• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2009

Objective : Moutan Cortex (the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.) is widely used in oriental medicine as a remedy for inflammation. However, as yet there is no clear explanation of how MC(Moutan Cortex) affects the production of inflammatory cytokine. This study was to determine the effects of Essence extracted MC on the mast cell-mediated inflammatory responses. Method : We observed the effect of MC on compound 48/80-induced histamine release of rat peritoneal mast cells and the effect of administering MC on PCA in rat. We measured the amount of inflammatory cytokine production induced by the phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) plus calcium ionophore(A23187) in the human mast cell line (HMC-1) incubated with various concentrations of MC. The TNF-$\alpha$ protein levels were analysised by Western blot. The TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 and IL-8 secreted protein levels were measured by the ELISA assay. The TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA levels were measured by the RT-PCR analysis. NF-$\kappa$B, phospho-I$\kappa$B and MAPKs were exmined by Western blot analysis. The NF-$\kappa$B promoter activity was examined by luciferase assay. Result : 1. Enzyme immunoassay indicated that MC suppressed histamine secretion of rat peritoneal mast cells. 2. In PCA dependent on IgE, MC had anti-allergic effect of the internal surface of rat skin. 3. Western blot indicated that MC decreased TNF-$\alpha$ protein levels. 4. ELISA indicated that MC decreased TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 but MC had no significant effect on IL-8 in HMC-1 cells. 5. RT-PCR indicated that MC decreased TNF-$\alpha$, IL-8 but MC had no significant effect on IL-6 in HMC-l cells. 6. Western blot indicated that MC suppressed the induction of MAPKs, NF-$\kappa$B & phospho-I$\kappa$B activity in HMC-1 cells. 7. Luciferase assay indicated that MC suppressed the PMA plus A23187-induced NF-$\kappa$B promoting activityin HMC-1 cells. Conclusion : In this study, we have found that MC is an inhibitor of NF-$\kappa$B, MAPKs & cytokines on the mast cell-mediated inflammatory responses.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.140-146
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• 2019

Background: This study investigated the effects of Vipera lebetina turanica snake venom (SV) on cerebral infarction induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Methods: Following cerebral infarction, SV was injected intravenously or added to BV2 cell culture. Tissue injury was detected using triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, neurological deficit score, NO, ROS, and GSH/GSSG assays, qPCR, Western blot, and cell viability. Results: Cerebral infarction caused by middle cerebral artery occlusion as observed by TTC staining, showed SV inhibited cell death, reducing the number of brain cells injured due to infarction. SV treatment for cerebral infarction showed a significant decrease in abnormal behavior, as determined by the neurological deficit score. The oxidation and inflammation of the cells that had cerebral infarction caused by middle cerebral artery occlusion (NO assay, ROS, GSH/GSSG assay, and qPCR), showed significant protection by SV. Western blot of brain infarction cells showed the expression of iNOS, COX-2, p-IkB-${\alpha}$, P38, p-JNK, p-ERK to be lower in the SV group. In addition, the expression of IkB increased. BV2 cells were viable when treated with SV at $20{\mu}g/mL$ or less. Western blot of BV2 cells, treated with 0.625, 1.5, $2.5{\mu}g/mL$ of SV, showed a significant decrease in the expression of p-IkB-${\alpha}$, p-JNK, iNOS, and COX-2 on BV2 cells induced by LPS. Conclusion: SV showed anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects against cerebral infarction and inflammation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.95-98
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• 2000

