• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.121-126
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• 2013

Tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF{\alpha}$) is a multifunctional inflammatory cytokine that regulates various cellular and biological processes. Increased levels of $TNF{\alpha}$ have been implicated in a number of human diseases including diabetes and arthritis. Sympathetic nervous system stimulation via the beta2-adrenergic receptor (${\beta}2AR$) in osteoblasts suppresses osteogenic activity. We previously reported that $TNF{\alpha}$ upregulates ${\beta}2AR$ expression in murine osteoblastic cells and that this modulation is associated with $TNF{\alpha}$ inhibition of osteoblast differentiation. In our present study, we explored whether $TNF{\alpha}$ induces ${\beta}2AR$ expression in human osteoblasts and then identified the downstream signaling pathway. Our results indicated that ${\beta}2AR$ expression was increased in Saos-2 and C2C12 cells by $TNF{\alpha}$ treatment, and that this increase was blocked by the inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay results indicated that NF-${\kappa}B$ directly binds to its cognate elements on the ${\beta}2AR$ promoter and thereby stimulates ${\beta}2AR$ expression. These findings suggest that the activation of $TNF{\alpha}$ signaling in osteoblastic cells leads to an upregulation of ${\beta}2AR$ and also that $TNF{\alpha}$ induces ${\beta}2AR$ expression in an NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent manner.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.250-259
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• 2001

To determine if initial infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis changes the balance of cytokines between T cells and macrophages, we evaluated interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$), interleukin-12 (IL)-12, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ productions by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 15 untreated active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients and 12 healthy tuberculin reactors (HTR). Freshly isolated PBMC were stimulated with Triton X-100 solubilized protein (TSP), 30-kDa or purified protein derivatives (PPD) antigen for 6, 18 and 96 hours. IL-12 p40 production by antigen-stimulated PBMC from TB patients was significantly decreased compared with that in HTR. In addition, IFN-${\gamma}$ production was significantly depressed in TB patients than that in HTR at a 96-hr stimulation. However, TNF-${\alpha}$ production was significantly higher in antigen-stimulated PBMC from TB than that of HTR. A pronounced increase in IFN-${\gamma}$ protein followed neutralization of IL-10 in early TB patients. However, neutralization of TNF-${\alpha}$ did not significantly alter IFN-${\gamma}$ induction in PBMC from TB patients. There were no significantly differences in the cytokine productions among three proteins, TSP, 30-kDa or PPD antigen. These results indicate that development of TB may be strongly associated with dysregulated productions of IL-12, IFN-${\gamma}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$, during the initial immune responses to M. tuberculosis. Further understanding of operative cytokine networks during human immune cell responses to protein antigens of M. tuberculosis may improve strategies for vaccine development.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.32 no.3 s.58
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• pp.135-140
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• 2006

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is a critical transcription factor for maximal expression of many of the cytokines that are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. In this study, we found that 12 plant extracts among 200 plants, namely, Forsythia koreana, Capsicum annuum L, Mentha arvenis, Duchesnea chrysantha, Morus alba, Saururus Chinenis (Lour) Baill, Pine needle, Zingiber mioga (Thunb.), Roscoe, Houttuynia, Prunus yedoenis, Sasa quelpaertenis, significantly inhibited LPS- induced NF-kappaB activation in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, 12 plant extracts were found to have antioxidant activities in DPPH assay Therefore, we have attempted to determine whether 12 herbal extracts could inhibit the expression of cytokines possessing NF-kappaB promoter in their promoter regions. Consistently 12 herbal extracts inhibited LPS-induced production of TNF alpha and interleukin-8 (IL-8). These results show that 12 herbal extracts suppresses the production of pro-inflammatory mediators through the inhibition of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway, we suggest that 12 herbal extracts can be used as a anti-inflammatory and soothing agent.