• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.111-121
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• 1999

Acne vulgaris, the most common skin disease. can be formed as only a few comedons or severe inflammatory lesions. The pathogenesis of acne involves various factors; excessive androgen, excessive sebum production, abnormal alteration of follicular epithelium, proliferation of Propionibacterium acnes, and inflammation. We investigated acne therapy using oriental herbs described in the Korean traditional medical book (Dong-ui-bo-gam). Oriental herbs (Angleica daurica. Arctium lappa. Coptidis rhizoma, and glycyrrhiza glabra) were chosen based on their respective property of sebum control, anti-inflammatory activity, and anti-bacterial activity. We examined the effect of acne treatment, in terms of chemotactic inhibition, lipogenesis inhibition, and anti-bacterial activity for P. acnes. 1. Neutrophil chemotaxis assay ; P acnes secrete chemotactic factors and other pro-inflammatory extracellular products. Neutrophil chemotactic activity of P. acnes was measured by 48-well chemotaxis method. Angelica daurica clearly suppressed chemotactic activity of P. acens. 2. Using sebaceous gland of hamster ear lipogenesis assay; Sebaceous lipogenesis was measured using ear biopsies by incubation of $C^{14}$ -acetate in culture media. The $C^{14}$ -labeled lipids were extracted and determined by liquid scintilation counting, Coptidis rhizoma markedly inhibited sebum production, 3. Anti-bacterial assay for P. acnes (MIC test) Glycyrrhiza glabra showed anti-bacterial activity. P. acnes did not develop resistance against Glycyrrhiza glabra. Retinoids are effectively to inhibit sebum production and regulate follicular keratinization process, with little anti-inflammatory activity. Angelica daurica suppressed neutrophil chemotaxis. Coptidis rhizoma inhibited sebum production, and Glycyrrhiza glabra showed anti-bacterial activity against P. acnes. A combined formulation of Angelica daurica. Coptidisr hizoma and Glycyrrhiza glabra is expected to provide effective acne treatment.ent.ive acne treatment.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2019

The mulberry tree (Morus alba L.) has been traditionally used in Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory diseases. We investigated the effects of bioconversion on different components of the mulberry tree, and determined changes in the physiological activities. Ethyl acetate-soluble fractions of five different segments (fruit, Mori Fructus; leaf, Mori Folium; twig, Mori Ramulus; root, Mori Cortex; and mistletoe, Loranthi Ramulus) of the mulberry tree show enhanced anti-oxidant effects in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylvenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assays, and enhanced anti-inflammatory effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, after being treated with a crude enzyme extract from Aspergillus kawachii, in the following order of activity: Mori Folium>Mori Cortex>Mori Ramulus>Mori Fructus>Loranthi Ramulus. Ethyl acetate- soluble fraction of mulberry leaves (Mori Folium) that underwent bioconversion was most effective, and was devoid of any cytotoxicity. The fraction was also effective against mRNA expression of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, $interleukin-1{\beta}$, and interleukin-6. In addition, the fraction was effective in LPS-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and IKK, and $I{\kappa}B$ degradation, followed by translocation of the nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Thus, bioconversion increased the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of the mulberry leaf.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.171-180
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• 2018

Artemisia capillaris has been widely used as an alternative therapy for treating obesity and atopic dermatitis. It has been used as a hepatoprotactant. It is also used for ameliorating inflammatory reactions. Although there are several investigations on other Artemisia species, there is no systematic study describing the role of A. capillaris MeOH extract, its solvent soluble fractions, or derived anti-inflammatory principal components in regulating inflammatory conditions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to elucidate anti-inflammatory mechanisms of A. capillaris. Results revealed that MeOH extract of A. capillaris could decrease LPS-stimulated NO secretion. Of tested fractions, $CH_2Cl_2$, EtOAc, and n-BuOH strongly inhibited NO release from RAW264.7 cells. Bioactive mediators derived from $CH_2Cl_2$ and n-BuOH fractions elicited potent anti-inflammatory actions and strikingly abrogated LPS-triggered NO accumulation in RAW264.7 cells. Of particular interest, capillin and isoscopoletin possessed the most potent NO suppressive effects. Western blot analysis validated the molecular mechanism of NO inhibition and showed that capillin and isoscopoletin significantly down-regulated iNOS and COX-2 protein expression. Taken together, our results provide the first evidence that MeOH extract, $CH_2Cl_2$, EtOAc, and n-BuOH fractions from A. capillaris and its derived lead candidates can potently suppress inflammatory responses in macrophages by hampering NO release and down-regulating iNOS and COX-2 signaling.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.181-188
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• 2012

Dioscoreae Rhizome (DR) has been used in traditional medicine to treat numerous diseases and is reported to have anti-diabetes and anti-tumor activities. To identify a bioactive traditional medicine with anti-inflammatory activity of a water extract of DR (EDR), we determined the mRNA and protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages through RT-PCR and western blot analysis and performed a FACS analysis for measuring surface molecules. EDR dose-dependently decreased the production of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$, and $PGE_2$, as well as mRNA levels of iNOS, COX-2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, as determined by western blot and RT-PCR analysis, respectively. The expression of co-stimulatory molecules such as B7-1 and B7-2 was also reduced by EDR. Furthermore, activation of the nuclear transcription factor, NF-${\kappa}B$, but not that of IL-4 and IL-10, in macrophages was inhibited by EDR. These results show that EDR decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines via inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent inflammatory protein level, suggesting that EDR could be a useful immunomodulatory agent for treating immunological diseases.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2011

