• 대한한의학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.46-55
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• 2005

Objectives: This experimental study was carried out to evaluate the immune modulating and anti-tumor activity of Ampelopsis Radix extracts (ARE). Materials and Methods: To elucidate the effects of ARE on the macrophage and NK cell activity, we analyzed NO production, NK cytotoxicity and gene expressions of cytokine related with macrophage and NK cell activity. Results: ARE activated and promoted macrophages to product NO in part. And, ARE has significant properties to activate macrophages and NK cells by promoting related cytokines like IL-1, IL-12, IFN-$\gamma$, iNOS and TNF-$\alpha$ gene expressions. We also observed that ARE promoted protein expression of IFN-$\gamma$, and TNF-$\alpha$ in mice splenocytes. Conclusions: ARE is an effective herbal drug for immune modulating and anti-cancer by promoting activity of macrophages and NK cells.

• 한국잠사곤충학회지
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.19-24
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• 1996

누에에서 생체 방어에 관련된 새로운 항 세균성 펩타이드 유전자를 탐색 분리하기 위하여 누에 체강에 비 병원성 세균인 Escherichia coli를 주사하여 면역 반응의 일환으로 발현량이 증가하는 유도 유전자 종류를 조사 하였다. 체강 주사 8시간 후 누에에서 cDNA 유전자 은행을 만들고, 정상 및 유도 누에에서 분리한 각각의 mRNA를 탐침으로 차별화 선별을 하였다. 차별화 선별 결과 정상보다도 유도 누에의 탐침을 사용한 막에서 강도가 높은 클론 32개를 선발하였고, 29개 클론에 대해 전체 또는 부분 염기 서열을 분석하여 DNA 상동성을 조사하였다. DNA 상동성 비교를 통해 생산한 발현 유전자 꼬리표 중에는 비교적 상동 유의성이 인정되어 그 실체를 추정할 수 있는 19개의 클론이 있었다. 특히 곤충의 면역 작용에 직접적으로 관계하는 항세균성 펩타이드 유전자, hemolin 유전자, transferrin 유전자 등 4종의 유전 자원을 확보할 수 있었다.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.181-187
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• 2015

Early life stage mortality in fish is one of the problems faced by loach aquaculture. However, our understanding of immune system in early life stage fish is still incomplete, and the information available is restricted to a few fish species. In the present work, we investigated the expression of immune-related transcripts in loach during early development. In fishes, recombination-activating gene 1 (RAG-1) and sacsin (SACS) have been considered as immunological function. In this study, the expression of the both genes was assessed throughout the early developmental stages of loach using real-time PCR method. maRAG-1 mRNA was first detected in 0 dph, observed the increased mostly until 40 dph. Significant expression of maRAG-1 was detected in 0 to 40 dph. These patterns of expression may suggest that the loach start to develop its function after hatching. On the other hand, maSACS was detected in unfertilized oocyte to molura stages and 0 to 40 dph. maSACS mRNA transcripts were detected in unfertilized oocytes, suggesting that they are maternally transferred.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.13-22
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze current educational requirements related to genetics curriculum(from June 2002 to September 2002) established at nursing institutions and to provide the basic data for the development of genetics science program at the undergraduate. Subjects of this study were comprised of twenty-three colleges of nursing in 4-year baccalaureate and thirty colleges in 3-year diploma programs. The results of this study were as follows : 1) 32 colleges offer courses related to genetics. 29 among 32 colleges have that integrated. Three schools have established completely independent courses of genetics. 21 colleges do not have any courses dealing with genetics. 2) The contents of courses related to genetics include: Congenital abnormalities, chromosomal aberrations, congenital metabolic disease, prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling, genes and chromosomes, immune genetics, blood type and genetics, rule of genetics, variation in gene expression, the map of the human gene, gene linkage genetics, interaction of genes, single inheritance in order and genetic biochemistry. 3) For course credit, 14colleges(48.3%) offered at most 1 credit per course. The grade of student who can take the course, 51.7% were in their second year while 37.9% were in their third year. The majors of nursing faculty who taught the course were nursing(51.7%) and basic nursing science(17.2%). 4) As far as the need of opening the courses related to genetics, 36 colleges(67.0%) have made a 'need', 12 schools(22.6%) state 'dose not need'. 711e reason for need were the following development of bio engineering, increase number of patients who are related to genetics, recognition of the need in clinical nursing. 7 schools(13.2%) agreed to offer independent course in genetics but 39 schools(73.6%) are in disagreement with that. When the school offers the course with other courses, 27 schools(50.0%) are opening basic nursing science and 14 schools(26.4%) are opening nursing as an integrated courses. If the name of course was either genetic nursing(34.0%) or genetics(28.3%), the credits for the course was one or 2 credits. 33 schools(62.3%) students were in the first or second years. 41 schools(84.9%), the majors of the faculty who had taught the course were either basic nursing science(35.8%), nursing(28.3%) or basic medicine(24.5%). The contents of the course should include in that order: Chromosome aberrations, prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling, congenital metabolic disease, congenital abnormalities, genes and chromosomes, the rules of genetics, immune genetics, interaction of genes, variation in gene expression, etc. The results and discussions of the study indicate that the entire curriculums need to be investigated with respect to contents of education, nursing curriculums and name of courses because of the increasing need of knowledge related to genetics in the clinical practice.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.880-890
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• 2024

