• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2013

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate anti-imflammatory and protective effect for intestinal epithelial cells with Atractylodes macrocephae (AM), a traditional Korean Herbal medicine and fermented Atractylodes macrocephae (FAM) with Lactobacillus plantarum. Methods: HCT-116 and Raw 264.7 cells were used in this study. Using NO assay, we measured lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced anti-inflammatory effect. We measured permeability of intestinal epithelial cells with transepithelial electrical resistance and horseradish peroxide flux assay. Water soluble tetrazolium salt assay was used to see cell proliferation. All the results were presented in mean and standard deviation. We used Student's t-test for analyzing significance of results. Results: In Raw 264.7 cells NO production decreased 22.4% with pre-treatment of AM and FAM, especially with FAM in high concentration. In HCT-116 cells LPS-induced intestinal permeability had a protective effect with both AM and FAM, which was also tend to be proportional to the concentration. Cell viability increased up to 135.52% after treatment of high concentration of FAM in HCT-116, while there was no significant change in Raw 264.7 cells with herb treatments. Conclusions: These results show evidence that AM, especially fermented ones, significantly reduced intestinal membrane permeability. They also had a protective effect as well as an anti-inflammation effect for HCT-116 and Raw 264.7 cells. This suggest that FAM may be a therapeutic agent for Leaky gut syndrome by reducing intestinal permeability.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2017

Obesity is characterized by a state of chronic low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance, which are aggravated by the interaction between hypertrophic adipocytes and macrophages. In this study, we investigated the effects of tangeretin on inflammatory changes and glucose uptake in a coculture of hypertrophic adipocytes and macrophages. Tangeretin decreased nitric oxide production and the expression of interleukin (IL)-6, $IL-1{\beta}$, tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 in a coculture of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW 264.7 cells. Tangeretin also increased glucose uptake in the coculture system, but did not affect the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) and Akt. These results suggest that tangeretin improves insulin resistance by attenuating obesity-induced inflammation in adipose tissue.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2020

Objectives : The objectives of this study is to develop a mouse model similar to Taeeum-type by inducing Lung fibrosis with bleomycin, and to determine adequate concentration of bleomycin. Methods : The subjects were divided into six groups: normal, obesity induced group, and bleomycin administered 0.015U, 0.03U, 0.06U, and 0.09U(U/100g bw) concentrations respectively. Each concentration of bleomycin was dissolved in distilled water, and administered through Intra-Nazal-Trachea injection method. Food intake and body weight were measured at regular time weekly. At the end of the experiment, blood was gathered by cardiac puncture for biochemical examinations, organs were removed for histological examinations, and weigh and mRNA genes was analyzed. Result : Mice administered with bleomycin at 0.015U and 0.03U showed body and fat weight gain, and increased blood total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, glucose, and free fatty acid level. Fat related genes also showed higher level than the control group. Obesity was most strongly induced in the mice administered with 0.03U of bleomycin. On the other hand, when bleomycin was administered at concentrations above 0.06U, a model of obesity mouse was not created due to rapid emphysema inflammation and weakness. Conclusions : Mice were most vulnerable to obesity when bleomycin was administered at a concentration of 0.3 to cause liver damage. Bleomycin concentration over 0.06U did not cause obesity-induced mice, due to severe damage in liver.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 2016

Obesity is characterized as an accumulation of adipose tissue mass represented by chronic, low-grade inflammation. Obesity-derived inflammation involves chemokines as important regulators contributing to the pathophysiology of obesity-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers. The obesity-driven chemokine network is poorly understood. Here, we identified the profiles of chemokine signature between human preadipocytes and adipocytes, using PCR arrays and qRT-PCR. Both preadipocytes and adipocytes showed absent or low levels in chemokine receptors in spite of some changes. On the other hand, the chemokine levels of CCL2, CCL7-8, CCL11, CXCL1-3, CXCL6 and CXCL10-11 were dominantly expressed in preadipocytes compared to adipocytes. Interestingly, CXCL14 was the most dominant chemokine expressed in adipocytes compared to preadipocytes. Moreover, there is significantly higher protein level of CXCL14 in conditioned media from adipocytes. In addition, we analyzed the data of the chemokine signatures in adipocytes obtained from healthy lean and obese postmenopausal women based on Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. Adipocytes from obese individuals had significantly higher levels in chemokine signature as follows: CCL2, CCL13, CCL18-19, CCL23, CCL26, CXCL1, CXCL3 and CXCL14, as compared to those from lean ones. Also, among the chemokine networks, CXCL14 appeared to be the highest levels in adipocytes from both lean and obese women. Taken together, these results identify CXCL14 as an important chemokine induced during adipogenesis, requiring further research elucidating its potential therapeutic benefits in obesity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.322-329
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• 2015

Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense are often used in treatment of human diseases such as hemorrhage, blood congestion and inflammation in Korea. However, there was not report on the anti-obesity efficacy of water extracts from different organs of C. japonicum var. ussuriense. Here, we investigated the antioxidant effects of water extracts of flowers, leaves and roots from C. japonicum var. ussuriense. Total polyphenol amounts of the flower extract showed higher than those of leaf and root extract. Flower extract also showed the high antioxidant activities such as DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power. We also investigated the anti-obesity effects of water extracts of flowers, leaves and roots from C. japonicum var. ussuriense in 3T3-L1 cells and high fat diet-induced obesity mice. The mice were divided into four groups [high fat diet (HFD) control, HFD + leaf extract, HFD + flower extract and root extract] and administered with each extract (200 mg/kg) for 12 weeks. The flower and leaf extract significantly suppressed the levels of oil red O and triglyceride content. The flower and leaf extract also significantly reduced the triglyceride, total cholesterol and lower density lipoprotein levels of plasma as well as body and abdominal fat weight. Furthermore, oral glucose tolerance in the flower and leaf extract groups were significantly ameliorated in comparison to the high fat diet group. Therefore, these results indicate that the flower and leaf extract could ameliorate obesity and attenuate blood glucose level in high fat diet-induced obesity mice. We conclude that this study may provide positive insights into water extracts of flowers and leaves from C. japonicum var. ussuriense as a functional food ingredient for treatment of obesity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1357-1368
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-obesity and anti-inflammation effect of the cheonggukjang (a soybean paste fermented for only a few days) in diet induced obesity mice. Weight gain was significantly decreased in the mice fed cheonggukjang compared High Fat Diets (HFD). The HFD plus cheonggukjang (CGJ) were also effective in improving the lipid metabolism. The levels of plasma triglyceride, cholesterol, ALT, AST, leptin, glucose, and insulin were significantly lower in CGJ than HFD group (p<0.05). The adiponectin level of CGJ group was significantly increased compared to the HFD group (p<0.05). In the CGJ group, the mRNA expression of adipogenic genes in the liver and adipose tissues, which are transcription factors crucial for adipogenesis, were significantly suppressed (p<0.05). The number of $CD11b^+F4/80^+$ T cells, $Gr-1^{int}CD11b^{high}$ cells, and $Gr-1^{int}CD11b^{high}$ cells were significantly higher in HFD group than CGJ group (p<0.05). The size of adipocyte was significantly reduced in CGJ group compared to HFD group. In addition, the contents of liver lipid droplets were significantly downregulated in the CGJ mice than HFD mice (p<0.05). Collectively, these data suggest the novel function of cheonggukjang in modulating adipogenesis through an immune function-alteration involving downregulation of adipogenic transcription factors and macrophage activation.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.195-207
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate how Rhei Radix et Rhizoma affects on insulin resistance and adipose tissue inflammatory response in high fat diet induced obese C57BL/6 mice. Methods : Obesity was induced in C57BL/6 mice by high fat diet for 12 weeks. Models were divided into 3 groups (n=6) of normal diet, high fat diet (HFD), and high fat diet with Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and investigated for 12 weeks. We measured body weight, FBS and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), serum insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), weight of liver and epididymal fat pad. Inflammatory markers such as adipose tissue macrophage (ATM), tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interlukin-10 and CD68 of epididymal adipocyte were determined to evaluate the effect of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma on adipose tissue inflammation. Results : Compared with the HFD group, we observed loss of body weight and epididymal fat pad weight, improvement of glucose level and HOMA-IR, reduction of ATM and gene expression of TNF-${\alpha}$, CD68 in the high fat diet with Rhei Radix et Rhizoma group. Conclusions : This study suggests that Rhei Radix et Rhizoma has effects on insulin resistance and adipose tissue inflammatory response in high fat diet induced obese mice.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.397-405
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• 2014

