• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.110-116
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• 2005

Background: As an attempt to develop a strategy to improve the protective immune response to GM-CSF-secreting CT26 (GM-CSF/CT26) tumor vaccine, we have investigated whether the apoptogenic treatment of GM-CSF/CT26 prior to vaccination enhances the induction of anti-tumor immune response in mouse model. Methods: A carcinogeninduced mouse colorectal tumor, CT26 was transfected with GM-CSF gene using a retroviral vector to generate GM-CSF-secreting CT26 (CT26/GM-CSF). The CT26/GM-CSF was treated with ${\gamma}$-irradiation or mitomycin C to induce apoptosis and vaccinated into BALB/c mice. After 7 days, the mice were injected with a lethal dose of challenge live CT26 cells to examine the protective effect of tumor vaccination in vivo. Results: Although both apoptotic and necrotic CT26/GM-CSF vaccines were able to enhance anti-tumor immune response, apoptotic CT26/GM-CSF induced by pretreatment with ${\gamma}$-irradiation (50,000 rads) was the most potent in generating the anti-tumor immunity, and thus 100% of mice vaccinated with the apoptotic cells remained tumor free for more than 60 days after tumor challenge. Conclusion: Apoptogenic pretreatment of GM-CSF-secreting CT26 tumor vaccine by ${\gamma}$-irradiation (50,000 rads) resulted in a significant enhancement in inducing the protective anti-tumor immunity. A rapid induction of apoptosis of CT26/GM-CSF tumor vaccine at the vaccine site might be critical for the enhancement in anti-tumor immune response to tumor vaccine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1361-1368
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• 2019

Codium fragile is an edible seaweed in Asian countries that has been used as a thrombolytic, anticoagulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-stimulatory agent. Ginseng has also been known to maintain immune homeostasis and to regulate the immune system via enhancing resistance to diseases and microorganisms. In this study, anionic macromolecules extracted from C. fragile (CFAM) were orally administered with red ginseng extract (100 mg/kg body weight) to cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed male BALB/c mice to investigate the immune-enhancing cooperative effect of Codium fragile and red ginseng. Our results showed that supplementing CFAM with red ginseng extract significantly increased spleen index, T- and B-cell proliferation, NK cell activity, and splenic lymphocyte immune-associated gene expression compared to those with red ginseng alone, even though a high concentration of CFAM with red ginseng decreased immune biomarkers. These results suggest that CFAM can be used as a co-stimulant to enhance health and immunity in immunosuppressed conditions.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2017

Objective : Soybeans of Canavalia gladiata(CG) and root of Arctium lappa(AL) have been reported to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effect. However, the immunoregulatory mechanisms of its combinational prescription remain a matter of considerable debate. In the current study, we investigated whether CG and AL and its combinational prescription(CG+AL) regulate immune system using chronic immobilization-stress mouse model. Methods : C57BL/6J mice fixed for 2 hours into immobilization tube after CG, AL, CG+AL oral administration after 2 hours daily for 21 days. After every experiment has ended the C57BL/6J mice were sacrificed on 22 days. The production of Serotonin and Cortisol, lgA were observed by ELISA method, The proportion of immune cells such as T/B cell and macrophage, NK cell were measured by FACS. Then, Real-time PCR was performed to measure the mRNA expression of Inflammatory cytokines(IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-a) and T cell activation cytokines(IL-2, IL-10, IFN-gamma, IL-12p35 / p40). Result : When chronic immobilization-stress mouse model were treated with CG+AL(1:4), the expression of mRNA were significantly decreased at the Inflammatory cytokines(IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-a). While, the levels of mRNA were significantly increased at immune T cell activation cytokines. Additionally, CG+AL(1:4) combinational prescription group enhanced immune cells such as T/B cell and macrophage, NK cell. Furthermore, the Immuno-fluorescence result of brain tissue can confirm that CG+AL(1:4) group significantly increased the BDNF expression. Conclusion : These result suggest that CG+AL(1:4) combinational prescription has Immune System enhancement via stress-mediated immunocyte.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2020.08a
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• pp.87-87
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated the immune-enhancing activity of water extracts from Hydrangea macrophylla subsp. serrata (WE-HML). WE-HML increased cell viability and production of immunomodulators, which contributed to activating phagocytic activity in RAW264.7 cells. Inhibition of JNK and NF-κB reduced the production of immunomodulators by WE-HML. ROS inhibition suppressed the production of immunomodulators, and the activation of JNK and NF-κB signaling by WE-HML. TLR4 inhibition attenuated the production of immunomodulators, and activation of JNK and NF-κB signaling by WE-HML. In the immunosuppressed mouse model, WE-HML increased the spleen index, the levels of the cytokines, the numbers of white blood cells, lymphocytes, and neutrophils. However, WE-HML inhibited LPS-mediated overproduction of pro-inflammatory mediators in RAW264.7 cells, which indicated that WE-HML may have anti-inflammatory activity under excessive inflammatory conditions. Taken together, WE-HML may be considered to have immune-enhancing activity and expected to be used as a potential immune-enhancing agent.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.528-533
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• 2004

