• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.129-142
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• 2005

Objective : Asthma is known as chronic airway inflammatory disease. This inflammation is conducted by various inflammatory cells including eosihophil. Chemotaxis is one way that circulating inflammatory cells invade a specific lesion. This study examines the degree to which Lonicerae Flos inhibits eosinophil chemotaxis at pulmonary epithelium after allergic stimulation. Material and Methods : Water extracts of Lonicerae Flos and pulmonary epithelial cell lines A549(human type II-like epithelial cells) and human eosinophils were used. Cytotoxic effects of Lonicerae Flos via MTS assay were estimated, as well as the effects of Lonicerae Flos on chemokines from prestimulated A549 cells by sandwich ELISA and RT-PCR. Chemotaxis assay was conducted on prestimulated eosinophils treated with Lonicerae Flos. Result : In this study $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-4, $IL-l{\beta}$ were seen to induced the accumulation of chemokines mRNA in the pulmonary epithelial cell lines A549 in a dose-dependent manner. Chemokines were inhibited by Liripois Tuber in a dose-dependent manner and especially, IL-8 and ICAM-l were inhibited considerably at $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentration of Lonicerae Flos. The eosinophil migration is inhibited in high concentration of Lonicerae Flos in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion : These findings indicate that the supression of the expression of chemokines can be accomplished by Lonicerae Flos treatment, raising the possibility that Lonicerae Flos might be of therapeutic value in diseases such as asthma.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.73-78
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• 2009

Objectives : In this study, we studied the effect of Pinellia Ternata (PT) on regulatory T cells and CD3+CCR3+ Th2 cells number in asthma model mice. Methods : All mice were immunized on two different days (21 days and 7 days before inhalational exposure) by i.p. injections of 0.2 $m\ell$ alum-precipitated Ag containing 100 ${\mu}g$ of OVA bound to 4 mg of aluminum hydroxide in PBS. Seven days after the second sensitization, mice were exposed to aerosolized ovalbumin for 30 min/day on 3 days/week for 12 weeks(at a flow rate of 250 L/min, 2.5％ ovalbumin in normal saline) and PT (400, 200 mg/kg) were orally administered 3 times a week for 8 weeks. After C57BL/6 mice were orally given of PT, the percentages, cell numbers, phenotype and function of CD4+CD25+Treg cells were determined by flow cytometry. Results : The cell numbers of CD4+CD25+Treg cell subsets were markedly increased in PT treated mice as reported. However, PT significantly reduced the CD3+CCR3+ Th2 cells in PBMC and lung of mice. Conclusions : These results indicate that PT has a deep inhibitory effect on asthma model mice by increase the number of regulatory T cells, and by reducing CD3+CCR3+ Th2 cells.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.42.1-42.20
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• 2021

Eosinophils play critical roles in the maintenance of homeostasis in innate and adaptive immunity. Although primarily known for their roles in parasitic infections and the development of Th2 cell responses, eosinophils also play complex roles in other immune responses ranging from anti-inflammation to defense against viral and bacterial infections. However, the contributions of pattern recognition receptors in general, and NOD-like receptors (NLRs) in particular, to eosinophil involvement in these immune responses remain relatively underappreciated. Our in vivo studies demonstrated that NLRC4 deficient mice had a decreased number of eosinophils and impaired Th2 responses after induction of an allergic airway disease model. Our in vitro data, utilizing human eosinophilic EoL-1 cells, suggested that TLR2 induction markedly induced pro-inflammatory responses and inflammasome forming NLRC4 and NLRP3. Moreover, activation by their specific ligands resulted in caspase-1 cleavage and mature IL-1β secretion. Interestingly, Th2 responses such as secretion of IL-5 and IL-13 decreased after transfection of EoL-1 cells with short interfering RNAs targeting human NLRC4. Specific induction of NLRC4 with PAM3CSK4 and flagellin upregulated the expression of IL-5 receptor and expression of Fc epsilon receptors (FcεR1α, FcεR2). Strikingly, activation of the NLRC4 inflammasome also promoted expression of the costimulatory receptor CD80 as well as expression of immunoregulatory receptors PD-L1 and Siglec-8. Concomitant with NLRC4 upregulation, we found an increase in expression and activation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, but not MMP-2. Collectively, our results present new potential roles of NLRC4 in mediating a variety of eosinopilic functions.

