• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2009

The great economic and social damage caused by unusual explosion of jellyfish population has attracted the attention of researchers. A chemical study on the bioactive components of the giant jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai led to the isolation of two new (1 and 2) and three known alkoxyglycerols (3 - 5), along with known monoglycerides (6 - 7) and fatty acids. Based on NMR and MS data, the structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated as 1-O-[(Z)-tetradec-3-enyl]-sn-glycerol and 1-O-[(Z)-octadec-10-enyl]-sn-glycerol, respectively. The absolute configurations of compounds 1 - 7 were determined by comparison of specific optical rotation values with those reported. The isolated compounds were evaluated for suppressive effect on the proinflammatory mediators (NO, IL-6, and TNF-${\alpha}$) in murine macrophage cells. However, they were found inactive upto the concentration of 100 ${\mu}M$.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2009

Neuropathic pain is often refractory to intervention because of the complex etiology and an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms behind this type of pain. Glial cells, specifically microglia and astrocytes, are powerful modulators of pain and new targets of drug development for neuropathic pain. Glial activation could be the driving force behind chronic pain, maintaining the noxious signal transmission even after the original injury has healed. Glia express chemokine, purinergic, toll-like, glutaminergic and other receptors that enable them to respond to neural signals, and they can modulate neuronal synaptic function and neuronal excitability. Nerve injury upregulates multiple receptors in spinal microglia and astrocytes. Microglia influence neuronal communication by producing inflammatory products at the synapse, as do astrocytes because they completely encapsulate synapses and are in close contact with neuronal somas through gap junctions. Glia are the main source of inflammatory mediators in the central nervous system. New therapeutic strategies for neuropathic pain are emerging such as targeting the glial cells, novel pharmacologic approaches and gene therapy. Drugs targeting microglia and astrocytes, cytokine production, and neural structures including dorsal root ganglion are now under study, as is gene therapy. Isoform-specific inhibition will minimize the side effects produced by blocking all glia with a general inhibitor. Enhancing the anti-inflammatory cytokines could prove more beneficial than administering proinflammatory cytokine antagonists that block glial activation systemically. Research on therapeutic gene transfer to the central nervous system is underway, although obstacles prevent immediate clinical application.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.255-265
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• 2001

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated an association between short-term exposure to particulate air pollutants and increased mortality. However the biological mechanism underlying these associations have not been fully established and also the chemical and physical characteristics of the pollutant particles are not well understood. The metal constituents of air pollutant particles and their bioavailability are considered to Play an important role as possible mediators of Particle-induced airway injury and inflammation. Sprague-Dawley rat alveolar macrophage cells (NR8383) were exposed to airborne and acid-leached particulate matter (PM). Titanium oxide and nickel subsulfide were used as negative and positive controls. Particle-induced reactive oxygen species formation in cells was detected using the fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate. Expression of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and PM-induced DNA double-strand breaks were determined with $\lambda$DNA/Hind III marker. Metals associated with air pollutant particles mediated intracellular oxidant production in alveolar macrophages, and the cytotoxicity and proinflammatory cytokine production induced by PM were associated with oxidative stress. The oxidants produced by air pollutant particles also are likely to induce DNA double-strand breaks. Our findings in alveolar macrophage cells exposed to PM and acid-leached PM support the hypothesis that metal components in urban air pollutants and their bioavailabilities might play an Important role in the induction of the adverse health effects.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.262-266
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• 1995

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the most potent inducers of various cytokines nad other proinflammatory mediators in macrophages. Although pathophysiological consequences of LPS-induced responses are well established, the mechanisms through which LPS-generated singals are transduced remain unclear. In the present study, we attempted to determine early intracellular events after LPS binding which transduced the signal for the induction of arachidonic acid metabolism in rat alveolar macrophages. While H-7, a protein kinase C(PKC) inhibitor, did not affect LPS-stimulated prostaglandin synthesis, staurosporine enhanced archidonic acid etabolism in macropahages treated with LPS. Phorbol-12-myristate-13 acetate snesitive to LPS compare with control group. PMA and H-7 did not alter the effect of flucose. Pertussis toxin did not show nay effect, thus pertussis toxin snesitive G-protein pathway appears not to play a role in this experimental system. Genistein and tyrphostin 25, protein tyrosine kinase 9PTK) inhibitors, markedly inhibited prostaglandin synthesis in macrophages nal transduction events leading to icnreased macrophage arachidonic acid metabolism.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.163-173
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• 2008