The immunomodulatory effects of Euglena gracilis (Euglena) and its bioactive component, β-1,3-glucan (paramylon), have been clarified through various studies. However, the detailed mechanisms of the immune regulation remain to be elucidated. This study was designed not only to investigate the immunomodulatory effects but also to determine the genetic mechanisms of Euglena and β-glucan in cyclophosphamide (CCP)-induced immunosuppressed mice. The animals were orally administered saline, Euglena (800 mg/kg B.W.) or β-glucan (400 mg/kg B.W.) for 19 days, and CCP (80 mg/kg B.W.) was subsequently administered to induce immunosuppression in the mice. The mice exhibited significant decreases in body weight, organ weight, and the spleen index. However, there were significant improvements in the spleen weight and the spleen index in CCP-induced mice after the oral administration of Euglena and β-glucan. Transcriptome analysis of the splenocytes revealed immune-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) regulated in the Euglena- and β-glucantreated groups. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses indicated that pathways related with interleukin (IL)-17 and cAMP play significant roles in regulating T cells, B cells, and inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, Ptgs2, a major inflammatory factor, was exclusively expressed in the Euglena-treated group, suggesting that Euglena's beneficial components, such as carotenoids, could regulate these genes by influencing immune lymphocytes and inflammatory cytokines in CCP-induced mice. This study validated the immunomodulatory effects of Euglena and highlighted its underlying mechanisms, suggesting a positive contribution to the determination of phenotypes associated with immune-related diseases and the research and development of immunotherapies.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.261-263
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• 2009

Methylprednisolone is a synthetic glucocorticoid which is usually taken intravenously for many neurosurgical diseases which cause edema including brain tumor, and trauma including spinal cord injury. Methylprednisolone reduces swelling and decreases the body's immune response. It is also used to treat many immune and allergic disorders, such as arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, asthma, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. To identify genes expressed during methylprednisolone treatment against neurons of rats (PC12 cells), DNA microarray method was used. We have isolated 2 gene groups (up- or down-regulated genes) which are methylprednisolone differentially expressed in neurons. Lipocalin 3 is the gene most significantly increased among 772 up-regulated genes (more than 2 fold over-expression) and Aristaless 3 is the gene most dramatically decreased among 959 down-regulated genes (more than 2 fold down-expression). The gene increased expression of Fgb, Thbd, Cfi, F3, Kngl, Serpinel, C3, Tnfrsf4 and Il8rb are involved stress-response gene, and Nfkbia, Casp7, Pik3rl, I11b, Unc5a, Tgfb2, Kitl and Fgf15 are strongly associated with development. Cell cycle associated genes (Mcm6, Ccnb2, Plk1, Ccnd1, E2f1, Cdc2a, Tgfa, Dusp6, Id3) and cell proliferation associated genes (Ccl2, Tnfsf13, Csf2, Kit, Pim1, Nr3c1, Chrm4, Fosl1, Spp1) are down-regulated more than 2 times by methylprednisolone treatment. Among the genes described above, 4 up-regulated genes are confirmed those expression by RT-PCR. We found that methylprednisolone is related to expression of many genes associated with stress response, development, cell cycle, and cell proliferation by DNA microarray analysis. However, We think further experimental molecular studies will be needed to figure out the exact biological function of various genes described above and the physiological change of neuronal cells by methylprednisolone. The resulting data will give the one of the good clues for understanding of methylprednisolone under molecular level in the neurons.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.235-244
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• 2021

Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 (IRF3) is a member of interferon-regulated transcription factor family and is known to play an important role in the innate immune response against viral infections. In this study, the expression of IRF3 in different tissues, developmental stages, and stocking densities of olive flounder was investigated. The expression of IRF3 was observed to gradually increase in early-stage juvenile fish. The highest expression was observed in later-stage juvenile fish when immune tissues were formed. High IRF3 expression was observed in the muscles and the brain tissues. The expression of IRF3 was observed in fish at different stocking densities after viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) infection. It yielded an interesting expression pattern in the muscles and the brain tissues of fish stocked at low density. These observations can be used as basic data for the study of the expression of immune response-related genes against viruses based on stocking density and immune systems in other fish species.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.270-279
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• 2024

