• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.27 no.8
• /
• pp.1529-1538
• /
• 2017

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic and clinically significant emerging pathogen. We investigated the relative roles of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 in initiating host defenses against K. pneumoniae. TLR2 knockout (KO), TLR4 KO, TLR2/4 double KO (DKO), and wild-type (WT) mice were inoculated with K. pneumoniae. Mice in each group were sacrificed after either 12 or 24h, and the lungs, liver, and blood were harvested to enumerate bacterial colony-forming units (CFU). Cytokine and chemokine levels were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time PCR, and pneumonia severity was determined by histopathological analysis. Survival was significantly shortened in TLR4 KO and TLR2/4 DKO mice compared with that of WT mice after infection with $5{\times}10^3CFU$. TLR2 KO mice were more susceptible to infection than WT mice after exposure to a higher infectious dose. Bacterial burdens in the lungs and liver were significantly higher in TLR2/4 DKO mice than in WT mice. Serum $TNF-{\alpha}$, MCP-1, MIP-2, and nitric oxide levels were significantly decreased in TLR2/4 DKO mice relative to those in WT mice, and TLR2/4 DKO mice showed significantly decreased levels of $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, MCP-1, and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA in the lung compared with those in WT mice. Collectively, these data indicate that TLR2/4 DKO mice were more susceptible to K. pneumoniae infection than single TLR2 KO and TLR4 KO mice. These results suggest that TLR2 and TLR4 play cooperative roles in lung innate immune responses and bacterial dissemination, resulting in systemic inflammation during K. pneumoniae infection.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 1973

Metabolic responses to the protein-free, high-carbohydrate diet and subsequent food restriction on the same diet at the level of 50% and 75% has been studied on the adult albino rats. The energy source was either corn starch or sugar. In experiment I, adult male rats weighing $509{\pm}8g$ were divided into two groups 10 rats each. Rats fed on the stock diet served as a control. Rats of restriction group received a protein free diet until they reduced their weight down to 400g and continue on a protein-calorie restriction diet until they reduced their weight down to 300g. In experiment II, 28 adult male rats and the same numbers of female rats weighing $329{\pm}5g$ and $223{\pm}4g$ respectively were divided into four groups, 7 males and females in each. Rats fed on a stock diet were sacrificed at the point when others started a protein free diet. These were served as the control. The protein free group received a protein free diet ad libitum for 4 weeks. The 50% restriction group and 75% restriction group were fed on a protein free diet coupled with food restriction at levels of 50% and 75% respectively for 3 weeks. In the result of this study: 1. The rate of body weight changes was similar between the males and the females. Feeding protein free diet ad lib. initiated a rapid weight lost of approximately 25% and protein free diet coupled with food restriction showed 37-43% reduction of their initial weight. 2. There was no significant differences in the value of the N concentration in liver, spleen, brain and muscle between controls and experimental groups. 3. Rats fed on protein free diet showed 1/10 value of the control in the nitrogen excretion in urine. However female showed less N excretion than male. 4. Observing blood picture, the effects of protein depletion and calorie restriction were not appeared any remarkable changes. 5. There was no sign of fatty liver which might result from protein depletion and calorie restriction. 6. Following semi-starvation, FAO and HMP-DH total enzyme activity was reduced, but activity per unit weight was relatively stable.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.14-22
• /
• 2014

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) followed by radiotherapy (RT) in treatment-na$\ddot{i}$ve patients with locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: Eligibility criteria were as follows: newly diagnosed with HCC, the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C, Child-Pugh class A or B, and no prior treatment for HCC. Patients with extrahepatic spread were excluded. A total of 59 patients were retrospectively enrolled. All patients were treated with TACE followed by RT. The time interval between TACE and RT was 2 weeks as per protocol. A median RT dose was 47.25 $Gy_{10}$ as the biologically effective dose using the ${\alpha}/{\beta}$ = 10 (range, 39 to 65.25 $Gy_{10}$). Results: At 1 month, complete response was obtained in 3 patients (5%), partial response in 27 patients (46%), stable disease in 13 patients (22%), and progressive disease in 16 patients (27%). The actuarial one- and two-year OS rates were 60.1% and 47.2%, respectively. The median OS was 17 months (95% confidence interval, 5.6 to 28.4 months). The median time to progression was 4 months (range, 1 to 35 months). Grade 3 or greater liver enzyme elevation occurred in only two patients (3%) after RT. Grade 3 gastroduodenal toxicity developed in two patients (3%). Conclusion: The combination treatment of TACE followed by RT with two-week interval was safe and it showed favorable outcomes in treatment-na$\ddot{i}$ve patients with locally advanced HCC. A prospective randomized trial is needed to validate these results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.37 no.10
• /
• pp.1251-1257
• /
• 2008