• BMB Reports
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.178-183
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• 2015

Dendritic cells play an important role in determining whether na${\ddot{i}}$ve T cells mature into either Th1 or Th2 cells. We determined whether heat-shock protein X (HspX) purified from Mycobacterium tuberculosis regulates the Th1/Th2 immune response in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced murine model of asthma. HspX increased interferon-gamma, IL-17A, -12 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}$ production and T-bet gene expression but reduced IL-13 production and GATA-3 gene expression. HspX also inhibited asthmatic reactions as demonstrated by an increase in the number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, inflammatory cell infiltration in lung tissues, airway luminal narrowing, and airway hyper-responsiveness. Furthermore, HspX enhanced OVA-induced decrease of regulatory T cells in the mediastinal lymph nodes. This study provides evidence that HspX plays critical roles in the amelioration of asthmatic inflammation in mice. These findings provide new insights into the immunotherapeutic role of HspX with respect to its effects on a murine model of asthma.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제11권6호
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• pp.461-469
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBSECTIVE: Airway inflammation by eosinophils, neutrophils and alveolar macrophages is a characteristic feature of asthma that leads to pathological subepithelial thickening and remodeling. Our previous study showed that oxidative stress in airways resulted in eosinophilia and epithelial apoptosis. The current study investigated whether glutathione-containing dry yeast extract (dry-YE) ameliorated eosinophilia, goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus overproduction. MATERIALS/METHOD: This study employed $2{\mu}g$/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- or 20 ng/mL eotaxin-1-exposed human bronchial epithelial cells and ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged mice. Dry-YE employed in this study contained a significant amount of glutathione (140 mg in 100 g dry yeast). RESULTS: Human bronchial epithelial cell eotaxin-1 and mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) were markedly induced by the endotoxin LPS, which was dose-dependently attenuated by nontoxic dry-YE at 10-50 ${\mu}g$/mL. Moreover, dry-YE inhibited the MUC5AC induction enhanced by eotaxin-1, indicating that eotaxin-1-mediated eosinophilia may prompt the MUC5AC induction. Oral supplementation with 10-100 mg/kg dry-YE inhibited inflammatory cell accumulation in airway subepithelial regions with a reduction of lung tissue level of intracellular adhesion molecule-1. In addition, ${\geq}50$ mg/kg dry-YE diminished the lung tissue levels of eotaxin-1, eosinophil major basic protein and MUC5AC in OVA-exposed mice. Alcian blue/periodic acid schiff staining revealed that the dry-YE supplementation inhibited goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus overproduction in the trachea and bronchiolar airways of OVA-challenged mice. CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative stress may be involved in the induction of eotaxin-1 and MUC5AC by endotoxin episode and OVA challenge. Dry-YE effectively ameliorated oxidative stress-responsive epithelial eosinophilia and mucus-secreting goblet cell hyperplasia in cellular and murine models of asthma.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.87-93
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• 2013

