• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.70-83
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of single and combined applications of the bark of the stems and roots of Magnolia officinalis Rehd. et Wils. (Magnoliae Cortex) and Zea mays L. (maize) to modulate inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with Porphyromonas gingivalis. Methods: RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with P. gingivalis, and Magnoliae Cortex and/or maize was added. Cytotoxicity and the capacity to modulate inflammation were determined with a methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay, nitrite production, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and western blotting. Results: Treatment with Magnoliae Cortex and/or maize inhibited nuclear transcription factor ${\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) pathway activation and nuclear p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression in P. gingivalis-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, the treatments suppressed cytokines (prostaglandin $E_2$ [$PGE_2$], interleukin $[IL]-1{\beta}$, and IL-6) and nitrite production. Conclusions: Both Magnoliae Cortex and maize exerted an anti-inflammatory effect on P. gingivalis-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, and this effect was more pronounced when the extracts were combined. These findings show that these extracts may be beneficial for slowing the progression of periodontal disease.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.2955-2962
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• 2014

Asian ginseng is used as a treatment for cardiovascular diseases, ischemia, and cancers. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein acts as a late mediator of severe vascular inflammatory conditions. However, the effect of ginsenosides from Asian ginseng on HMGB1-induced inflammatory responses has not been studied. We addressed this question by monitoring the effects of ginsenoside treatment on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-mediated release of HMGB1, and HMGB1-mediated regulation of proinflammatory responses. Ginsenoside treatment suppressed LPS-mediated release of HMGB1 and HMGB1-mediated cytoskeletal rearrangements. Ginsenosides also inhibited HMGB1-mediated inflammatory responses. In addition, ginsenosides inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and activation of protein kinase B (Akt), nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$), and extracellular-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2 by HMGB1. Ginsenosides also decreased CLP-induced release of HMGB1, production of interleukin (IL) $1{\beta}/6$, and mortality. These results suggested that ginsenosides may be potential therapeutic agents for treatment of vascular inflammatory diseases through inhibition of the HMGB1 signaling pathway.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.1022-1032
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• 2019

Probiotics are known to provide the host with immune-modulatory effects and are therefore of remarkable interest for therapeutic and prophylactic applications against various disorders, including inflammatory diseases. Weissella cibaria JW15 (JW15) has been reported to possess probiotic and antioxidant properties. However, the effect of JW15 on inflammatory responses has not yet been reported. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of JW15 against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. The production of pro-inflammatory factors and the cellular signaling pathways following treatment with heat-killed JW15 was examined in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Treatment with heat-killed JW15 decreased nitric oxide and prostaglandin $E_2$ production via down-regulation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, treatment with heat-killed JW15 suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$. The anti-inflammatory properties of treating with heat-killed JW15 were associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway-mediated suppression of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$. These results indicated that JW15 possesses anti-inflammatory potential and provide a molecular basis regarding the development of functional probiotic products.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.9
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• pp.607-612
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• 2011

Several investigators have shown that CpG-DNA has outstanding effects as a Th1-responsive adjuvant and that its potent adjuvant effects are enhanced by encapsulation with a liposome of proper composition. In this study, we showed that encapsulation with phosphatidyl-${\beta}$-oleoyl-${\gamma}$-palmitoyl ethanolamine (DOPE): cholesterol hemisuccinate (CHEMS) complex enhances the immunostimulatory activity of CpG DNA and the binding of CpG-DNA to TLR9. We also examined involvement of myeloid differentiation protein (MyD88) and NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in liposome-encapsulated CpG-DNA-induced IL-8 promoter activation. In this manuscript, the natural phosphodiester bond CpG-DNA encapsulated by DOPE : CHEMS complex is designated as Lipoplex(O). Importantly, we successfully screened B cell epitopes of envelope protein (E protein) of hepatitis C virus (HCV-E) and attachment glycoprotein G of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV-G) by immunization with complexes of several peptides and Lipoplex(O) without carriers. Therefore, Lipoplex(O) is potentially applicable as a universal adjuvant for peptide-based epitope screening and antibody production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.836-843
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• 2004

