• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.356-367
• /
• 2023

Background: The aim of this study is to determine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Dusokohwaeum (DOE). Methods: To measure the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of DOE, the total flavonoid and polyphenol contents and radical scavenging activity were measured. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide, and cytokine production were measured by treating lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells with DOE, and gene expression levels of inducible cyclooxygenase-2, nitric oxide synthase, and cytokines were evaluated. Results: Radical scavenging experiments revealed a significant concentration-dependent increase in scavenging capacity. The production of ROS, nitric oxide, and cytokines in the cells showed a significant concentration-dependent decrease when compared with the control group. The gene expression levels of inducible cyclooxygenase-2, nitric oxide synthase, and cytokines also showed a significant concentration-dependent decrease when compared with the control group. Conclusion: Interestingly, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of DOE were 23.42 ± 0.64 mg GAE/g and 20.83 ± 0.98 mg QE/g, respectively. The administration of DOE resulted in a concentration-dependent increase in scavenging ability in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging ability experiments. The production of intracellular ROS and nitric oxide was significantly reduced in the presence of DOE. The production of inflammatory cytokines (prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-1 beta [IL-1β], and IL-6) was significantly reduced in the presence of DOE. Finally, the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were significantly decreased in the presence of DOE.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.263-271
• /
• 2024

Background: Delirium is a recognized neurological complication following cardiac surgery and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes, including elevated mortality and prolonged hospitalization. While several clinical risk factors for post-cardiac surgery delirium have been identified, the pathophysiology related to the immune response remains unexamined. This study was conducted to investigate the immunological factors contributing to delirium in patients after thoracic aortic surgery. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 43 consecutive patients who underwent thoracic aortic surgery between July 2017 and June 2018. These patients were categorized into 2 groups: those with delirium and those without it. All clinical characteristics were compared between groups. Blood samples were collected and tested on the day of admission, as well as on postoperative days 1, 3, 7, and 30. Levels of helper T cells (CD4), cytotoxic T cells (CD8), B cells (CD19), natural killer cells (CD56+CD16++), and monocytes (CD14+CD16-) were measured using flow cytometry. Results: The median patient age was 71 years (interquartile range, 56.7 to 79.0 years), and 21 of the patients (48.8%) were male. Preoperatively, most immune cell counts did not differ significantly between groups. However, the patients with delirium exhibited significantly higher levels of interleukin-6 and lower levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) than those without delirium (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that lower TNF-α levels were associated with an increased risk of postoperative delirium (p<0.05). Conclusion: Postoperative delirium may be linked to perioperative changes in immune cells and preoperative cytokine levels. Additional research is required to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying delirium.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.50.1-50.11
• /
• 2020

Osteoporosis is prevalent in elderly women and it may cause dental implant failure. In particular, estrogen deficiency in postmenopausal women leads to higher rates of osteoporosis prevalence. Immune cell-mediated effects involving the development of osteoporosis have been studied previously; however, the role of IL-10-producing regulatory B (B10) cells in osteoporosis is largely unclear. Here, we examined the role of B10 cells in osteoporosis. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to ovariectomy (OVX). Fifteen weeks after OVX surgery, the first molar of the right maxillary was extracted, and twenty-four weeks after OVX surgery, serous progression of osteoporosis was observed in the alveolar bone. Moreover, the proportion of CD19⁺CD5⁺CD1d^high regulatory B cells, B10, and CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ regulatory T cells from the spleen of OVX mice decreased during the progression of osteoporosis, compared to controls. In contrast to regulatory cells, IL-17-producing Th (Th17) cell levels were increased in OVX mice. Adoptive transfer of B10 cells to OVX mice led to a decrease in Th17 cell abundance and inhibited the development of osteoporosis in the alveolar bone from OVX mice. Thus, our results suggest that B10 cells may help suppress osteoporosis development.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.583-598
• /
• 2020

