• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.1031-1045
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• 2022

Postbiotics are defined as probiotics inactivated by heat, ultraviolet radiation, sonication, and other physical or chemical stresses. Postbiotics are more stable than probiotics, and these properties are advantageous for food additives and pharmacological agents. This study investigated the immunostimulatory effects of heat-treated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LM1004 (HT-LM1004). Cellular fatty acid composition of L. plantarum LM1004 isolated form kimchi was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detection system. The nitric oxide (NO) content was estimated using Griess reagent. Immunostimulatory cytokines were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Relative protein expressions were evaluated by western blotting. Phagocytosis was measured using enzyme-labelled Escherichia coli particles. L. plantarum LM1004 showed 7 kinds of cellular fatty acids including palmitic acid (C16:0). The HT-LM1004 induced release of NO and upregulated the inducible NO synthase in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 levels were also increased compared to control (non-treated macrophages). Furthermore, HT-LM1004 modulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) subfamilies including p38 MAPK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Therefore, these immunostimulatory effects were attributed to the production of transcriptional factors, such as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and the activator protein 1 family (AP-1). However, HT-LM1004 did not showed significant phagocytosis of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Overall, HT-LM1004 stimulated MAPK/AP-1 and NF-κB expression, resulting in the release of NO and cytokines. These results will contribute to the development of diverse types of food and pharmacological products for immunostimulatory agents with postbiotics.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.218-226
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• 2015

The present study investigated the mechanisms of licochalcone B (LicB)-mediated inhibition of the inflammatory response in murine macrophages. RAW264.7 murine macrophages were cultured in the absence or presence of lipopolysacharide (LPS) with LicB. LicB suppressed the generation of nitric oxide and the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$. LicB also inhibited the expression of mRNA for inducible nitric oxide synthase and pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS. Moreover, LicB inhibited nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) and activator protein-1 translocation into the nucleus in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, LicB mainly exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the LPS-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ and activator protein-1 signaling pathways in macrophages, which subsequently diminishes the expression and release of various inflammatory mediators. LicB shows promise as a therapeutic agent in inflammatory diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.110-118
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• 2015

According to the expansion of lifespan, neuronal disorder based on inflammation has been social problem. Therefore, we isolated shikonin from Lithospermum erythrorhizon and evaluated anti-inflammatory effects of shikonin in lipopolysaccharide (LSP)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Shikonin dose-dependently inhibits the expression of the proinflammatory mediators, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), and tumor necrosis factor-${\kappa}B$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) as well as their main regulatory genes and products such as inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and TNF-${\alpha}$ in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Additionally, shikonin suppressed the LPS-induced DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) to regulate the key regulatory genes of the proinflammatory mediators, such as iNOS, COX-2, and TNF-${\alpha}$, accompanied with downregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The results indicate that shikonin may downregulate the expression of proinflammatory genes involved in the synthesis of NO, $PGE_2$, and TNF-${\alpha}$ in LPS-treated BV2 microglial cells by suppressing ROS and NF-${\kappa}B$. Taken together, our results revealed that shikonin exerts downregulation of proinflammatory mediators by interference the ROS and NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.947-952
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• 2015

Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) was originally identified in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells undergoing apoptosis. Par-4 is ubiquitously expressed in normal cells and tissues, but it is downregulated in several types of cancers. Par-4 is a 38 kDa tumor suppressor protein encoded by the PARW gene. Par-4 promotes apoptosis in a variety of cancerous cells, but not in normal cells. In this review, we focused on the structure, expression and function of Par-4 in apoptotic signaling pathway. Functional domains of Par-4 include two nuclear localization sequences (NLS), a leucine zipper (LZ) domain, a nuclear export sequence (NES) and selective for apoptosis in cancer cell (SAC) domain. Many studies have underlined the importance of Par-4 in preventing cancer development. The activity of Par-4 is differently regulated by localization of intracellular and extracellular Par-4. Intracellular Par-4 inhibits Akt- and NF-κB-mediated cell survival pathways and downregulates Bcl-2 expression. Extracellular Par-4 activates the extrinsic apoptotic pathway by binding to cell surface receptor GRP78, a stress response protein that is in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Endogenous Par-4 sensitizes cancer cells to various apoptotic stimuli, while exogenous Par-4 enhances SAC domain-dependent apoptosis in cancer cells, but not normal cells. Therefore, Par-4 is an attractive target for cancer therapy.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.217-225
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• 2021

Neuropathic pain (NP) that contributes to the comorbidity between pain and depression is a clinical dilemma. Neuroinflammatory responses are known to have potentially important roles in the initiation of NP and depressive mood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of paeoniflorin (PF) on NP-induced depression-like behaviors by targeting the hippocampal neuroinflammation through the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. We used a murine model of NP caused by unilateral sciatic nerve cuffing (Cuff). PF was injected intraperitoneally once a day for a total of 14 days. Pain and depression-like behavior changes were evaluated via behavioral tests. Pathological changes in the hippocampus of mice were observed by H&E staining. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus were detected using ELISA. Activated microglia were measured by immunohistochemical staining. The TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway-associated protein expression in the hippocampus was detected by western blotting. We found that the PF could significantly alleviate Cuff-induced hyperalgesia and depressive behaviors, lessen the pathological damage to the hippocampal cell, reduce proinflammatory cytokines levels, and inhibit microglial over-activation. Furthermore, PF downregulated the expression levels of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins in the hippocampus. These results indicate that PF is an effective drug for improving the comorbidity between NP and depression.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2024