For the first 42 days, we made rats obese by feeding them potato starch instead of corn starch and after that we fed them transformed potato starch by 4 groups for 70 days. The 4 groups are GPS group, SPS group, EZ group and H40 groups and each were fed normal potato, small potato, enzyme treated potato, and acid treated potato starches, respectively. We determined body weight and feeding efficiency, lipid profiles in serum, lipid peroxidation in tissues and redox antioxidant system as GSH and GP-x in vivo. As a result, there was no difference in the increment of body weight in the groups of GPS, EZ and H40. Therefore EZ group showed lower body weight increment than other groups. While GPS group and SPS group did not show significant difference in blood glucose, cholesterol level, LDL-cholesterol and TC, and their measured values were lower than those of EZ and H40 groups. No significant difference was found in HDL-cholesterol level except for GPS group. Furthermore, when calculating atherogenic index (AI) by HDL-cholesterol and TC contents, H40 group showed higher measured value than other groups. When measuring the lipid peroxidation in serum, kidney and liver tissues, the serum lipid peroxidation in H40 group was higher than others. In the tissue of liver and kidney, EZ and H40 groups showed significantly lower contents than others. The content of GSH showed different tendency in each tissue, but the measured value of GP-x activity was lower in SPS group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.291-297
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the hepatic detoxification effect of microcluster-water (McW). Animal experiments were divided into 4 groups: distilled water intake group (DC), distilled water intake-bromobenzene treated group (DB), McW intake group (MC), and McW intake-bromobenzene treated group (MB). There were no significant differences in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities between DC and MC groups, but the activities in MB group were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those in DB group. No apparent changes of aniline hydrolase activity were shown in all experimental groups, while glutathione S-transferase activity in MC and MB groups was higher than that in DC and DB, respectively. The content of hepatic lipid peroxide in DC group was similar to that of MC group. In addition, the contents in DB and MB groups were significantly (p<0.05) increased than that of DC group. The increasing rate in MB group was lower than that of DB group. Also, the electron donating activity of McW was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of distilled water. From these results, it could be suggested that McW has the possibility of having detoxification effect of bromobenzene induced hepatic injury by increasing glutathione S-transferase, which is known as a kind of hepatiic detoxification enzyme.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.69-81
• /
• 2013

Objectives In this study, effects of Macmundongtang (MMT) on ATP or TNF-${\alpha}$ or PMA or EGF induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression from human airway epithelial cells and the increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances of rats were investigated. Materials and Methods Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated for 30min in the presence of MMT and treated with ATP ($200{\mu}M$) or PMA (10 ng/ml) or EGF (25 ng/ml) or TNF-${\alpha}$ (0.2 nM) for 24hrs, to assess the effect of MMT both on ATP- or PMA- or EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and on gene expression by the same inducers using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). At the same time, hypersecretion of airway mucus was induced by exposure of rats to SO2 during 3 weeks. Effect of orally-administered MMT during 2 weeks on increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances from tracheal goblet cells of rats was assesed using histopathological analysis after staining the epithelial tissue with PAS-alcian blue. Possible cytotoxicity of MMT was assessed by investigating the potential damage of kidney and liver functions by measuring serum GOT/GPT activities and serum BUN concentration of rats and the body weight gain during experiment, after administering MMT orally. Results (1) MMT did not only inhibit but also increased MUC5AC mucin productions and expression levels of MUC5AC gene from NCI-H292 cells. (2) MMT did not decrease the amount of intraepithelial mucosubstances of trachea of rats. (3) MMT did not show renal and hepatic toxicities and did not affect body weight gain of rats during experiment. Conclusions The result from the present study suggests that MMT might normalize the production and gene expression of airway mucin observed in various respiratory diseases accompanied by yin-deficiency, without in vivo toxicity to liver and kidney functions after oral administration.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.14 no.11
• /
• pp.5646-5657
• /
• 2013

In this study, to evaluate the anti-obesity effects of mulberry leaf tea and its fermented product by Monascus pilosus, we investigated body and organ weight, blood and liver biomarkers in mice fed 1% tea infusions instead of water for 8 weeks. Mice were divided into three groups such as a normal control (NC), unfermented mulberry leaf tea infusion (UMI) and fermented mulberry leaf tea infusion (FMI). Although it is not significant, tea infusion groups showed reduction of body weight gains compared with NC group. Moreover, contents of LDL-cholesterol and lipid peroxide (LPO), altherogenic index, and xanthin oxidase (XO) activity were significantly decreased, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was significantly elevated. The results from this study suggested that UMI and FMI may have an anti-obesity activity, upregulate antioxidant enzymes and reduce levels of oxidants related to liver damage.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.31-46
• /
• 2016

