• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.194-200
• /
• 2014

Ginsan, polysaccharide isolated from the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, has been shown to be a potent immunomodulator, producing several cytokines and stimulating lymphoid cells to proliferate. In this study, ginsan was orally inoculated into BALB/c mice up to 39 days and the activity of immune cells containing macrophages and T cells was analyzed. Moreover, the production of cytokines, e.g., tumor necrotic factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$), GM-CSF and IL-12 was also analyzed. In results, the phagocytosis of macrophages was increased. About 13% cytotoxicity of NK cells was observed in 22 days and 29 days of administration. But, oral administration did not highly affect the proliferation of T cells. In cytokine analysis, 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg at 22 days and 29 days showed three times more increase in TNF-${\alpha}$ than the controls. IFN-${\gamma}$ showed 1.07 and 1.16 times more increase at 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg over 22 days, respectively more than the controls. 32 days of 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg induced GM-CSF of about 1.3 times more than the controls. IL-12 was not induced in samples more than the controls. Ginsan could be a potential immunostimulator. Therefore, our study suggests that it can be adapted as an immunostimulator that requires a relatively short oral administration.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.89-101
• /
• 2004

Objective : The present experiments were designed to study on the immune-enhancing effect of Mountain grown ginseng, Mountain cultivated ginseng, and Panax ginseng Method : In order to compare the immune-enhancing effect of moutain grown ginseng, moutain cultivated ginseng and Panax ginseng, the study was done through the forced swimming test (FST), measurement of T helper Th1, Th2 cytokines and fatigue related factors. Result : Moutain grown ginseng and panax ginseng decreased the immobility time in the FST compared to the control. Glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Total-protein (T-protein) in serum were investigated. The serum achieved from ginseng administered mouse showed higher BUN, T-protein than the control. moutain grown ginseng administered group showed lower LDH than the control group. moutain grown ginseng administered mouse showed higher glucose than the control. Creatinine was same in either experimental or control group. Ginseng-induced cytokine production in human T-cell line, MOLT-4 cells and mouse peritoneal macrophages were compared. Moutain cultivated ginseng (10-4 dilution) and panax ginseng (10-3 dilution) were increased the interferon $IFN-{\gamma}$ production compared with media control (about 1.6-fold P<0.05) at 48 h. Moutain grown ginseng (10-4 dilution) was increased the $IFN-{\gamma}$ and interleukin IL-4 production compared with media control (about l.4-fold for $IFN-{\gamma}$ and 1.6-fold for IL-4 P<0.05) at 48 h. Moutain grown ginseng (10-3 dilution) and moutain cultivated ginseng (10-4 dilution) were increased the turmor necrosis factor $TNF-{\alpha}$ production compared with $rIFN-{\gamma}$ treated cells (about 1.9-fold for $TNF-{\alpha}$ P<0.05), respectively. Moutain cultivated ginseng (10-3 dilution) was increased the IL-12 production compared with $rIFN-{\gamma}$ treated cell (about 1.7-fold for IL-12 P<0.05). Conclusion : These data suggest that three different three kinds of ginseng act on immune responses in different aspects.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.36 no.2 s.141
• /
• pp.88-92
• /
• 2005

Apoptosis plays an important role in autoimmune chronic (Hashimoto's) thyroiditis, a disorder that often results in hypothyroidism. The goal of this study was to induce apoptosis by the combination of inflammatory cytokines, interferon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$ and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, and to investigate a potential role of medicinal plants in the thyroid follicular cells (FRTL) in vitro. The apoptosis was evaluated by cellular viability, DNA fragmentation, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Extract of Gamgung-tang (GGT, Glycyrrhizae Radix, black beans, Angelicae Radix, and Cnidii Rhizoma) $(0.3{\sim}9.0mg/ml)$ was shown to maintain the viability of cells treated with $IFN-{\gamma}(100U/ml)$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ (0.5 ng/ml). FRTL cells were found to undergo DNA fragmentation with the inflammatory cytokines. The extract of GGT inhibited DNA fragmentation in dose-dependent manner. The cells with TUNEL-positive nuclei were detected with $IFN-{\gamma}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ treatment. The number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased with the treatment of extract of GGT. These results indicate that medicinal plants inhibit the occurrence of apoptosis in thyroid follicular cells, therefore, may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of autoimmune chronic thyroiditis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.217-223
• /
• 2012