Objective: The aims of this study were to analyze deficiency-excess pattern identification and to compare the blood cytokines in patients with asthma. Methods: A total of 112 patients with asthma who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were divided into deficiency syndrome and excess syndrome groups. Blood was examined for eotaxin, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. The Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adult Korean Asthmatics (QLQAKA), a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and heart rate variability (HRV) tests were administered to both groups. Results: Pattern identification divided the 112 patients into two categories: a deficiency syndrome group (N=52) and an excess syndrome group (N=60). Analysis of blood cytokines showed higher levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in the deficient pattern than in the excess pattern group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Analysis of the HRV revealed a significantly higher mean value for the very-low-frequency (VLF) and high-frequency (HF) bands in the deficiency than in the excess syndrome group. The morbidity duration was longer in the deficiency than in the excess syndrome group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Analysis of the QLQAKA and VAS scores showed a negative correlation, whereas BMI and VAS showed a positive correlation. Conclusions: Levels of blood cytokines, including eotaxin, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, and TNF-α, did not differ statistically between the deficiency and excess syndrome groups. The development of a more accurate asthma-specific pattern identification tool would be useful in asthma control.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2006

Objectives : We investigated the effect of Dohongsamul-tang (DHSMT) on the production of various cytokines in lipopolysaccaride (LPS) stimulated peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from CI patients. Methods: Cell viability was determined using MTT assay. ELISA was carried out for investigating $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, IL-8, IL-4, and $TGF-{\beta}$ 1 Results : The amount of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, IL-8, IL-4, and transforming growth factor(TGF)-${\beta}$ 1 in PBMC culture supernatant significantly increased in the LPS treated cells compared to unstimulated cells. We show that DHSMT inhibited the production of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-1${\beta}$, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-4 induced by LPS in a dose dependent manner. The maximal inhibition rate of the TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-1${\beta}$, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-4 production by pretreatment of DHSMT (1.0mg/ml) was 38.52 ${\pm}$ 2.5% (P < 0.01), 44.02 ${\pm}$ 3.5% (P < 0.05), 45.32 ${\pm}$ 2.3% (P < 0.01), 42.30 ${\pm}$ 3.1% (P < 0.05), and 49.70　${\pm}$　3.1%(P ＆lt; 0.05), respectively. On the other hand, DMSMT significantly increased the LPS-induced TGF-${\beta}$ 1 production(P<0.05). Conclusions : Taken together. these results suggest that DHSMT might have regulatory effects on cytokine production, which might explain its beneficial effect in the treatment of CI.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.47 no.9
• /
• pp.512-517
• /
• 2014

In this study, we showed that Mycobacterium abscessus MAB2560 induces the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), which are representative antigen-presenting cells (APCs). M. abscessus MAB2560 stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-12p70] and reduce the endocytic capacity and maturation of DCs. Using $TLR4^{-/-}$ DCs, we found that MAB2560 mediated DC maturation via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). MAB2560 also activated the MAPK signaling pathway, which was essential for DC maturation. Furthermore, MAB2560-treated DCs induced the transformation of $na\ddot{i}ve$ T cells to polarized $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ T cells, which would be crucial for Th1 polarization of the immune response. Taken together, our results indicate that MAB2560 could potentially regulate the host immune response to M. abscessus and may have critical implications for the manipulation of DC functions for developing DC-based immunotherapy.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.339-348
• /
• 2007

This study were designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of $genistein-4'-O-{\alpha}-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ (GRG) isolated from Sophora japonica (Leguminosae) on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin ($PGE_2$) production by RAW 264.7 cell line. GRG significantly inhibited the LPS-induced NO and $PGE_2$ production. Consistent with these observations, GRG reduced the LPS-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) at the protein and mRNA levels in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the release and the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha})$ and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were also reduced by GRG. Moreover, GRG attenuated the LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$), a transcription factor necessary for pro-inflammatory mediators, iNOS, COX-2, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 expression. These results suggest that the down regulation of iNOS, COX-2, $TNF-{\alpha}$, and IL-6 expression by GRG are achieved by the downregulation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity, and that is also responsible for its anti-inflammatory effects.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.331-337
• /
• 2009

