaction of probiotics with dendritic cells have been described in vitro and in animal models, although such an effect has not been demonstrated in human studies. In this review, we present some highlights of the immunomodulatory effects of probiotics in humans and animal studies with regard to their effects on the prevention of AD.

• CELLMED
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.23.1-23.7
• /
• 2012

The healing properties of medicinal maggots (larval stage of Lucilia sericata) are widely used in the chirurgical debridement of non-healing wounds including diabetic foot ulcers, venous and pressure ulcers, where classical approaches have failed. Several kinds of wounds are prone to complications coming out of a specific wound bed environment. There are multi-resistant bacterial species present, their pathogenic impact is multiplied by their ability to form a biofilm. Moreover, immunological events in chronic wounds differ from those in acute wounds. Non-healing wounds are cycled in the early inflammation phase with increased levels of inflammation attributes like inflammation cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases produced by inflammation phase cells. Application of larval therapy promotes progress in the healing process to the next stages involving tissue granulation and re-epithelisation. Larval debridement is an effective method of cleaning the wound of cell debris, necrotic tissue and bacterial load. This happens in a mechanical and biological manner, but the whole complex mechanism of the maggot healing activity is still not fully elucidated. Centuries of clinical practice brings noticeable proof of the maggots' beneficial effect in wound healing management. This long history led to the investigation of the bioactive components of the larval body and its extracts in vitro. We introduce a review which describes the immunomodulation impact of maggot body components on the cellular and molecular levels of the wound healing process.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.662-670
• /
• 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
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.79-92
• /
• 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 Veterinary Research
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.183-187
• /
• 2016

The effects of antlers have long been known in traditional Asian medicine. However, few studies have investigated the effects of antlers on immunity. In this study, we investigated whether fermented antler extract (FAE) has immunomodulatory effects on spleen cells. FAE enhanced the activity of spleen cells in a concentration dependent manner compared to antler extract. Interestingly, FAE significantly increased the production of interleukin-12, a representative cytokine of cell-mediated immunity, while it marginally increased that of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that FAE can protect spleen cells from spontaneous cell death without a significant proportional change in subsets, mainly lymphocytes. Taken together, the results of the present study showed that FAE has beneficial effects on spleen cells, a major type of immune cell, indicating that it can function as an immunomodulator without significant cytotoxicity. These data may broaden the use of FAE in basic research and clinical areas.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.487-493
• /
• 1998

In the previous study we described the antitumor effect of GLB, a protein-polysaccharide fraction separated from the growing tips of Ganoderma lucidum, against sarcoma 18 0 solid tumor in ICR mice. In this study, we separated an acidic protein-polysaccharide fraction, GLB-A, and a basic protein-polyaccharide fraction, GLB-B, from GLB by differential precipitation, and elucidated their antitumor and immunomodulatory activities. When ip injected at the dose of 50mg/kg/day into the ICR mice, GLB-A and GLB-B inhibited the growth of ip implantated sarcoma 180 cells by 32.4% and 21.0%, respectively. Of these, GLB-A increased the % lymphoblast in the spleen of the tumor-bearing and the normal mice by 20.9% and 123.0%, and the CD4/CD8 ratio by 73.3% and 22.4%, respectively. GLB-A also increased the expression of CD25 (IL-2 receptor alpha ch0ain) in normal mice by 82.0%. These results strongly suggest that GLB-A is a promising candidate for antitumor immunomodulatory medicine.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.79-87
• /
• 2020