In the present study, we investigated anti-inflammatory activity of artemisinic acid in HaCaT cells and RAW264.7 cells. Artemisinic acid showed inhibitory activity on macrophage-derived chemokines (MDC) expression, a factor related with atopic dermatitis (AD), in interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$-stimulated HaCaT cells. In the study on action mechanism, pretreated artemisinic acid reduced the phosphorylation of STAT1 and p38 and the degradation of $I{\kappa}B$ by IFN-${\gamma}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$ stimulations. However, artemisinic acid didn't show the inhibitory activity on LPS-induced inflammatory mediators (NO, $PGE_2$, IL-6) in RAW264.7 cell. These results indicate that artemisinic acid inhibits IFN-${\gamma}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MDC expression through inhibition of signal factors, STAT1, NF-${\kappa}B$, and p38, in HaCaT keratinocytes.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.231-238
• /
• 2012

Menthae herba (MH) extracts exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the anti-inflammatory effects of MH extracts vary according to the cultivation regions. We performed a comparative analysis of MH extracts by evaluating the production of inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells and HaCaT human keratinocyte cells. MH extracts obtained from different cultivation regions in Korea and China significantly reduced the production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). No differences in these inhibitory activities were observed between MH extracts. In HaCaT cells stimulated with TNF-${\alpha}$ and interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$), MH extracts did not inhibit the production of macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22), but most extracts reduced the production of the regulated on activation normal T-cell expression and secreted (RANTES/CCL5). We used clustering tree analysis of the MH extracts according to the chromatographic pattern and anti-inflammatory potency of MH extracts. We observed differences in the chromatographic pattern of MH extracts but no difference in anti-inflammatory potency. Our findings suggest that MH extracts from different regions do not show any differences in their pharmacological potency in that MH extracts are used as therapeutic agents to treat inflammatory disorders.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.125-137
• /
• 2006

Objectives : The effect of water extract of the pilose antler of Cervus korean TEMMINCK var. mantchuricus Swinhoe (Nokyong), a traditional immuno-suppressive and immuno-activating Korean oriental medicine, on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice model was studied. Identification of common Nokyong capable of affording protection or modulating the onset and severity of arthritis may have important human health implications. Methods : Nokyong has shown to possess anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties in experimental animals. In this study we determined the effect of DAE on collagen-induced arthritis in mice. Results : In three independent experiments mice given DAE in water exhibited significantly reduced incidence of arthritis (33% to 50%) as compared with mice given no DAE in water (84% to 100%). The arthritis index also was significantly lower in DAE-fed animals. Western blot analysis showed a marked reduction in the expression of inflammatory mediators such as cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2), $Interferon-{\gamma}\;(INF-{\gamma})$, and tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha})$ in arthritic joints of DAE-fed mice. The neutral endopeptidase (NEP) activity was approximately 6-fold higher in arthritic joints of non-DAE-fed mice in comparison to nonarthritic joints of nonimmunized mice whereas it was only 2-fold higher in the arthritic joints of DAE-fed mice. Additionally, total IgG and type II collagen-specific IgG levels were lower in the arthritic joints of DAE-fed mice. Conclusion : Taken together our studies suggest that DAE may be useful in the prevention of onset and severity of arthritis.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.257-261
• /
• 2009

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans) is an important pathogen casuing aggressive periodontitis. The present study was designed to investigate the chemokines expression regulated by A. actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Chemokines genes expression profiling was performed in Raw 264.7 cells by analyses of microarray and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Microarray results showed that the induction of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-$1{\alpha}$ (MIP-$1{\alpha}$), MIP-$1{\beta}$, MIP-$1{\gamma}$, regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), and interferon-${\gamma}$ inducible protein 10 (IP 10) by A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS was increased to 12.5, 1.53, 9.09, 17.3, 2.82, 16.1, and 18.1 folds at 18 h, respectively. To check these chemokines expression by A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS, we examined gene expressions by RT-PCR, and found that the expression of MIP-$1{\beta}$, MIP-$1{\gamma}$, RANTES, MIP-2, and IP 10 was increased 107.1, 93.6, 106.8, 86.5, and 162.0 folds at 18 h, respectively. These results indicate that A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS stimulates the several chemokines expressions (MIP-$1{\alpha}$, MIP-$1{\beta}$, MIP-$1{\gamma}$, RANTES, MIP-2, and IP 10) in Raw 264.7 cells.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.213-219
• /
• 2011

