• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.745-754
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• 2021

Deterioration of the immune function weakens the body's resistance to various infections, leading to a series of diseases. Immunomodulatory biomaterials have been used to reduce the side effects of immunosuppressants or to enhance immunity. Agarwood is the aromatic resinous portion of Aquilaria trees that has been traditionally used as a medicinal herb for the treatment of various diseases. Although previous studies have shown that agarwood can improve the body's immunity, evidence for this claim is still lacking. In this study, the immune-enhancing effects of the agarwood methanol extracts of Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk were evaluated in a RAW 264.7 macrophage model. Based on the results, the agarwood extracts markedly enhanced phagocytosis in the absence of cytotoxicity. The agarwood extract-treated RAW 264.7 cells exhibited the typical morphology of activated macrophages, which are spindle-shaped with elongated filopodia. Agarwood extract also significantly increased the production of nitric oxide (NO), which is associated with the increased expression of inducible NO synthase. Moreover, the secretion and expression levels of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, were increased by agarwood treatment. Notably, these are also associated with a mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings provide scientific evidence that agarwood has potential immune-enhancing effects in vitro.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.220-225
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• 2017

Lithospermi Radix (LR) is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect. However, the mechanisms are not well known. In this study, LPS-induced mouse RAW 264.7 macrophage cells were treated with LR to investigate the time-dependent inflammation response of LR. RAW 264.7 cells were treated with various concentrations of LR for 24 hours, followed by MTS assay. Cell viability was increased at all experimental concentrations. The mRNA expression levels of $IL-1{\beta}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and iNOS were increased by treatment of RAW 264.7 cells with LR at a concentration of $200{\mu}g/ml$ for 6 hours and 24 hours. Treatment of LR with $200{\mu}g/ml$ concentration for 6 hours promoted mRNA expression levels of $IL-1{\beta}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and iNOS in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. However, $IL-1{\beta}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and iNOS mRNA expression was suppressed by treatment of LR with $200{\mu}g/ml$ concentration for 24 hours in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that the effect on inflammation of LR is promptly promoted and then to rapidly alleviate the inflammatory reaction. This study proposes that the time-dependent activities of herbal medicine is a very important factor in analyzing the anti-inflammatory effect of various herbal medicines including LR.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate alterations of seaweed composition upon Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) fermentation as well as potential anti-inflammatory effects and mechanism (s) of water extracts and fermented water extracts of Laminaria japonica (LJ) and Hizikia fusiforme (HF) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Total polyphenol, total sugar, and reducing sugar contents were measured in LJ and HF water extracts before and after fermentation by LGG. Alterations of inflammatory cytokine levels in cell culture media were measured by ELISA, and levels of phosphorylation of c-jun NH2-terminalkinase (JNK) and extra cellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) were examined by Western blot analysis. LGG fermentation of LJ and HF altered total polyphenol and sugar contents in water extracts of LJ and HF. LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ was significantly reduced by HF-f compared to control in RAW264.7 cells. Consistent with reduction of anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ levels by HF-f, HF-f also significantly reduced phosphorylation of ERK and JNK in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, LJ-f and HF also significantly reduced phosphorylation of JNK and ERK induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells. Overall, our result suggests that HF-f among the four tested seaweed extracts is the most potent anti-inflammatory agent, and its mechanism of action is partially mediated by reduction of JNK and ERK phosphorylation as well as IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.294-299
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate effects of Red Ginseng-Ejung-tang (RE) on nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide production in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell viability was measured by modified MTT assay. NO production was measured by Griess reagent assay. Hydrogen peroxide production was measured by dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR) assay. RE did not show cell toxicity against RAW 264.7 for 24 hr incubation at the concentrations of 10, 25, 50, 100, and $200{\mu}g/mL$ in RAW 264.7. RE significantly inhibited NO production for 24 hr incubation at the concentrations of 10, 25, 50, and $100{\mu}g/mL$ in RAW 264.7 (P < 0.05). RE significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of NO for 24 hr incubation at the concentrations of 10, 25, 50, and $100{\mu}g/mL$ in RAW 264.7 (P < 0.05). RE significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of hydrogen peroxide for 16, 24, 40, 48, 64, and 72 hr incubation at the concentrations of 50, 100, and $200{\mu}g/mL$ in RAW 264.7 (P < 0.05). These results suggest that RE has anti-inflammatory property related with its inhibition of NO and hydrogen peroxide production in LPS-induced macrophages.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2023

Purpose : The fruit of Actinidia polygama has been used in oriental medicine for the treatment of gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammation. Though A. polygama exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 cells and carrageenan-induced rat paw edema, the exact mechanism for anti-inflammation was not evaluated yet. In this study, the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of A. polygama ethanol extract (APEE) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Methods : WST-1 assay was applied to analyze the cytotoxic effect of APEE in RAW 264.7 cells. The productions of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PG) E₂ were analyzed by the Griess reaction and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) assay, respectively. In addition, protein expressions for inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 were measured by Western blot analysis. The activated status of an inflammatory transcription factor, NF-κ B, and its upstream signaling molecules, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), was also evaluated by Western blot analysis. Results : As a result, APEE treatment did not exhibit any cytotoxicity until the concentration of 200 ㎍/㎖. APEE treatment significantly inhibited NO and PGE₂ productions as well as their enzymes, iNOS and COX-2 in a dose-dependent manner. The inflammatory transcription factor, NF-κ B, was also attenuated by APEE treatment. In addition, the phosphorylated status of MAPKs such as extracellular regulated kinase (ERK), c-jun NH2 kinase (JNK), and p38, were significantly diminished by APEE treatment in LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusion : Consequently, APEE treatment significantly attenuated the production of inflammatory mediators and their enzyme expressions in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The inflammatory transcription factor, NF-κ B, and upstream signaling molecules, MAPKs, were also significantly attenuated by APEE treatment in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. These results indicate that APEE might be a candidate to be utilized as a promising candidate for the treatment of inflammatory disorders.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2014

Autophagy is one of the lysosomal degradation pathways to maintain cellular homeostasis. The damaged proteins or organelles are uptaken through extra- and intra-cellular stress, starvation and infected pathogens, subsequently, autophagosomes are fused with lysosomes to break down the molecules. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), intracellular bacteria, cause acute gastroenteritis and food poisoning. Given that autophagy induced by S. Typhimurium plays an important role in the cells to control the infection, we identify whether the induction of autophagy with rapamycin, chemical inducer of autophagy, before infection regulates S. Typhimurium infection. After treatment of rapamycin or 3-methyladenine (3-MA), autophagy inhibitor, RAW264.7 cells were infected with S. Typhimurium. Pretretment of rapamycin decreased the growth rate of S. Typhimurium in the cells; otherwise, pretreatment of 3-MA increased the growth rate of S. Typhimurium. The expression of autophagy-related genes was significantly increased in the S. Typhimurium-infected cells pretreated with rapamycin. To examine whether induced autophagy by rapamycin control the infection with increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), antibacterial radical substrates were measured in infected cells followed by the treatment with either rapamycin or 3-MA. NO production increased in RAW264.7 cells; otherwise, ROS production remained unchanged during the infection. These findings suggest that inducing autophagy with rapamycin reveals antimicrobial activity as producing NO against S. Typhimurium infection in mouse macrophages.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.173-176
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• 1999

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a $H_2O$ extract of the roots of Gentiana scabra has furnished 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural (1) as an inhibitory compound for nitric oxide (NO) production in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with $interferon-{\gamma}$ plus lipopolysaccharide. Compound 1 showed the moderate inhibition of NO production with $IC_{50}$ value of $803\;{\mu}M$.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.137-146
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• 2008

Objectives : The leaves of Artemisia argyi L. have been used for the treatment of bleeding-related diseases in traditional korean medicine. But the immunological activities with macrophage have not been sufficiently reported. This study is to investigate the immunological bioactivities of the herbal acupuncture solution obtained from leaves of Artemisia argyi L. (AAAS). Methods & Results : Against Nicotine and Acetaldehyde, AAAS increased significantly the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) within mouse macrophage Raw 264.7 cells above the concentration of 10 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$. AAAS increased significantly the production of nitric oxide (NO) in Raw 264. 7 cells above the concentration of 100 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$ against EtOH. And AAAS increased significantly the production of nitric oxide (NO) in Raw 264. 7 cells above the concentration of 200 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$ against Nicotine, Acetaminophen, and Acetaldehyde. Conclusions : These results suggest that AAAS could be thought to have the immunological activities related with the production of hydrogen peroxide and NO in macrophage.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.134-141
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• 2010

It is well known that the numbers and functions of immune-associated cells are increased by saponins and polysaccharides in ginseng. In this study, the mixture of polysaccharide and saponin (MPS) from Panax ginseng is applied to LPS- activated RAW 264.7 cells. The production of NO and the gene expression of IL-6 and TNF-$\alpha$ are decreased in LPSactivated RAW 264.7 cells and the expression of arginase II and PD-1L genes is decreased in LPS-untreated macrophages. Therefore, the mixture of saponin and polysaccharide from Panax ginseng could be used in order to regulate immune responses.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1310-1314
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• 2011

Anti-inflammatory activities of septicine, a natural alkaloid product present in the leaves and stems of Tylophora ovata, were evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages, RAW264.7 cells. Treatment with septicine inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO), inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-6 production in a concentration-dependant manner. In addition, septicine suppressed the expression of inducible NO synthase. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activities of septicine might be attributed to the inhibition of NO, iNOS and cytokine expression.