• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 2018

Background: Danggwisusan is a herbal medicine which is used to treat bruises, static blood, external injuries, and somatalgia in Korean medicine. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether Danggwisusan hot aqueous extract had an inhibitory effect upon inflammatory cytokine production and oxidation. Methods: Cytotoxic activity of Danggwisusan extract was examined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The amount of nitric oxide produced was measured using Griess reagent. Prostaglandin E2 production was measured using an enzyme immunoassay. Inflammatory cytokines ($IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$) were measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The anti-oxidative effect of Danggwisusan was measured by the 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl method. The amount of polyphenol and flavonoid contents were measured by Folin and Ciocalteauea phenol reagent and aluminum nitrate. Results: Danggwisusan hot aqueous extracts did not show significant toxicity at 10, 20, 50, and $100{\mu}g/mL$. At a dose of $100{\mu}g/mL$, Danggwisusan hot aqueous extract significantly inhibited nitric oxide and $PGE_2$ production, and significantly reduced $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ production. At a dose of $100{\mu}g/mL$, 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl free radical scavenging capability was over 50%. Conclusion: This study showed that Danggwisusan hot aqueous extract may have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects on macrophages.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.285-294
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• 2013

Chungyangeum (CYE) is a newly designed herbal drug formula for the purpose of treating atopic dermatitis. The aim of the present study is to elucidate whether and how CYE modulates the allergy inflammation in vitro and in vivo. We investigate to ascertain the pharmacological effects of CYE on both compound 48/80 or histamine-induced scratching behaviors and 2, 4-dinitrochlrobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis in mice. Additionally, we attempted to determine the effects of CYE on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages. The findings of this study demonstrated that CYE reduced compound 48/80 or histamine-induced scratching behaviors and DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis in mice. The CYE inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines as well as the activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ and caspase-1 in stimulated macrophages. Collectively, the findings of this study provide us with novel insights into the pharmacological actions of CYE as a potential molecule for use in the treatment of allergic inflammation diseases.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.459-465
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• 2008

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of in vivo administration of neem oil intra-peritoneally (i.p.) to mice bearing a progressively growing transplantable T cell lymphoma of spontaneous origin, designated as Daltons lymphoma (DL), on the tumor growth. Mice were administered various doses of neem oil mixed in groundnut oil, which was used as a diluting vehicle or for administration to control DL-bearing mice. Administration of neem oil resulted in an acceleration of tumor growth along with a reduction in the survival time of the tumor-bearing host. Neem oil administered DL-bearing mice showed an augmented apoptosis in splenocytes, bone marrow cells and thymocytes along with an inhibition in the anti-tumor functions of tumor-associated macrophages. Thus this study gives an altogether a novel information that neem oil instead of the popular belief of being anti-tumor and immunoaugmentary may in some tumor-bearing conditions, behave in an opposite way leading to an accelarated tumor progression along with a collapse of the host's anti-tumor machinery. These observations will thus have long lasting clinical significance, suggesting caution in use of neem oil for treatment of cancer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.171-175
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• 2008

Here, we report that Vibrio parahaemolyticus induces a rapid remodeling of macrophage actin and activates RhoB GTPase. Mutational analysis revealed that the effects depend on type III secretion system 1 regulated translocation of a V. parahaemolyticus effector protein, VP1686, into the macrophages. Remodeling of actin is shown to be necessary for increased bacterial uptake followed by initiation of apoptosis in macrophages. This provides evidence for functional association of the VP1686 in triggering an eat me-and-die signal to the host.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.813-818
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• 2002

Expression of monokine induced by IFN-$\gamma$(Mig) mRNA is well-known to strictly depend on Interferon-$\gamma$(IFN-$\gamma$). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone Is weakly effective on Mig mRNA expression in mouse Peritoneal macrophages. This study was undertaken to investigate the synergistic effect of LPS and IFN-$\beta$ on chemokine Mig gene expression in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Although IFN-$\beta$ alone was minimally effective, LPS plus IFN-$\beta$ synergized to produce a high level of Mig mRNh. The synergistic effect of LPS and IFN-$\beta$ (LPS/IFN-$\beta$) on Mig mRNA expression was strain-specific. The most effective synergistic effect of LPS/IFN-$\beta$ on the mRNh expression was found in simultaneous stimulation of LPS/IFN-$\beta$. This synergy was modulated at the level of the gene transcription and was not dependent on a new protein synthesis. Synergistic effect of LPS/IFN-$\beta$ also required the activation of $NF-_KB$. Accordingly, these data suggest that LPS/IFN-$\beta$ synergizes the expression of Mig mRNA through a process that depends on a pretranscriptional level and/or coincident Mig mRNA transcription.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.668-673
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• 2010

