• Title/Summary/Keyword: immune functions

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Characterization and Expression Profile of CMTM3/CKLFSF3

  • Zhong, Ji;Wang, Yu;Qiu, Xiaoyan;Mo, Xiaoning;Liu, Yanan;Li, Ting;Song, Quansheng;Ma, Dalong;Han, Wenling
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.39 no.5
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    • pp.537-545
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    • 2006
  • CMTM/CKLFSF is a novel family of proteins linking chemokines and TM4SF. In humans, these proteins are encoded by nine genes, CKLF and CMTM1-8/CKLFSF1-8. Here we report the characteristics and expression profile of CMTM3/CKLFSF3. Human CMTM3/CKLFSF3 has a high sequence identity among various species and similar characteristics as its mouse and rat homologues. Established by results both of RT-PCR and Quantitative Real-time PCR, the gene is highly transcribed in testis, leukocytes and spleen. For further verification, we generated a polyclonal antibody against human CMTM3/CKLFSF3 and found that the protein is highly expressed in the testis and some cells of PBMCs. Therefore, CMTM3/CKLFSF3 is an evolutionarily conserved gene that may have important roles in the male reproductive system and immune system. Further studies are necessary to validate its functions in the two systems.

Experimental Studies on Activity of the Cultivated Mycelia of Phellinus linteus (상황(桑黃) 배양균사체의 활성에 관한 연구(I))

  • Kong, Young-Yun;Lee, Kwan-Ki;Nam, Sang-Yun;Hong, Nam-Doo
    • Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.233-239
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    • 1991
  • Phellinus linteus was examined for its anticancer activity using an animal model. Water extract of Phellinus linteus was prepared from artificially cultivated mycelia. Neither toxicity nor abnormal changes of hematological parameters were observed in the rat given orally with high doses of drug extract for 15 days. ICR mice were transplanted with Sarcoma-180 tumor cells intraperitoneally and drug extract was daily given to the mice from 1 day after tumer transplantation for 3 weeks. Administration of drug extract significantly prolonged the survival duration of Sarcoma 180-transplanted mice. For the better understanding of the anticancer activity, we have examined the effect of the drug extract administration on various killer cell functions, such as natural killer(NK) cells, cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) and macrophages which have been known to be main effector cells in immune responses against tumors. The results from the 4 hr $^{51}Cr-release$ assay have shown that the drug extract augments mouse NK cell activity but neither CTL nor macrophages. It is possible, then, that the anticancer activity of the Phellinus linteus may be associated with augmentation of NK cell function in the cancerated hosts.

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A comprehensive review of the therapeutic effects of Hericium erinaceus in neurodegenerative disease

  • Kim, Young Ock;Lee, Sang Won;Kim, Jin Seong
    • Journal of Mushroom
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.77-81
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    • 2014
  • Mushrooms are considered not only as food but also for source of physiologically beneficial medicines. The culinary-medicinal mushrooms may important role in the prevention of age-associated neurological dysfunctions, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Hericium erinaceus (H. erinaceus), is edible mushrooms, is a parasitic fungus that grows hanging off of logs and trees and well established candidate for brain and nerve health. H. erinaceus contains high amounts of antioxidants, beta-glucan, polysaccharides and a potent catalyst for brain tissue regeneration and helps to improve memory and cognitive functions. Its fruiting bodies and the fungal mycelia exhibit various pharmacological activities, including the enhancement of the immune system, antitumor, hypoglycemic and anti-aging properties. H. erinaceus stimulates the synthesis of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) which is the primary protein nutrient responsible for enhancing and repairing neurological disorders. Especially hericenones and erinacines isolated from its fruitin body stimulate NGF, synthesis. This fungus is also utilized to regulate blood levels of glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol. H. erinaceus can be considered as useful therapeutic agents in the management and/or treatment of neurodegeneration diseases. However, this review focuses on in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials for neurodegerative disease.

