• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.341-347
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• 2007

Red seaweed (Callophyllis japonica) has long formed part of the diet of Asians, but the pharmacological properties of this plant have not been evaluated. In this study, we examined the effect of an ethanol extract of C. japonica on the generation of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells. The C. japonica extract increased the generation of NO and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$), which were detected by the Griess method and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The increased production of NO by C. japonica extract was inhibited by $N^G$-monomethyl-L-arginine ($100{\mu}M$), a specific inhibitor of NO production in the L-arginine-dependent pathway, and by the nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) inhibitor, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate ($10-100{\mu}M$) in a dose-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate that C. japonica extract stimulates the production of NO and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in RAW 264.7 cells through the activation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and that this extract might also inhibit the growth of the human leukemic cells.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.138-147
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• 2003

Objectives : In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which Chelidonium majus (CM) regulates nitric oxide (NO) production. Methods : Using mouse peritoneal macrophages, the mechanism by which CM regulates NO or tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}(TNF-{\alpha})$ production was examined. NO release was measured by the Griess method. $TNF-{\alpha}$ production was measured by the ELISA method. The protein extracts were prepared and samples were analyzed for the inducible NOS(iNOS) expression and nuclear factor kappa $B(NF-{\kappa}B)$ activation by Western blotting. Results : When CM was used in combination with recombinant $interferon-{\gamma}{\;}(rIFN-{\gamma})$, there was a marked cooperative induction of NO production. CM had an effect on NO production by itself. The expression of the iNOS gene was increased in $rIFN-{\gamma}$ plus CM-stimulated peritoneal macrophages and almost completely inhibited by pre-treatment with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an inhibitor of $NF-{\kappa}B$. The $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation was increased in rIFN-{\gamma} plus CM-induced peritoneal macrophages. The increased production of NO from $rIFN-{\gamma}$ plus CM-stimulated peritoneal rnacrophages was decreased by the treatment with $N^{G}-monomethyl-{_L}-arginine{\;}(N^{G}MMA){\;}N^{\alpha}-Tosyl-Phe$ chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) , and was almost completely inhibited by pre-treatment with PDTC. Furthermore, treatment with CM alone or rIFN-{\gamma} plus CM in peritoneal macrophages caused a significant increase in $TNF-{\alpha}$ production. PDTC decreased CM-induced $TNF-{\alpha}$ production significantly. After CM treatment in HT-29 or AGS cells, cell viability decreased. Conclusions : These findings demonstrate that CM increases the production of NO and $TNF-{\alpha}{\;}by{\;}rIFN-{\gamma}-primed$ macrophages and suggest that NF-B plays a critical role in mediating these effects of CM.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제28권10호
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• pp.1170-1176
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• 2005

2-Methyl-2-(2-methylpropenyl)-2,3-dihydronaphthoquinone[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione (N FD-37) is a synthetic furonaphthoquinone compound. In this study, we determined that NFD-37 could inhibit the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of inflammatory mediators in macrophages RAW 264.7. This compound inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) or prostaglandin (PG) $E_{2}$ production in dose-dependent manners, with $IC_{50}$ values of 7.2 ${\mu}M$ and 5.3 ${\mu}m$, respectively. As the positive controls, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (30 ${\mu}M$) exhibited a $57{\%}$ inhibition of NO production, and NS-398 ($1{\mu}M$) manifested a $48{\%}$ inhibition of $PGE_2$ production. The inhibitory effects of NFD-37 on NO and $PGE_2$ production were determined to occur in conjunction with the suppression of inducible NO synthase or cyclooxygenase-2 expression. NFD-37 also inhibited the production of LPS-inducible tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6, at $IC_{50}$ values of 4.8-8.9 ${\mu}M$. We also determined the anti-inflammatory efficacy of NFD-37 using carrageenin-induced paw edema in experimental mice.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.25-34
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• 2002

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by synovial hyperplasia and joint destruction. The synovial fibroblasts express cell adhesion molecules and have a role in adhesive interation with inflammatory cells in synovial tissue. It has been suggested that hypoxic conditioins are thought to exist in arthritic joints, and several studies indicate that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in hypoxic condition can initiate events that lead to pro-adhesive changes via increased expression of adhesion molecules. So, this study wsa designed to examine whether antioxidant can inhibit hypoxia-induced expression of ICAM-1 in cultured human synovial fibroblasts. Methods: Synovial fibroblasts were isolated from synovial tissue in patients with RA and cultured at hypoxic condition. Antioxidant, PDTC (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate) were pre-treated for an hour before the hypoxic culture and synovial fibroblasts were harvested at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours time points. Cell surface ICAM-1 expression in synovial fibroblasts was examined by the flow cytometric analysis. To analyse the expression of ICAM-1 mRNA, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed. The levels of cytokines in culture supernatants were measured by ELISA, and activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ was analysed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The adhesive reaction between synovial fibroblasts and lymphocytes was assayed by measurement of fluorescent intensity of BCECF-AM in lymphocytes. Results: Hypoxic stimuli up-regulated the ICAM-1 expression as well as the adhesive interaction of human synvial fibroblasts to lymphocytes in a time-dependent manner, and PDTC inhibited hpyoxia-induced ICAM-1 expression and cell-cell interaction. PDTC also inhibited the hypoxia-induced activation of intracellular transcription factor, NF-${\kappa}B$. PDTC decreased the amount of hypoxia-induced production of IL-$1{\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$. Conclusion: These studies demonstrate that PDTC inhibit the hypoxia-induced expression of the adhesion molecule, ICAM-1 and activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ in cultured human synovial fibroblasts.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제27권10호
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• pp.1053-1059
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• 2004

