• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.531-536
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• 2016

We previously showed that NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) knockout (KO) mice exhibited spontaneous inflammation with markedly increased mucosal permeability in the gut, and that NQO1 is functionally associated with regulating tight junctions in the mucosal epithelial cells that govern the mucosal barrier. Here, we confirm the role of NQO1 in the formation of tight junctions by human colonic epithelial cells (HT29). We treated HT29 cells with a chemical inhibitor of NQO1 (dicumarol; 10 μM), and examined the effect on the transepithelial resistance of epithelial cells and the protein expression levels of ZO1 and occludin (two known regulators of tight junctions between gut epithelial cells). The dicumarol-induced inhibition of NQO1 markedly reduced transepithelial resistance (a measure of tight junctions) and decreased the levels of the tested tight junction proteins. In vivo, luminal injection of dicumarol significantly increased mucosal permeability and decreased ZO1 and occludin protein expression levels in mouse guts. However, in contrast to the previous report that the epithelial cells of NQO1 KO mice showed marked down-regulations of the transcripts encoding ZO1 and occludin, these transcript levels were not affected in dicumarol-treated HT29 cells. This result suggests that the NQO1-depedent regulation of tight junction molecules may involve multiple processes, including both transcriptional regulation and protein degradation processes such as those governed by the ubiquitination/proteasomal, and/or lysosomal systems.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-34
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• 2004

This paper reviews the effects of Spirulina platensis and its extracts and phycocyanin, a blue photosynthetic pigment protein in Spirulina on the mucosal immune functions in humans and animals as follows: TEX>$\bullet$ IgA antibody response and other classes in mucosal immunity of mice treated with Spirulina platensis and its extract. $\bullet$ Effect of Spirulina phycocyanin ingestion on the mucosal antibody responses in mice. - Distinct effects of phycocyanin on secretory IgA and allergic IgE antibody responses in mice following oral immunization with antigen-entrapped biodegradable microparticles. $\bullet$ Influence of dietary Spirulina platensis on IgA level in human saliva. $\bullet$ A study on enhancement of bone-marrow cell-proliferation and differentiation by Spirulina platensis in mice: in vivo and in vitro study

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2015

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) causes a major upper respiratory tract infection often leading to severe illness and death in the elderly. Thus, it is important to induce safe and effective mucosal immunity against this pathogen in order to prevent pnuemocaccal infection. However, this is a very difficult task to elicit protective mucosal IgA antibody responses in older individuals. A combind nasal adjuvant consisting of a plasmid encoding the Flt3 ligand cDNA (pFL) and CpG oligonucleotide (CpG ODN) successfully enhanced S. pneumoniae-specific mucosal immunity in aged mice. In particular, a pneumococcal surface protein A-based nasal vaccine given with pFL and CpG ODN induced complete protection from S. pneumoniae infection. These results show that nasal delivery of a combined DNA adjuvant offers an attractive potential for protection against the pneumococcus in the elderly.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.432-443
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• 1998

The poliovirus Sabin 1 strain has features that make it a particularly attractive live recombinant mucosal vaccine vehicle. Sabin 1 cDNA was manipulated to have multiple cloning sites and a viral specific 3C-protease cutting site at the N-terminal end of the polyprotein. The gene for the N-terminal 169 amino acids of the HIV-1 p24 was cloned into the multiple cloning site of the manipulated Sabin cDNA. A recombinant progeny virus was produced from HeLa cells when it was transfected with the RNA synthesized from the p24-Sabin chimeric cDNA. The recombinant progeny virus expresses substantial amounts of the HIV-1 p24 protein, which was clearly detected in the infected cell lysates and culture supernatants in Western blot experiments with rabbit anti-p24 serum and AIDS patients' sera. Differing from the Mahoney strain, the recombinant Sabin 1 poliovirus maintained the foreign gene stably during the subsequent passages. Replication capacity was about 1 to 1.5 log lower than that of the wild-type Sabin 1. Other physicochemical stability characteristics of the recombinant virus were similar to that of the wild-type Sabin 1. These results suggest that the manipulated Sabin 1 poliovirus can be used as a live viral vaccine vector for the development of mucosal vaccines.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.89-96
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• 2023

Background and aim: Panax ginseng, a key herbal medicine of replenishing Qi and tonifying Spleen, is widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in East Asia. In this study, we aim to investigate the potential effects and mechanisms of polysaccharides from P. ginseng (PGP) on intestinal mucosal restitution which is one of the crucial repair modalities during the recovery of mucosal injury controlled by the Ca²⁺ signaling. Methods: Rat model of intestinal mucosal injury was induced by indomethacin. The fractional cell migration was carried out by immunohistochemistry staining with BrdU. The morphological observations on intestinal mucosal injury were also performed. Intestinal epithelial cell (IEC-6) migration in vitro was conducted by scratch method. Western-blot was adopted to determine the expressions of PLC-𝛾1, Rac1, TRPC1, RhoA and Cav-1. Immunoprecipitation was used to evaluate the levels of Rac1/PLC-𝛾1, RhoA/TRPC1 and Cav-1/TRPC1. Results: The results showed that PGP effectively reduced the assessment of intestinal mucosal injury, reversed the inhibition of epithelial cell migration induced by Indomethacin, and increased the level of Ca²⁺ in intestinal mucosa in vivo. Moreover, PGP dramatically promoted IEC-6 cell migration, the expression of Ca²⁺ regulators (PLC-𝛾1, Rac1, TRPC1, Cav-1 and RhoA) as well as protein complexes (Rac1/PLC-𝛾1, Cav-1/TRPC1 and RhoA/TRPC1) in vitro. Conclusion: PGP increases the Ca²⁺ content in intestinal mucosa partly through controlling the regulators of Ca²⁺ mobilization, subsequently promotes intestinal epithelial cell migration, and then prevents intestinal mucosal injury induced by indomethacin.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.239-242
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• 2004

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare condition of unknown etiology characterized by peripheral eosinophilia, eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is generally classified according to the Klain classification: predominant mucosal, muscular, and subserosal disease. Mucosal involvement may result in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, protein-losing enteropathy, and intestinal perforation. Patients with muscular layer disease generally have obstructive symptoms. Subserosal eosinophilic infiltration may result in development of eosinophilic ascites. Most commonly, the stomach, duodenum, and small bowel are involved. A 13-year-old girl came to our hospital presenting with chronic, intermittent abdominal pain. She showed peripheral eosinophilia and biopsy specimen of the duodenum revealed eosinophilic infiltration of the mucosal layer. We here report a case of eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.232-241
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• 2013

Purpose: Gastrokine 1 plays an important role in gastric mucosal defense. Additionally, the Gastrokine 1-miR-185-DNMT1 axis has been shown to suppress gastric carcinogenesis through regulation of epigenetic alteration. Here, we investigated the effects of Gastrokine 1 on DNA methylation and gastritis. Materials and Methods: Expression of Gastrokine 1, DNMT1, EZH2, and c-Myc proteins, and the presence of Helicobacter pylori CagA protein were determined in 55 non-neoplastic gastric mucosal tissue samples by western blot analysis. The CpG island methylation phenotype was also examined using six markers (p16, hMLH1, CDH1, MINT1, MINT2 and MINT31) by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Histological gastritis was assessed according to the updated Sydney classification system. Results: Reduced Gastrokine 1 expression was found in 20 of the 55 (36.4%) gastric mucosal tissue samples and was closely associated with miR-185 expression. The Gastrokine 1 expression level was inversely correlated with that of DNMT1, EZH2, and c-Myc, and closely associated with the degree of gastritis. The H. pylori CagA protein was detected in 26 of the 55 (47.3%) gastric mucosal tissues and was positively associated with the expression of DNMT1, EZH2, and c-Myc. In addition, 30 (54.5%) and 23 (41.9%) of the gastric mucosal tissues could be classified as CpG island methylation phenotype-low and CpG island methylation phenotype-high, respectively. Reduced expression of Gastrokine 1 and miR-185, and increased expression of DNMT1, EZH2, and c-Myc were detected in the CpG island methylation phenotype-high gastric mucosa. Conclusions: Gastrokine 1 has a crucial role in gastric inflammation and DNA methylation in gastric mucosa.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.75-79
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• 2003