Objectives : We recently have reported that constituents of OMC-2010 have an immuno-modulatory effects via inhibiting tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-5. In this study, based on previous data, we investigated the effects of combinations with each OMC constituents on splenocyte cytotoxicity, cytokine productions, and ovalbumin (OVA) induced experimental allergic asthma. Methods : Mouse splenocytes were pre-treated with ethanol extract of constituents of Rehmannia glutinosa (RG), Pinellia ternata (PT), Schisandra chinensis (SC). We made 4 combinations using RG, PT, and SC (A;1:1:1, B;2:1:1, C;1:2:1, D;1:1:2). The cells were pretreated with A, B, C, or D for 1 h, then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, $1{\mu}g/ml$) for 48 h. Then the cells were harvested for real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to detect cytokine productions. Then using effective combination from RG, PR and SC, we administrated the combination orally, then challenged with OVA to induce asthma. Then we analyzed the airway hyper-reactivity (AHR), lung histology and lung TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-5 mRNA. Results : A. B. C. and D did not showed significant cytotoxicity on splenocytes. Pre-treatment of A inhibited the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-5 significantly, but not B, C, and D. In experimental asthma, administration of A significantly inhibited the increase of AHR, lung damage, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-5 expression. Conclusions : Theses results could suggest that inhibitory effects of the ideal combination with RG, PT and SC (1:1:1) could be applied to treatment of asthma and study of asthma mechanisms.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제16권5호
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• pp.780-787
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• 2006

본 연구진은 일차로 BALB/C 마우스를 이용하여 항원으로 ovalbumin을 사용하여 천식을 유발하여 폐 내 세포구성에 미치는 영향을 다른 실험방법에 의해 만들어진 천식모델과 비교하여 살펴보았고 이차로 천식 발생에 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 알려진 IL-4와 IL-10 knock out (KO) 마우스를 이용하여 천식모델을 구축하여 천식인자를 가진 개체에서의 반응과 천식관련인자가 결핍된 개체에서의 반응성의 차이를 살펴보았다. 천식의 유발은 실험 1일째 $20\;{\mu}g$ ovalbumin으로 감작시킨 후 실험 14일에 재감작을 시켰다. 그 후 nebulizer를 이용하여 nasal inhalation을 28일, 29일, 30일에 실시하여 천식을 유발시켰다. 천식 유발의 확인은 기관지폐포 세척술로 채취한 폐 내 세포액을 이용하여 총 세포수 및 염증세포의 증가와 폐 내 세포와 폐조직의 염색을 통해 분포율을 확인하였다. 천식의 발병 과정에서 IgE 관련 과민반응을 주도하는 IL-4와 Th2 세포의 기능을 억제한다고 알려진 IL-10의 면역화학염색을 통해 그 발현정도를 관찰하였다. BALB/c 마우스의 천식유발군의 경우 천식의 특징인 염증세포의 증가와 호산구의 증가와 세기관지 주위 염증세포의 침윤 및 기도 상피의 비후를 관찰할 수 있었다. 따라서 본 실험에 응용된 천식유발 방법은 적합하였으며 천식유발 절차가 성공적으로 수행되었음을 확인하였다. IL-4 및 IL-10 KO 마우스를 이용한 천식유발군의 경우 BALB/c 마우스를 이용한 천식유발군보다 호산구의 증가 정도가 미약하게 관찰되었고, 폐조직 내 염증세포의 침윤 정도도 감소하였다. 천식매개인자인 IL-4와 IL-10의 면역조직화학염색 결과에서도 양성반응이 거의 나타나지 않았다. 본 연구 결과, IL-10이 IL-4와 같이 천식과 관련하여 세기관지 염증 반응을 증가시키는 역할을 하는 것으로 생각된다.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.310-320
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• 2014

