• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.510-514
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• 2017

Plantago asiatica L., observed frequently in East Asia, is a known herb used in traditional medical remedies several studies report that P. asiatica L has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. To determine the production of cytokines (IL-2, $IFN-{\gamma}$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and non-LPS-stimulated macrophages, an ELISA assay was conducted using cytokine kits. Mice splenocytes were cultured for 48 h with various concentrations of P. asiatica L. (5, 10, 50, 100, 250, 500, and $1,000{\mu}g/mL$) or with mitogens (ConA or LPS). P. asiatica L. increased the proliferation of mice splenocytes, especially under the condition of its concentration ranging from 250 to $1,000{\mu}g/mL$. In addition, Plantago asiatica L. notably induced cytokine production of (IL-2, $IFN-{\gamma}$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$) at its concentration of $250{\sim}500{\mu}g/mL$. These results suggest that supplementation with P. asiatica L. water extracts may play a potential role in enhancing immune function by mediating splenocyte proliferation and cytokine production through its anti-inflammatory activit.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.201-206
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• 2006

Numerous investigators have studied various activities of natural products and have found that they have not only nutritional effects, but also beneficial properties to cure various diseases and to maintain good health. Job's Tear(Yul-Moo) is a grass crop that has long been used in traditional medicine and as a nourishing food. Although its mechanism of action remains unclear, Job's Tear has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, stomachic, anti-allergic, and anti-spastic effects and has been used in China for the treatment of warts, rheumatism, and neuralgia. Previous results in our laboratory demonstrated that the ethanol extract and the water extract of Job's Tear exerted an immune regulatory function on mice cells in vitro. The present study was performed to investigate the ex vivo effect of Job's Tear on immune function. Seven to eight weeks old mice(Balb/c) were fed chow diet ad libitum and water extract of Job's Tear was administered orally every other day for four weeks at two different concentrations(50 and 500mg/kg B.W.). Splenocytes proliferation with mitogen stimulation with Con A and LPS was enhanced at 50 mg/kg B.W. of Job's Tear compared to those of the control group. The results of this ex vivo study showed that proliferation of splenocytes and macrophage activation were seen in the mice orally administrated 50 mg/kg B.W. of Job's Tear water extracts. In conclusion, this study suggests that Job's Tear extracts may enhance immune function by regulating splenocyte proliferation and the cytokine prodution capacity of activated macrophages in mice.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.60-67
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• 2002

Paeonia japonica var. pilosa $N_{AKAI}$, (PJ; Baek-Jak-Yak) is a medicinal plant which has been widely used as a component or blood-building decoctions. This study was performed to investigate the immunomodulative effects of PJ in mice, using in vitro and in vivo experiments. The immunomodulative effects were studied in vitro by determining the proliferation or mice splenocytes and the production of three kinds of cytokines (IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$) by mire peritoneal macrophages which were cultured with sequential fractions of PJ methanol extract (methanol, hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, butanol and water). In an in vivo experiment using mice, different concentrations of PJ water extract were orally administrated every other day for two weeks. The production of cytokines (IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$) secreted by activated macrophages, and the proliferation of mice splenocytes, were used as indices for immunocompetence. In vitro supplementation using a hexane fraction of PJ in the range of 1 to 100 $\mu$ g/ml enhanced splenocyte proliferation by 1.8 to 12%, and by 10-15% using an aqueous fraction, compared to the control. IL-l$\beta$ production was significantly increased with the supplementation of butanol, hexane and water extracts of PJ Higher levels of IL-6 production were detected with supplementation of chloroform or water extracts. However, there were no significant differences in the production of TNF-$\alpha$ among the treated groups and the control. From the in vivo study, the highest proliferation of splenocytes was seen in the mice orally administrated with the PJ water extract at the concentration of 500 mg/kg body weight. In the case of cytosine production, IL-1-$\beta$, IL-6, and TNF-$\alpha$ released by activated peritoneal macrophages were augmented by the oral administration of a PJ water extract. These results indicate that Pl may enhance the immune function by regulating splenocyte proliferation and cytokine production capacity in mice.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.126-132
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• 2001