An immunochemical method has been develooped as the most sensitive tool for studying the expression of quinoproteins containing pyrroloquinoline qinone(PQQ) in E. coli. The PQQ was conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA), and the conjugant was purified by using a $KwikSep^{TM}$ dextran desalting column chromatography. The PQQ-BSA conjugant was immunized to rabbits, and the IgG fractions of the antisera were purified. The most sensitive antibody against PQQ-BSA conjugant recognized some nanogram quantity of the antigen on the blot, but had little cross reactivity with BSA. Using this batch of the antibody, all the immunochemical assays of quinoproteins in E. coli were preformed. Some six different PQQ-specfic spots were detected by Western blot analysis of the soluble proteins in E. coli were performed. Some six different PQQ-specific spots were detected by Western blot analysis of the soluble proteins in E. coli after two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Their molecular weights on the blot were estimated to be about 100-, 90-, 72-, 58-, 52-, and 50kDa. Their pI values fell in the range from 4.8 to 5.5. These results stronly suggest that quinoproteins are present in E. coli, and that the protein moieties were covalently bound to PQQ.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.151-161
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• 2022

This study elucidates the anti-cancer potential of gallic acid (GA) as a promising therapeutic agent that exerts its effect by regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway. To prove our research rationale, we used diverse experimental methods such as cell viability assay, colony formation assay, tumor spheroid formation assay, cell cycle analysis, TUNEL assay, Western blot analysis, xenograft mouse model and histological analysis. Treatment with GA inhibited cell proliferation in dose-dependent manner as measured by cell viability assay at 48 h. GA and cisplatin (CDDP) also inhibited colony formation and tumor spheroid formation. In addition, GA and CDDP induced apoptosis, as determined by the distribution of early and late apoptotic cells and DNA fragmentation. Western blot analysis revealed that inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway induced upregulation of p53 (tumor suppressor protein), which in turn regulated cell cycle related proteins such as p21, p27, Cyclin D1 and E1, and intrinsic apoptotic proteins such as Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3. The anti-cancer effect of GA was further confirmed in an in vivo mouse model. Intraperitoneal injection with GA for 4 weeks in an A549-derived tumor xenograft model reduced the size of tumor mass. Injection of them downregulated the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and p-Akt, but upregulated the expression of cleaved caspase-3 in tumor tissues. Taken together, these results indicated that GA hindered lung cancer progression by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, suggesting that GA would be a potential therapeutic agent against non-small cell lung cancer.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.243-248
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• 1995

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), a hydrophobic glycoprotein promoting transfer of cholesteryl esters (CE) from high-density lipoproteins (HDL) to lower-density lipoproteins in the plasma, has been recognized a potent atherogenic factor during the development of coronary artery diseases. This study demonstrated a possible utilization of antisense RNA to inhibit expression of the CETP gene using vaccinia virus as an expression system. The CETP cDNA was inserted into a transfer vector (pSC11) in sense and antisense orientations and used to generate recombinant viruses. Recombinants containing sense or antisense orientations of the CETP cDNA were isolated by $TK^-$ selection and X-gal test. The inserted CETP cDNAs in the recombinants were identified by Southern blot analysis and allowed to transcribe in host cells (CV-1). Expressions of the exogenous CETP mRNA, extracted from the CV-1 cells coinfected with viruses containing sense and antisense DNAs, were monitored by Northern blot analysis using the CETP cDNA probe, by Western blot analysis using monoclonal antibody against the C-terminal active region of the CETP and by the CETP assay. Decreased expressions of the exogenous CETP cDNA were clearly evident in the Northern and Western blot analyses as the dose of antisense expression increased. In the CETP assay, the CETP activities decreased compared to the activity obtained from the cell extracts infected with sense construct only.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.1857-1862
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• 2013

Dermal fibroblasts produce the many components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that are needed to maintain connective tissue integrity and repair tissue injuries. This study investigated the effects of Areca catechu extract (ACE) on dermal fibroblast cell activation. Cultured human dermal fibroblasts were treated with ACE, and then ECM production was determined by ELISA, Western blot and RT-PCR. ACE significantly accelerated the production of type 1 collagen, fibronectin, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}1$ by ELISA and type 1 collagen by Western blot assay. ACE also increased the gene expression of COL1A1, TGF-${\beta}1$, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and insulin growth factor (IGF)-1. These results suggest that ACE has the potential to stimulate ECM production and that it might be suitable for maintaining skin texture.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.494-498
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• 1989

