• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.511-520
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• 2008

Purpose: Diabetes mellitus is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of metabolic disorders manifested by abnormally high levels of glucose in the blood. Mounting evidence demonstrates that diabetes is a risk factor for gingivitis and periodontitis. The circulating mononuclear phagocytes in diabetic patients with hyperglycemia are chronically exposed to high level of serum glucose. Thus, this study attempted to determine the effect of pre-exposure of monocytes and macrophages to high concentration of glucose on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of pro-inflammatory mediators. Material and Methods: For this purpose, cells were cultured in medium containing normal (5 mM) or high glucose (25 mM) for 4-5 weeks before treatment for 24 h with LPS. LPS was highly purified from Porphyromonas gingivalis or Prevotella intermedia by phenol extraction. Result: Results showed that prolonged pre-exposure of cells to high glucose markedly increased LPS-stimulated NO secretion when compared to normal glucose. In addition to NO, high glucose also augmented LPS-stimulated IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-$\alpha$ secretion after cells were exposed to high glucose for 4 weeks. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that pre-exposure of mononuclear phagocytes with high glucose augments LPS-stimulated production of pro-inflammatory mediators. These findings may explain why periodontal tissue destruction in diabetic patients is more severe than that in non-diabetic individuals.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.194-204
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• 2020

The detrimental impact of air pollution as a result of frequent exposure to fine particles posed a global public health risk mainly to the pulmonary disorders in pediatric and geriatric population. Here, we reviewed the current literature regarding the role of ginseng and/or its components as antimicrobials, especially against pathogens that cause respiratory infections in animal and in vitro models. Some of the possible mechanisms for ginseng-mediated viral inhibition suggested are improvements in systemic and mucosa-specific antibody responses, serum hemagglutinin inhibition, lymphocyte proliferation, cell survival rate, and viral clearance in the lungs. In addition, ginseng reduces the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8) and chemokines produced by airway epithelial cells and macrophages, thus preventing weight loss. In case of bacterial infections, ginseng acts by alleviating inflammatory cytokine production, increasing survival rates, and activating phagocytes and natural killer cells. In addition, ginseng inhibits biofilm formation and induces the dispersion and dissolution of mature biofilms. Most clinical trials revealed that ginseng, at various dosages, is a safe and effective method of seasonal prophylaxis, relieving the symptoms and reducing the risk and duration of colds and flu. Taken together, these findings support the efficacy of ginseng as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent for respiratory infections.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1617-1627
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• 2017

Dietary approaches using structured lipids, including medium-chain fatty acids and diacylglycerols, have been adopted for the prevention of obesity-induced chronic inflammation. In an extension to previous studies, medium-chain fatty acid-diacylglycerol enriched dietary oil (MCDG) was prepared by interesterification of canola oil and medium-chain fatty acid-triacylglycerols. The consequent MCDG product was applied to RAW264.7 macrophages followed by the assessment of multiple inflammatory responses. Compared with conventionally used canola and olive oil controls, MCDG suppressed macrophage phagocytosis, as assessed by the uptake of microsphere beads. Furthermore, the production of IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$, transcription of COX-2 and iNOS, and expression of CD80 on cell surfaces were downregulated by MCDG in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Subsequently, differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were evaluated for proinflammatory cytokine production and lipid accumulation. IL-6 production was marginally affected and lipid accumulation was inhibited by MCDG. Taken together, these results suggest that MCDG has potential as an alternative oil for cooking in order to prevent obesity-induced inflammation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2015

The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of artemisinin derived from water, methanol, ethanol, or acetone extracts of Artemisia annua L. were evaluated. All 4 artemisinin-containing extracts had anti-inflammatory effects. Of these, the acetone extract had the greatest inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), and proinflammatory cytokine ($IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, and IL-10) production. Antioxidant activity evaluations revealed that the ethanol extract had the highest free radical scavenging activity, ($91.0{\pm}3.2%$), similar to ${\alpha}$-tocopherol (99.9%). The extracts had antimicrobial activity against the periodontopathic microorganisms Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. animalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. polymorphum, and Prevotella intermedia. This study shows that Artemisia annua L. extracts contain anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial substances and should be considered for use in pharmaceutical products for the treatment of dental diseases.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2009

To study the biological activity of interleukin-$1\beta$(IL-$1\beta$), a proinflammatory cytokine, in nile tilapia, Oreochromis niliticus, the recombinant tilapia IL-$1\beta$ was produced in E. coli cells based on pQE vector. Ni-NTA (nitriloacetic acid) metal affinity chromatography was used to purify recombinant protein. The eluted fractions exhibited a single band of protein with a molecular weight of about 25kDa, which is in close agreement with 25.4 kDa predicted by the cDNA sequence. The biological activity of the purified recombinant tilapia IL-$1\beta$ was tested through its effects on IL-$1\beta$ gene expression, which are known as IL-$1\beta$ inducible genes in mammals and fishes. IL-$1\beta$ gene expression induced by poly I:C, a synthetic double stranded RNA, was also assessed in tilapia head kidney cells. IL-$1\beta$ gene expression was analysed using QPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction). The ratio of the indicated gene expression was expressed as the relative mRNA level to $\beta$-actin mRNA level, which is constitutively expressed in macrophages. Consequently, head kidney cells incubated for three hours with rIL-$1\beta$(10, 2, 1 $\mu{g}$/ml) showed a dose dependent increase in IL-$1\beta$ mRNA levels and 1 $\mu{g}$/ml of poly I:C was also able to induce IL-$1\beta$ gene expression in head kidney in tilapia.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.259-264
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• 2007

Ginger(Zingiber officinale Roscoe) has been used as a raw material in many various traditional preparations since the ancient times. As a component of traditional health products, ginger is known to be effective as an appetite enhancer, and has anti-cold and anti-inflammatory activities. This study was performed to investigate the immunomodulative effects of Zingiber officinale Roscoe in mice, using ex vivo experiments. In order to elucidate ginger's immunomodulative effects of Ginger, water extracts were orally administered to mice, and isolated macrophages were used as the experimental model. To identify the ex vivo effects, six to seven week old Balb/c mice were fed a chow diet ad libitum and the ginger water extracts were administered orally every other day for two or four weeks at two different concentrations(50 and 500 mg/kg b.w.). The results show that IL-IO and $IFN-{\gamma}$ were detected in the 500 mg/kg b.w. supplemented group with LPS stimulation in all cases. Also, the $IFN-{\gamma}$ /IL-10 ratio ranged from 3~5 with mitogen stimulation such as Con A and LPS. In conclusion, this study suggests that ginger extracts may enhance the immune function by regulating the cytokine(IL-10 and $IFN-{\gamma}$) production capacity of activated macrophages in mice.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.152-159
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• 2019

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by progressive neuronal loss, neuroinflammation, axonal degeneration, and demyelination. Previous studies have reported that 6-shogaol, a major constituent of ginger (Zingiber officinale rhizome), and its biological metabolite, 6-paradol, have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study, we investigated whether 6-shogaol and 6-paradol could ameliorate against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of MS elicited by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein ($MOG_{35-55}$) peptide immunization with injection of pertussis toxin. Once-daily administration of 6-shogaol and 6-paradol (5 mg/kg/day, p.o.) to symptomatic EAE mice significantly alleviated clinical signs of the disease along with remyelination and reduced cell accumulation in the white matter of spinal cord. Administration of 6-shogaol and 6-paradol into EAE mice markedly reduced astrogliosis and microglial activation as key features of immune responses inside the CNS. Furthermore, administration of these two molecules significantly suppressed expression level of tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, a major proinflammatory cytokine, in EAE spinal cord. Collectively, these results demonstrate therapeutic efficacy of 6-shogaol or 6-paradol for EAE by reducing neuroinflammatory responses, further indicating the therapeutic potential of these two active ingredients of ginger for MS.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.282-290
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• 2019

Background: Ginsenoside Rg3 (G-Rg3) is the major bioactive ingredient of Panax ginseng and has many pharmacological effects, including antiadipogenic, antiviral, and anticancer effects. However, the effect of G-Rg3 on mast cell-mediated allergic inflammation has not been investigated. Method: The antiallergic effects of G-Rg3 on allergic inflammation were evaluated using the human and rat mast cell lines HMC-1 and RBL-2H3. Antiallergic effects of G-Rg3 were detected by measuring cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), detecting calcium influx, and using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and in vivo experiments. Results: G-Rg3 decreased histamine release from activated mast cells by enhancing cAMP levels and calcium influx. Proinflammatory cytokine production was suppressed by G-Rg3 treatment via regulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases/nuclear factor-kappa B and receptor-interacting protein kinase 2 (RIP2)/caspase-1 signaling pathway in mast cells. Moreover, G-Rg3 protected mice against the IgE-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction and compound 48/80-induced anaphylactic shock. Conclusion: G-Rg3 may serve as an alternative therapeutic agent for improving allergic inflammatory disorders.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.4.1-4.19
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• 2024

TNF, a pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine, is important for protective immunity and immunopathology during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, which causes tuberculosis (TB) in humans. TNF is produced primarily by phagocytes in the lungs during the early stages of Mtb infection and performs diverse physiological and pathological functions by binding to its receptors in a context-dependent manner. TNF is essential for granuloma formation, chronic infection prevention, and macrophage recruitment to and activation at the site of infection. In animal models, TNF, in cooperation with chemokines, contributes to the initiation, maintenance, and clearance of mycobacteria in granulomas. Although anti-TNF therapy is effective against immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, it carries the risk of reactivating TB. Furthermore, TNF-associated inflammation contributes to cachexia in patients with TB. This review focuses on the multifaceted role of TNF in the pathogenesis and prevention of TB and underscores the importance of investigating the functions of TNF and its receptors in the establishment of protective immunity against and in the pathology of TB. Such investigations will facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies that target TNF signaling, which makes beneficial and detrimental contributions to the pathogenesis of TB.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.19.1-19.18
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• 2021

Clinical and molecular phenotypes of asthma are complex. The main phenotypes of adult asthma are characterized by eosinophil and/or neutrophil cell dominant airway inflammation that represent distinct clinical features. Upper and lower airways constitute a unique system and their interaction shows functional complementarity. Although human upper airway contains various indigenous commensals and opportunistic pathogenic microbiome, imbalance of this interactions lead to pathogen overgrowth and increased inflammation and airway remodeling. Competition for epithelial cell attachment, different susceptibilities to host defense molecules and antimicrobial peptides, and the production of proinflammatory cytokine and pattern recognition receptors possibly determine the pattern of this inflammation. Exposure to environmental factors, including infection, air pollution, smoking is commonly associated with asthma comorbidity, severity, exacerbation and resistance to anti-microbial and steroid treatment, and these effects may also be modulated by host and microbial genetics. Administration of probiotic, antibiotic and corticosteroid treatment for asthma may modify the composition of resident microbiota and clinical features. This review summarizes the effect of some environmental factors on the upper respiratory microbiome, the interaction between host-microbiome, and potential impact of asthma treatment on the composition of the upper airway microbiome.