Methanol extracts form four kinds of kimchi, which were differently prepared in kinds and levels of sub-ingredients, were given to Balb/c mice for 3 weeks (0.5 mg/kg/day). Peritoneal macrophages isolated from mice treated with kimchi extracts and saline were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). K3 and K4 kimchis, containing more red pepper powder, garlic, Chinese pepper powder, mustard leaf and organically cultivated Korean cabbage, significantly increased NO production by the activated macrophages (p<0.05). K1, K2, K3 and K4 kimchi extracts (0.01, 0.1, 1.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$) significantly reduced the increased TGF-$\beta$1 production of H.pylori lysate (0.01 $\mu\textrm{g}$)-activated human epithelial RPMI 2650 cells (5$\times$10$^{4}$ cells/mL) at 24 and 48 hrs of treatment (p<0.01). However, the decreased TGF-$\beta$1 $\alpha$ production of RPMI 2650 cells by H. pylori lysate increased by treatment with kimchi extract for 72 hrs. Especially, K4 kimchi (containing organically cultivated Korean cabbage and more ingredients, modulated TGF-$\beta$1 production of H. pylori lysate-activated RPMI 2650 cells to the normal level (control) by treatment for 48 hrs. The treatment of K1 and K4 kimchi enhanced the LPS (0.01 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL)-induced IL-6 production of splenocytes. The results suggest that kimchi might have an beneficial effect on cancer prevention due in part to the function enhancing NO production of activated macrophages. Our data suggest that kimchi could modulate TGF-$\beta$1 production by cancer cells and IL-6 production of splenocytes, thereby possibly contributing to control carcinogenesis and the immune system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.167-170
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• 2004

Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) have been proposed as a potential oral allergy-therapeutic means of modulating immune phenotype expression in vivo, via promoting or reducing cytokine production. This study investigated the ability of LABs to suppress allergic response via modulating cytokine production in mice splenocytes. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally primed with ovalbumin together with alum adjuvant to invoke antigen-specific Th1/Th2 cytokine-secreting cell populations in splenocytes. Spleen cells from mice fed with Lactobacillus confusus PL9001 (KCCM-10245), L. fermentum PL9005 (KCCM-10250), L. plantarum PL9011 (KCCM-10358), and Bifidobacterium infantis PL9506 (KCCM-10406) suppressed the levels of Th2 cell cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-5 during antigen sensitization. In addition, all mice fed with LABs induced secretion of Th1 cell cytokines such as IL-2 in splenocytes. These results suggested that LABs are anti-allergic agents, in view of their Th1/anti-Th2 immunoregulation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.1270-1275
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• 2008

Effects of polysaccharide fraction from Euonymus alatus Sieb(EPF) on the immune response of T-, B-lymphocytes and macrophages were examined in vitro and in vivo system. EPF (500 mg/kg) were administered p.o. twice a day for 5 days to C57BL/6 mice, and then the cells were separated from mice. EPF decreased the viability of thymocytes, but increased the viability of splenocytes in vitro and in vivo system. Also, the administration of EPF enhanced the population of helper T cell and cytotoxic T cell in thymocytes and did not affect the population of splenocytes. Furthermore, EPF enhanced the phagocytic activity and the production of nitric oxide in peritoneal macro phages in vivo system. These results suggest that EPF regulates an immune response via the enhancement of mature T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes viability and phagocytic activity of macrophages.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 2003

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been widely used as plasticizer, insulator, lubricant, paint and ink. The persistence of PCBs in the environment and their bioaccumulation in living organism make a raise concerns regarding their toxic effects in immune system and subsequent effects on human health. However little has been known about effect of PCB, an endocrine disrupter, on splenocytes. In this study, for identifying the effect on the organs and immune cell of mice by the concentration and time of commercial PCB mixture (Aroclor 1254), each 3 mice were tested at the concentration of 3, 30, 300, 1,000 mg/kg respectively, and their organ's weight were measured in 4, 7, 14 days, respectively. Also according to concentration and time, PCB was evaluated for the effects on splenocyte viability and lipopolysaccaride (LPS) and concanavaline A (Con A)-induced splenocyte proliferation on mice spleen. In liver and lung, there were significantly defferent by concentration and time of PCB (p < 0.0001). In respect of concentration of PCB, no significant effects on mice's liver by Aroclor 1254 concentration below than 300 mg/kg were observed except at the concentration of 1,000 mg/kg doses (p < 0.0001). But there was not significant different change in mice spleen by concentration and time of PCB (p=0.2206) and the mode of weight change of spleen was different to of liver and of lung. Viabilities of splenocytes were decreased following treatment with high concentration of PCB. Also, LPS and Con A-induced cell proliferations were decreased by Aroclor 1254 at 1,000 mg/kg. These data suggest that Aroclor 1254 is the immunotoxic compound that may have an effect on mouse immune system.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.329-337
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• 2004

Primiphos-methyl and methidathion as organophosphorus (OP) pesticides were tested for their immunotoxic effects on Balb/c mice. Three dose levels of primiphos-methyl (10, 60, or 120 mg/kg/day) and methidathion (0.5, 2.5 or 5.0 mg/kg/day) were administered orally in the mice for 4 weeks. After, changes in body weight gain, relative weight of spleen and thymus, viable splenic cell numbers, surface marker on immune cell, and proliferation activity were investigated. Results showed that neither Pirimiphos-methyl nor methidathion dosages changed significantly body weight, relative thymus and spleen weight, and thymus and spleen cellularities of the mice, but high dose treatment (120 mg/kg) of pirimiphos-methyl significantly decreased relative spleen weight and spleen cellularity of the mice. No alterations were observed in changes of LPS-proliferation response of splenocytes by exposure to any dose of pirimiphos-methyl and methidathion. However, pirimiphos-methyl dosages reduced ConA-proliferation response of splenocytes and both methidathion and pirimiphos-methyl decreased the ability of antibody production to SRBC. The results indicate that 28 days exposure to the high dose of pirimiphos-methyl suppress the function of splenic T and B cell function, and methidathion reduce the immune responsibility of B cell in mice without the changes in lymphoid organ weight or viability of splenocytes. Pirimiphos-methyl is more immunotoxic than methidathion although this has higher general toxicity than that.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1316-1321
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• 2009

Multiple beneficial properties of Opuntia ficus indica (OPF) are well established. In the present study, we have investigated the immunological role of OPF extract (OPFE) on murine splenocytes. OPFE dose- and time-dependently enhanced the proliferation of splenocytes without cytotoxicity. Our results also showed that the number of $CD4^+$ helper T cells and CD45R/$B220^+$ pan B cells increased markedly, but not $CD8^+$ cytotoxic T cells or $CD11b^+$ granulocytes/macrophages. In addition, OPFE significantly decreased the production levels of T helper (Th) 1 type cytokines, interferon (IFN)-$\gamma$, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$, although had no significantly differences in those of interleukin (IL)-4, a Th2 type cytokine in concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated blastogenic cells. Furthermore, OPFE alone strongly increased IL-4 production and decreased TNF-$\alpha$ production even in the absence of Con A. On the basis of these results, this study suggests that OPFE enhances immunity by regulating the pro- and anti-inflammatory response, indicating that this extract exerts a marked immunomodulatory effect, confirming its usefulness as therapy for immune-related diseases.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.317-322
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• 2012

In this study we investigated the effects of supplementation with fucoidan from brown alga on the function of natural-killer (NK) cells to evaluate the possibility as an immunomodulator in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. A total of 18 female Wistar rats (six weeks) were used this study and 12 rats were OVX, and the rest of rats were sham-operated. The sham and one OVX group were fed standard diet, and the remaining OVX group received fucoidan (0.05% supplemented diet). After 12 weeks of supplementation, rats were sacrificed to assess the tumoricidal activity of the NK cells and the NO-iNOS regulation from splenocytes. The mass of body and the immune organs such as spleen and thymus were also studied. In OVX rats, body and thymus weights increased, however fucoidan supplementation did not change the body mass and organs weight compared to OVX group. Fucoidan supplementation increased NK cell activity and reduced NO-iNOS production in OVX rats. Ex vivo treatment of fucoidan increased NK cell activity in splenocytes from shame and OVX rats. Ex vivo, we confirmed that fucoidan partially reduced the NK cell activity in the presence of iNOS inhibitors in OVX-splenocytes. These results indicate fucoidan supplementation has a NK cell tumoricidal activity, which are regulated by the iNOS production in OVX rats. This suggests that fucoidan is useful for potential therapeutic strategies as a nutrient in regulating the NK cells in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients.