• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2010

Purpose : Adiponectin is an endogenous modulator of vascular remodeling that suppresses vascular inflammation. However, the role of adiponectin in Kawasaki disease (KD) has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between serum adiponectin level and several parameters, such as interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, lipid profile, and C reactive protein (CRP), and to clarify the association between adiponectin and cardiac function. Methods : Twenty-two KD patients (22 patients in acute phase and 20 patients in subacute phase) were enrolled in the study group. The control group consisted of 31 subjects (13 febrile patients and 18 healthy children). Both groups underwent blood sampling and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Results : CRP was significantly increased in the KD group compared with the control group. There were no significant differences in serum $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, and adiponectin levels between groups. However, a negative correlation was found between adiponectin level and CRP level or platelet count. Systolic myocardial velocity and A myocardial velocity measured by TDI were decreased significantly in the acute KD group compared with the subacute KD group and control group. Positive correlations were found between adiponectin level and systolic myocardial velocity or A myocardial velocity. Conclusion : In acute KD patients, low adiponectin level was related to severe inflammatory reactions and decreased left ventricular functions.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1391-1398
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the suppressive effects of ore minerals on the allergic cell damages and oxidative cell damages. The ore minerals significantly reduced the productions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in rat basophilic leukemia cells challenged with 2,4-dinitrophenol-bovine serum albumin (DNP-BSA). Lipoxygenase activity was also reduced by the ore minerals. Moreover, the ore minerals showed weak protective effects on the oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide in pig kidney cells and retinal ganglion cells. Photohemolysis of erythrocytes in the presence of rose-bengal as a sensitizer was also inhibited by ore minerals. These results suggest that the ore minerals may be useful as the protectant for allergic and oxidative cell damages.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.427-438
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• 2022

Pyroptosis, a form of cell death associated with inflammation, is known to be involved in diabetic nephropathy (DN), and discoid domain receptor 1 (DDR1), an inflammatory regulatory protein, is reported to be associated with diabetes. However, the mechanism underlying DDR1 regulation and pyroptosis in DN remains unknown. We aimed to investigate the effect of DDR1 on renal tubular epithelial cell pyroptosis and the mechanism underlying DN. In this study, we used high glucose (HG)-treated HK-2 cells and rats with a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin as DN models. Subsequently, the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins (cleaved caspase-1, GSDMD-N, Interleukin-1β [IL-1β], and interleukin-18 [IL-18]), DDR1, phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB), and NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes were determined through Western blotting. IL-1β and IL-18 levels were determined using ELISA. The rate of pyroptosis was assessed by propidium iodide (PI) staining. The results revealed upregulated expression of pyroptosisrelated proteins and increased concentration of IL-1β and IL-18, accompanied by DDR1, p-NF-κB, and NLRP3 upregulation in DN rat kidney tissues and HG-treated HK-2 cells. Moreover, DDR1 knockdown in the background of HG treatment resulted in inhibited expression of pyroptosis-related proteins and attenuation of IL-1β and IL-18 production and PI-positive cell frequency via the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in HK-2 cells. However, NLRP3 overexpression reversed the effect of DDR1 knockdown on pyroptosis. In conclusion, we demonstrated that DDR1 may be associated with pyroptosis, and DDR1 knockdown inhibited HG-induced renal tubular epithelial cell pyroptosis. The NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway is probably involved in the underlying mechanism of these findings.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.37 no.sup2
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• pp.409-426
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• 2007

