• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.98-108
• /
• 1994

The etiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia remain unknown. It has been postulated that infectious-autoimmune process may play a role in the pathogenesis of symptoms in some schizophrenic patients. Findings of altered interleukin(IL) regulation have been regarded as additional proof that schzophrenia has an infectious-autoimmune background. In the present study, we measured mitogen-stimulated production of and serum level of IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-2, IL-6 using ELISA in 16 neuroleptic-free schizophrenic patients and in 16 age, sex matched healthy controls. The results were as follows : 1) There was a significant decrease of IL-2 production in schizophrenic patients than in normal controls(respectively $1.90{\pm}0.13ng/m{\ell}$, $2.79{\pm}0.14ng/m{\ell}$, p<0.001). But there was no significant difference of IL-$1{\beta}$ production and IL-6 production between schizophrenic patients and normal controls. 2) There was a significant increase of serum level of IL-2 in schizophrenic pateitns than in normal controls(respectively $184.8{\pm}12.8pg/m{\ell}$, $104.2{\pm}34.2pg/m{\ell}$, p<0.01). Serum level of IL-$1{\beta}$ was partially detected in both groups and serum level of IL-6 was not detected in both groups. 3) There was no significant differences of IL-$1{\beta}$, -2, -6 production & serum level of IL-2 according to male vs female, paranoid type vs undifferentiated type, drug-naive group vs drug-free group in schizophrenic patients. 4) There was significant correlation between IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 production(r=0.86, p<0.001). No correlation between IL-$1{\beta}$, -2, -6 production, serum level of IL-2 and age, duration of illness, and BPRS score was found. It has been suggested that the low lymphocyte production of IL-2 in the patients with autoimmune disease occurs because the T cells are activated and lymphocyte-derived IL-2 has been released into the serum. The authors suggest that decreased IL-2 production in our schizophrenic patients is due to increased IL-2 serum level in those patients. Thus our finding of low IL-2 production and high serum level of IL-2 in our schizophrenic patients is compatible with the possibility that our patients have an autoimmune process. Further study on relationship between IL alteration and other immunological abnormalities(the presence of serum autoantibody and of anti-brain antibody, $CD4^+$, $CD8^+$ cell index, etc) in schizophrenic patients will be warranted.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.111-123
• /
• 2004

Objectives : It has been reported that Cordyceps militaris Mycelia(CMM) has an effect on deficiency allergic asthma(虛喘) clinically. The aim of this study was to determine an appropriate oriental treatment and the doses of CMM to treat asthma. Methods : In order to study the effect of herbal acupuncture solution of the CMM on allergic asthma, the mouse were pretreated by CMM herbal acupuncture at BL13, LU4 before antigen sensitization. 2 days later Mice were actively sensitized with a subcutaneous injection of ovalbumin(OA) and 13 days later they were provoked with OA aerosols. IL-4, lymphocyte, macrophage in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF), IgE in serum, WBC, RBC, HGB in blood, and in vitro isometric contractile responses of the isolated tracheal smooth muscle(TSM) to acetylcholine$(ACh,\;0.1-1000\;{\mu}M)$, KCl were measured. Results : Contractile responses of TSM to ACh were significantly increased in CMM herbal acupuncture 1 group $(Ach\;1000\;{\mu}M)$, CMM herbal acupuncture 2 group $(ACh\;1,\;10\;{\mu}M)$, CMM herbal acupuncture 3 group $(Ach\;0.3,\;1,\;30,\;300\;{\mu}M)$. The sensitivity of TSM to ACh was significantly decreased in CMM herbal acupuncture 3 group. The maximal contractile response of TSM to ACh was significantly decreased in CMM herbal acupuncture 1, 3 group. The maximal contractile response of TSM to KCl was significantly decreased in CMM herbal acupuncture 1, 2, 3 group. The counts of lymphocytes in BALF was significantly increased in CMM herbal acupuncture 3 group. The counts of macrophages in BALF was significantly decreased in CMM herbal acupuncture 3 group. Interleukin-4 level in BALF was significantly increased in CMM herbal acupuncture 1,3 group. and it was increased in CMM herbal acupuncture 2 group, but there was no significance. Serum IgE level was significantly decreased in CMM herbal acupuncture 1, 2, 3 group. The counts of WBC in blood was significantly increased in CMM herbal acupuncture 1, 3 group Conclusion : Based on the above results it is assumed that CMM herbal acupuncture at BL13, LU4 can help the treatment of deficiency allergic Asthm.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.30 no.12
• /
• pp.1819-1826
• /
• 2020

Increasing evidence suggests a potential role of microbial colonization in the inception of chronic airway diseases. However, it is not clear whether the lung and gut microbiome dysbiosis is coincidental or a result of mutual interaction. In this study, we investigated the airway microbiome in interleukin 13 (IL-13)-rich lung environment and related alterations of the gut microbiome. IL-13-overexpressing transgenic (TG) mice presented enhanced eosinophilic inflammatory responses and mucus production, together with airway hyperresponsiveness and subepithelial fibrosis. While bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and cecum samples obtained from 10-week-old IL-13 TG mice and their C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) littermates showed no significant differences in alpha diversity of lung and gut microbiome, they presented altered beta diversity in both lung and gut microbiota in the IL-13 TG mice compared to the WT mice. Lung-specific IL-13 overexpression also altered the composition of the gut as well as the lung microbiome. In particular, IL-13 TG mice showed an increased proportion of Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria and a decreased amount of Bacteroidetes in the lungs, and depletion of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in the gut. The patterns of polymicrobial interaction within the lung microbiota were different between WT and IL-13 TG mice. For instance, in IL-13 TG mice, lung Mesorhizobium significantly affected the alpha diversity of both lung and gut microbiomes. In summary, chronic asthma-like pathologic changes can alter the lung microbiota and affect the gut microbiome. These findings suggest that the lung-gut microbial axis might actually work in asthma.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.253-259
• /
• 2019

Objectives: It is reported that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) contribute to cancer progression by promoting tumor growth and metastasis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of different fractions of Adenophora triphylla var. japonica (AT) on the polarization of macrophages into the M2 phenotype, a major phenotype of TAMs. Methods: We isolated hexane, ethyl acetate, and butanol fractions from crude ethanol extract of AT. The cytotoxicity of AT in RAW264.7 cells was examined by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. RAW264.7 cells were polarized into the M2 phenotype by treatment with interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13. The expression of M2 macrophage marker genes was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The phosphorylation level of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) was investigated by western blot analysis. The migration of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells was examined by transwell migration assay using conditioned media (CM) collected from RAW264.7 cells as a chemoattractant. Results: Among various fractions of AT, the ethyl acetate fraction of AT (EAT) showed the most significant suppressive effect on the mRNA expression of M2 macrophage markers, including arginase-1, interleukin (IL)-10 and mannose receptor C type 1 (MRC-1), up-regulated by treatment of IL-4 and IL-13. In addition, EAT suppressed the phosphorylation of STAT6, a critical regulator of IL-4 and IL-13-induced M2 macrophage polarization. Finally, the increased migration of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells by CM from M2-polarized RAW264.7 cells was reduced by CM from RAW264.7 cells co-treated with EAT and M2 polarization inducers. Conclusion: We demonstrated that EAT attenuated cancer cell migration through suppression of macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype. Additional preclinical or clinical researches are needed to evaluate its regulatory effects on macrophage polarization and anti-cancer activities.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.56 no.5
• /
• pp.326-332
• /
• 2012

