• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제13권6호
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• pp.289-294
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• 2013

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is an acute-phase protein induced by injury, infection, or other inflammatory stimuli. LCN2 binds small hydrophobic ligands and interacts with cell surface receptor to regulate diverse cellular processes. The role of LCN2 as a chemokine inducer in the central nervous system (CNS) has been previously reported. Based on the previous participation of LCN2 in neuroinflammation, we investigated the role of LCN2 in formalin-induced nociception and pathological pain. Formalin-induced nociceptive behaviors (licking/biting) and spinal microglial activation were significantly reduced in the second or late phase of the formalin test in Lcn2 knockout mice. Likewise, antibody-mediated neutralization of spinal LCN2 attenuated the mechanical hypersensitivity induced by peripheral nerve injury in mice. Taken together, our results suggest that LCN2 can be therapeutically targeted, presumably for both prevention and reversal of acute inflammatory pain as well as pathological pain.

• BMB Reports
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.20-27
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• 2020

Translocator protein (TSPO), also known as peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, is a transmembrane protein located on the outer mitochondria membrane (OMM) and mainly expressed in glial cells in the brain. Because of the close correlation of its expression level with neuropathology and therapeutic efficacies of several TSPO binding ligands under many neurological conditions, TSPO has been regarded as both biomarker and therapeutic target, and the biological functions of TSPO have been a major research focus. However, recent genetic studies with animal and cellular models revealed unexpected results contrary to the anticipated biological importance of TSPO and cast doubt on the action modes of the TSPO-binding drugs. In this review, we summarize recent controversial findings on the discrepancy between pharmacological and genetic studies of TSPO and suggest some future direction to understand this old and mysterious protein.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.212-219
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• 2022

Recently, the efficacy of probiotics in treatment of neurodegenerative disorders has been reported in animal and clinical studies. Here, we assessed the effects of Bacillus coagulans JA845 in counteracting the symptoms of D-galactose (D-gal)/AlCl₃-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a mice model through behavioral test, histological assessment and biochemical analysis. Ten weeks of pre-treatment with B. coagulans JA845 prevented cognitive decline, attenuated hippocampal lesion and protected neuronal integrity, which demonstrated the neuroprotective features of B. coagulans JA845 in vivo. We also found that supplementation of B. coagulans JA845 alleviated amyloid-beta deposits and hyperphosphorylated tau in hippocampus of D-gal/AlCl₃-induced AD model mice. Furthermore, B. coagulans JA845 administration attenuated oxidative stress and decreased serum concentration of inflammatory cytokines by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 and MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway. Our results demonstrated for the first time that B. coagulans has the potential to help prevent cognitive decline and might be a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제60권4호
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• pp.247-254
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• 2022

Vincristine (VCR) is a chemotherapeutic agent widely used in treatment of malignancies. However, VCR has a limitation in use since it commonly causes a painful neuropathy (VCR-induced peripheral neuropathy, VIPN). Inflammatory cytokines secreted by immune cells such as macrophages can exacerbate allodynia and hyperalgesia, because inhibiting the inflammatory response is a treatment target for VIPN. In this study, we investigated whether Trichinella spiralis, a widely studied helminth for its immunomodulatory abilities, can alleviate VCR-induced allodynia. Von Frey test showed that T. spiralis infection improved mechanical allodynia at 10 days after VCR injection. We further observed whether the difference was due to mitigated axon degeneration, but no significant difference between the groups in axonal degeneration in sciatic nerves and intra-epidermal nerve fibers was found. Conversely, we observed that number of infiltrated macrophages was decreased in the sciatic nerves of the T. spiralis infected mice. Moreover, treatment of T. spiralis excretory-secretory products caused peritoneal macrophages to secrete decreased level of IL-1β. This study suggests that T. spiralis can relieve VCR-induced mechanical allodynia by suppressing neuroinflammation and that application of controllable degree of helminth may prove beneficial for VIPN treatment.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.276-284
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• 2023

Sinapic acid (SA) is a phenolic acid that is widely distributed in fruits and vegetables, which has various bioactivities, such as antidiabetic, anticancer and anti-inflammatory functions. Over-activated microglial is involved in the development progress of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of SA in microglia neuroinflammation models. Our results demonstrated that SA inhibited secretion of the nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin (IL)-6, reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and enhanced the release of IL-10 in a dose-dependent manner. Besides, our further investigation revealed that SA attenuated the phosphorylation of AKT and MAPK cascades in LPS-induced microglia. Consistently, oral administration of SA in mouse regulated the production of inflammation-related cytokines and also suppressed the phosphorylation of MAPK cascades and AKT in the mouse cerebral cortex. These results suggested that SA may be a possible therapy candidate for anti-inflammatory activity by targeting the AKT/MAPK signaling pathway.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.121-129
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• 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. The conventional treatment model for PD have harmful side effects, such as dyskinesia, hallucinations, nausea, and fatigue, and are expensive. As a result, natural products derived from medicinal herbs, fruits, and vegetables have emerged as potential therapeutic strategies for PD. These natural products have been traditionally used to treat various diseases and have been shown to possess anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as inhibitory roles in protein misfolding, mitochondrial homeostasis, neuroinflammation and other neuroprotective processes. In addition, they have fewer side effects and are generally less expensive than conventional drugs. It also discusses the limitations of current treatments and the potential of natural remedies derived from plants to treat PD in new ways or as supplements to existing treatments. The multifunctional mechanisms of medicinal plants that may be utilized to treat PD are also discussed, including the modulation of neurotransmitter systems, the enhancement of neurotrophic factors, and the inhibition of apoptosis. While more research is needed to fully understand their mechanisms of action and efficacy, natural products have the potential to provide safer and more effective treatment options for patients with PD.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제29권10호
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• pp.1096-1103
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• 2019

신경염증은 알츠하이머병 및 파킨슨병 과 같은 신경퇴행성 장애의 발병원인에 관련이 있는 미세아교세포의 활성에 의해 매개되므로 신경염증억제는 다양한 뇌질환을 치료할 수 있는 효과적인 해결책이 될 수 있다. 흰점박이 꽃무지는 딱정벌레목 풍뎅이과에 속하는 곤충으로 한국, 중국, 일본 및 시베리아에 서식한다. 현재 국내에서는 흰점박이꽃무지가 식용곤충 자원으로서 단백질 공급원일 뿐만 아니라 간보호 효과와 혈행개선 등에 유용한 생리활성 물질을 다량 함유하고 있는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 미세아교세포는 중추신경계에서 염증성 cytokine 및 산화질소의 중요공급원이며 신경면역 및 염증기능 및 기타 다양한 신경생물학적 효과를 발휘한다. 본 연구에서는 LPS(100 ng/ml)를 처리하여 과하게 활성화된 미세아교세포에서 흰점박이꽃무지 에탄올 추출물의 신경염증 억제 효과를 조사하였다. 그 결과, 흰점박이꽃무지 에탄올 추출물은 세포독성 없이 NO 생성을 현저히 억제하였고, iNOS와 COX-2 발현량을 감소시켰으며 LPS에 의해 분비되는 염증성 cytokine의 생성량도 흰점박이꽃무지 추출물에 의해 감소되었다. 이러한 결과는 흰점박이꽃무지 에탄올 추출물이 신경염증 및 퇴행성 신경질환을 예방하기 위한 기능성 물질의 좋은 공급원이 될 수 있음을 시사한다.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.656-662
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• 2015

