• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.67-74
• /
• 2008

Background: The effects of the dietary administration of two heat-inactivated whole bacteria from the Vibrionaceae family, singly or combined, on innate immune response of the rainbow trout were studied. The two bacteria (Pdp11 and 51M6), which were obtained from the skin of rainbow trout, showed in vitro characteristics that suggested they could be considered as potential fish probiotics. Methods: The fish were fed four different diets: control (non-supplemented), or diets supplemented with heat-inactivated bacteria at $10^8$ cfu/g Pdp11, $10^8$ cfu/g 51M6 or with $0.5{\times}10^8$ cfu/g Pdp11 plus $0.5{\times}10^8$ cfu/g 51M6 for 4 weeks. Six fish were sampled at weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4, and then the main humoral (natural haemolytic complement activity and serum peroxidase content) and cellular innate immune responses (leucocyte peroxidase content, phagocytosis, respiratory burst and cytotoxicity) were evaluated. Results: The serum peroxidase content and the natural haemolytic complement activity increased with time, reaching the highest values in the third and fourth weeks of feeding, respectively. The phagocytic ability of specimens fed the mixture of the two inactivated bacteria was significantly higher than in the controls after 2 and 3 weeks of treatment. The same activity increased significantly in rainbow trout fed the Pdp11 diet for 2 weeks or the 51M6 diet for 3 weeks. Respiratory burst activity was unaffected by all the experimental diets at all times assayed. Cytotoxic activity had significantly increased after 3 weeks in fish fed the 51M6 diet. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated the usefulness of incorporating inactivated probiotic bacteria into fish diets.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.433-445
• /
• 2012

During the course of evolution, animals encountered the harmful effects of fungi, which are strong pathogens. Therefore, they have developed powerful mechanisms to protect themselves against these fungal invaders. ${\beta}$-Glucans are glucose polymers of a linear ${\beta}$(1,3)-glucan backbone with ${\beta}$(1,6)-linked side chains. The immunostimulatory and antitumor activities of ${\beta}$-glucans have been reported; however, their mechanisms have only begun to be elucidated. Fungal and particulate ${\beta}$-glucans, despite their large size, can be taken up by the M cells of Peyer's patches, and interact with macrophages or dendritic cells (DCs) and activate systemic immune responses to overcome the fungal infection. The sampled ${\beta}$-glucans function as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on innate immune cells. Dectin-1 receptor systems have been incorporated as the PRRs of ${\beta}$-glucans in the innate immune cells of higher animal systems, which function on the front line against fungal infection, and have been exploited in cancer treatments to enhance systemic immune function. Dectin-1 on macrophages and DCs performs dual functions: internalization of ${\beta}$-glucan-containing particles and transmittance of its signals into the nucleus. This review will depict in detail how the physicochemical nature of ${\beta}$-glucan contributes to its immunostimulating effect in hosts and the potential uses of ${\beta}$-glucan by elucidating the dectin-1 signal transduction pathway. The elucidation of ${\beta}$-glucan and its signaling pathway will undoubtedly open a new research area on its potential therapeutic applications, including as immunostimulants for antifungal and anti-cancer regimens.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.26 no.12
• /
• pp.2214-2223
• /
• 2016

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) can recognize conserved molecular patterns and initiate a wide range of innate and adaptive immune responses against invading infectious agents. The aim of this study was to assess the transcript profile of mink TLRs (mTLRs) in mink peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and a range of tissues, and to explore the potential role of mTLRs in the antiviral immune response process. The results indicated that the mTLR partial nucleotide sequences had a high degree of nucleotide identity with ferret sequences (95-98%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that mammalian TLRs grouped into five TLR families, with a closer relationship of the mTLRs with those of ferret than the other mammalian sequences. Moreover, all the mTLRs were ubiquitously expressed in lymphoid organs (spleen and lymph nodes) and PBMCs. Interestingly, the mTLR expression patterns in lung, uterus, and heart showed quite a lot of similarity. Another remarkable observation was the wide expression of mTLR1-3 mRNAs in all tissues. Among the analyzed tissues, skeletal muscle was revealed to being the lowest repertoire of mTLR expression. Additionally, mink PBMCs exposed to the canine distemper virus revealed significant upregulation of mTLR2, mTLR4, mTLR7, and mTLR8 mRNAs, indicating that mTLRs have a role in innate immunity in the mink. Collectively, our results are the first to establish the basic expression patterns of mTLRs and the relationship between mTLRs and a virus, which will contribute to better understanding of the evolution and the functions of mTLRs in the innate immune system in minks.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2019