Backgrounds: Endotoxin, which found in the outer membrane of the gram-negative bacteria cell wall, makes up almost all of the lipopolysaccharide(LPS). When people are exposed to endotoxin,it can result in diverse health effects such as an airway irritation and inflammation, fever, malaise, bronchitis, allergic asthma, toxic pneumonitis, hypersensitivity lung disease. Cases among the elderly, children or pregnant can occur more frequently than a healthy adult if they are repeatedly exposed to the existing endotoxin. Therefore, we investigated and assessed the environmental characteristics associated with the airborne endotoxin concentration level in six hospital lobbies. Method: Endotoxin from indoor air in six hospital lobbies was measured by an area sampling method and analyzed according to American Society for Testing and Materials International(ASTM international) E2144-01. Total suspended particulate(TSP), carbon dioxide($CO_2$), temperature and humidity were also measured by using direct reading measurements or airborne sampling equipment at the same time. Environmental characteristics were appropriately divided into two or three groups for a statistics analysis. One-way analysis variable(one-way ANOVA) was used to examine a difference of the endotoxin concentration, depending on the environmental characteristics. In addition, only variables with p-value(p<0.25) were eventually designed to the best model by using multiple regression analysis. Results: The correlation analysis result indicated that TSP(p=0.003) and $CO_2$(p<0.0001) levels were significantly associated with endotoxin concentration levels. In contrast, temperature(p<0.068) and humidity(p<0.365) were not associated with endotoxin concentration. Levels of endotoxin concentration were statistically different among the environmental characteristics of Service time(p=0.01), Establishment of hospital(p<0.001), Scale of hospital(p=0.01), Day average people using hospital(p=0.03), Cleaning time of lobby(p=0.05), Season(p<0.001), and Cleaning of ventilation system(p<0.001) according to ANOVA. Finally, the best model(Adjusted R-square=72%) that we designed through a multiple regression test included environmental characteristics related to Service time, Area of lobby, Season, Cleaning of ventilation system, and Temperature. Conclusions: According to this study, our result showed a normal level of endotoxin concentration in the hospital lobbies and found environmental management methods to reduce the level of endotoxin concentration to a minimum. Consequently, this study recognized to be requirement for the management of ventilation systems and an indoor temperature in order to reduce the level of endotoxin concentration in the hospital lobbies.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.468-476
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• 2016

PLZF-expressing invariant natural killer T cells and CD4 T cells are unique subsets of innate T cells. Both are selected via thymocyte-thymocyte interaction, and they contribute to the generation of activated/memory-like CD4 and CD8 T cells in the thymus via the production of IL-4. Here, we investigated whether $PLZF^+$ innate T cells also affect the development and function of $Foxp3^+$ regulatory CD4 T cells. Flow cytometry analysis of the thymus and spleen from both CIITA transgenic C57BL/6 and wild-type BALB/c mice, which have abundant $PLZF^+$ CD4 T cells and invariant natural killer T cells, respectively, revealed that $Foxp3^+$ T cells in these mice exhibited a $CD103^+$ activated/memorylike phenotype. The frequency of $CD103^+$ regulatory T cells was considerably decreased in $PLZF^+$ cell-deficient $CIITA^{Tg}Plzf^{lu/lu}$ and $BALB/c.CD1d^{-/-}$ mice as well as in an IL-4-deficient background, such as in $CIITA^{Tg}IL-4^{-/-}$ and $BALB/c.IL-4^{-/-}$ mice, indicating that the acquisition of an activated/ memory-like phenotype was dependent on $PLZF^+$ innate T cells and IL-4. Using fetal thymic organ culture, we further demonstrated that IL-4 in concert with TGF-${\beta}$ enhanced the acquisition of the activated/memory-like phenotype of regulatory T cells. In functional aspects, the activated/ memory-like phenotype of Treg cells was directly related to their suppressive function; regulatory T cells of $CIITA^{Tg}PIV^{-/-}$ mice more efficiently suppressed ovalbumin-induced allergic airway inflammation compared with their counterparts from wild-type mice. All of these findings suggest that $PLZF^+$ innate T cells also augmented the generation of activated/memory-like regulation via IL-4 production.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.372-385
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• 1999