천연물을 기반으로 한 신약 개발은 일반적으로 오랜 기간 동안의 원료 약물로써 사용해 온 경험에 의한 다양한 임상적 결과의 축적과 이로 인한 안정성(stability)과 안전성(safety)의 확보 및 신약 개발 시간의 단축과 같은 이점을 가지고 있어, 천연물 유래 약물 연구는 꼭 필요한 실정이다. 다양한 신경질환에서 신경세포의 사멸과 미세아교세포의 과도한 활성화 즉 뇌염증이 관찰되며 이를 억제할 수 있는 물질에 대한 연구는 활발히 진행 중이지만, 현재까지 신경세포 사멸과 뇌염증을 동시에 억제하는 물질 개발 시도는 거의 없었다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 천연물에서 추출한 물질로 총 240개로 구성된 라이브러리로부터 신경전달물질 중의 하나인 glutamate 과잉처리에 의한 산화적 스트레스 유도 신경세포(HT22) 사멸과 LPS에 의한 미세아교세포(BV2)의 과도한 활성화 즉 뇌염증의 표지 인자 중 하나인 NO의 생산량의 감소 효과가 동시에 나타나는 물질을 검출한 결과, 대황에서 추출한 Chrysophanol이 검출되었으며 더욱이 Chrysophanol이 신경세포와 미세아교세포 모두에서 glutamate와 LPS에 의해 각각 유도된 세포내 활성산소(ROS) 발생을 억제하는 것을 확인하였다. 앞으로 Chrysophanol에 대한 보다 깊은 연구를 통하여 산화적 스트레스에 의한 신경세포 사멸과 미세아교세포의 과잉 활성화에 따른 뇌염증의 발생을 동시에 억제하는 신경질환의 치료 및 예방 신약개발 후보 물질 가능성을 제시 하고자 한다.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.237-247
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• 2021

신경염증(neuroinflammation)은 여러 신경 질환의 원인 인자로 확인되고있다. 중추 신경계에 발현되는 단백질 복합체인 NLRP3 인플라마좀은 미생물, 응집되고 잘못 접힌 단백질, ATP와 같은 광범위한 외인성 및 내인성 자극에 의해 감지되고 캐스페이즈-1(capase-1)을 활성화할 수 있다. 활성을 띠는 캐스페이즈-1은 IL-1b와 IL-18과 같은 염증성 사이토카인(pro-inflammatory cytokine)을 활성화시키고 급속한 세포사멸(파이롭토시스, pyroptosis)를 야기한다. IL-1b와 IL-18, 그리고 파이롭토시스를 통해 분비된 DAMPs은 다양한 신호 전달 경로를 통해 신경염증 반응을 유도하여 신경 손상을 유발한다. 따라서 NLRP3 인플라마좀은 신경염증으로 인한 여러 가지 신경질환 발병에 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 여겨진다. 본 리뷰 에서는 NLRP3 인플라마좀의 구조와 활성화에 대해 간략히 알아 보고 다양한 형태의 신경 질환에서 NLRP3 인플라마좀의 역할에 대해 논의하고자 한다.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.11-19
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• 2023

Objectives : Neuroinflammation is a common pathological mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases, and the development of therapeutic agents is urgently needed. Red ginseng has been known to be good for the immune stimulation in Eastern Asia. Although the immuno-stimulatory activity of red ginseng are already known, the neuro-protective effects of cultivated red ginseng with fermented complex mushroom-cereal mycelium (RGFM) have not been conducted. Thus, in this study, we tried to investigate the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of RGFM water extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated BV2 cells. Methods : BV2 cells were pretreated with RGFM 1 h prior to LPS exposure. To determine the neuro-protective effects of RGFM water extract, we measured the expression of inflammatory mediators including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1𝛽, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-𝛼 in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. In addition, to find out the regulatory mechanism of RGFM water extract, we assessed the protein levels of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and inhibitory 𝜅B𝛼 (I𝜅B𝛼) by western blotting. Results : In our study, treatment of RGFM reduced the mRNA expression of iNOS and COX-2 and suppressed NO production in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. Additionally, the secretion of IL-1𝛽 and TNF-𝛼 but not IL-6 was significantly inhibited by RGFM. Furthermore, RGFM water extract inhibited the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Conclusions : Taken together, these findings suggest that RGFM water extract has a protective effect on neuroinflammation through inhibition of JNK.