The immune system acts to protect the host from infectious agents that exist in the environment and from other noxious insults. The immune system has two functional divisions: the innate and the acquired. Both components involve various factors such as cytokines. A number of methodologies exist to assess aspects of immune function. There are large inter-individual variations in many immune functions even among the healthy. Genetics, age, gender, smoking habits, habitual levels of exercise, alcohol consumption, diet, stage in the female menstrual cycle, stress, history of infections and vaccinations, and early life experiences are likely to be important contributors to the observed variation. While it is clear that individuals with immune responses significantly below 'normal' are more susceptible to infectious agents and exhibit increased infectious morbidity and mortality, it is not clear how the variation in immune function among healthy individuals relates to variation in susceptibility to infection. Oriental medicine is an important factor contributing to immune competence. The author investigated the immune enhancement effects of Bojungikkitanggami-bang (BITB). The forced swimming test (FST) has been used as a screening model for new immune enhancement agents. In the present study, the author investigated the effects of BITB on FST and blood biochemical parameters related to fatigue, glucose (Glc); blood urea nitrogen (BUN); lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); creatinine; and total protein (TP). The author found that BITB (1 g/kg) significantly reduced the immobility time in the FST compared to the control. In addition, the contents of Glc, LDH, BUN, TP in the blood serum were increased in BITB (1g/kg)-fed group. Also, the author investigated the effects of BITB on the production of cytokines in human T-cell line, MOLT-4 cells. BITB (1 mg/ml) significantly increased the interferon (IFN)-vproduction compared with media control (about 2.2-fold for IFN-γ) at 24 h. However, BITB has not affect the production of IL-2 and IL-4. In addition, BITB increased the protein expression level of IFN-γ in MOLT-4 cells. Thus, BITB may have therapeutic value in generating or enhancing immune function in a clinical setting.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 2006

Ability of pectic polysaccharides isolated from Eleutherococcus senticosus EN-3 to inhibit tumor metastasis and induce antigen-specific immune response after oral administration in mice was assessed. Consecutive oral administration of EN-3 before tumor inoculation dramatically inhibited tumor metastasis produced by colon26-M3.1 and B16-BL6 cells. When Peyer's patch cells isolated from mouse intestine were co-cultured with EN-3, proliferation of Peyer's patch cells was induced. Mice co-administered with EN-3 and ovalbumin (OVA) showed significantly higher production of OVA-specific IgA in intestinal washing as well as IgG in serum than those administered with OVA alone. Payer's patch cells of mice immunized with OVA plus EN-3 showed much higher proliferating activity than those of mice immunized with OVA alone. Proliferating activity increased dose-dependently, indicating EN-3 specifically enhanced mucosal immune response to OVA. These results suggested EN-3 could significantly stimulate Peyer's patch cells either non-specifically or antigen-specifically, possibly playing important role in enhancement of mucosal and systemic immune systems.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 1985