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the major complications of sepsis. Aurantio-obtusin (AO) is an anthraquinone compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study was developed to concentrate on the role and mechanism of AO in sepsis-induced AKI. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and BALB/c mice receiving cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery were used to establish in vitro cell model and in vivo mouse model. HK-2 cell viability was measured using MTT assays. Histological alterations of mouse renal tissues were analyzed via hematoxylin and eosin staining. Renal function of mice was assessed by measuring the levels of serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in HK-2 cells and serum samples of mice were detected using corresponding ELISA kits. Protein levels of factors associated with nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway were measured in HK-2 cells and renal tissues by Western blotting. AO exerted no cytotoxic effect on HK-2 cells and AO dose-dependently rescued LPS-induced decrease in HK-2 cell viability. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines were increased in response to LPS or CLP treatment, and the alterations were reversed by AO treatment. For in vivo experiments, AO markedly ameliorated renal injury and reduced high levels of SCr and BUN in mice underwent CLP operation. In addition, AO administration inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, AO alleviates septic AKI by suppressing inflammatory responses through inhibiting the NF-κB pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1110-1119
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages could be promoted by particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5) stimulation. To this end, the levels of inflammatory parameters, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation-regulating genes were investigated in RAW 264.7 cells treated with PM_2.5 in the presence or absence of LPS. Our results showed that the production levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (nitric oxide and prostaglandin E₂) and cytokines (interleukin-6 and -1β) were significantly increased by PM_2.5 stimulation in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells, which was correlated with increased expression genes involved in their production. In addition, when LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells were exposed to PM_2.5, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) expression was further increased in the nucleus, and the expression of inhibitor of NF-κB as well as NF-κB in the cytoplasm was decreased. These results suggest that the co-treatment of PM_2.5 and LPS further increases the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway compared to each treatment alone, thereby contributing to the promotion of transcriptional activity of inflammatory genes. Furthermore, although the generation of ROS was greatly increased by PM_2.5 in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells, the NF-κB inhibitor did not reduce the generation of ROS. In addition, when the generation of ROS was artificially suppressed, the production of inflammatory mediators and the activation of NF-κB were both abolished. Therefore, our results suggest that the increase in the NF-κB-mediated inflammatory response induced by PM_2.5 in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages was a ROS generation-dependent phenomenon.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.525-530
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• 2015

Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a pathogenic role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and is thus a potential target for the development of therapeutics for this disease. Here, we demonstrated that Wnt5a antagonized β-catenin response transcription (CRT) induced with Wnt3a by promoting β-catenin phosphorylation at Ser33/Ser37/Thr41 and its subsequent degradation in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Wnt5a decreased the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which was up-regulated by Wnt3a. Furthermore, Wnt5a increased E-cadherin expression and decreased cell migration by down-regulating Snail expression, thereby abrogating the Wnt3a-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human RPE cells. Our findings suggest that Wnt5a suppresses the pathogenic effects of canonical Wnt signaling in human RPE cells by promoting β-catenin phosphorylation and degradation. Therefore, Wnt5a has significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of AMD. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(9): 525-530]

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.385-395
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• 2020

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly[I:C]) can stimulate Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) signaling pathways. In this study, DF-1 cells were treated with poly(I:C) at various concentrations and time points to examine the comparative expression patterns of innate immune response genes. The viability of DF-1 cells decreased from 77.41% to 38.68% when cells were treated different dose of poly(I:C) from 0.1 ㎍/mL to 100 ㎍/mL for 24 h respectively. The expressions of TLR3, TLR4, TLR7, TLR15, TLR21, IL1B, and IL10 were increased in dose- and time-dependent manners by poly(I:C) treatment. On the contrary, the expression patterns of interferon regulatory factors 7 (IRF7), Jun proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit (JUN), Nuclear Factor Kappa B Subunit 1 (NF-κB1), and IL8L2 were varied; IRF7 and IL8L2 were increasingly expressed whereas the expressions of JUN and NF-κB1 were decreased in a dose-dependent manner after they were early induced. In time-dependent analysis, IRF7 expression was significantly upregulated from 3 h to 24 h, whereas JUN and NF-κB1 expressions settled down from 6 h to 24 h after poly(I:C) treatment although they were induced at early time from 1 h to 3 h. Poly(I:C) treatment rapidly increased the expression of IL8L2 from 3 h to 6 h with a plateau at 6 h and then the expression of IL8L2 was dramatically decreased until 24 h after poly(I:C) treatment although the expression level was still higher than the non-treated control. These results may provide the basis for understanding host response to viral infection and its mimicry system in chickens.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1057-1065
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• 2023

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic inflammatory disease, results from dysregulation of the immune responses. Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB), including Lactobacillus, alleviate IBD through immunomodulation. In this study, the anti-colitis effect of LAB isolated from human breast milk was investigated in a mouse model induced acute colitis with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). TNBS remarkably increased weight loss, colon shortening, and colonic mucosal proliferation, as well as the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β. Oral administration of LAB isolated from human breast milk resulted in a reduction in TNBS-induced colon shortening, as well as induced cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). In addition, LAB suppressed inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, and thus showed an effect of suppressing the level of inflammation induced by TNBS. Furthermore, LAB alleviated gut microbiota dysbiosis, and inhibited intestinal permeability by increasing the expression of intestinal tight junction protein including ZO-1. Collectively, these results suggest that LAB isolated from human breast milk can be used as a functional food for colitis treatment by regulating NF-κB signaling, gut microbiota and increasing expression of intestinal tight junction protein.