Functional Analysis of B7-H3 in Colonic Carcinoma Cells

  • Lu, Peng;Liu, Rong;Ma, Er-Min;Yang, Tie-Jian;Liu, Jia-Lin
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.13 no.8
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    • pp.3899-3903
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    • 2012
  • B7-H3 is a newly discovered member of the B7/CD28 superfamily which functions as an important T-cell immune molecule. It has been reported recently that B7-H3 is highly expressed in many cancer cells, the data indicating that it may be a regulation factor contributing to tumor-resistance. In our study, we used bioinformatics to identify differentially expressed genes between colonic cancer cells and normal colonic cells, aiming to analyze mechanisms and identify sub-pathways closely related to progression, with the final aim of finding small molecule drugs which might interfere this progression. We found that ajmaline is one related factor which may enhance self-immunity in colon carcinoma therapy and B7-H3 plays important roles with regard to immunoreactions of colonic cancer cells. All the results indicate that H7-B3 is a favorable prognostic biomarker for colon carcinomas, providing novel information regarding likely targets for intervention.

Immunosuppressive Characteristics of Oligomycin Derivatives Produced by Streptomyces lydicus MCY-524

  • Lee, Sang-Yong;Han, Sang-Bae;Kim, Hang-Sub;Kim, Young-Ho;Kim, Hwan-Mook;Kim, Chang-Jin;Hong, Soon-Duck;Lee, Jung-Joon
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.7 no.1
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    • pp.56-61
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    • 1997
  • A strain producing immunosuppressive substances was isolated from a soil in Cheju island. By morphological, cultural, and physiological studies, the strain was identified as Streptomyces lydicus MCY-524. Cultured broth was purified by silica gel, sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC and gave two immunosuppressive compounds, MCH-22 and MCH-32. They dramatically suppressed the B cell activation with lipopolysaccharide, T cell activation by mixed lymphocyte response, and primary T-dependent antibody response at a final concentration of 1 ${\mu}g$/ml. They also markedly suppressed the proliferation of lymphocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide, pokeweed mitogen, and concanavaline A at the same concentration. Their suppressive activities, which were comparable to those of cyclosporin A, suggested that they were potent and broad immunotoxic agents on the immune functions of murine lymphocytes.

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A new function of glucocorticoid receptor: regulation of mRNA stability

  • Park, Ok Hyun;Do, Eunjin;Kim, Yoon Ki
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.48 no.7
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    • pp.367-368
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    • 2015
  • It has long been thought that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) functions as a DNA-binding transcription factor in response to its ligand (a glucocorticoid) and thus regulates various cellular and physiological processes. It is also known that GR can bind not only to DNA but also to mRNA; this observation points to the possible role of GR in mRNA metabolism. Recent data revealed a molecular mechanism by which binding of GR to target mRNA elicits rapid mRNA degradation. GR binds to specific RNA sequences regardless of the presence of a ligand. In the presence of a ligand, however, the mRNA-associated GR can recruit PNRC2 and UPF1, both of which are specific factors involved in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). PNRC2 then recruits the decapping complex, consequently promoting mRNA degradation. This mode of mRNA decay is termed "GR-mediated mRNA decay" (GMD). Further research demonstrated that GMD plays a critical role in chemotaxis of immune cells by targeting CCL2 mRNA. All these observations provide molecular insights into a previously unappreciated function of GR in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(7): 367-368]

Extra-gonadal sites of estrogen biosynthesis and function

  • Barakat, Radwa;Oakley, Oliver;Kim, Heehyen;Jin, Jooyoung;Ko, CheMyong Jay
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.49 no.9
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    • pp.488-496
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    • 2016
  • Estrogens are the key hormones regulating the development and function of reproductive organs in all vertebrates. Recent evidence indicates that estrogens play important roles in the immune system, cancer development, and other critical biological processes related to human well-being. Obviously, the gonads (ovary and testis) are the primary sites of estrogen synthesis, but estrogens synthesized in extra- gonadal sites play an equally important role in controlling biological activities. Understanding non-gonadal sites of estrogen synthesis and function is crucial and will lead to therapeutic interventions targeting estrogen signaling in disease prevention and treatment. Developing a rationale targeting strategy remains challenging because knowledge of extra-gonadal biosynthesis of estrogens, and the mechanism by which estrogen activity is exerted, is very limited. In this review, we will summarize recent discoveries of extra-gonadal sites of estrogen biosynthesis and their local functions and discuss the significance of the most recent novel discovery of intestinal estrogen biosynthesis.