Objectives: Ginsenosides found in ginseng, and the hydrolysates derived from their conversion, exhibit diverse pharmacological characteristics [1]. These have been shown to include anti-cancer, anti-angiogenic, and anti-metastatic effects, as well as being able to provide hepatic and neuroprotective effects, immunomodulation, vasodilation, promotion of insulin secretion, and antioxidant activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how quickly the ginsenosides decompose and what kinds of degradation products are created under physicochemical processing conditions that don't involve toxic chemicals or other treatments that may be harmful. Methods: The formation of ginsenoside-Rg2 and ginsenoside-Rg3 was examined. These demonstrated diverse pharmacological effects. Results: We also investigated physicochemical factors affecting their conversion. The heating temperatures and times yielding the highest concentration of ginsenosides (-Rb1, -Rb2, -Rc, -Rd, -Rf, -Rg1, and -Re) were examined. Additionally, the heating temperatures and rates of conversion of these ginsenosides into new 'ginseng saponins', were examined. Conclusion: In conclusion, obtained provide us with effective technology to control the concentration of both ginsenosides and the downstream converted saponins (ginsenoside-Rg2, Rg3, Rg5, and Rk1 etc.), as well as identifying the processing conditions which enable an enrichment in concentration of these compounds.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2011

Objective ： Lonicera japonica contains anti complementary polysaccharides and polyphenolic compound. Among these polyphenolic substances, chlorogenic acid is the major active component of this plant. However, the immunological mechanisms for these activities, have not been elucidated, nor the active components. To clarify immunomodulatory effects of those we examined the relationship between the activity of CD8+ T cell-mediated lysis and the frequency of cytokine profiles in spleen, thymus (especially IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-4, GM-CSF etc.) expressing CD8+ T cells activated by IL-2. Methods : To study immunomodulatory effects ethyl acetate fraction from Lonicera japonica, chlorogenic acid on cytokine gene expression from spleen, thymus cells, RT-PCR was performed after quantitative normalization for each gene by a densitometry using ${\beta}$-actin gene expression. A modified standard $^{51}Cr$-release assay was used to measure cytotoxic activities of cytotoxic T cells. Spleen, thymus cells from NOD mice were stained with CD3, CD4, CD44, CD69 in staining buffer and analyzed by two color flow cytometry. Results : We showed that ethyl acetate fraction from Lonicera japonica in combination with IL-2 resulted in a significant enhancement of PCR products for IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-4, IL-10, GM-CSF, IL-6 and cytotoxtic CD8+ T cell proportion in spleen and thymus T cells in NOD mice. This suggests that IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-6 like IL-4 may be acting as a regulatory rather than proinflammatory cytokine. Conclusions : In conclusion, based on the results of the present study which showed that ethyl acetate fraction from Lonicera japonica and chlorogenic acid upregulating cytokine gene expression in spleen and thymus, we are tempted to speculate that some of the therapeutic efficacies such as anti-diabetic activity of Lonicera japonica are due to the immunomodulatory its ethylacetate fraction and chlorogenic acid.

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

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.599-605
• /
• 2004

Sopungchungyoung-tang (SCT) has been widely used in Korea as a treatment of atopic dermatitis. SCT consists of Talcum, Rehmannia glutinosa, Angelica sinensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Cnidium officinale, Ledebouriella divaricata, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Scutellaria baicalensis, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Mentha arvensis, Cordyceps cicadae. We examined the immunological effect of SCT in vitro. We studied about the effect of SCT on Th cells' differentiation. In the case of CD4 T cells under neutral condition where there was only rIL-2 stimulus, SCT inhibited IFN-γ secretion by 70-80 %. Likewise, SCT also inhibited the IL-4 secretion of neutral Th cells by 85-90 %. We also experimented with the polarized Th1 cells/ Th2 cells and their production of IFN-γ and IL-4, respectively. There also were inhibitory effects on the polarized cells like there was on neutral cells, they were not as strong on the polarized cells. Under Th1 polarized condition, SCT acted dose-dependently, while in Th2 cells, the IL-4 production was inversely proportional to the doses of SCT. From the current study, it can be concluded that SCT exerts inhibitory effects on cytokine production without interfering with immune cells' activity. The result that SCT inhibits IFN-γ and IL-4 confirms that it does have a effect on immunomodulation.