Hybridoma cell lines, which secrete monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the surface antigens of Cryptosporidium parvum Sporozoites, were produced by fusing spleen cells of C. parvum Sporozoite-immunized mice with P3-X63-Ag8 myeloma cells. Two cloned antibody-secreting cell lines, Kor1 and Ea2, were established and produced IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies, respectively. Percoll-purified sporozoites were solubilized and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Western blot assay demonstrates that an antigen of 20-kDa was bound by monoclonals. By indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, mAb exhibited uniform binding to the sporozoite surface.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.20 no.2 s.33
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• pp.36-46
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• 2007

Objective : In this study, the effect of Atractylodes japonica against LPS induced inflammation in mouse microglia BV2 cells was investigated. Method : Microglia BV2 Cells viability was determined using the MTT assay. We used water, ethanol extract from Atractylodes japonica and studied on the anti-inflammatory effect of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blot, and nitric oxide detection on mouse microglia BV2 cells. Result : The MTT assay revealed that it's extract has no significant cytotoxicity in the microglia BV2 cell. Various solvent extract from Atractylodes japonica inhibited nitrite production, iNOS protein and mRNA expression levels. And also it's extracts significantly reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced COX-2 activation in RT-PCR and western blot in lipopolysaccharide-induced microglia BV2 cells Conclusion : In this study, it's extracts was shown to suppress NO production by inhibiting iNOS expression and COX-2 activity. With this effects of anti-inflammation, we suggests that, it's extracts may be a useful candidate for the development of a drug on the related inflammatory diseases in brain.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.17-26
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• 2009

Objectives: Little information is available regarding the effect of Lycii cortex radicis (LCR) on cell viability in glioma cells. This study was therefore undertaken to examine the effect of LCR on cell survival in U87MG human glioma cells. Methods: Cell viability and cell death were estimated by MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assay, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was measured using the fluorescence probe DCFH-DA. Activation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and activation of caspase-3 were estimated by Western blot analysis. Results: LCR resulted in apoptotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner. LCR increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and LCR-induced cell death was also prevented by antioxidants, suggesting that ROS generation played a critical role in LCR-induced cell death. Western blot analysis showed that LCR treatment caused down-regulation of Akt and ERK. The LCR-induced cell death was increased by the inhibitors of Akt and ERK. Activation of caspase-3 was stimulated by LCR and caspase inhibitors prevented the LCR-induced cell death. Conclusion: These findings suggest that LCR results in human glioma cell death through a mechanism involving ROS generation, down-regulation of Akt and ERK, and caspase activation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.245-250
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• 1995

The carbon tetrachloride($CCl_4$) has been demonstrated to have a hepatotoxic effect in human or many other species. To investigate the enzyme induction of mixed function oxygenases in liver of male Sprague-Dawley rats a single 0.1, 0.5 mι/kg dose of carbon tetrachloride were given. At 24 hr after a single dose of 0.1 mι CC1$_4$/kg weight, methanol extract of Hedera rhombea leaves was administered with 100, 500 mg/kg weight. Assays of 7-ethoxyresorufin-Ο-deethylation(EROD),7-benzyloxyresorufin-Ο-deathylation(BROD),4-nitro-phenol-UDP-glucuronosyltransferase(UDPGT), Western blot and RNA slot blot were used as representatives of the activities of cytochrome P-450 enzymes. The change of the activity of CYP1A1 form measured by EROD assay and Western analysis using 1-7-1 monoclonal antibody was not observed. The activity CYP2B1 form by BROD assay and using 2-66-3 monoclonal antibody was remarkably increased. Elevated level of CYP2B1 mRNA was shown by slot hybridization with 2B1-specific probe. Administration of methanol extract of Hedera rhombea leaves reversed the enzyme activity and the level of mRNA, which suggest the chemoprotective effect of methanol extracts of Hedera rhombea leaves to carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxlcity.