• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2007

Purpose : To evaluate the chemokine expression in children with a non-productive cough. Materials and Methods : Six children with a non-productive cough who visited Yeungnam University Hospital were evaluated for the mRNA expression of interferon-${\gamma}$-inducible protein 10(IP-10), macrophage cationic protein 1 and 3 (MCP-1, 3), interleukin (IL)-8, regulated upon activation in normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES), eotaxin and growth-related oncogene-${\alpha}$ (Gro-${\alpha}$) using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results : The chemokines IP-10 and MCP-3 were expressed in all samples. The chemokine RANTES was expressed in five cases, and IL-8 was expressed in three among them. However, eotaxin, Gro-${\alpha}$ and MCP-1 were not expressed at all. The expression of chemokine MCP-3, RANTES and IL-8 were suppressed after the resolution of coughing in just one available case. Conclusion : The chemokines MCP-3, RANTES and IL-8 may contribute to airway inflammation in children with a non-productive cough, whereas IP-10 is of secondary importance in this condition.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.264-273
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• 2019

Objectives : Microglia play a crucial role in electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia on neuropathic pain. The role of chemokines in producing analgesic effects of EA, however, is largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role of chemokines in producing analgesic effects of EA in the neuropathic pain model. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups (anesthetized group (ANE), non-acupoint EA group (NAP), and ST36 - GB34 EA group (ACU)). Neuropathic pain was induced by tight ligation of L5 spinal nerve. Mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity of hind paw was tested. Western blot tests and immunofluorescence assay for C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) levels and microglia activation were performed on spinal cord L5/6. EA was treated once daily from the 3rd day after surgery for 5 days. Results : EA treatments applied to ST36 and GB34 significantly reduced both mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity after two and three times of treatment, respectively. While CCL2 expression significantly increased in neuropathic rats, it was significantly reduced in the ACU. In addition, co-localization of CCL2 and activated microglia significantly decreased in the ACU compared to those of ANE and NAP in the spinal cord L5/L6 dorsal horn. Conclusions : The present results suggest that EA applied to ST36 and GB34 modulates the reduction of CCL2 release from the injured neurons and consequently decreases microglia activation in the spinal cord. Regulation of chemokine induced spinal activation of microglia plays a key role in analgesic effects of EA in the rat model of neuropathic pain.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2006

Allergic inflammation is thought to be a Th2 cell-dominant immune response during which tissue-resident fibroblasts produce chemokines which contribute to the recruitment of migratory leukocytes to sites of tissue injury. Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC; CCL17) is a potent member of the CC chemokine family and a selective chemoattractant for Th2 cells. In order to study the regulatory profiles of TARC production by $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IFN-{\gamma}$, and Il-4 in human normal skin fibroblast, CCD-986sk cell line was used. The expression of TARC protein was measured using ELISA, and mRNA level was detected by RT-PCR. The combination of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-4 induced a time-and dose-dependent synergistic increase in the expression of TARC at both protein and mRNA levels in the cultured human skin fibroblasts. Exposure of the cells to single cytokine had no effect on TARC expression. The high concentration (100 ng/ml) and long incubation time (72 h) of $IFN-{\gamma}$ further enhanced the TARC production induced by $TNF-{\alpha}$/lL-4 in the skin fibroblast. This synergistic effect of Th1 and Th2 type cytokines on TARC production by skin fibroblasts may contribute to the inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue damage with allergic inflammation.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.109-118
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Bacillus-fermented Scutellariae Radix acupuncture solution (SB) on chemokine and growth factor production in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods : Productions of chemokine and growth factor were measured by High-throughput Multiplex Bead based Assay with Bio-plex Suspension Array System based on xMAP$^{(R)}$ technology. Firstly, cell culture supernatant was obtained after treatment with LPS (1 ${\mu}g$/mL) and SB for 24 hours. Then, it was incubated with the antibody-conjugated beads for 30 minutes. Detection antibody was then added and incubated for 30 minutes. After incubated for 30 minutes, strepavidin-conjugated phycoerythrin (SAPE) was added. After another 30 minutes incubation, the level of SAPE fluorescence was analyzed in Bio-plex Suspension Array System. Results : The results of the experiment are as follows. 1. SB significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interferon-inducible protein (IP)-10, and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) at the concentration of 25, 50, 100, and 200 ${\mu}g$/mL in RAW 264.7 cells (P < 0.05). 2. SB significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of Eotaxin at the concentration of 25, 100, and 200 ${\mu}g$/mL in RAW 264.7 cells (P < 0.05). 3. SB significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of MIP-$1\alpha$ at the concentration of 25 and 100 ${\mu}g$/mL in RAW 264.7 cells (P < 0.05). Conclusions : These results suggest that SB has immuno-modulatory property related with its inhibition of VEGF, IP-10, G-CSF, and Eotaxin production in macrophages.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.822-826
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• 2010

