• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.391-398
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• 2018

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an attractive resource for refractory patients because of their anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory capability and multi-lineage differentiation potential. The transplantation of MSCs has led to positive results in preclinical and clinical application to various diseases, including autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, liver cirrhosis, and ischemic stroke. On the other hand, studies have shown that paracrine factors, not direct cell replacement for damaged cells or tissue, are the main contributors in MSC-based therapy. More recently, evidence has indicated that MSC-derived exosomes play crucial roles in regulating the paracrine factors that can mediate tissue regeneration via transferring nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids to the local microenvironment and cell-to-cell communication. The use of these exosomes is likely to be beneficial for the therapeutic application of MSCs because their use can avoid harmful effects, such as tumor formation involved in cell transplantation. Therefore, therapeutic applications using MSC-derived exosomes might be safe and efficient strategies for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. This review summarizes the recent advances and provides a comprehensive understanding of the role of MSC-derived exosomes as a therapeutic agent.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 2022

Background: Maternal Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection during pregnancy has been associated with various mental illnesses in the offspring. Ginsenoside Rh2 (GRh2) is a major bioactive compound obtained from ginseng that has an anti-T. gondii effect and attenuates microglial activation through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. GRh2 also alleviated tumor-associated or lipopolysaccharide-induced depression. However, the effects and potential mechanisms of GRh2 on depression-like behavior in mouse offspring caused by maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy have not been investigated. Methods: We examined GRh2 effects on the depression-like behavior in mouse offspring, caused by maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy, by measuring depression-like behaviors and assaying parameters at the neuronal and molecular level. Results: We showed that GRh2 significantly improved behavioral measures: sucrose consumption, forced swim time and tail suspended immobility time of their offspring. These corresponded with increased tissue concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine, and attenuated indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase or enhanced tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the prefrontal cortex. GRh2 ameliorated neuronal damage in the prefrontal cortex. Molecular docking results revealed that GRh2 binds strongly to both TLR4 and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that GRh2 ameliorated the depression-like behavior in mouse offspring of maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy by attenuating the excessive activation of microglia and neuroinflammation through the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. It suggests that GRh2 could be considered a potential therapy in preventing and treating psychiatric disorders in the offspring mice of mothers with prenatal exposure to T. gondii infection.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.166-182
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• 2022

Deer antler velvet is widely used in traditional medicine for its anti-aging, antioxidant, and immunity-enhancing effects. However, few studies have reported on the discovery of probiotic strains for deer antler fermentation to increase functional ingredient absorption. This study evaluated the ability of probiotic lactic acid bacteria to enhance the concentrations of bioactive molecules (e.g., sialic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid [GABA]) in extracts of deer antler velvet. Seventeen strains of Lactobacillus spp. that were isolated from kimchi and infant feces, including L. sakei, L. rhamnosus, L. brevis, and L. plantarum, and those that improved the life span of Caenorhabditis elegans were selected for evaluation. Of the 17 strains, 2 (L. rhamnosus LFR20-004 and L. sakei LFR20-007) were selected based on data showing that these strains increased both the sialic acid and GABA contents of deer antler extract after fermentation for 2 d and significantly improved the life span of C. elegans. Co-fermentation with both strains further increased the concentrations of sialic acid, GABA, and metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and amino acids. We evaluated the biological effects of the fermented antler velvet (FAV) on the antibacterial immune response in C. elegans by assessing worm survival after pathogen infection. The survival of the C. elegans conditioned with FAV for 24h was significantly higher compared with that of the control worm group fed only normal feed (non-pathogenic E. coli OP50) exposed to E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhi, and Listeria monocytogenes. To evaluate the protective effects of FAV on immune response, cyclophosphamide (Cy), an immune-suppressing agent was treated to in vitro and in vivo. We found that FAV significantly restored viability of mice splenocytes and immune promoting-related cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-10, inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS], interferon [IFN]-γ, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) were activated compared to non-fermented deer antlers. This finding indicated the protective effect of FAV against Cy-induced cell death and immunosuppressed mice. Taken together, our study suggests that immune-promoting antler velvet can be produced through fermentation using L. rhamnosus LFR20-004 and L. sakei LFR20-007.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.589-603
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have reported that protein supplementation contributes to the attenuation of inflammation. Serious trauma such as burn injury usually results in the excessive release of inflammatory factors and organs dysfunction. However, a few reports continued to focus on the function of protein ingestion in regulating burn-induced inflammation and organ dysfunction. MATERIALS/METHODS: This study established the rat model of 30% total body surface area burn injury, and evaluated the function of blended protein (mixture of whey and soybean proteins). Blood routine examination, inflammatory factors, blood biochemistry, and immunohistochemical assays were employed to analyze the samples from different treatment groups. RESULTS: Our results indicated a decrease in the numbers of white blood cells, monocytes, and neutrophils in the burn injury group administered with the blended protein nutritional support (Burn+BP), as compared to the burn injury group administered normal saline supplementation (Burn+S). Expressions of the pro-inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 [IL-6]) and chemokines (macrophage chemoattractant protein-1, regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted factor, and C-C motif chemokine 11) were dramatically decreased, whereas anti-inflammatory factors (IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13) were significantly increased in the Burn+BP group. Kidney function related markers blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine, and the liver function related markers alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase were remarkably reduced, whereas albumin levels were elevated in the Burn+BP group as compared to levels obtained in the Burn+S group. Furthermore, inflammatory cells infiltration of the kidney and liver was also attenuated after burn injury administered with blended protein supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, nutritional support with blended proteins dramatically attenuates the burn-induced inflammatory reaction and protects organ functions. We believe this is a new insight into a potential therapeutic strategy for nutritional support of burn patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.693-702
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• 2023

