• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

Objective ： Lonicera japonica contains anti complementary polysaccharides and polyphenolic compound. Among these polyphenolic substances, chlorogenic acid is the major active component of this plant. However, the immunological mechanisms for these activities, have not been elucidated, nor the active components. To clarify immunomodulatory effects of those we examined the relationship between the activity of CD8+ T cell-mediated lysis and the frequency of cytokine profiles in spleen, thymus (especially IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-4, GM-CSF etc.) expressing CD8+ T cells activated by IL-2. Methods : To study immunomodulatory effects ethyl acetate fraction from Lonicera japonica, chlorogenic acid on cytokine gene expression from spleen, thymus cells, RT-PCR was performed after quantitative normalization for each gene by a densitometry using ${\beta}$-actin gene expression. A modified standard $^{51}Cr$-release assay was used to measure cytotoxic activities of cytotoxic T cells. Spleen, thymus cells from NOD mice were stained with CD3, CD4, CD44, CD69 in staining buffer and analyzed by two color flow cytometry. Results : We showed that ethyl acetate fraction from Lonicera japonica in combination with IL-2 resulted in a significant enhancement of PCR products for IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-4, IL-10, GM-CSF, IL-6 and cytotoxtic CD8+ T cell proportion in spleen and thymus T cells in NOD mice. This suggests that IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-6 like IL-4 may be acting as a regulatory rather than proinflammatory cytokine. Conclusions : In conclusion, based on the results of the present study which showed that ethyl acetate fraction from Lonicera japonica and chlorogenic acid upregulating cytokine gene expression in spleen and thymus, we are tempted to speculate that some of the therapeutic efficacies such as anti-diabetic activity of Lonicera japonica are due to the immunomodulatory its ethylacetate fraction and chlorogenic acid.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.7
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• pp.239-250
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• 2020

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading globally. Although its etiologic agent is discovered as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), there are many unsolved issues in COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The causes of different clinical phenotypes and incubation periods among individuals, species specificity, and cytokine storm with lymphopenia as well as the mechanism of damage to organ cells are unknown. It has been suggested that in viral pneumonia, virus itself is not a direct cause of acute lung injury; rather, aberrant immune reactions of the host to the insults from viral infection are responsible. According to its epidemiological and clinical characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 may be a virus with low virulence in nature that has adapted to the human species. Current immunological concepts have limited ability to explain such unsolved issues, and a presumed immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 is presented under the protein-homeostasis-system hypothesis. Every disease, including COVID-19, has etiological substances controlled by the host immune system according to size and biochemical properties. Patients with severe pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 show more severe hypercytokinemia with corresponding lymphocytopenia than patients with mild pneumonia; thus, early immunomodulator treatment, including corticosteroids, has been considered. However, current guidelines recommend their use only for patients with advanced pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Since the immunopathogenesis of pneumonia may be the same for all patients regardless of age or severity and the critical immune-mediated lung injury may begin in the early stage of the disease, early immunomodulator treatment, including corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin, can help reduce morbidity and possibly mortality rates of older patients with underlying conditions.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.25-56
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• 2000

Trace element are involved in enzymatic activities, immunological reactions. physiological mechanisms. Deficiency in some trace elements, such as iron and iodine. is still an important health problem, The role of trace elements deficiency is suspected in various clinical situations and is now confirmed by well designed supplementation studies. However, the importance of trace elements as chinese herbal constituents is not sufficiently appreciated by the oriental medical profession, although in recent years a significant increase of new finding on their essential character in chinese herbal medicine occurred. It is well known that herbal medicine contains a variety of trace elements which would show therapeutic effects with active components in herbal medicine . In china, recent work showed some positive correlation between trace element and traditional chinese medicine (TCM) in terms of therapeutic effects even if their role in therapeutic effects is still obscure. In korea, not much attention has been on the therapeutic importance of trace element contained in herbal medicine Here, the therapeutic effects of trace element in TCM were reviewed and summarized. 1. Iron, copper, zinc and manganese are mainly contained in TCM. In addtion, chromium, magnesium, molybdenum, nickel, alminium, cobalt, arsenic and selenium has been studied for their therapeutic effects 2. Zinc, is decreased in patients who have deficiency of kindney(腎虛) and chronic disease. Fe is decreased in patients who have deficiency of blood(血虛). However copper is increased in patients who have chronic disease and hepatic disease.3 Iron concentration is high in herbs used for tonifying and nourishing yin or blood(補陰補血藥) Zinc concentration is high also in herb used for tonifying kidiney and vital essence(補腎補精藥). In addition. copper concentration Is high in herb used for replenishing qi(補氣藥) 4 In herbal drugs, the therapeutic substances in TCM are not only organic but also inorganic. It seems that trace elements would be one of components in herb for its therapeutic effects. This indicates that therapeutic effects of TCM should be extended not only to herb itself, bur also to trace elements contained in herb.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.141-151
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• 2009