This experiment was conducted to assess the changing patterns and relative values of acute phase proteins and inflammatory cytokines in experimental caprine coccidiosis. Eighteen newborn kids were allocated to 3 equal groups. Two groups, A and B, were inoculated with a single dose of $1{\times}10^3$ and$1{\times}10^5$sporulated oocysts of Eimeria arloingi, respectively. The third group, C, received distilled water as the control. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of each kid in both groups before inoculation and at days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 post-inoculation (PI), and the levels of haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), TNF-${\alpha}$, and IFN-${\gamma}$ were measured. For histopathological examinations, 2 kids were selected from each group, euthanized, and necropsied on day 42 PI. Mean Hp concentrations in groups A and B (0.34 and 0.68 g/L) at day 7 PI were 3.2 and 6.3 times higher than the levels before inoculation. The mean SAA concentrations in groups A and B (25.6 and 83.5 ${\mu}g$/ml) at day 7 PI were 4.2 and 13.7 times higher than the levels before inoculation. The magnitude and duration of the Hp and SAA responses correlated well with the inoculation doses and the severity of the clinical signs and diarrhea in kids. These results were consistent with the histopathological features, which showed advanced widespread lesions in group B. In both groups, significant correlations were observed for TNF-${\alpha}$ and IFN-${\gamma}$ with SAA and Hp, respectively. In conclusion, Hp and SAA can be useful non-specific diagnostic indicators in caprine coccidiosis.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.273-280
• /
• 2013

Bamboo salt, a Korean folk medicine, is prepared with solar salt (sea salt) and baked several times at high temperatures in a bamboo case. In this study, we compared the preventive effects of bamboo salt and purified and solar salts on hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in Sprague-Dawley rats. Compared with purified and solar salts, bamboo salts prevented hepatic damage in rats, as evidenced by significantly reduced serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05). Bamboo salt (baked $9{\times}$) triggered the greatest reduction in these enzyme levels. In addition, it also reduced the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$. Histopathological sections of liver tissue demonstrated the protective effect of bamboo salt, whereas sections from animals treated with the other salt groups showed a greater degree of necrosis. We also performed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses of the inflammation-related genes iNOS, COX-2, TNF-${\alpha}$, and IL-$1{\beta}$ in rat liver tissues. Bamboo salt induced a significant decrease (~80%) in mRNA and protein expression levels of COX-2, iNOS, TNF-${\alpha}$, and IL-$1{\beta}$, compared with the other salts. Thus, we found that baked bamboo salt preparations could prevent $CCl_4$-induced hepatic damage in vivo.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.61-68
• /
• 2013

Objectives : Hibisci Flos has long been used for inflammatory diseases in traditional Korean medicine. However, little scientific investigation has been carried out. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of Hibisci Flos water extract (HF) on inflammatory cytokines production in Raw 264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccaride (LPS). Method : HF was prepared by extracting with boiling water for 2 hours. We observed the cell viability of mouse macrophage Raw 264.7, the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-15, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) in Raw 264.7 cells stimulated by LPS. Result : The MTT assay was carried out to check the cellular toxicity of HF. No significant toxicity was observed in the experiment. HF significantly inhibited the increase of NO in the macrophages induced by LPS after 24 hour treatment. HF significantly inhibited the production of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-15, TNF-${\alpha}$, IFN-${\gamma}$, VEGF, GM-CSF and M-CSF in the Raw 264.7 cells induced by LPS in the concentration of $25{\mu}g/mL$ or higher. Conclusion : These results suggest that HF might have regulatory effects on LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production, which might explain its beneficial effect in the treatment of inflammatory disease.