• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.8 s.88
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• pp.1090-1099
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• 2007

Myristicin, l-allyl-3,4-methylenedioxy-5-methoxybenzene, was one of the major essential oils of nutmeg. However, its anti-allergic effect in the Th1/Th2 immune response was poorly understood. Recently, it was shown that T-bet and GATA-3 was master Th1 and Th2 regulatory transcription factors. In this study, we have attempted to determine whether myristicin regulates Th1/Th2 cytokine production, T-bet and GATA-3 gene expression in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model mice. Myristicin reduced levels of IL-4, Th2 cytokine production in OVA-sensitized and challenged mice. In the other side, it increased $IFN-{\gamma}$, Th1 cytokine production in myristicin administrated mice. We also examined to ascertain whether myristicin could influence eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) activity. After being sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) showed typical asthmatic reactions. These reactions included an increase in the number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, an increase in inflammatory cell infiltration into the lung tissue around blood vessels and airways, and the development of airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR). The administration of myristicin before the last airway OVA challenge resulted in a significant inhibition of all asthmatic reactions. Accordingly, these findings provide new insight into the immunopharmacological role of myristicin in terms of its effects in a murine model of asthma.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.735-743
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• 2009

The common word flavonoids is often used to classify a family of natural compounds, highly abundant in all higher plants, that have received significant therapeutic interest in recent years. Naringin is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, neurodegenerative disease, cancer and other chronic diseases; however the molecular basis of this effect remains to be elucidated. Thus we attempted to elucidate the anti-allergic effect of Naringin in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model mice. The OVA-induced mice showed allergic reactions in the airways. These included an increase in the number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, an increase in inflammatory cell infiltration into the lung around blood vessels and airways, airway luminal narrowing, and the development of airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR). The administration of Naringin before the last airway OVA challenge resulted in a significant inhibition of all asthmatic reactions. Accordingly, this study may provide evidence that Naringin plays a critical role in the amelioration of the pathogenetic process of asthma in mice. These findings provide new insight into the immunopharmacological role of Naringin in terms of its effects on asthma in mice.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.459-466
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• 2003

Background : Asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis(EB) are eosinophilic inflammatory diseases of the airway. However, EB differs from asthma in that there is no variable airway obstruction or airway hyper-responsiveness. Pathologically, asthma is characterized by the accumulation of eosinophils and CD4+ T lymphocytes in the submucosa. A recent study showed that there was no significant difference between asthma and EB in terms of the submucosal eosinophil and T lymphocyte count. However, it is not known whether or not an infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes occurs in the airways of EB patients. The aim of this study was to identify the difference between the two conditions by measuring the submucosal CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte count. Methods : Immunohistochemical analysis of bronchial-biopsy specimens was performed in 17 subjects with asthma and 24 subjects with EB. Results : The CD4+ T lymphocytes count in the asthma subjects and the EB subjects was similar (median, 58.6 vs 50.0 $cells/mm^2$, respectively; P=0.341). In contrast, the number of CD8+ T lymphocytes in the EB subjects was higher than that in the asthma subjects (median, 46.7 vs 11.8 $cells/mm^2$, respectively; P=0.003). Conclusion : The infiltration of submucosal CD8+ T lymphocytes may be associated with the pathophysiology of EB.