• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1176-1183
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• 2015

Ulmus macrocarpa has been used in Korean medicinal food material to physical disorder or tonic material. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate splenocyte life span expansion effects of Ulmus macrocarpa water extract (UMWE) in general cell culture condition. Splenocytes were handled in the presence of 100 μg/ml UMWE for several different time conditions. Live cells were detected with Hoechst 33,342 dye and cell survival molecules were identified through Western blot. Changes in level of cytokine synthesis were evaluated by ELISA. UMWE showed an effect on increased splenocyte survival. UMWE elevated slightly PI3K phosphorylation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation used at 48 hr and 96 hr. Moreover, Bcl-2 was elevated at 48 hr and 96 hr in UMWE-treated splenocytes. UMWE decreased caspase-3 level at 48 hr and 96 hr. ICAD protein increased at 48 hr culturing time. Hematopoietin IL-2 cytokine was down-regulated, however IL-4 hematopoietin cytokine was up-regulated in UMWE treated cell culture media. Increased IFN-γ levels were verified in the supernatant of UMWE-treated cells in all periods (48 hr and 96 hr). Increased patterns in the production of IL-12 cytokine occurred as compared with control after 48 and 96 hr in UMWE-treated-cell cultures. These results suggested that UMWE can prolong splenocyte life span by controlling various signal factors and cytokines.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 2016

Ulmi cortex is the elm bark or root bark of Ulmus macrocarpa Hance and has been used as an ingredient of traditional medicine for anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-cancer and wound healing on both the East and the West. This study investigated whether the Ulmus macrocarpa Hance Water extract (UMWE) has the in vivo and in vitro immune activating effect. Animals were orally administrated for 14 days as follows: no treat group with distilled water, cyclophosphamide (CY) group with 120 mg/kg of CY, UMWE 100+CY group with 100 mg/kg of UMWE and 120 mg/kg of CY, UMWE 200+CY group with 200 mg/kg of UMWE and 120 mg/kg of CY, UMWE 100 group with 100 mg/kg of UMWE and UMWE 200 group with 200 mg/kg of UMWE. The immunosuppressive drug CY was intraperitoneally injected to induce immune suppression. Spleen indices showed small changes in CY injected groups but splenocyte indices showed greater decrease in the same groups. However, UMWE appeared to relieve CY’s immunosuppression. UMWE also delayed in vitro splenocyte death increasing its longevity. These data obtained by MTT assay and 7-amino-actinomycin D which stains preferentially dead than live cells. UMWE alone did not show cytotoxicity based on its apoptototic effect on splenocytes in vitro and in vivo. Splenic NK cell activity was maintained by UMWE under the presence of CY in vitro. The data indicated that UMWE protects splenocytes from the immunosuppressive drug CY under in vitro and in vivo conditions.