Interleukin-13 (IL-13) has been proposed as a therapeutic target for bronchial asthma as it plays crucial roles in the pathogenesis of the disease. We developed an in vitro test system measuring transcriptional downregulatory activities on IL-13 as a primary screening method to select drug candidates from natural products. The promoter region of IL-13 (-2,048 to +1) was cloned into the upstream of a luciferase gene in the plasmid pGL4.14 containing the hygromycin resistance gene as a selection marker, generating pGL4.14-IL-13. The EL-4 thymoma and RBL-2H3 mast cells transiently expressing this plasmid highly produced the luciferase activities by responding to PI (PMA and ionomycin) stimulation up to 8-fold and 13-fold compared with the control, respectively, whereas cyclosporin A, a well-known antiasthmatic agent, significantly downregulated the activities. The BF1 clone of RBL-2H3 cells constitutively expressing pGL4.14-IL-13 was established by selecting surviving cells under a constant lethal dose of hygromycin treatment. The feasibility of this system was evaluated by measuring the downregulatory activities of 354 natural products on the IL-13 promoter using the BF1 clone. An extract from Morus bombycis (named TBRC 156) significantly inhibited PI-induced luciferase activities and IL-13 mRNA expression, but not the protein expression. Fisetin (named TBRC 353) inhibited not only PI-induced luciferase activities and mRNA expression, but also the IL-13 protein secretion, whereas myricetin (named TBRC 354) could not suppress the IL-13 expression at all. Our data indicated that this in vitro test system is able to discriminate the effects on IL-13 expression, and furthermore, that it might be suitable as a simple and time-saving primary screening system to select antiasthmatic agents by measuring transcriptional activities of the IL-13 promoter.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.9-21
• /
• 2013

Objectives The purpose of this study was investigating effects of Jengjengamiyijin-tang (zhengzhuanjiaweierchentang) (JGYT) on lowering lipid, antioxidation and production of inflammatory mediators being used rats fed on high oxidized fat. Methods We divided fat Sprague-Dawley rats fed on high oxidized into 4 groups. Each of 8 rats was divided into a control group and experimental groups. We fed a control group of rats a basal diet and administered normal saline (100 mg/kg, 1 time/1 day) for 4 weeks. And We fed each experimental group of rats basal diet and administered an extract of JGYT extracts (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg, 1 time/1 day) for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed to determine their chemical composition. We measured lipid of plasma and liver, concentration of proinflammatory cytokines, antioxidative activity and plasma tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), Apo-B, Apo-E and Leptin gene expression. Results 1. Concentration of plasma FFA, LDL-cholesterol, plasma and liver total cholesterol showed a significant decrement in JGYT groups. However, concentration of plasma HDL-cholesterol showed a significant increment in JGYT groups. 2. Concentration of plasma and liver TG, TBARS showed a significant decrement in JGYT groups. However, concentration of liver GSH-Px, SOD and CAT showed a significant increment in JGYT groups. 3. Plasma GPT activity and concentration of plasma IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$, NO, Ceruloplasmin, ${\alpha}1$-acid glycoprotein showed a significant decrement in JGYT groups. 4. In the analysis of RT-PCR, gene expression of Apo-B and Apo-E in the JGYT groups showed a low expression than that of control group. However, the gene expression of leptin showed no difference in all the treatment groups. 5. The ratio of leptin expression per ${\beta}$-actin expression showed no significant difference among all treatment groups. However, The ratio of Apo-B and Apo-E expression per ${\beta}$-actin expression showed a significant decrement in JGYT groups. Conclusions According to this study, extract of JGYT showed a positive effect in lowering lipid, antioxidation and control of inflammatory mediators production.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.829-836
• /
• 2003

Seogakjihwang-tang (SJT) was widely used to treat patients suffering from cerebral infarction. But scientific investigation has been carried out very little. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of SJT on the production of various cytokines in the patients with cerebral infarction (CI). We investigated interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-1 in the sera of 27 patients with cerebral infarction under consciousness disorders and 10 normal controls using an originally devised sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found that plasma levels of IL-4 were slightly elevated in patients with cerebral infarction, whereas plasma levels of IL-10 (P<0.001) and TGF-1 were reduced. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from the patient with CI were cultured for 24 h in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). The amount of IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-1, in culture supernatant, was significantly increased in the LPS or PHA treated cells compared to unstimulated cells (P<0.05), We also show that increased cytokines IL-4, and IL-10 level was significantly inhibited by SJT in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal inhibition rate of IL-4 and IL-10 production by SJT was 45.63.3% and 614.7% for LPS-stimulated cell and 27.31.2% and 83.62% for PHA-stimulated cells, respectively (P<0.05). On the other hand, SJT significantly increased the LPS or PHA-induced TGF-1 production (P<0.05). These data suggest that SJT has a regulatory effect on the cytokines production, which might explain its beneficial effect in the treatment of CI.