Purpose: Evidence exists that dysregulation of apoptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of cancer development. The Bcl-$x_{L}$/Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD), a member of the Bcl-2 family, is a critical regulatory component of the intrinsic cell-death pathway that exerts its pro-apoptotic effect upon heterodimerization with anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-$X_{L}$. Expression of the BAD protein has been reported in several cancer types, but not in stomach cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the expression status of the BAD protein in gastric carcinomas. Materials and Methods: In the current study, we analyzed the expression of the BAD protein in 60 advanced gastric adenocarcinomas by using immunohistochemistry and a tissue microarray approach. Results: Immunopositivity (defined as $\geq\30\%$) was observed for the BAD protein in 57 ($95\%$) of the 60 cancers. Normal gastric mucosal cells showed weaker expressions of the BAD protein than gastric carcinomas. Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggest that stomach cancer cells in vivo may need BAD protein expression for apoptosis. Also, the higher expression of the BAD protein in stomach cancer cells than in normal gastric mucosal cells suggests that apoptosis might be easily triggered in susceptible stomach cancer cells, thereby producing selective pressure to make more apoptosis-resistant cells during tumor development.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.85-90
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• 1998

The role of the ECP(Eosinophilic cationic protein) is still unknown in the allergic rhinitis. In bronchial asthma, ECP can induce the exposure of the neuropeptidergic nerve to environments destroying the bronchial mucosa, aggravating the bronchial hypersensitivity and delay the mucociliary clearance. In the clinical aspect, we can (md that patients with perennial allergic rhinitis sometimes have sinusitis. The purpose of this article is to evaluate whether mucosal damage by ECP can play a role to develop the sinusitis by delaying the mucociliary clearance, and relationship between long symptom duration of allergic rhinitis and mucociliary clearance. In 32 perennial allergic rhinitis patients, we elucidated there is correlation among ECP presence, mucociliary clearance, sinusitis, and symptom durations. The obtained results were as follows : 1. ECP appeared in all mucosa of each specimen. 2. Mean mucociliary clearance time is 6 mins. 12 sec. in allergic patients with sinusitis, 6 mins. 36 sec in allergic patients without sinusitis. 3. n out of 32 cases have mucosal destruction. 4. Symptom duration is not correlated with the development of sinusitis. This study suggests that ECP may destroy the mucosa in allergic rhinitis and the mucociliary clearance of allergic rhinitis is not related to sinusitis and symptom dotation. Therefore development of sinusitis in allergic rhinitis seems not to be caused by delaying of mucociliary clearance due to mucosal destruction, but by some other factors.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1222-1228
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• 2007

The aim of this experiment was to compare the characterization of fatty acid digestion of Beijing Fatty (BF) and Arbor Acres (AA) chickens. One-day-old male AA and BF chickens were raised in the same house, and fed with the same diet. We first evaluated utilization of dietary fatty acids in chickens by the total collection procedure, and chickens were then killed to compare the abundance of intestinal mRNA expression of liver-fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) and intestinal-fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) by Real-time PCR, and also the pH of intestinal mucosa at 3 and 6 weeks of age. Another group of chickens were sampled at 6 weeks of age to compare the total bile acid concentration in serum, and lipase activity in contents of the small intestine. Results showed that compared to AA chickens, BF chickens had higher lipase activity in the content of the small intestine (p<0.05), greater total bile acid content in portal vein blood (p<0.05) at 6 weeks of age, lower intestinal mucosal pH at both 3 weeks (p<0.05) and 6 weeks (p<0.05) of age, and higher abundance of liver-fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) mRNA expression in intestine tissues at 6 weeks of age (p<0.05), and higher digestibility of fatty acids at both 3 and 6 weeks (p<0.05) of age. There was no difference in I-FABP mRNA expression between AA and BF chickens at either age. Thus, BF chickens had greater fatty acids utilization than AA chickens that was associated with L-FABP, lipase activity, bile acid content and intestinal mucosal pH.