세균성 치태는 치은의 염증과 치주 조직 파괴를 동반하는 치주염의 주요한 인자로서 치주 조직 건강을 유지하기 위하여 적절한 치태 조절이 필요하다. 본 논문의 목적은 12주 동안 만성 초기 및 중등도 치주염 환자에서 치은염에 대한 임상 지수의 감소, interleukin-6 (IL-6) 농도와 치주질환 원인균인 Prevotella intermedia (P. intermedia), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans)에 대한 소니케어 전동 칫솔의 효과를 일반 칫솔과 비교해 보고자 하는 데 있다. 총 82명의 환자를 선택하였으며, 30명은 일반 칫솔, 52명은 소니케어 전동 칫솔 군으로 분류하여 칫솔질 교육을 실시하였다. 전악을 전치부와 구치부로 나누어 초진, 1, 4, 12주에서의 치태, 치은 지수 및 탐침 시 출혈 여부를 조사하였으며, 가장 깊은 치주낭 탐침을 보이는 치아 3개를 선택하여 탐침 깊이와 부착 정도를 측정하였고, 선택된 치아에서 초진, 1, 12주에 채취된 샘플을 통해 치은열구액 내의 IL-6 농도와 P. intermedia, A. actinomycetemcomitans의 CT값을 추가적으로 조사하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1 소니케어 전동 칫솔과 일반 칫솔군 모두 치은 염증을 나타내는 임상 지수 (치태지수, 치은지수, 탐침 시 출혈)는 12주 기간 동안 유의한 감소 (p<0.05)를 보였으나, 전동 칫솔 군에서 통계학적으로 더욱 유의하게 (p<0.05) 나타났다. 2. 전치부를 제외한 구치부 치아에서 소니케어 전동 칫솔군은 12주 기간 동안 탐침 시 출혈의 감소가 통계학적으로 유의하게 (p<0.05) 나타났다. 3. 가장 깊은 치주낭 탐침 깊이를 보이는 3개의 선택된 치아에서 치주낭 탐침 깊이와 부착 정도는 두 군 모두 초진에 비해 유의한 감소 (p<0.05)를 보였다. 퍼센트 변화 비교에서 치주낭 탐침 깊이는 소니케어 전동 칫솔군이 $18.47{\pm}10.05%$, 일반 칫솔군이 $14.19{\pm}8.16%$로, 부착 정도는 소니케어 전동 칫솔군이 $24.26{\pm}12.51%$, 일반 칫솔군이 $15.65{\pm}9.92%$로 각각 나타났으나, 군 간 통계적 유의차는 보이지 않았다. 4. 치은열구액의 IL-6 농도는 두 군 모두 12주 기간 동안 통계적으로 유의한 감소 (p<0.05)를 나타내었다. 퍼센트 변화 비교에서 전동 칫솔군은 51%, 일반 칫솔군은 37%로 각각 나타났으나, 군 간 통계적 유의차는 보이지 않았다. 5. Prevotella intermedia, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans의 관찰에서 두 군 모두 유의한 차이는 없었다. 위 결과를 통해 본 연구에서는 소니케어 전동 칫솔의 사용이 일반 칫솔에 비하여 만성 초기 및 중등도 치주염 환자에서 치태의 제거, 치은 염증 및 임상 지수의 감소에 유의한 효과가 있으며 IL-6의 감소 경향에도 효과가 있음을 관찰하였다.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.100-109
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• 2015

Controlling balance between T-helper type 1 (Th1) and T-helper type 2 (Th2) plays a pivotal role in maintaining the biological rhythm of Th1/Th2 and circumventing diseases caused by Th1/Th2 imbalance. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is a Th2-type cytokine and often associated with hypersensitivity-related diseases such as atopic dermatitis and allergies when overexpressed. In this study, we have tried to elucidate the function of 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol (EC-18) as an essential modulator of Th1/Th2 balance. EC-18 has showed an inhibitory effect on the production of IL-4 in a dose-dependent manner. RT-PCR analysis has proved EC-18 affect the transcription of IL-4. By analyzing the phosphorylation status of Signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6), which is a transcriptional activator of IL-4 expression, we discovered that EC-18 induced the decrease of STAT6 activity in several stimulated cell lines, which was also showed in STAT6 reporter analysis. Co-treatment of EC-18 significantly weakened atopy-like phenotypes in mice treated with an allergen. Collectively, our results suggest that EC-18 is a potent Th2 modulating factor by regulating the transcription of IL-4 via STAT6 modulation, and could be developed for immune-modulatory therapeutics.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.331-336
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• 2010

We evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of proanthocyanidin-rich extract (PAE) from Pinus radiata bark in broiler. Proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and thymocytes was significantly enhanced in 2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg PAE-treated broiler chickens. Proliferation of splenocytes was significantly enhanced in 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg PAE-treated broiler chickens. These effects were markedly enhanced by the presence of LPS, which acts on B cells responsible for humoral immunity, and Con A, which acts directly on T cells involved in cell mediated immunity. PAE significantly promoted the expression of interleukin-18 and interleukin-$1\beta$. Thus, PAE from P. radiata possesses immunomodulatory effects in broiler chickens.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Excessive intake of simple sugars induces obesity and increases the risk of inflammation. Thus, interest in alternative sweeteners as a sugar substitute is increasing. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of saccharin on inflammation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. MATERIALS/METHODS: 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated into adipocytes. The adipocytes were treated with saccharin (0, 50, 100, and 200 ㎍/mL) for 24 h. Inflammation was induced by exposure of treated adipocytes to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 18 h and cell proliferation was measured. The concentration of nitric oxide (NO) was measured by using Griess reagent. Protein expressions of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and inhibitor κB (IκB) were determined by western blot analysis. The mRNA expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the amount of NO and the mRNA expression of iNOS in the LPS-treated group were increased by about 17.6% and 46.9%, respectively, (P < 0.05), and those parameter levels were significantly decreased by saccharin treatment (P < 0.05). Protein expression of NF-κB was decreased and that of IκB was increased by saccharin treatment (P < 0.05). Saccharin decreased the mRNA expression of COX-2 and the inflammation cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-α) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that saccharin can inhibit LPS-induced inflammatory responses in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via the NF-κB pathway.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.338-342
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• 2008

This study was performed to screen and select Lactobacillus strains from chicken feces for probiotic use in animals. Of these strains, strain AU had the highest immunostimulatory effect. Therefore, strain A12 was characterized as a potential probiotic. Strain A12 was tentatively identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus A12, using the API 50 CHL kit based on a 99.9% homology. L. acidophilus A12 was highly resistant to artificial gastric juice (pH 2.5) and bile acid (oxgall). Based on results from the API ZYM kit, leucine arylamidase, crystine arylamidase, acid phosphatase, naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase, ${\alpha}$-galactosidase, ${\beta}$-galactosidase, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, and N-acetyl-${\beta}$-glucosamidase were produced by strain A12. L. acidophilus A12 showed resistance to several antibiotics (nisin, gentamicin, and erythromycin). The amount of interleukin $(IL)-1{\alpha}$ in $20{\times}$ concentrated supernatant from L. acidophilus A12 was approximately 156pg/ml. With regard to antioxidant activity, L. acidophilus A12 supernatant showed 60.6% DPPH radical scavenging activity. These results demonstrate the potential use of L. acidophilus A12 as health-promoting probiotics.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.266-272
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• 2012

Hyperglycemia or high glucose (HG), is the hallmark of diabetes, known to induce oxidative stress, release of chemokines, and cytokines, which confer endothelial cell damage. On the other hand, microbial transformation of organic materials often leads to certain changes in their product structures which could enhance their biological activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of fermented Gastrodia elata (FGE) in HG induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) dysfunction. GE, fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has an extensive history of safe use, exhibited higher phenolic compounds content than those of Gastrodia elata (GE). The HG-induced production of nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were significantly attenuated by FGE pretreatment to the cells, in a concentration dependent manner. In addition, FGE showed marked activity in free radical scavenging. These results suggest that FGE possesses beneficial effects in protecting against the oxidative stress, and inflammatory conditions in endothelial cells, caused by HG.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5075-5079
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• 2012

Purpose: The results of recent published studies focusing on IL-8 polymorphism in colorectal cancer susceptibility have often been inconsistent. We therefore carried out a meta-analysis based on independent studies to assess the association. Methods: Nine case-control studies with 7,003 individuals (3,019 cases and 3,984 controls) were included in this meta-analysis through searching the databases of PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM; Chinese) (up to Aug 1st, 2012). The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were used to assess the strength of the association. Meta-analysis was conducted in a fixed/random effect model. Results: No obvious associations were found for all genetic models when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis (for A vs. T: OR = 1.084, 95% CI = 0.971-1.209, P = 0.019; for TA vs. TT: OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.943-1.475, P = 0.001; for AA vs. TT: OR = 1.155, 95% CI = 0.916-1.456, P = 0.014; for AA+TA vs. TT: OR = 1.170, 95% CI =0.953-1.437, P = 0.001; for AA vs. TT+TA: OR = 1.044, 95% CI = 0.886-1.230, P = 0.097). In the subgroup analyses by ethnicity (Caucasian) and source of controls (population based), also no significant associations were found for all genetic models. Conclusions: Result suggests that the IL-8-251T>A polymorphism is not associated with colorectal cancer risk. Because of the limitations of this meta-analysis, this finding demands further investigation.