연구배경: 만성기침이란 기침이 적어도 3주 이상 지속되는 경우로, 원인으로는 후비루 증후군, 기관지천식, 위식도역류, 기관지 확장증, 만성기관지염, 안지오텐신 전환 효소 길항제 사용 등이 있다. 하지만 특별한 원인을 발견할 수 없고, 다른 증상 없이 단지 만성기침만 있는 경우에 대해서는 그 임상상과 조직병리소견이 아직도명확하게 규명되어 있지 않다. 이에 저자 들은 특별한 원인을 밝힐 수 없고, 다른 호흡기 증상이 없이 만성기침만을 호소하는 환자를 대상으로 임상상과 조직소견을 조사하여, 그 병인기전과 원인을 규명하고자 본 연구를 시행하였다. 방 법: 대상환자는 3주 이상 만성기침 외에 다른 호흡기 증상이 없는 25명의 환자들이었고, 후비루증후군, 위식도 역류, 약물 복용력 및 흉부질환, 심혈관 질환, 전신질환이 없었으며, 과거에 기관지 천식을 진단 받은 병력이 없었고, 폐기능 검사, 흉부 X-선 검사상 특이 소견이 없었다. 남자 10명 여자 15명으로 평균연령은 39.8세였고, 흡연가가 5명, 비흡연가가 20명이었다. 폐기능 검사, 메타콜린 유발검사, 알레르기 피부 단자 검사, 기관지 내시경하 점막 조직 생검을 시행하였고, 조직 비교를 위하여 정상 대조군 5명에 대해서도 기관지 내시경하 점막 조직 생검을 시행하였다. 모든 검사가 끝난 후, prednisolone 20~30 mg/일을 1~2주간 투여하였고, cough score로 치료반응 여부를 확인하였다. 결 과: 정상 대조군의 조직소견과 비교해 볼 때, 염증세포의 분포에 따라 대상군은 호산구 침윤이 저명한 경우(호산구 침윤군), 림프구 침윤이 저명한 경우(림프구 침윤군)의 두 군으로 구분이 되었다. 호산구 침윤군이 21예로, 호산구 수는 펑균 89.8 $cells/mm^2$였고, 정상 대조군은 평균 0.4 $cells/mm^2$였다 (P=0.005). 림프구 침윤군은 4예였으며, 림프구 수는 평균 84.3 $cells/mm^2$였고, 정상 대조군은 평균 28.4 $cells/mm^2$였다(P=0.026). 정상 대조군의 기저막 두께가 평균 $3.50\pm1.37\;{\mu}m$ 였던데 비하여, 대상군에서는 평균 $14.20\pm5.20{\mu}m$로 의미있게 두꺼운 소견을 보였다(p=0.001). 메타콜린 유발검사와 병리소견으로 대상군의 만성기침의 원인을 유추해보면, 호산구 침윤군 21예 중 메타콜린 유발검사 양성인 경우는 7예로, 기침형 천식으로 진단할 수 있었고, 14예는 메타콜린 유발검사가 음성으로, 호산구성 기관지염으로 진단할 수 있었다. 림프구 침윤균 4예는 모두 메타콜린 유발검사가 음성으로, 림프구 침윤에 의한 기관지염이었다. 호산구성 기관지염 14예 중 3예(21.4%)에서 아토피 양성이었다. 대상환자 25예중 22예(88.0%)에서 스테로이드 투여 후 증상지수가 호전되었다. 호산구성 기관지염 14예 중 12예(85.7%), 기침형 천식 7예 중 7예(100%), 림프구 침윤에 의한 기관지염 4예 중 3예(75.0%)에서 증상지수가 호전되었다. 병리소견으로 호산구 침윤군과 림프구 침윤군으로 구분했을 때, 증상지수가 호전된 경우가 각각 90.5%, 75.0%로 염증세포의 종류에 따른 차이는 없었다. 결 론: 흉부 X-선 및 폐기능 검사가 정상이며, 다른 증상이 없는 만성기침은 호산구 또는 림프구 침윤에 의한 기도염증과 연관이 있었다. 메타콜린 유발검사와 기관지 조직검사로 유추해 볼 때, 그 원인으로는 호산구성 기관지염, 기침형 천식, 림프구 침윤에 의한 기판지염이었다(이상 빈도순). 스테로이드 치료에 88%에서 증상지수가 호전되었다.