Objective: This study is aimed to investigate the anti-tumor metastasis by innate immunomodulating effects of crude polysaccharide isolated from Polygonati Rhizoma (CP-PR) on 4T1 breast cancer cells. Methods: CP-PR was isolated from Polygonati Rhizoma. Antimetastatic experiments were conducted in vivo mouse model by using 4T1 breast cancer cells. The cell viability of CP-PR was tested with normal spleen and 4T1 breast cancer cells. To observe the activation of macrophages with/without 4T1 breast cancer cells, production of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10 and IL-12 were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. In addition, the lysis of YAC-1 cells and the production of granzymes were measured to observe the activation of natural killer (NK) cell. Results: Intravenous administration of CP-PR significantly inhibited metastasis of 4T1 breast cancer cells. In an in vitro cytotoxicity analysis, CP-PR affected the growth of normal spleen and 4T1 breast cancer cells above specific concentration. The production of $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 were significantly increased in macrophages with CP-PR. As compared with control, CP-PR showed significantly higher production of $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-10 and IL-12 in macrophages co-cultured with 4T1 breast cancer cells. The lysis of YAC-1 cells and the production of granzymes were significantly up regulated by CP-PR. Conclusion: CP-PR appears to have considerable activity on the anti-metastasis by activation of innate immune system.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.48 no.5
• /
• pp.461-468
• /
• 2005

The major function of immune system is to protect infections. The immune systems are composed of innate and adaptive immunity. In adaptive immunity, the cellular and humoral components interact each other. Neonates and infants are infected frequently, because immune systems are naive and easy to expose to infectious agents. The complete history and physical examination is essential to evaluate the child with recurrent infections. The environmental risk factors of recurrent infections are day care center, cigarette smoke, and air pollution. The underlying diseases such as immunodeficiency, autoimmune diseases, allergy, and disorders of anatomy or physiology increase the susceptibility to infections. In immunodeficiency, infections are characterized by severe, chronic, recurrent, and unusual microbial agents infection. The defects of antibody production are susceptible to sinopulmonary bacterial infections. T cells defects are vulerable to numerous organisms such as virus, fungi, bacteria and etc. The screening tests for immune functions are the quantitative and qualitative measurements of each immune components. A complete blood count with white blood cell, differential, and platelet provide quantitative informations of immune components. Total complement and immunoglobulin levels represent the humoral component. Antibody levels of previously injected vaccines also provide informations of the antigen specific antibody immune responses. T cell and subsets count is quantitative measurement of cell mediated immunity. Delayed hypersensitivity skin test is a crude measurement of T cell function. The long term outcome of children with recurrent infections is completely dependent on the underlying diseases, the initial time of diagnosis and therapy, continued management, and genetic counscelling.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.32-40
• /
• 2021

Traditional medicinal practices have used natural products such as adaptogens to treat inflammatory, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, bacterial, and viral diseases since the early days of civilization. Panax ginseng Myer is a common herb used in East Asian countries for millennia, especially in Korea, China, and Japan. Numerous studies indicate that ginseng can modulate the immune system and thereby prevent diseases. Although the human immune system comprises many different types of cells, multiple studies suggest that each type of immune cell can be controlled or stimulated by ginseng or its derivatives. Provisional lists of ginseng's potential for use against viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms suggest it may prove to be a valuable pharmaceutical resource, particularly if higher-quality evidence can be found. Here, we reviewed the role of ginseng as an immune-modulating agent in attempt to provide a valuable starting point for future studies on the herb and the human immune system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.21 no.10
• /
• pp.1026-1035
• /
• 2011

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which owes its origin to the marine environment, is considered as one of the most common causes of infectious diarrhea worldwide. The present study investigated the pathogenicity of V. parahaemolyticus against the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans. Infection in the host was localized with GFP-tagged V. parahaemolyticus using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The times required for causing infection, bacterial load in intestine, chemotactic response, and alteration in pharyngeal pumping were analyzed in the host system. In addition, the regulation of innate immune-related genes, lys-7, clec- 60, and clec-87, was analyzed using real-time PCR. The role of immune-responsible pmk-1 was studied using mutant strains. The pathogenicity of environmental strain CM2 isolated from the Gulf of Mannar, India was compared with that of a reference strain obtained from ATCC. The pathogen infected animals appeared to ward off infection by up-regulating candidate antimicrobial genes for a few hours after the exposure, before succumbing to the pathogen. For the first time, the pathogenicity of V. parahaemolyticus at both the physiological and molecular levels has been studied in detail using the model organism C. elegans.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.265-278
• /
• 2014

Microbes such as bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, and viruses are ubiquitous and people are exposed to them continuously. Endotoxin is a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and a potent proinflammaotry substance. When a person is exposed to environmental endotoxin, an innate immune response is initiated upon the initial recognition and this response produces various inflammatory mediators and recruits inflammatory cells to the exposed tissues. A purified chemical form of endotoxin is called lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the lipid A portion of the molecule is a biologically active moiety. Exposure to endotoxin may result in various complex health effects depending on time, route, and dose of exposure, as well as host susceptibility. Gene-environment interactions play important roles in health effects of endotoxin exposure, e.g. development or aggravation of asthma. To accurately assess exposure to endotoxin in environmental or epidemiologic studies, methods of sampling, extraction, and analysis must be carefully selected since the selected methods may substantially affect analytical results and there is no internationally-agreed standard method to date. The lack of a standardized method hampers the establishment of exposure-response relationships. While an internationally-agreed health-based exposure limit does not exist, the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Safety recently recommended $90EU/m^3$ as a health-based occupational exposure limit. The current article reviews various scientific issues on how we measure environmental endotoxin and the health effects of endotoxin exposure.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.51 no.5
• /
• pp.219-224
• /
• 2018

Necroptosis is an emerging form of programmed cell death occurring via active and well-regulated necrosis, distinct from apoptosis morphologically, and biochemically. Necroptosis is mainly unmasked when apoptosis is compromised in response to tumor necrosis factor alpha. Unlike apoptotic cells, which are cleared by macrophages or neighboring cells, necrotic cells release danger signals, triggering inflammation, and exacerbating tissue damage. Evidence increasingly suggests that programmed necrosis is not only associated with pathophysiology of disease, but also induces innate immune response to viral infection. Therefore, necroptotic cell death plays both physiological and pathological roles. Physiologically, necroptosis induce an innate immune response as well as premature assembly of viral particles in cells infected with virus that abrogates host apoptotic machinery. On the other hand, necroptosis per se is detrimental, causing various diseases such as sepsis, neurodegenerative diseases and ischemic reperfusion injury. This review discusses the signaling pathways leading to necroptosis, associated necroptotic proteins with target-specific inhibitors and diseases involved. Several studies currently focus on protective approaches to inhibiting necroptotic cell death. In cancer biology, however, anticancer drug resistance severely hampers the efficacy of chemotherapy based on apoptosis. Pharmacological switch of cell death finds therapeutic application in drug- resistant cancers. Therefore, the possible clinical role of necroptosis in cancer control will be discussed in brief.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.313-322
• /
• 2020

Eukaryotes transport biomolecules between intracellular organelles and between cells and the environment via vesicle trafficking. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNARE proteins) play pivotal roles in vesicle and membrane trafficking. These proteins are categorized as Qa, Qb, Qc, and R SNAREs and form a complex that induces vesicle fusion for targeting of vesicle cargos. As the core components of the SNARE complex, the SNAP25 Qbc SNAREs perform various functions related to cellular homeostasis. The Arabidopsis thaliana SNAP25 homolog AtSNAP33 interacts with Qa and R SNAREs and plays a key role in cytokinesis and in triggering innate immune responses. However, other Arabidopsis SNAP25 homologs, such as AtSNAP29 and AtSNAP30, are not well studied; this includes their localization, interactions, structures, and functions. Here, we discuss three biological functions of plant SNAP25 orthologs in the context of AtSNAP33 and highlight recent findings on SNAP25 orthologs in various plants. We propose future directions for determining the roles of the less well-characterized AtSNAP29 and AtSNAP30 proteins.