Objectives : Imyosan (IMS), a drug preparation comprised of Phellodendri Cortex (PC) and Atractylodis Rhizoma (AR), is commonly used as a traditional herbal medicine in Korea and China for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. However, little is known about the effect of IMS and its component herbs on inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 cells. Therefore, in this study, methanol extracts of IMS and its component herbs were examined to determine if they inhibited inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 cells. Methods : Cytotoxic activity of IJHT and its components on RAW 264.7 cells was using 5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2H-tetrazolium inner salt (MTS) assay. The nitric oxide (NO) production was measured by Griess reagent system. And proinflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA kit. The levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression were detected by western blot. Results : Methanol extract of IMS and its component herbs were significantly reduced iNOS and COX-2 expression as well as NO, PGE2, $IL-1{\beta}$ and IL-6 production in RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusions : The results of this study indicated that the anti-inflammatory effect of Imyosan extract is more potent than that of extracts of its component herbs in macrophages.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.17-40
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• 2000

Cytotoxicity assays using artificial skins have been proposed as in vitro alternatives to minimize animal ocular and dermal irritation testing. Accordingly, the responses of artificial skins to the well-characterized chemical irritants toluene, glutaraldehyde, and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and the nonirritant polyethylene glycol were studied. The evaluation of the irritating and non-irritating test chemicals was also compared with the responses observed in human dermal fibroblasts and human epidermal keratinocytes grown in a monolayer culture. The responses monitored included an MTT mitochondrial functionality assay. In order to better understand the local mechanisms involved in skin damage and repair, the production of several mitogenic proinflammatory mediators, interleukin-l$\alpha$, 12-HETE, and 15-HETE, was also investigated. Dose-dependent increases in the levels of かIn and the HETEs were observed in the underlying medium of the skin systems exposed to the two skin irritants, glutaraldehyde and SLS. The results of the present study show that both human artificial skins can be used as efficient in vitro testing models for the evaluation of skin toxicity and for screening contact skin irritancy.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.9-21
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• 2013

Objectives The purpose of this study was investigating effects of Jengjengamiyijin-tang (zhengzhuanjiaweierchentang) (JGYT) on lowering lipid, antioxidation and production of inflammatory mediators being used rats fed on high oxidized fat. Methods We divided fat Sprague-Dawley rats fed on high oxidized into 4 groups. Each of 8 rats was divided into a control group and experimental groups. We fed a control group of rats a basal diet and administered normal saline (100 mg/kg, 1 time/1 day) for 4 weeks. And We fed each experimental group of rats basal diet and administered an extract of JGYT extracts (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg, 1 time/1 day) for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed to determine their chemical composition. We measured lipid of plasma and liver, concentration of proinflammatory cytokines, antioxidative activity and plasma tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), Apo-B, Apo-E and Leptin gene expression. Results 1. Concentration of plasma FFA, LDL-cholesterol, plasma and liver total cholesterol showed a significant decrement in JGYT groups. However, concentration of plasma HDL-cholesterol showed a significant increment in JGYT groups. 2. Concentration of plasma and liver TG, TBARS showed a significant decrement in JGYT groups. However, concentration of liver GSH-Px, SOD and CAT showed a significant increment in JGYT groups. 3. Plasma GPT activity and concentration of plasma IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$, NO, Ceruloplasmin, ${\alpha}1$-acid glycoprotein showed a significant decrement in JGYT groups. 4. In the analysis of RT-PCR, gene expression of Apo-B and Apo-E in the JGYT groups showed a low expression than that of control group. However, the gene expression of leptin showed no difference in all the treatment groups. 5. The ratio of leptin expression per ${\beta}$-actin expression showed no significant difference among all treatment groups. However, The ratio of Apo-B and Apo-E expression per ${\beta}$-actin expression showed a significant decrement in JGYT groups. Conclusions According to this study, extract of JGYT showed a positive effect in lowering lipid, antioxidation and control of inflammatory mediators production.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.310-319
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• 2003