Total Polyphenol, Flavonoid Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Dolsan Leaf Mustard Pickle during Storage (저장 기간 중 돌산갓 피클의 폴리페놀, 플라보노이드 및 항산화 활성에 대한 변화)

  • Son, Hae Reon;Oh, Sun Kyung;Choi, Myeong Rak
    • KSBB Journal
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.100-104
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    • 2016
  • Dolsan leaf mustard has various biological functions, including those in the immune system and cancer prevention. It contains high amounts of nutritional and medicinal compounds, which are important for maintaining optimum health. The objective of this study was to determine the total phenolics contents and antioxidant activity in Dolsan leaf mustard pickle (DLMP) during storage. DLMP methanol extracts had the highest total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of $35.56{\pm}0.01GAEmg/g$ and $4.54{\pm}0.03QEmg/g$, respectively. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities in the DLMP methanol extracts showed the highest activities of 79.4 and 85.36%, respectively. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay showed 2.24-3.82 mM $FeSO_4$ eq. (p<0.05) in DLMP extracts. Overall, storage at day 14 showed the highest antioxidant activity.

A Review of Cupping Application in the field of Physical Therapy (물리치료의 장에 부항 적용에 대한 고찰)

  • Shin, Hong-Cheul;Seo, Gyu-Won;Kim, Kang-Su;Kim, Woo-Jin
    • Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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    • v.5 no.4
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    • pp.729-750
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    • 1998
  • The purpose of this Review is to help activities of daily living by normalizing bodily functions through the use of negative pressure. Cupping therapy has been holding the important role as a form of treatment in ancient medicine of Oriental and Occidental country, and still being used widely due to it's effectiveness. Principle of Cupping therapy is to neutralize somatic dysfunctions by elimination of nonphysiological somatic fluid of hematoma through application of negative pressure on region of dermatomal meridian. The effectiveness of Cupping therapy as follows; 1) Effects on acid base balance of bodily fluid. 2) Through the reabsorption of subcutaneous hematoma, it affects on formation of immune system and produce the blood serum cleaning reaction. 3) By application of negative pressure on subcutaneous, induce renal system to produce steroid hormone. 4) By stimulating hemopoietic system, it maxmize the blood production level. Recently, Alternative medicine has been a focus due to it's nature of effectiveness and safety without adverse complication. Therefore, every family possess and use the cupping modality for preventive measure and/or treatment purpose in order to eliminate accumulated byproducts of body and clean the blood system.

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Nitric Oxide Production in Brain Microglial Cells by Taraxacum officinale (포공영(蒲公英)에 의한 뇌 소교세포에서 산화질소 (NO)의 생성)

  • Im, Mi-Yang;Moon, Seok-Jae
    • The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.73-82
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    • 1999
  • Nitric oxide (NO) is now recognized as a mediator of several biological and immunological functions, but unlike classical neurotransmitters. NO simply diffuse of the postsynaptic cells and around affecting cells. Taraxacum officinale (Compositae) has been used for maintenance of vitality, and they still occupy an important place in the traditional Korean medicine. We have examined that the effect of Taraxacum officinale water extract on NO synthesis in microglial cells of murine's brain, using the Griess method. And this study was evident that Taraxacum officinale did not induce NO production without recombinant interferon gamma ($rIFN-{\gamma}$), whereas Taraxacum officinale (10-1000 g/ml) with $rIFN-{\gamma}$ effectively produced NO in microglial cells of brain. As result. NO production in microglial cells increased most significantly in dose of 100 g/ml of the Taraxacum officinale and the production of NO was dependent on the dose of Taraxacum officinale, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, competitive inhibitor of NO synthase, reduced the NO production by Taraxacum officinale stimulation with $rIFN-{\gamma}$ in microglial cells of murine. The effect of Taraxacum officinale was mainly dependent on Taraxacum officinale-induced tumor necrosis factor- secretion. Conclusively, this study suggested that Taraxacum officinale stimulate NO production at microglial cells in brain, which may be an important factor for mediating immune and neuroendocrinologic regulation in nervous system.

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