The present study examined the rate of cell growth and differentiation potential into adipocytes in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells exposed to each adipogenic medium containing glucose metabolism hormones, such as thyroxine (T4) thyroid hormone and glucocorticoid (GC) adrenal steroid hormone, as well as pioglitazone (PGZ), a PPARγ agonist. Following each adipogenic treatment for 2 weeks, the rate of cell growth was significantly (p<0.05) inhibited, and the level of telomerase activity was significantly (p<0.05) decreased in the PGZ-based adipogenic medium containing both T4 and GC hormone compared with those containing each T4 or GC hormone. Moreover, the adiposome-like vesicles were highly reacted with Oil-Red O staining solution, and the levels of transcripts expressed in the differentiating adipocytes for adipogenesis, including adinopectin, leptin, and resistin, were significantly (p<0.05) increased in the PGZ-based adipogenic medium containing both T4 and GC hormone compared with those of the adipogenic medium containing each T4 or GC hormone, implying that adipocytic differentiation has fully occurred in the A549 cancer cells. Based on present observations, the PGZ-based adipogenic medium containing both T4 and GC efficiently induces inhibition of cell growth and cellular differentiation into adipocytes in A549 cancer cells rather than in the adipogenic medium containing only T4 or GC hormone. Adipogenic treatment could provide potential probability in cancer chemotherapy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.512-522
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• 2023

Cancer with unlimited cell growth is a leading cause of death globally. Various cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, can be applied alone or in combination depending on the cancer type and stage. New treatments with fewer side effects than previous cancer treatments are continually under development and in demand. Undifferentiated stem cells with unlimited cell growth are gradually changed via cellular differentiation to arrest cell growth. In this study, we reviewed the possibility of treating cancer by using cellular differentiation into the adipocytes in cancer cells. In previous in vitro studies, oral antidiabetic drugs of the thiazolidinedione (TDZ) class, such as rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, were induced into the adipocytes in various cancer cell lines via increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR γ) expression and glucose uptake, which is the key regulator of adipogenesis and the energy metabolism pathway. The differentiated adipogenic cancer cells treated with TDZ inhibited cell growth and had a less cellulotoxic effect. This adipogenic differentiation treatment suggests a possible chemotherapy option in cancer cells with high and abnormal glucose metabolism levels. However, the effects of the in vivo adipogenic differentiation treatment need to be thoroughly investigated in different types of stem and normal cells with other side effects.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2020.12a
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• pp.81-81
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• 2020

Pneumonia is infection of air sacs in lungs by bacteria, viruses, fungi and abnormal atmosphere condition. That causes to inflammation and fills up with pus and fulid in air sacs. The symptoms of pneumonia are heavy cough, fever, shortness and rapid respiration and sputum with blood. Also, that remains sequela after the recovery. Thymus quinquecostatus (TQ) has a strong antibacterial effect. That has been used a natural medicine for bronchitis, asthma and nervous inflammation. In this study evaluated anti-inflammatory effects of TQ on IFN (interferon)-γ/TNF (tumor necrosis factor)-α (20 ng/ml) stimulation. MRC-5 cells were seeded at 1 × 10⁵ cells/well in a 24-well plate and stabilized overnight at 37℃. The cells were treated with various concentrations of TQ extracts (DW, 30, 50, 70, 95% EtOH, 0.1~100 mg/ml) for 4h, Subsequently IFN-γ/TNF-α (20 ng/ml) was added to each well and incubated over 12h. the production of inflammatory cytokines were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbentassay(ELISA) method. The absorbance was measured at 450 nm using microplate reader. The treatment with TQ extract at dose of 0.1 to 100 mg/ml did not show cytotoxicity in MRC-5 cells (showed cytotoxicity at 95% EtOH 100 mg/ml). The results demonstrated that stimulation of TNF-α/IFN-γ significantly increased the production of inflammatory mediators in the MRC-5 cells compared with unstimulated cells. By contrast, treatment with TQ extreats doses of 0.001 to 10 mM significantly suppressed the production of IL-6 and IL-8. Especially. The higher percent of ethyl alcohol extracts suppressed the production of inflammatory cytokines. This results are considered that essential oil of TQ is extracted according to ethyl alcohol percent. Therefore, TQ has potential to mitigate pulmonary disease that can be used a medicine for pneumonia

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.377-382
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• 2007

This study was designed to investigate the effect of Plebeiae Herba (Salvia plebeia R. Br.) on the proliferation of AGS cell lines and the activation of splenocytes. In an anti-cancer test using AGS cells, water and ethanol extracts of Plebeiae Herba inhibited the growth of AGS cell lines and morphological changes were also observed in a dose-dependent manner. Water extract of Plebeiae Herba showed growth-inhibitory effect of 43.3% at $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ and 69.7% at $3,000{\mu}g/mL$. Ethanol extracts of Plebeiae Herba showed growth-inhibitory effect of approximately 37.3% for $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ and 75.8% for $3,000{\mu}g/mL$. The Plebeiae Herba induced the proliferation of spleen cells and increased interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$. In conclusion, these results suggest that the Plebeiae Herba seems to have antiproliferationg effect against the AGS cell and acts as a potent immunomodulator.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.631-646
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• 2011

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent and can be isolated from diverse human tissues including bone marrow, fat, placenta, dental pulp, synovium, tonsil, and the thymus. They function as regulators of tissue homeostasis. Because of their various advantages such as plasticity, easy isolation and manipulation, chemotaxis to cancer, and immune regulatory function, MSCs have been considered to be a potent cell source for regenerative medicine, cancer treatment and other cell based therapy such as GVHD. However, relating to its supportive feature for surrounding cell and tissue, it has been frequently reported that MSCs accelerate tumor growth by modulating cancer microenvironment through promoting angiogenesis, secreting growth factors, and suppressing anti-tumorigenic immune reaction. Thus, clinical application of MSCs has been limited. To understand the underlying mechanism which modulates MSCs to function as tumor supportive cells, we co-cultured human adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASC) with cancer cell lines H460 and U87MG. Then, expression data of ASCs co-cultured with cancer cells and cultured alone were obtained via microarray. Comparative expression analysis was carried out using DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery) and PANTHER (Protein ANalysis THrough Evolutionary Relationships) in divers aspects including biological process, molecular function, cellular component, protein class, disease, tissue expression, and signal pathway. We found that cancer cells alter the expression profile of MSCs to cancer associated fibroblast like cells by modulating its energy metabolism, stemness, cell structure components, and paracrine effect in a variety of levels. These findings will improve the clinical efficacy and safety of MSCs based cell therapy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2012

Bee venom (BV) has been used in medicine to treat a variety of diseases including arthritis, rheumatism, and various cancers. Recent reports indicate that BV has anti-angiogenic effects, but the precise molecular mechanism underlying the effects of BV against colorectal cancer remains to be elucidated. We examined the effects of BV and its major components (melittin and apamin) on tumor angiogenesis and found that BV significantly decreased protein levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$), an important factor involved in angiogenesis and tumor progression, in human colorectal carcinoma HCT116 cells. BV also suppressed the transcription of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ under hypoxia, leading to a decrease in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a major target gene of HIF-$1{\alpha}$. We also found that these effects were mainly elicited by apamin, but not melittin. BV specifically inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 without changing the total levels of this protein, but had no effect on kinases of p38/JNK and AKT. Our results suggest that BV may inhibit human colorectal cancer progression and angiogenesis by inhibiting HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and VEGF expression, thereby providing a novel potential mechanism for the anticancer action of BV.