This study was undertaken to assess the susceptibility of pigmented and nonpigmented strains of Serratia marcescens to antibiotics and human sera, and the effect of culture filtrates from pigmented and nonpigmented of Serratia marcescens on humoral and cellular immune responses in mice to thymus-dependent and indepependent antigens. Humoral immune response was measured by hemagglutinin (HA) and hemolysin (HE) to sheep red blood cell (SRBC), and Arthus or antibody response to polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The cellular immune response was measured by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) determined by footpad swelling reactin to SRBC. The resistance of pigmented strains of Serratia marcescens to the bactericidal action of heat inactivated human serum was insignificantly greater than that of nonpigmented strains. However, the pigmented strains were significantly more resistant to the bactericidal action of heat-untreated human serum than that of nonpigmented strains. The clinical isolates of Serratia marcestens was also tested for their resistance to several antibiotics. There was no difference between the pigmented and non-pigmented strains in the resistance to carbenicillin. However, nonpigmented strains were more resistant to gentamicin, kanamycin and tobramycin than the pigmented strains. The intraperitoneal administration of culture filtrates from the pigmented or nonpigmented strains into mice caused enhancemented of antibody response to SRBC or PVP, and of DTH to SRBC. Besides, their enhancement of immune responses was more prominent when culture filtrate from the pigmented strains was administered.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.349-356
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• 2018

Asterias amurensis is a marine organism that causes damage to the fishing industry worldwide; however, it has been considered a promising source of functional components. The present study aimed to investigate the immune-enhancing effects of fatty acids from three organs of A. amurensis on murine macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells). A. amurensis fatty acids boosted production of immune-associated factors such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 in RAW 264.7 cells. A. amurensis fatty acids also enhanced the expression of critical immune-associated genes, including iNOS, $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$, and IL-6, as well as COX-2. Western blotting showed that A. amurensis fatty acids stimulated the $NF-{\kappa}B$ and MAPK pathways by phosphorylation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ p-65, p38, ERK1/2, and JNK. A. amurensis fatty acids from different tissues resulted in different levels of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and MAPK phosphorylation in RAW 264.7 cells. The results increase our understanding of how A. amurensis fatty acids boost immunity in a physiological system, as a potential functional material.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.536-541
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• 2021

In this study, we investigated whether Hibiscus manihot flowers (HMF) exhibits immunostimulatory activity in RAW264.7 cells. HMF increased the production of immunostimulatory factors such as NO, iNOS, IL-1β and TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells. TLR2 and TLR4 blocked HMF-mediated production of immunostimulatory factors in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, the inhibition of MAPK signaling pathway reduced HMF-mediated production of immunostimulatory factors. From these results, HMF is thought to promote the production of immunostimulatory factors through activating TLR2/4/MAPK signaling in macrophages. It is believed that HMF can be developed as an agent related to immune enhancement in the future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.726-732
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• 2021

In this study, we evaluated the immune-enhancing activity of kimchi-derived Lactobacillus plantarum 200655 on immune suppression by cyclophosphamide (CP) in ICR mice. Animals were fed distilled water or 1×10⁹ colony-forming unit/kg B.W. 200655 or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG as a positive control for 14 days. An in vivo model of immunosuppression was induced using CP 150 and 100 mg/kg B.W. at 7 and 10 days, respectively. Body weight, spleen index, spleen weight, and gene expression were measured to estimate the immune-enhancing effects. The dead 200655 (D-200655) group showed an increased spleen weight compared to the sham control (SC) group. Similarly, the spleen index was significantly higher than that in the CP-treated group. The live 200655 (L-200655) group showed an increased mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 in splenocytes. Also, the iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression was upregulated in the L-200655 group compared to the CP-only (SC) group. The phosphorylation of ERK and MAPK was also upmodulated in the L-200655 group. These results indicate that L. plantarum 200655 ameliorated CP-induced immune suppression, suggesting that L. plantarum 200655 may have the potential to enhance the immune system.