• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.323-333
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• 2016

Pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-$1{\beta}$(IL1B), IL6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), are known to play important roles in regulating the endometrial function in the uterus during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in several species. However, the expression and function of these cytokines and their receptors in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle have not been studied in pigs. Thus, this study determined the expression and regulation of IL1B, IL6, TNF and their respective receptors, IL1R1, IL1RAP, IL6R, GP130, TNFRSF1A, and TNFRSF1B during the estrous cycle in pigs. To analyze levels of each gene expression in the uterine endometrium we obtained from endometrial tissues on Days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 of the estrous cycle. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that levels of IL1B, IL1RAP, IL6R, GP130, TNF, TNFRSF1A, and TNFRSF1B mRNAs were highest on Day 15 or 18 of the estrous cycle, which corresponds to the proestrus period. Levels of IL1R1 were highest on Day 0, while levels of IL6 were biphasic with high levels on Day 6 and Day 15. The abundance of IL1B, IL6, IL6R, and TNF mRNAs was decreased by progesterone, while levels of GP130 were increased by progesterone in endometrial tissue explants. These results showed that expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and their receptors changed stage-specifically during the estrous cycle and regulated by progesterone in the uterine endometrium in pigs, suggesting that these pro-inflammatory cytokines may be involved in the regulation endometrial function during the estrous cycle in pigs.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

The elderly suffer from an impaired immune function being obvious in a higher susceptibility to infections. Although the inflammatory cells are the major immunomodulatory cells, fibroblasts also secrete a variety of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Therefore periodontal tissue aging might playa role in development and progress of periodontitis. In this study, we investigated the effect of in vitro periodontal ligament cellular aging on the inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and matrix metalloprotease(MMP)-2 expression induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS) treatment. Three different cell populations were used; passages 4-5, 14-15, and 24-25 (at passage 27, more than 90% cells were replicative senescent). LPS increased the expression of interleukin(IL)-1${\beta}$, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, IL-8, RANTES, and MMP-2. However, the order of induction folds were passages 14-15 > 4-5 > 24-25. While the expression level of Toll-like receptor(TLR) 4 decreased according to the increase in passage number, the level of TLR2 was highest at passages 14-15 and then decreased at passages 24-25. While the spontaneous expression of IL-8 decreased according to the increase in passage number, that of RANTES and proMMP-2 increased according to the increase in passage number. These results suggest that the aging of periodontal ligament fibroblasts differentially affect the role as immunomodulatory cells in response to periodontopathic bacteria and therefore might be another risk factor of periodontitis progression.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2019

Background: Efficacy and safety of tiotropium bromide, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, in treatment of asthma have been reported. However, its effect on airway remodeling in chronic asthma of the elderly has not been clearly verified. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of tiotropium and expression of muscarinic receptors as its related mechanism in an aged mouse model of chronic asthma with airway remodeling. Methods: BALB/c female mice age 6 weeks, 9 and 15 months were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) for three months. Tiotropium bromide was administered during the challenge period. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and pulmonary inflammation were measured. Parameters of airway remodeling, and expression levels of $M_2$ and $M_3$ receptors were examined. Results: Total cell with eosinophils, increased in the OVA groups by age, was decreased significantly after treatment with tiotropium bromide, particularly in the age group of 15 months. AHR and levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13 were decreased, after tiotropium administration. In old aged group of 9- and 15-months-treated groups, hydroxyproline contents and levels of ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin were attenuated. Tiotropium enhanced the expression of $M_2$ but decreased expression of $M_3$ in all aged groups of OVA. Conclusion: Tiotropium bromide had anti-inflammatory and anti-remodeling effects in an aged mouse model of chronic asthma. Its effects seemed to be partly mediated by modulating expression $M_3$ and $M_2$ muscarinic receptors. Tiotropium may be a beneficial treatment option for the elderly with airway remodeling of chronic asthma.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.167-173
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• 2007

Purpose: Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) extract is one of the most widely used agents in alternative cancer therapeutic regimens in Europe. This study was conducted to determine the effect of mistletoe extract on immune function in gastric cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Ten patients that had undergone a curative gastrectomy were enrolled in the prospective study. ABNOBAviscum $Q^{(R)}$ was injected subcutaneously three times a week from postoperative-day 7 to week 16 with an increasing dose. All of the patients simultaneously received chemotheraphy with mitomycin, oral 5-FU and a cisplatin regimen. The WBC count, differential count, lymphocyte/WBC ratio and the level of cytokines (IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-$\gamma$, TNF-$\alpha$) were checked in the peripheral blood preoperatively, at postoperative week 8 and at postoperative week 16. Results: The WBC and neutrophil counts significantly decreased after treatment on week 8 and week 16 (P=0.001), but the total eosinophil count was slightly increased (P=0.15). The total lymphocyte count also decreased during treatment but the lymphocyte/WBC ratio was slightly increased without statistical significance (P=0.91). The cytokine levels did not significantly change during treatment. Conclusion: It is somewhat difficult to determine the direct effect of mistletoe therapy on immune function as the effect may be compromised by the concurrent chemotherapy. It can be assumed that the slightly increased lymphocyte/WBC ratio and eosinophil count may be a result of the immunomodulatory effect of the mistletoe extract.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.530-536
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• 2008

To investigate the molecular mechanism of the airway inflammation by Pseudomonas fluorescens, effects on the inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-8 (IL-8), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), macophage inhibitory cytokine 1 (MIC-1) were assessed in the human alveolar epithelial cells. Exposure to P. fluorescens and its recombinant bacteria suppressed cellular viability in the A549 epithelial cells and pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 production. However, pro-inflammatory prostaglandin-producing COX-2 protein was not altered by P. fluorescens though its mRNA was slightly elevated. As the inhibitory cytokine for the pro-inflammatory mediators, MIC-1 expression was monitored in A549 cells. MIC-1 gene induction was not significantly enhanced but the protein processing was changed by exposure to P. fluorescens. Pro-protein form of MIC-1 (${\sim}40\;kD$) was cleaved into active form mature MIC-1 (${\sim}15\;kD$) and propeptide (${\sim}28\;kD$) by the bacteria exposure. MIC-1 activation can contribute to the suppression of cellular viability by P. fluorescens and can retard IL-8-induced monocyte recruitment. However, sustained activation of MIC-1 can mediate the tissue injury by P. fluorescens exposure.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.180-184
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• 2005

IL-17 is a major proinflammatory cytokine secreted by activated T-lymphocytes that accumulates in the inflamed joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Additional IL-17-related molecules and their receptors have been discovered and may also contribute to RA pathogenesis. We examined the expression of the prototypic IL-17 (IL-17A) and its homologs, IL-17B-F, by RT-PCR analyses of synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from RA patients. We also tested for induction of the IL-17 receptor homologs upon stimulation of the fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) of RA patients with IL-17. The patients' SFMCs expressed IL-17C, E and F in addition to IL-17A. As in the case of IL-17, IL-15 appears to be the major inducer of these homologs in RA SFMCs. We detected transcripts of IL-17R, as well as those of IL-17RB, C and D, in the FLSs of RA patients. Whereas IL-17R expression increased upon in vitro stimulation with IL-17, expression of IL-17RB, C and D was unchanged. However the possibility of cross-interaction between other IL-17 homologs and receptor isoforms remains to be investigated. Our data suggest that these additional homologs should also be considered as targets for immune modulation in the treatment of RA joint inflammation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1258-1266
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• 2005

The present study was carried out in order to assess the protective effects of calycosin-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside, isolated from Astragali radix (AR), on hyaluronidase (HAase) and the recombinant human interleukin-$1\beta$ (IL-$1\beta$)-induced matrix degradation in human articular cartilage and chondrocytes. We isolated the active component from the n-butanol soluble fraction of AR (ARBu) as the HAase inhibitor and structurally identified as calycosin-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside by LC-MS, IR, ${1}^H$ NMR, and ${13}^C$ NMR analyses. The $IC_{50}$ of this component on HAase was found to be 3.7 mg/ml by in vitro agarose plate assay. The protective effect of ARBu on the matrix gene expression of immortalized chondrocyte cell line C28/I2 treated with HAase was investigated using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and its effect on HAase and IL-$1\beta$-induced matrix degradation in human articular cartilage was determined by a staining method and calculating the amount of degraded glycosaminoglycan (GAG) from the cultured media. Pretreatment with calycosin-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside effectively protected human chondrocytes and articular cartilage from matrix degradation. Therefore, calycosin-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside from AR appears to be a potential natural ant-inflammatory or antii-osteoarthritis agent and can be effectively used to protect from proteoglycan (PG) degradation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.377-384
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• 2010

The present study examined whether metformin treatment prevents isoporterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice. Chronic subcutaneous infusion of isoproterenol (15 mg/kg/24 h) for 1 week using an osmotic minipump induced cardiac hypertrophy measured by the heart-to-body weight ratio and left ventricular posterior wall thickness. Cardiac hypertrophy was accompanied with increased interleukin-6 (IL-6), transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}$, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), collagen I and III, and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2). Coinfusion of metformin (150 mg/kg/24 h) with isoproterenol partially inhibited cardiac hypertrophy that was followed by reduced IL-6, TGF-${\beta}$, ANP, collagen I and III, and MMP-2. Chronic subcutaneous infusion of metformin did not increase AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity in heart, although acute intraperitoneal injection of metformin (10 mg/kg) increased AMPK activity. Isoproterenol increased nitrotyrosine levels and mRNA expression of antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase and metformin treatment normalized these changes. These results suggest that metformin inhibits cardiac hypertrophy through attenuating oxidative stress.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2005

The objective of this study is screening the shear stress related proteins in chondrocytes using twodimensional electrophresis and MALDI-TOF. C-28/I2 cell line were grown. The fluid-induced shear stress(FISS) was applied using a cone viscometer at a rotational velocity of 80rpm for periods of 12 hours. Control cultures were tested under identical conditions without mechanical load application. Collected samples were used for the two-dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF. The identified proteins were calcyclin, RPE-spondin, interleukin-2, extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), lamin B2, porA protein, and RET-ELE1 protein. All of them showed a decreased expression. In conclusion, seven proteins were identified as a shear stress related proteins in chondrocytes. As the destruction of articular cartilage is one of main pathogenesis of TMJ internal derangement, this study will give useful information for the understanding of the molecular aspect of TMJ disease.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2009

Polygoni multiflori Ramulus (PM), the stem of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. has been widely used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of lots of diseases. In macrophages, nitric oxide is released as an inflammatory mediator and has been proposed to be an important modulator of many pathophysiological conditions in inflammation. In the present study, it was investigated that the inhibitory effects on NO and proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the mechanism of down-regulation of immune response by 85% methanol extracts of PM in mouse (C57BL/6) peritoneal macrophages. Extracts of PM (0.1, 1 mg/ml) suppressed NO production and showed inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines like TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-6 and it attenuated iNOS and COX-2 expression via down-regulation of NF-${\kappa}$B activation. The present results indicate that the 85% methanol extracts of PM has an inhibitory effect on the production of NO through down-regulation of iNOS expression in LPS stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages and therefore may be beneficial in diseases which related to macrophage-mediated inflammatory disorders.