Objectives In this study, the effects of Ja-eum-gang-hwa-tang (JGT) on the increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances of rats and ATP- or PMA- or EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression from human airway epithelial cells were investigated. Materials and Methods Hypersecretion of airway mucus was produced by exposure of $SO_2$ to rats for 3 weeks. The effect of orally-administered JGT for 2 weeks on increased epithelial mucosubstances from tracheal goblet cells of rats was assessed by using histopathological analysis after staining the epithelial tissue with Hematoxylin-eosin and PAS-alcian blue. Possible cytotoxicity of JGT was assessed by investigating the potential damage on kidneys and liver functions by measuring serum GOT/GPT activities and serum BUN concentration of rats and the body weight gain during experiment. Also, the effect of JGT on ATP- or PMA- or EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression from human airway epithelial cells (NCI-H292) were investigated. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated for 30 min in the presence of JGT and treated with ATP ($200{\mu}M$) or PMA ($10ng/ml$) or EGF ($25ng/ml$) or TNF-${\alpha}$ (0.2 nM) for 24 hrs to assess the effect of JGT both on ATP- or PMA- or EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and on gene expression by the same inducers using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results (1) JGT decreased the amount of intraepithelial mucosubstances of trachea of rats. (2) JGT did not show any renal and hepatic toxicities, and did not affect body weights either. (3) JGT significantly inhibited ATP-, PMA-, EGF-, and TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin productions from NCI-H292 cells. (4) JGT inhibited EGF-, and PMA-induced expression levels of MUC5AC gene in NCI-H292 cells. However, ATP- and TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC gene expression levels were not affected in NCI-H292 cells. Conclusions The result from the present study suggests that JGT might control the production and gene expression of airway mucin observed in various respiratory diseases which accompanied by mucus hypersecretion. Also, JGT did not show liver toxicity or impact on kidney functions. The effect of JGT should be further studied by using animal experimental models which can show proper pathophysiology of airway diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.36 no.5
• /
• pp.521-526
• /
• 2007

The effects of red ginseng powder on hepatotoxicity in $benzo(\alpha)pyrene\;[B(\alpha)P]$-treated mice were investigated. Male ICR mice were pretreated with red ginseng powder (50 or 100 mg/kg/day, for 5 days, intraperitoneally) before treatment with $B(\alpha)P$ (0.5 mg/kg, i.p, single dose). The ability of red ginseng powder to protect against oxidative damage to the mouse liver was examined by determining the level of lipid peroxide, glutathione, and the antioxidant enzyme activities. The glutathione content depleted by $B(\alpha)P$ were significantly increased by red ginseng powder, but elevation of lipid peroxide content induced by $B(\alpha)P$ was decreased by red ginseng powder. The increased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase after $B(\alpha)P$-treatment were decreased by the treatment of red ginseng Powder; however, glutathione S-transferase activity depleted by $B(\alpha)P$ were significantly increased. These results suggest that red ginseng powder can protect against $B(\alpha)P$ intoxification through its antioxidant properties.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.58-63
• /
• 2006

Three different diet were made with meat for Crossbred pig ($^{\circ}_{+}$, 195 days old, $l15{\pm}5\;kg,\;Landrace{\times}Yorkshire{\times}Duroc$) and used as feed for rats after transformed into 12% protein, These diets include a pork not fed with tangerine peel during finishing period (Control, $T_0$), a pork fed with 3 and 5% tangerine peel during growing and finishing period, respectively ($T_1$), and a pork fed with 6 and 10% tangerine peel during growing and finishing period respectively($T_2$). The effects of the diet on physiological activities of rats were studied by feeding 17 weeks-old Sprague-Dawley rats with the three diets for 4 weeks. The feed intake, weight gain, feed efficiency ratio, and weight of liver, kidney, spleen and epididymal fat pad for the rats was similar among the diets. The total lipid level of liver was similar among $T_0,\;T_1\;and\;T_2$. However, it was found that $T_1\;and\;T_2$ had significantly lower triglyceride and cholesterol level than $T_0$(p<0.05). All the diet groups showed similar trends in terms of the serum total lipid, phospholipid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol level, and atherogenic index, hemoglobin level, and ${\gamma}-GTP$, ALT, AST and ALP activities.