In order to validate the use of Faeces Trogopterori as an anti-inflammatory drug in the traditional Korean medicine, I have investigated the effect of water-soluble extract of F. Trogopterori (EFT) on the production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), of which chemokine stimulates the migration of mononuclear cells, in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The extract inhibited dose-dependently MCP-1 production without its cytotoxic effect on HUVECs, as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and significantly decreased mRNA levels of MCP-1, as determined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These results suggest that F. Trogopterori may have therapeutic potential in the control of endothelial disorders caused by inflammation.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.186-194
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• 2001

Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi infection, is clinically and histopathologically characterized by local as well as systemic inflammatory reactions, indicating that orientiae induce mechanisms that amplify the inflammatory response. To reveal underlying mechanisms of chemoattraction and activation of responding leukocytes, expression of chemokine and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-$\alpha$) genes in murine peritoneal macrophages after infection with the obligate intracellular bacterium Ο.tsutsugamushi was investigated. The genes that were unregulated included macrophage inflammatory proteins l$\alpha$/$\beta$(MIP-l$\alpha$/$\beta$), MIP-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1(MCP-1), RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted), gamma-interferon-inducible protein 10(IP-10) and TNF-$\alpha$. Peak expression of these chemokines and TNF-$\alpha$ was observed between 1 and 3 h after infection. These responses returned to or approached baseline preinfection levels 6 h after challenge. Semiquantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis revealed dramatic Increases during infection in the steady-state levels of mRNA ceding for the inhibitory subunit of NF-kB (IkB$\alpha$), whose transcription is enhanced by binding of NF-kB within the IkB$\alpha$promoter region. Thus, Ο. tsutsugamushi appears to be a stung inducer of chemokines and TNF-$\alpha$ which may significantly contribute to inflammation and tissue damage observed in scrub typhus by attracting and activating phagocytic leukocytes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.813-818
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• 2002

Expression of monokine induced by IFN-$\gamma$(Mig) mRNA is well-known to strictly depend on Interferon-$\gamma$(IFN-$\gamma$). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone Is weakly effective on Mig mRNA expression in mouse Peritoneal macrophages. This study was undertaken to investigate the synergistic effect of LPS and IFN-$\beta$ on chemokine Mig gene expression in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Although IFN-$\beta$ alone was minimally effective, LPS plus IFN-$\beta$ synergized to produce a high level of Mig mRNh. The synergistic effect of LPS and IFN-$\beta$ (LPS/IFN-$\beta$) on Mig mRNA expression was strain-specific. The most effective synergistic effect of LPS/IFN-$\beta$ on the mRNh expression was found in simultaneous stimulation of LPS/IFN-$\beta$. This synergy was modulated at the level of the gene transcription and was not dependent on a new protein synthesis. Synergistic effect of LPS/IFN-$\beta$ also required the activation of $NF-_KB$. Accordingly, these data suggest that LPS/IFN-$\beta$ synergizes the expression of Mig mRNA through a process that depends on a pretranscriptional level and/or coincident Mig mRNA transcription.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.74-92
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• 2005

The high resolution solution structure of MCP-3 was determined using multinuclear, multidimensional NMR spectroscopy with an expressed and $^{13}C-\;and\;^{15}N-labeled$ protein. The MCP-3 has a typical chemokine fold including 3 anti-parallel $\beta-sheets$, and a C-terminal helix, but it exists as a monomer in solution under the conditions where the structure was determined (2 mM, pH 5.1 at $30^{\circ}C$). Based on the structure and the amino acid sequence compared to other chemokines we propose that Ile20 and Leu25 in MCP-3 play key roles in the formation of N-loop (residues between the $2^{nd}$ cysteine and the I sheet) which has been implicated as a determinant of chemokine specificity. Additional receptor binding surface is supplied by the 40s loop (residues between the 2 and the 3 sheet) and the binding interface of the acidic N-terminal region of chemokine receptor to MCP-3 would resemble the dimerization interface of CC type dimer.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2023

Objectives : Network pharmacology-based research is one of useful tool to predict the possible efficacy and molecular mechanisms of natural materials with multi compounds-multi targeting effects. In this study, we investigated the functional underlying mechanisms of Astragalus membranaceus Bunge (AM) on its anti-obesity effects using a network pharmacology analysis. Methods : The constituents of AM were collected from public databases and its target genes were gathered from PubChem database. The target genes of AM were compared with the gene set of obesity to find the correlation. Then, the network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.9.1. and functional enrichment analysis was conducted to predict the most relevant pathway of AM. Results : The result showed that AM network contained the 707 nodes and 6867 edges, and 525 intersecting genes were exhibited between AM and obesity gene set, indicating that high correlation with the effects of AM on obesity. Based on GO biological process and KEGG Pathway, 'Response to lipid', 'Cellular response to lipid', 'Lipid metabolic process', 'Regulation of chemokine production', 'Regulation of lipase activity', 'Chemokine signaling pathway', 'Regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes' and 'PPAR signaling pathway' were predicted as functional pathways of AM on obesity. Conclusions : AM showed high relevance with the lipid metabolism related with the chemokine production and lipolysis pathways. This study could be a basis that AM has promising effects on obesity via network pharmacology analysis.

• Bulletin of Food Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.721-730
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• 2009