• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.898-908
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• 2000

Background : Eotaxin a CC chemokine specific for eosinophils, is implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma by recruiting eosinophils into the airways. Theophylline has been used for the treatment of asthma and recently was proposed to have an anti-inflammatory action. The aim of this study is to examine whether theophylline may inhibit the eosinophilic airway inflammation by reducing the expression of eotaxin. Methods : The expression of eotaxin mRNA was assessed by Northern analysis in A549 cells 4 h after stimulation with TNF-$\alpha$ or IL-1$\beta$. And then, theophylline was added to A549 cells stimulated with 0.1 ng/mL IL-1$\beta$. Results : Eotaxin mRNA expression rates induced by 0.1, 1, 10 ng/mL TNF-$\alpha$ as compared with $\beta$-actin, were 7%, 22%. 28%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates induced by 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 ng/mL IL-1$\beta$, as compared with $\beta$-actin, were 10%, 42%, 63%, 72%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after the addition of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 ${\mu}M$ dexamethasone induced by 10 ng/mL TNF-$\alpha$ as compared with $\beta$-actin, were 27%, 18%, 8%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rate after the addition of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 ${\mu}M$ dexamethasone induced by 0.1 ng/mL IL-1$\beta$ as compared with $\beta$-actin, were 43%, 47%, 12%, 8%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after the addition of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 mM theophylline induced by 0.1 ng/mL IL-1$\beta$, as compared with $\beta$-actin, were 48%, 40%, 33%, 22%, 16%, 14%, respectively. Conclusion : These results suggest that theophylline may reduce eosinophil infiltration of the airway at least in part by reducing the expression of eotaxin under the conditions of these experiments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.1133-1138
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• 2006

Smilax china root has been used as traditional medicinal remedy in China and Korea and reported to have various biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities. In this study, the possibility of development as natural antioxidants of Smilax china root extracts was investigated. For the evaluation of antioxidant activity, aqueous- and 25% EtOH extract from Smilax china root were prepared and six different evaluation assay methods, i.e., measurement of total phenolics, radical scavenging effects on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO) and nitrite $(NO_2)$, reducing power, and inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity, were used. The total phenolics content of two extracts was high as the level of 36 mg of gallic acid equivalent per 1 g of dried sample tested. The radical scavenging activities of ethanol extract toward DPPH and NO were better than those of aqueous extract (p<0.05). The $NO_2$ scavenging activity of both extracts showed the highest value at pH 1.2 (98%). Especially, the $NO_2$ scavenging activities of EtOH extract were significantly stronger than those of aqueous one at pH 4.2 (51%) and pH 6.0 (32%), respectively. In the reducing power test, both extracts revealed higher ferric ion reducing activity than known antioxidant, vitamin C at the level of $0.05\sim0.1mg/mL$ (p<0.01). The 1 mL of aqueous and 25% EtOH extract showed effective inhibition activity on tyrosinase activity as 45% and 53%, respectively. Therefore, these results suggest that two extracts from Smilax china root may serve as useful natural antioxidants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.558-566
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• 2024

The potential therapeutic effects of Kaempferia Parviflora ethanol extract (KPE) on osteoarthritis were investigated using the human chondrocyte cell line (CHON-001) to explore its application in functional foods. The CHON-001 cells were pre-treated with either 1 ㎍/ml or 5 ㎍/ml of KPE before exposure to 10 ng/ml of IL-1β to induce osteoarthritis. Results showed that KPE treatment significantly suppressed IL-1β-induced TNF-α production by 66% and 50% at concentrations of 1 ㎍/ml and 5 ㎍/ml KPE, respectively. In addition, COX-2 protein expression was reduced by 26% and 34% compared to control levels. The preservation of chondrocyte-specific matrix proteins, aggrecan, and collagen type II, was notable, with aggrecan and mRNA levels maintained by 5% and 8%, and collagen II levels preserved by 62% and 47% at the same KPE concentrations. This preservation is likely due to the reduced expression of MMP1 and MMP13, enzymes responsible for matrix protein degradation. Overall, the current results suggest that KPE may protect chondrocytes from IL-1β-induced osteoarthritis by suppressing TNF-α production and COX-2 expression while preserving critical matrix proteins like aggrecan and collagen II by suppressing the expressions of their degrading enzymes (MMP-1 and MMP-13). Therefore, KPE holds promise as a candidate for developing functional foods aimed at reducing osteoarthritis.