The purpose of this research was the comparative study of 3 kinds of black soybean on murine immune cells. The 3 kinds of black soybean are Glycine max Merr. with inner color-yellow (GY), Glycine max Merr. with inner color-greenish (GG) and Rhynchosia volubilis Lour. (RV). All of the black soybean increased the viability of murine thymocytes in vitro. The combined treatment of GY or GG and mitogen did not affect the viability of splenic T- and B-lymphocytes compared with mitogen-treated group, but the combined treatment of RV and mitogen increased their action compared with mitogen-treated group. Also, the 3 kinds of black soybean were given p.o. once a day for 7 days, respectively. RV increased the population of thymic-$CD8^+$, splenic-$CD8^+$ and $B220^+$ cells in vivo. Furthermore, GY and GG did not affect the phagocytic activity and the production of nitric oxide in peritoneal macrophages in vitro, but RV enhanced their action. These results suggest that immunopotentiative action of Rhynchosia volubilis Lour. is more potent than their of Glycine max Merr.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2011

We demonstrate that baicalein, a bioactive flavonoid originally isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis, inhibits LPS-induced expression of iNOS gene in RAW 264.7 cells. Treatment of peritoneal macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells with baicalein inhibited LPS-stimulated nitric oxide production in a dose-related manner. Immunohistochemical staining of iNOS and RT-PCR analysis showed that the decrease of NO was due to the inhibition of iNOS gene expression in RAW 264.7 cells. Immunostaining of p65, EMSA, and reporter gene assay showed that baicalein inhibited NF-${\kappa}$B nuclear translocation, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation, respectively. Collectively, these series of experiments indicate that baicalein inhibits iNOS gene expression by blocking NF-${\kappa}$B nuclear translocation. Due to the critical role that NO release plays in mediating inflammatory responses, the inhibitory effects of baicalein on iNOS suggest that baicalein may represent a useful anti-inflammatory agent.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.258-263
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• 2013

We demonstrate herein that silibinin, a polyphenolic flavonoid compound isolated from milk thistle (Silybum marianum), inhibits LPS-induced activation of macrophages and production of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells. Western blot analysis showed silibinin inhibits iNOS gene expression. RT-PCR showed that silibinin inhibits iNOS, TNF-${\alpha}$, and $IL1{\beta}$. We also showed that silibinin strongly inhibits p38 MAPK phosphorylation, whereas the ERK1/2 and JNK pathways are not inhibited. The p38 MAPK inhibitor abrogated the LPS-induced nitrite production, whereas the MEK-1 inhibitor did not affect the nitrite production. A molecular modeling study proposed a binding pose for silibinin targeting the ATP binding site of p38 MAPK (1OUK). Collectively, this series of experiments indicates that silibinin inhibits macrophage activation by blocking p38 MAPK signaling.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2017

The current investigation dealing with the causative agent of mass mortalities in cultured Oreochromis niloticus. The diseased fish showed external hemorrhage, unilateral and bilateral eye opacity, ended by blindness and fish death. The postmortem lesions revealed congested friable kidney and spleen, and liver has yellow nodules. Obtained isolates were identified as Aeromonas hydrophila (the causative agent of Motile Aeromonas Septicemia) and found to be highly pathogenic as they contained hemolysin virulence gene causing mortality reached to 100 and 70% in intraperitoneal and intramuscular infection. The prevalence of MAS was 80% among the surveyed O. niloticus. Blood and serum were collected from naturally diseased, intraperitoneal and intramuscular injected O. niloticus for hematological and biochemical examination. Similarly, gills, musculature, kidney, liver and spleen were collected for histopathological evaluation, and micropathomorphological analysis of spleen was done. Macrocytic hypochromic anemia was recorded in the intraperitoneal infection. Serum protein, albumin and globulin were decrease only in naturally diseased fish. Leucocytosis with heterophilia and lymphocytosis were observed in naturally diseased and intraperitoneal infected fish. There were severe degenerative changes and hemorrhagic necrosis in the examined tissues which were more obvious in intraperitoneal than intramuscular infection. Activation and proliferation of melanocytes macrophages centers with severe hemosiderosis were recorded in spleen of naturally diseased and experimentally infected fish.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2017

To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of natural products, we determined the anti-inflammatory activity of purified epigallocatechin (EGC) from Camellia sinensis leaves. In the present study, we found that EGC inhibited the production of proinflammatory mediators (IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$, NO, and $PGE_2$) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells. Suppression of IL-6 seems to be at least partly attributable to the inhibitory effect of EGC. TNF-${\alpha}$ is a major cytokine produced by LPS-induced macrophages, and they have a wide variety of biological functions including regulation of inflammation. The inhibition of IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ production by EGC may downregulate the acute-phase response to LPS, thereby reducing LPS-induced inflammation. In addition to IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$, EGC effectively reduced the production of other key inflammatory mediators, including NO and $PGE_2$. The inhibitory effect of EGC on NO and $PGE_2$ production was supported by the suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and COX-2 at protein levels. These results support the traditional use of EGC in the alleviation of various inflammation-associated diseases and suggest that EGC might be useful in the development of new functional foods for inflammatory diseases.