Nontypeable H. influenzae (NTHi), a Gram-negative obligate human pathogen, causes pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, and otitis media, and the respiratory epithelium is the first line of defense that copes with the pathogen. In an effort to identify transcriptional responses of human respiratory epithelial cells to infection with NTHi, we examined its differential gene expression using high density cDNA microarrays. BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to NTHi for 3 hand 24 h, and the alteration of mRNA expression was analyzed using microarrays consisting of 8,170 human cDNA clones. The results indicated that approximately 2.6% of the genes present on the microarrays increased in expression over 2-fold and 3.8% of the genes decreased during the 24-h infection period. Upregulated genes included cytokines (granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor 2, granulocyte chemotactic protein 2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-8), transcription factors (Kruppel-like factor 7, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein $\beta$, E2F-1, NF-$\kappa$B, cell surface molecules (CD74, ICAM-1, ICAM-2, HLA class I), as well as those involved in signal transduction and cellular transport. Selected genes were further confirmed by reverse-transcription-PCR. These data expand our knowledge of host cellular responses during NTHi infection and should provide a molecular basis for the study of host-NTHi interaction.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2020

We examined the anti-inflammatory effect of the peel extract of the newly bred Korean apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) cultivar Green ball. To test its possible use as anti-inflammatory functional material, Raw 264.7 macrophages were treated with pro-inflammatory lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of Green ball apple peel ethanol extract (GBE). Notably, up to 500 ㎍/mL of GBE did not result in any signs of inhibition on cellular metabolic activity or cytotoxicity in Raw 264.7 macrophages. Supplementation with GBE to LPS-treated Raw 264.7 macrophage significantly suppressed various pro-inflammatory responses in a dose-dependent manner, including i) nitric oxide (NO) production, ii) accumulation of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, iii) phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) subunit p65, and iv) expression of pro-inflammatory biomarker genes, including tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 beta, interleukin 6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and prostaglandin E synthase 2.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.441-448
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• 2014

Inflammasomes are specialized signaling platforms critical for the regulation of innate immune and inflammatory responses. Various NLR family members (i.e., NLRP1, NLRP3, and IPAF) as well as the PYHIN family member AIM2 can form inflammasome complexes. These multiprotein complexes activate inflammatory caspases (i.e., caspase-1) which in turn catalyze the maturation of select pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-18. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome typically requires two initiating signals. Toll-like receptor (TLR) and NOD-like receptor (NLR) agonists activate the transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes through an NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent priming signal. Following exposure to extracellular ATP, stimulation of the P2X purinoreceptor-7 ($P2X_7R$), which results in $K^+$ efflux, is required as a second signal for NLRP3 inflammasome formation. Alternative models for NLRP3 activation involve lysosomal destabilization and phagocytic NADPH oxidase and /or mitochondria-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In this review we examine regulatory mechanisms that activate the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Furthermore, we discuss the potential roles of NLRP3 in metabolic and cognitive diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's disease, and major depressive disorder. Novel therapeutics involving inflammasome activation may result in possible clinical applications in the near future.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.394-399
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• 2013

In this study we demonstrated whether the extract of Polygonum aviculare L. (PAE) can be applied to the immune-stimulating responses in macrophages (Raw 264.7 cells). Cell viability was determined by WST-8 assay, and all four doses of PAE (5, 10, 20, and 40 ${\mu}g/ml$) had no significant cytotoxicity during the entire experimental period. PAE increased the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO), and mRNA expressions and protein levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines(tumor necrotic factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6) in the same cells. These immune-stimulating activities of PAE were found to be caused by the stimulation of $NF{\kappa}B$ signal and phosphorylation of MAP kinases (p38, ERK and JNK).

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.44-48
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• 2008

With extracts from Cheongmoknosang, anti-inflammatory effect was examined in LPS-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells. LPS (10 ng/ml) treatment increased the production of inflammatory cytokines, $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ but the ethanol extracts from Cheongmoknosang slightly decreased the production of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and also reduced the expression of iNOS and the production of COX-2. It seems that anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extracts from Cheongmoknosang is partly due to the inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 expression by inhibiting nuclear translocation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and AP-l in Raw 264.7 cells.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.227-231
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression mechanism of MCP-1 in gamma-irradiated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. MCP-1 plays an important role in attracting monocyte to injured site at the early inflammation stage. However the production mechanism of MCP-1 by gamma-irradiation in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells was almost undiscovered. We found that MCP-1 was produced in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells by irradiation with 5 Gy. And these inceases were attenuated by specific inhibitors treatment, such as $NF-{\kappa}B$, JNK, ERK, JAK2, and Pyk2. These results indicate that radiation-induced MCP-1 production is mediated by MyD88- and TRIF-dependent pathways in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Furthermore, gamma-irradiation induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. However this induction level was reduced before MCP-1 and $IFN-{\beta}$ production.