Inflammatory mediators has been recognized as an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). IL-17 is increasingly recognized as an important regulator of immune and inflammatory responses, including induction of proinflammatory cytokines and osteoclastic bone resorption. Evidence of the expression and proinflammatory activity of IL-17 has been demonstrated in RA synovium and in animal models of RA. However, the signaling pathways that regulate IL-17 production remain unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway in the regulation of IL-17 production in RA. PBMC were separated from RA (n=24) patients, and stimulated with various agents (anti CD3, anti CD28, PHA, ConA, IL-15). IL-17 levels were determined by sandwich ELISA and RT-PCR. The production of IL-17 was significantly increased in cells treated with anti-CD3 antibody, PHA, IL-15 or MCP-1 (P<0.05). ConA also strongly induced IL-17 production (P<0.001), whereas TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-18 or TGF-beta did not. IL-17 was detected in the PBMC of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) but their expression levels were much lower than those of RA PBMC. Anti-CD3 antibody activated the PI3K-Akt pathway and activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway resulted in a pronounced augmentation of nuclear factor kappaB ($NF-{\kappa}B$). IL-17 production by activated PBMC in RA is completely or partially blocked in the presence of $NF-{\kappa}B$ inhibitor PDTC and PI3K-Akt inhibitor, wortmannin and LY294002, respectively. Whereas the inhibition of AP-1 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 did not affect IL-17 production. These results provide new insight into that PI3K/Akt and $NF-{\kappa}B$ dependent signal transduction pathway could be involved in the overproduction of key inflammatory cytokine, IL-17 in rheumatoid arthritis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.448-461
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• 2013

Inflammatory bowel disease, known as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is an unexplained disease characterized by chronic inflammation that repeats a cycle of relapse, improvement, and complications. The cause of inflammatory bowel disease is not clearly known, but it is predicted that a complex of various factors precipitate its occurrence. In particular, inflammatory mediators, such as cytokine, induce an increase in cell-mediated inflammatory responses. Focal tissue damage then occurs in the intestinal mucosa because of the weakening of the immune-modulating functions of cotton. Immune and inflammatory responses do not decrease appropriately but continue until they lead to chronic inflammation. Current research has focused on the cytokine genes, which have important roles in these inflammatory responses. Cytokine is a glycoprotein that is produced mostly in activated immune cells. It connects the activation, multiplication, and differentiation between immune cells, which causes focal tissue damage and inflammatory response. Moreover, butyrate, which originates in dietary fiber and plays an important role in the structure and function of the intestinal area, shows control functions in the intestinal immune system by decreasing the proinflammatory cytokine and increasing the anti-inflammatory cytokine. Therefore, this research investigated the molecular mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effects of butyrate to comprehend the cytokine controlling abilities of butyrate in the immune cells. Butyrate is expected to have potential in new treatment strategies for inflammatory bowel disease.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.656-663
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• 2011

Licochalcone, a major phenolic constituent of the licorice species Glycyrrhiza inflata, a constituent of licorice, exhibits various biological properties, including chemopreventive-, antibacterial-, and anti-spasmodic activities. Recently, Licochalcone E (LicE) was isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza inflate, however its biological functions have not been fully examined. In the present study, we investigated the ability of LicE to regulate inflammation reactions in macrophages. Our in vitro experiments using murine macrophages, RAW264.7 cells, showed that LicE suppressed not only nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ generation, but also the expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Similarly, LicE inhibited the release of proinflammatory cytokines induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells, including tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-6. The underlying mechanism of LicE on anti-inflammatory action correlated with down-regulation of the nuclear factor-${\kappa}$B. Our data collectively indicate that LicE inhibited the production of several inflammatory mediators and might be used in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.