Mast cells play pivotal pathologic roles in allergic disease involving T helper 2 (Th2) cytokine such as interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13. Fisetin has been known as an anti-allergic agent having inhibitory effects on the IL-4 and IL-13 gene expressions in inflammatory immune cells. However, its molecular mechanisms for suppressive effects of fisetin on IL-4 and IL-13 in activated mast cells have been incompletely elucidated. In this study we found that fisetin significantly inhibited the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin (PI)-induced production of IL-4 and IL-13 in mast cells. The levels of mRNA were dramatically decreased by fisetin, indicating the suppression might be regulated at the transcriptional levels. Western blot analysis of the nuclear expression of various transcription factors involved in the promoter activation indicated that suppression of c-Fos was prominent together with significant down-regulation of nuclear factor of activated T-cell (NF-AT) and NF-${\kappa}B$, but not c-Jun. Furthermore, the nuclear expression of GATA binding protein 2 (GATA-2) transcription factor was significantly down-regulated by fisetin. Taken together, our study indicated fisetin has suppressive effects on IL-4 and IL-13 gene expression through the regulation of selective transcription factors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.234-241
• /
• 2001

The C-terminal 393 bp region of the human interleukin-16 (IL-16) gene was cloned and expressed in E. coli along with mammalian cell lines. Recombinant IL-16 expressed from E. coli was 22 kDa on SDS-PAGE and showed 260% of chemoattractant activity at a concentration of $0.1\;{\mu}g/ml$. HeLa, COS, and Neuro-2a cells were transduced by recombinant retrovirus vector pLNC/IL-16/IRES/TK and the intracellular and secreted amounts of IL-16 produced by HeLa/IL-16/TK, COS/IL-16/TK, and Neuro-2a/IL-16/TK cells were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). HeLa/IL-16/TK $(1{\times}10^5)$ and COS/IL-16/TK $(1{\times}10^5)$ cells secreted 36.1 and 13.3 ng of IL-16 for 48 h, respectively. Forty-nine ng and 86.4 ng of IL-16 remained in the cell lysates of HeLa/IL-16/TK and COS/IL-16/TK. Intracellular and secreted amounts of IL-16 from Neuro-2a/IL-16/TK $(5{\times}10^5)$ cells during 24 h cultivation were 50 ng and 3.3 ng, respectively. Also, HeLa and COS cells wee stably transfected with mammalian expression vector pCRIII/IL-16. Both culture media and cell lysates prepared from HeLa/IL-16 cells and COS/IL-16 cells showed chemoattractant activity ranging from 190% to 460% as compared to the control experiment. Expression of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV0tk) gene in pLNC/IL-16/ IRES/TK bicistronic retroviral expression vector was verified by performing a genciclovir (GCV) sensitivity assay. Finally, IL-16 repressed Tat-transactivated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat (HIV-1 LTR) promoter activity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.319-327
• /
• 2004

This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of defibrotide on the development of the surgically induced reflux esophagitis, on gastric secretion, lipid peroxidation, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) accumulation, polymorphonuclear leukocytes adherence, superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide production in PMNs, scavenge of hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide, cytokine (interleukin-1 ${\beta}$, tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$) production in blood, and intracelluar calcium mobilization in PMNs. Defibrotide did not inhibit the gastric secretion and not change the gastric pH. Treatment of esophagitis rats with defibrotide inhibited lipid peroxidation, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the esophagus in comparison with untreated rats. Defibrotide significantly decreased the PMN adherence to superior mesenteric artery endothelium in a dose-dependent manner, Superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide production in $1{\mu}M$ formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMLP)- or $0.1{\mu}g/ml$ N-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-activated PMNs was inhibited by defibrotide in a dose-dependent fashion. Defibrotide effectively scavenged the hydrogen peroxide but did not scavenge the hydroxyl radical. Treatment of esophagitis rats with defibrotide inhibited interleukin-1 ${\beta}$ production in the blood in comparison with untreated rats, but tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ production was not affected by defibrotide. The fMLP-induced elevation of intracellular calcium in PMNs was inhibited by defibrotide. The results of this study suggest that defibrotide may have partly beneficial protective effects against reflux esophagitis by the inhibition lipid peroxidation, PMNs accumulation, PMNs adherence to endothelium, reactive oxygen species production in PMNs, inflammatory cytokine production(i.e. interleukin-1 ${\beta}$), and intracellular calcium mobilization in PMNs in rats.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.47-65
• /
• 2000