Objectives : Achyranthes japonica (AJ) has been used as an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. However, it is unclear that AJ could show the anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages. In this experiment, we studied whether AJ could inhibit the inflammatory responses in macrophages. Methods : To measure out the cytotoxicity of AJ, we performed the MTT assay. We evaluated the nitric oxide (NO) production, and cytokine production such as interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a. We also investigated the cellular mechanims such as mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK)s and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB). Results : AJ inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production. AJ also inhibited production levels of IL-1b, IL-6 and TNF-a in LPS-stimulated macrophage. Finally, western blot analysis showed that AJ treatment inhibited the activation of p38 but not of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-jun NH2-terminal kinase and NF-kB. Conclusions : These results showed that AJ down-regulated the inflammatory response via p38 in macrophages, which suggest that AJ could be a candidate on treating inflammatory diseases.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.388-398
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• 2009

Background and Objective: Luffae Fructus Retinervus (LFR) is used for investigating symptoms of inflammation. We have evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of LFR by analyzing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Materials and Methods : We differentiated THP-l cells into macrophage-like cells by treatment with PMA. Inflammation was induced by treatment with LPS and PMA. We determined the safe concentration of LFR by using the MTS and MTT assays and using PD 98059 as a negative control for comparison of the anti-inflammatory effect of LFR. Results : The MTS and MTT analysis showed that the cell survival rate was >80% within the LFR concentration range of 10-100 ng/ml and began to decrease to >80% at 1 ${\mu}g/ml$. By RT-PCR analysis, the gene expression of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-8, TGF-${\beta}$, IL-6, IL-${\beta}$1, and IL-10 levels were down-regulated when monocyte-derived macrophages were treated with concentrations of LFR between 10 ng/mL and 100 ng/mL. Conclusion : We conclude that LFR exerts an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory activity. The results suggest a promising way to treat general inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.147-153
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• 2010

$\beta$-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), the active principle of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in different animal models. In this study, the effects of GA on the production of inflammatory mediators including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$, interleukin (IL)-6, nitric oxide (NO), and prostaglandin E (pGE)-2 were examined in RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. Furthermore, to elucidate a possible mechanism for the inhibitory effect of GA on the production of TNF-$\alpha$, it was investigated whether the treatment of GA affects the I-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation and subsequent nuclear translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$. Various inflammatory responses were induced in the culture system by treating with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS). GA showed anti-inflammatory activities in dose-dependant manner with $IC_{50}$ of $5.4{\mu}M$ by inhibiting the production of TNF-$\alpha$ in RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, the treatment of GA blocked both I-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation and the nuclear translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$ from cytosol to nucleus. However, it did not affect the production of IL-6, NO, and PGE-2, implying the direct blocking of the production of TNF-$\alpha$ resulting from both the I-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation and the nuclear translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$. This finding might provide the underlying mechanism to explain the reported anti-inflammatory activities of GA in animal models.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.583-590
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• 2020

Deinococcus actinosclerus BM2^T (GenBank: KT448814) is a radio-resistant bacterium that is newly isolated from the soil of a rocky hillside in Seoul. As an extremophile, D. actinosclerus BM2^T may possess anti-inflammatory properties that may be beneficial to human health. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of BM2U, an aqueous extract of D. actinosclerus BM2^T, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. BM2U showed antioxidant capacity, as determined by the DPPH radical scavenging (IC₅₀ = 349.3 ㎍/ml) and ORAC (IC₅₀ = 50.24 ㎍/ml) assays. At 20 ㎍/ml, BM2U induced a significant increase in heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression (p < 0.05). BM2U treatment (0.2-20 ㎍/ml) significantly suppressed LPS-induced increase in the mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 (p < 0.05). BM2U treatment also suppressed the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which are involved in the production of inflammatory mediators. BM2U treatment also inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs): JNK, ERK, and p-38 (p < 0.05). Collectively, BM2U exhibited anti-inflammatory potential that can be exploited in attenuating inflammatory responses.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.527-536
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• 2014

An ethanolic extract from Myagropsis yendoi was fractionated using several solvents. Among these, an ethyl acetate fraction (Myagropsis yendoi ethyl acetate fraction: MYE) showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity based on inhibition of lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells. We thus investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying MYE's inhibitory effects. Pretreatment of cells with up to $30{\mu}g/mL$ of MYE significantly inhibited NO production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). Similarly, MYE markedly reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, as well as their mRNA levels. While the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) was strongly suppressed by MYE, the activation of a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) was increased. Moreover, MYE significantly reduced the phosphorylation of JNK, p38 MAPK, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt in LPS-stimulated cells. These results indicate that MYE contains anti-inflammatory compounds, and that it might be used as a dietary supplement for the prevention of inflammatory diseases.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.35-43
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• 2009

Objectives: Hwangryunhaedok-tang (HRHDT), a prescription composed of four herbs, has been wi dely used in Oriental Medicine for the treatment of cerebral infarction. However, the mechanisms by which the herbal formula affects on the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in cerebral infarction patients remain unknown yet. Methods: The levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, interleukin (IL)-1b, and IL-6, IL-10, and TGF-${\beta}1$ were determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from cerebral infarction patients under our experimental conditions. Results: The secretory levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, interleukin (IL)-1b, and IL-6, and IL-10 were significantly increased in phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from cerebral infarction patients. However, pretreatment with HRHDT significantly inhibited the secretion of pro- and anti-inflammatory in PBMCs. Also, HRHDT induced a significant increase of transforming growth factor (TGF)-b1 in PBMCs. Conclusions: These data indicate that HRHDT may be beneficial in the suppression of inflammatory processes of cerebral infarct through suppression of TNF-$\alpha$, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, and IL-10 and induction of TGF-${\beta}1$.