Obesity has been considered as an important risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the association has not been fully elucidated. Obesity is linked significantly to adipose tissue dysfunction and to alteration of adipokines in blood; in particular, obesity-induced inflammation is thought to be an important link between obesity and colorectal cancer. Based on epidemiological studies, we undertook a systematic review to understand the association of circulating levels of selected adipokines, including adiponectin, leptin, resistin, IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$, with the level of CRC risk. Most prospective studies suggested protective effects of adiponectin, but these were attenuated by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) data in our meta-analysis. On the other hand, meta-analyses for leptin and CRC did not demonstrate any association, similar to the results of systematic review. Although it proved difficult to determine whether other selected adipokines (resistin, IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$) were related to CRC risk due to small number of reports, the present systematic review suggested a positive association with elevated resistin levels but null associations with IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.96-103
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• 2012

Obesity-induced disorders contribute to the development of metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance, fatty liver diseases, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this study, we evaluated whether the Aloe QDM complex could improve metabolic disorders related to blood glucose levels and insulin resistance. Male C57BL/6 obese mice fed a high-fat diet for 54 days received a supplement of Aloe QDM complex or pioglitazone (PGZ) or metformin (Met) and were compared with unsupplemented controls (high-fat diet; HFD) or mice fed a regular diet (RD). RT-PCR and western blot analysis were used to quantify the expression of obesity-induced inflammation. Dietary Aloe QDM complex lowered body weight, fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin, and leptin levels, and markedly reduced the impairment of glucose tolerance in obese mice. Also, Aloe QDM complex significantly enhanced plasma adiponectin levels and insulin sensitivity via AMPK activity in muscles. At the same time, Aloe QDM decreased the mRNA and protein of $PPAR{\gamma}/LXR{\alpha}$ and scavenger receptors in white adipose tissue (WAT). Dietary Aloe QDM complex reduces obesity-induced glucose tolerance not only by suppressing $PPAR{\gamma}/LXR{\alpha}$ but also by enhancing AMPK activity in the WAT and muscles, both of which are important peripheral tissues affecting insulin resistance. The Aloe QDM complex could be used as a nutritional intervention against T2D.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.577-588
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Poorly regulated inflammation is believed to be the most predominant factor that can result in a wide scope of diseases including atopic dermatitis (AD). Despite many studies on the effect of pear pomace in obesity-related disorders including dysregulated gut microbiota, the protective effect of pear pomace in AD is still unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pear pomace ethanol extract (PPE) on AD by inhibiting inflammation. MATERIALS/METHODS: In the in vivo experiment, 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) was applied to NC/Nga mice to induce AD-like skin lesions. After the induction, PPE was administered daily by oral gavage for 4 weeks. The clinical severity score, serum IgE levels, spleen weight, histological changes in dorsal skin, and inflammation-related proteins were measured. In the cell study, RAW 264.7 cells were pretreated with PPE before stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Nitrite oxide (NO) production and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-𝛋B) protein expression were detected. RESULTS: Compared to the AD control (AD-C) group, IgE levels were dramatically decreased via PPE treatment. PPE significantly reduced scratching behavior, improved skin symptoms, and decreased ear thickness compared to the AD-C group. In addition, PPE inhibited the DNCB-induced expression of inducible nitrite oxide synthase (iNOS), the receptor for advanced glycation end products, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, and NF-𝛋B. PPE inhibited the LPS-induced overproduction of NO and the enhanced expression of iNOS and cyclooxygenase-2. Moreover, the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and NF-𝛋B in RAW 264.7 cells was suppressed by PPE. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that PPE could be explored as a therapeutic agent to prevent AD.