Macrophages are versatile immune cells that play crucial roles in tissue repair, immune defense, and the regulation of immune responses. In the context of skeletal muscle, they are vital for maintaining muscle homeostasis but macrophage-induced chronic inflammation can lead to muscle dysfunction, resulting in skeletal muscle atrophy characterized by reduced muscle mass and impaired insulin regulation and glucose uptake. Although the involvement of macrophage-secreted factors in inflammation-induced muscle atrophy is well-established, the precise intracellular signaling pathways and secretion factors affecting skeletal muscle homeostasis require further investigation. This study aimed to explore the regulation of macrophage-secreted factors and their impact on muscle atrophy and glucose metabolism. By employing RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and proteome array, we uncovered that factors secreted by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages upregulated markers of muscle atrophy and pro-inflammatory cytokines, while concurrently reducing glucose uptake in muscle cells. The RNA-seq analysis identified alterations in gene expression patterns associated with immune system pathways and nutrient metabolism. The utilization of gene ontology (GO) analysis and proteome array with macrophage-conditioned media revealed the involvement of macrophage-secreted cytokines and chemokines associated with muscle atrophy. These findings offer valuable insights into the regulatory mechanisms of macrophage-secreted factors and their contributions to muscle-related diseases.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제29권10호
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• pp.1515-1521
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• 2016

Anethole and garlic have an immune modulatory effects on avian coccidiosis, and these effects are correlated with gene expression changes in intestinal epithelial lymphocytes (IELs). In this study, we integrated gene expression datasets from two independent experiments and investigated gene expression profile changes by anethole and garlic respectively, and identified gene expression signatures, which are common targets of these herbs as they might be used for the evaluation of the effect of plant herbs on immunity toward avian coccidiosis. We identified 4,382 and 371 genes, which were differentially expressed in IELs of chickens supplemented with garlic and anethole respectively. The gene ontology (GO) term of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from garlic treatment resulted in the biological processes (BPs) related to proteolysis, e.g., "modification-dependent protein catabolic process", "proteolysis involved in cellular protein catabolic process", "cellular protein catabolic process", "protein catabolic process", and "ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolic process". In GO analysis, one BP term, "Proteolysis", was obtained. Among DEGs, 300 genes were differentially regulated in response to both garlic and anethole, and 234 and 59 genes were either up- or down-regulated in supplementation with both herbs. Pathway analysis resulted in enrichment of the pathways related to digestion such as "Starch and sucrose metabolism" and "Insulin signaling pathway". Taken together, the results obtained in the present study could contribute to the effective development of evaluation system of plant herbs based on molecular signatures related with their immunological functions in chicken IELs.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.883-898
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Probiotics have been suggested as potent modulators of age-related disorders in immunological functions, yet little is known about sex-dependent effects of probiotic supplements. Therefore, we aimed to investigate sex-dependent effects of probiotics on profiles of the gut microbiota and peripheral immune cells in healthy older adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, healthy elderly individuals ≥ 65 yrs old were administered probiotic capsules (or placebo) for 12 wk. Gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatic analyses. Peripheral immune cells were profiled using flow cytometry for lymphocytes (natural killer, B, CD4⁺ T, and CD8⁺ T cells), dendritic cells, monocytes, and their subpopulations. RESULTS: Compared with placebo, phylum Firmicutes was significantly reduced in the probiotic group in women, but not in men. At the genus level, sex-specific responses included reductions in the relative abundances of pro-inflammatory gut microbes, including Catabacter and unclassified_Coriobacteriales, and Burkholderia and unclassified Enterobacteriaceae, in men and women, respectively. Peripheral immune cell profiling analysis revealed that in men, probiotics significantly reduced the proportions of dendritic cells and CD14⁺ CD16^- monocytes; however, these effects were not observed in women. In contrast, the proportion of total CD4⁺ T cells was significantly reduced in women in the probiotic group. Additionally, serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein levels showed a decreasing tendency that were positively associated with changes in gut bacteria, including Catabacter (ρ = 0.678, P < 0.05) and Burkholderia (ρ = 0.673, P < 0.05) in men and women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that probiotic supplementation may reduce the incidence of inflammation-related diseases by regulating the profiles of the gut microbiota and peripheral immune cells in healthy elders in a sex-specific manner.