In order to investigate antitumor and immune response effect by Hyangsapyungwisan after Sarcoma-180 cells and methotrexate were treatred each other, the extract of Hyangsapyungwisan was orally administered to ICR mice for 14 days. To evaluate the effects of the Hyangsapyungwisan, 50% inhibition concentration($IC_{50}$), mean survival days, tumor weight for antitumor effects, hemagglutinin titer, hemolysin titer, rosette forming cells, natural killer cell activity and productivity of interleukin-2 for immune responses measured in ICR mice. The results were summarized as follows: 1. Mean survival time in Hyangsapyungwisan-treated group was slightly prolonged, as compared with control group(13.46%). 2. On the MTT assay, cell viability was significantly inhibited by $5{\mu}g/well,\;2.5{\mu}g/well,\;1.25{\mu}g/well,\;and\;0.625{\mu}g/well$ of Hyangsapyung-wisan concentration inhibited cell viability significantly. $IC_{50}$ for cell viability was $11.59{\mu}g/well$. 3. Tumor weight in Hyangsapyungwisan treated group was depressed, as compared with the control group(p<0.05). 4. Hemagglutinin titer in Hyangsapyungwisan-treated group was slightly increased with no significance, as compared with the control group. 5. Hemolysin titer in Hyangsapyungwisan-treated group was silightly increased, as compared with the control group(p<0.05). 6. Rosette forming cells in Hyangsapyungwisan-treated group was silightly increased, as compared with the control group(p<0.05). 7. Naural killer cell activity in Hyangsapyungwisan-treated group was significantly increased(p<0.05). 8. Production of interleukin-2 was significantly increased(p<0.05). According to the above results, Hyangsapygwisan had prominent antitumor effects, and enhance both cellular and humoral immunity in mice.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.17
• /
• pp.7357-7362
• /
• 2014

Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a central proinflammatory cytokine, maintains immune homeostasis and also plays important roles in cervical cancer. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate any associations of IL-6 gene polymorphisms at positions -174 and -572 with predisposition to cervical cancer in a Chinese population. The present hospital-based case-control study comprised 518 patients with cervical cancer and 518 healthy controls. Polymorphisms of the IL-6 gene were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Patients with cervical cancer had a significantly higher frequency of the IL-6 -174 CC genotype [odds ratio (OR) =1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06-2.19; p=0.02], IL-6 -572 CC genotype (OR =1.91, 95% CI = 1.16-3.13; p=0.01) and IL-6 -174 C allele (OR =1.21, 95% CI = 1.02-1.44; p=0.03) compared to healthy controls. When stratifying by the FIGO stage, patients with III-IV cervical cancer had a significantly higher frequency of IL-6 -174 CC genotype (OR =1.64, 95% CI =1.04-2.61; p=0.04). The CC genotypes of the IL-6 gene polymorphisms at positions -174 and -572 may confer a high risk of cervical cancer. Additional studies with detailed human papillomavirus (HPV) infection data are warranted to validate our findings.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.335-340
• /
• 2011

In this study, we attempted to isolate novel mast cell-stimulating molecules from Staphylococcus aureus. Water-soluble extract of S. aureus cell lysate strongly induced human interleukin-8 in human mast cell line-1 and mouse interleukin-6 in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells. The active molecule was purified to homogeneity through a $C_{18}$ reverse phase HPLC column. By determination of its structure by MALDITOF and $^1H$- and $^{13}C$-NMR, adenosine was revealed to be responsible for the observed cytokine induction activities. Further studies using 8-sulfophenyl theophylline, a selective adenosine receptor blocker, verified that purified adenosine can induce interleukin-8 production via adenosine receptors on mast cells. Moreover, adenosine was purified from S. aureus-engulfed RAW264.7 cells, a murine macrophage cell line, used to induce phagocytosis of S. aureus. These results show a novel view of the source of exogenous adenosine in vivo and provide a mechanistic link between inflammatory disease and bacterial infection.