$N^1$-Benzyl-4-methylbenzene-1,2-diamine (JSH-21) and its analogs were chemically synthesized and their anti-inflammatory potentials investigated. JSH-21 inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages RAW 264.7 in a dose-dependent manner, with an $IC_{50}$ value of 9.2 ${\mu}M$, where pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and parthenolide as positive controls exhibited $IC_{50}$ values of 29.3 and 3.6 ${\mu}M$, respectively. The inhibitory effect of JSH-21 on the NO production was attributable to its down-regulatory action on LPS-inducible NO synthase (iNOS), which was documented by iNOS promoter activity. In the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory action, JSH-21 exhibited inhibitory effects on LPS-induced DNA binding activity and transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-$_KB$). Structural analogs of JSH-21 also inhibited both the LPS-induced NO production and NF-$_KB$). transcriptional activity, where diamine substitution at positions 1 and 2 of JSH-21 seems to play an important role in the anti-inflammatory activity.

• Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.643-655
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• 2018

Background/Aims Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disease characterized by intestinal dysmotility, the mechanism of which remains elusive. We aim to determine whether the high-affinity choline transporter 1 (CHT1), a determinant of cholinergic signaling capacity, modulates intestinal motility associated with stress-induced IBS. Methods A rat IBS model was established using chronic water avoidance stress (WAS). Colonic pathological alterations were evaluated histologically and intestinal motility was assessed by intestinal transit time and fecal water content (FWC). Visceral sensitivity was determined by visceromotor response to colorectal distension. RT-PCR, western blotting, and immunostaining were performed to identify colonic CHT1 expression. Contractility of colonic muscle strips was measured using isometric transducers. enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure acetylcholine (ACh). We examined the effects of MKC-231, a choline uptake enhancer, on colonic motility. Results After 10 days of WAS, intestinal transit time was decreased and fecal water content increased. Visceromotor response magnitude in WAS rats in response to colorectal distension was significantly enhanced. Protein and mRNA CHT1 levels in the colon were markedly elevated after WAS. The density of CHT1-positive intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal and myenteric plexus neurons in WAS rats was higher than in controls. Ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate partly reversed CHT1 upregulation and alleviated colonic hypermotility in WAS rats. Pharmacological enhancement of CHT1 activity by MKC-231 enhanced colonic motility in control rats via upregulation of CHT1 and elevation of ACh production. Conclusion Upregulation of CHT1 in intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal and myenteric plexus neurons is implicated in chronic stress-induced colonic hypermotility by modulation of ACh synthesis via nuclear factor-kappa B signaling.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.481-489
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• 2010

Introduction: TLR-5, a member of the toll-like receptor (TLR) family, is a element of the type I transmembrane receptors, which are characterized by an intracellular signaling domain homolog to the interleukin-1 receptor. These receptors recognize microbial components, particularly bacterial flagellin. All-trans retinoic acid (atRA, tretinoin), a natural metabolite of vitamin A, acts as a growth and differentiation factor in many tissues, and is also needed for immune functions. In this study, THP-1 human macrophage-monocytes were used to examine the mechanisms by which atRA regulated the expression of TLR-5. Because the molecular mechanism underlying this regulation at the transcriptional level is also unclear, this study examined which putative transcription factors are responsible for TLR-5 expression by atRA in immune cells. Materials and Methods: This study examined whether atRA induces the expression of TLR-5 in THP-1 cells using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and which transcription factors are involved in regulating the TLR-5 promoter in RAW264.7 cells using a reporter assay system. Western blot analysis was used to determine which signal pathway is involved in the expression of TLR-5 in atRA-treated THP-1 cells. Results: atRA at a concentration of 10 nM greatly induced the expression of TLR-5 in THP-1 cells. Human TLR-5 promoter contains three Sp-1/GC binding sites around -50 bp and two NF-kB binding sites at -380 bp and -160 bp from the transcriptional start site of the TLR-5 gene. Sp-1/GC is primarily responsible for the constitutive TLR-5 expression, and may also contribute to NF-kB at -160 bp to induce TLR-5 after atRA stimulation in THP-1 cells. The role of NF-kB in TLR-5 expression was further confirmed by inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) experiments, which greatly reduced the TLR-5 transcription by 70-80%. Conclusion: atRA induces the expression of the human TLR-5 gene and NF-kB is a critical transcription factor for the atRA-induced expression of TLR-5. Accordingly, it is conceivable that retinoids are required for adequate innate and adaptive immune responses to agents of infectious diseases. atRA and various synthetic retinoids have been used therapeutically in human diseases, such as leukemia and other cancers due to the antiproliferative and apoptosis inducing effects of retinoids. Therefore, understanding the molecular regulatory mechanism of TLR-5 may assist in the design of alternative strategies for the treatment of infectious diseases, leukemia and cancers.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제51권4호
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• pp.323-329
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• 2018

만성 염증은 현대사회에서 다양한 질병을 유발하는 주요 원인으로 작용하기 때문에 항염증 활성을 가진 소재의 연구는 염증 관련 질병의 예방과 치료에 있어서 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 LPS에 의해 염증을 유도한 RAW 264.7 세포에서 제주왕지네 (Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans) 에탄올 추출물의 염증 조절 기전을 확인하여 항염증 소재로서의 가능성을 조사하였다. LPS에 의해 증가된 NO 생성과 iNOS 발현은 왕지네 추출물에 의해 감소되었고 pro-inflammatory cytokine으로 알려진 $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6의 발현에서도 유사한 결과를 보였다. 왕지네 추출물은 LPS에 의해 유도된 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 핵으로의 전이와 $I{\kappa}B$의 분해를 동시에 억제하였고 $NF-{\kappa}B$ inhibitor의 처리는 NO 생성과 iNOS 발현을 더욱 억제하였다. 이상의 결과는 왕지네 추출물이 $NF-{\kappa}B$ 활성 조절을 통해 염증 반응의 지표로 사용되는 NO 생성 및 pro-inflammatory cytokine의 발현을 효과적으로 억제하여 항염 활성을 가진 소재로서의 가능성을 보여주는 것으로 염증에 의해 유발되는 다양한 질병을 효율적으로 제어하는 소재를 개발하는데 있어서 주요한 정보를 제공할 것으로 생각된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.722-729
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• 2004

Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone and its plasma levels correlate with total body fat mass, however, it also plays a regulatory role in immunity, inflammation, and hematopoiesis. Chemokine is known as a chemoattractant cytokine in inflammatory reaction, but its role in leptin reaction has not been well studied. In this study, the direct effect of leptin on the expression of chemokine mRNAs and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced chemokine KC mRNA in mouse peritoneal macrophages was investigated. Leptin did not induce the expression of lymphotactin, RANTES, eotaxin, MIP-1$\beta$, MIP-1$\alpha$, MIP-2, MCP-1, IP-10, TCA-3, and KC mRNA in mouse peritoneal macrophages, and had no direct effect on the expression of these LPS-induced chemokine mRNAs except KC mRNA. The synergistic effect of leptin on the expression of LPS-induced KC mRNA occurred late in the time course of response to LPS. The increased expressions of Ob-Rb mRNA and leptin receptor protein were detected during the LPS treatment. Leptin produced a substantial increase in the stability of the LPS-induced KC mRNA, and the synergistic effect of leptin on LPS-induced KC mRNA expression was further augmented by cycloheximide (CHX). Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) did not block the synergistic effect of leptin on LPS-induced KC mRNA expression in mouse peritoneal macrophages. These data suggest that although leptin has no direct effect on the expression of lymphotactin, RANTES, eotaxin, MIP-1$\beta$, MIP-1$\alpha$, MIP-2, MCP-1, IP-10, TCA-3, and KC mRNA in mouse peritoneal macrophages, the synergistic effect of leptin on the expression of LPS-induced KC mRNA has the possibility that LPS might induce the expression of the Ob-Rb receptor or an unknown gene(s) that sensitizes macrophages to the synergistic function of leptin. Therefore, further studies are necessary to examine leptin as a regulatory factor of chemokine production.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제30권7호
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• pp.634-639
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• 2020

불가사리는 다양한 생리활성물질을 가진 유용한 해양생물자원으로 알려져 있으나 불가사리가 가진 특유한 냄새로 인해 기능성 소재로 활용하는데 많은 제약이 있다. 우리는 최근에 로스팅을 통해 이러한 문제점을 해결하고 효율적인 화장품 소재로서의 활용 가능성을 제시하였으나 열처리된 불가사리 추출물의 생리활성에 관한 연구는 거의 전무한 실정이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 LPS에 의해 염증을 유도한 Raw 264.7 세포에서 열처리 불가사리 추출물의 염증 조절 기전을 조사하여 항염증 소재로서의 활용 가능성을 확인하였다. 열처리 불가사리 추출물은 LPS에 의해 증가된 NO의 분비량과 iNOS의 발현을 현저히 감소시켰고 IL-1β와 IL-6와 같은 pro-inflammatory cytokine의 발현에서도 유의미한 감소를 나타내었다. 또한 열처리 불가사리 추출물에 의한 NF-κB p65 단백질의 핵으로의 전이 억제와 NF-κB 저해제인 PDTC와의 동시 처리에 의한 NO 분비량 감소는 열처리 불가사리 추출물의 NO 생성 저해 효과가 NF-κB 신호전달을 통해 이루어짐을 보여주었다. 본 연구 결과는 열처리 불가사리 추출물이 NF-κB 신호전달 경로를 통해 염증매개인자들의 발현을 억제하여 염증반응을 효과적으로 제어할 수 있는 잠재력을 가진 기능성 소재로서의 가능성을 제시하고 있다.