We investigated the inhibitory effect of an oral administration of a Sophora flavescens Aiton ethanol extract (SFE) on the development of atopic dermatitis (AD) by using NC/Nga model mice. The induction of atopic dermatitis-like lesion was conducted by the removal of the back hairs and topical application of a mite antigen (Dermatophagoides farinae, Df) on to the back skin twice a week for 8 weeks. SFE was orally administered at a different doses (100-400 mg/kg). Atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions were evaluated by dermatitis scores, skin histology and immunological parameters (serum levels of IgE, TARC/CCL17, MDC/CCL22, and CTACK/CCL27). Oral administration of SFE significantly inhibited the clinical sign of Df-induced atopic dermatitis, including dermatitis score and leukocyte infiltration. Moreover, SFE suppressed significantly the serum IgE and Th2 chemokine (TARC/CCL17, MDC/CCL22, and CTACK/CCL27) levels in a concentration dependent manner. These results suggest that oral administration of SFE could reduce significantly the clinical signs and Th2 chemokines in Df-induced atopic dermatitis model mice. Therefore, SFE may be effective substances for the management of AD in human.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.405-411
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• 1993

Several studies have shown that phytol isolated from perilla leaf and small water dropwort (Oenanthe javanica (BL) D.C., wild type) extract reveal antirumor activities. In the present study we investigated the effect of phytol and the small water dropwort extract on the T subset in the sarcoma 180-transplanted mice in order to elucidate the immunological mechanism of antiturmor activity of these substances. The results obtained from the experiment were as follows : When phytol was injected into the sarcoma-180 transplanted mice (control), the levels of T cell and T subset by inoculation of the tumor cells were enhanced, but that of T cells in case of small water dropwort extract was similar to the control. Asialo GM1$^{＋}$ cells were increased when phytol or small water dropwort extract with injected into tumor-transplanted mice. In normal mice the number of asialo GM1$^{＋}$ cells increased with phytol injection and decreased with small water dropwort extract injection. L3T4$^{＋}$/Lyt-2$^{＋}$cell ratios were decreased when phytol was injected into tumor-transplanted mire, but increased in case of small water dropwort extract injection. In normal mice the ratios showed large decreases with phytol or small water dropwort extract injection. These results indicate that phytol or small water dropwort extract ran activate the proliferation of natural killer cells that are effector cells in tumor-bearing mice.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.167-174
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• 2008

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing inflammatory skin disease that often has asthma and allergic rhinitis. Magnesium salts, the important component of minerals in Dead Sea water, are known to exhibit beneficial effects in inflammatory disease. Favorable effects of magnesium ions and sea water treated to the skin of patients with contact dermatitis have been reported. But histological and immunological investigations are insufficient. This study was performed to examine the inhibitory effect of magnesium-rich sea mineral water on the development of AD-like skin lesions in hairless mice. AD-like skin lesions are induced by the repeated application of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). Local application of magnesium-rich sea mineral water on hairless mice skin applied with DNCB inhibited the development of AD-like skin lesions as exemplified by a significant increase in skin hydration (p<0.01), and a decrease in epidermal water loss (p<0.01). Serum IgE level was also significantly decreased (p<0.01). These results suggest that magnesium-rich sea mineral water inhibits the development of DNCB-induced AD-like skin lesions in hairless mice. These observations indicate that magnesium-rich sea mineral water may be alternative and assistant substances for the management of AD.