• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.92-98
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• 2010

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to relieve pain, reduce fever and inhibit inflammation. NSAIDs function mainly through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX). Growing evidence suggests that NSAIDs also have immunomodulatory effects on T and B cells. Here we examined the effects of NSAIDs on the antigen presenting function of dendritic cells (DCs). Methods: DCs were cultured in the presence of aspirin or ibuprofen, and then allowed to phagocytose biodegradable microspheres containing ovalbumin (OVA). After washing and fixing, the efficacy of OVA peptide presentation by DCs was evaluated using OVA-specific CD8 and CD4 T cells. Results: Aspirin and ibuprofen at high concentrations inhibited both MHC class I and class II-restricted presentation of OVA in DCs. In addition, the DCs generated in the presence of low concentrations of the drugs exhibit a profoundly suppressed capability to present MHC-restricted antigens. Aspirin and ibuprofen did not inhibit the phagocytic activity of DCs, the expression level of total MHC molecules and co-stimulatory molecules on DCs. Ibuprofen rather increased the expression level of total MHC molecules and co-stimulatory molecules on DCs. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that aspirin and ibuprofen inhibit the intracellular processing event of the phagocytosed antigen, and further suggest that prolonged administration of NSAIDs in high doses may impair the capability of DCs to present antigens in asiociation with MHC molecules.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.265-270
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• 2009

To develop a natural stimulating agent for hair melanogenesis, we investigated the stimulatory effects of Epimedium koreanum Nakai extract (EKNE) on melanogenesis. EKNE both increased melanin content in B16 melanoma cells up to about 104 % and intracellular tyrosinase activity up to about 95 % at a concentration of $50\;{\mu}g/mL$ without cell cytotoxicity (below $100\;{\mu}g/mL$). From the result of western blot, we could find that EKNE dose-dependently induce the expression of TRP-2. Also, EKNE increased melanogenesis up to about 25 % at a concentration of 5 % (w/v) in back hair of C3H/Hej mouse. These results suggest that EKNE has an effect to stimulate melanin formation through the induction of tyrosinase activity and TRP-2 expression which are involved in melanin synthesis in melanocyte. Therefore, we suggest that EKNE could be used as a useful melanogenesis stimulator for development of natural hair cosmetics.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.275-277
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• 2009

Swimming enhancing effects of ssanghwatang fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisae in mice were investigated, and then the blood biochemical parameters related to fatigue were measured. Compared to the control group, the swimming time was significantly increased in fermented ssanghwatang (FST) group from day 4 ($29.27{\pm}4.73$ vs. $50.27{\pm}9.05\;min$, p<0.05). The lactate level, an important indicator of fatigue, was drastically lower in FST group than in control group ($2.13{\pm}0.13$ vs. $1.40{\pm}0.12\;mmole/L$, p<0.01). These results suggest that FST possesses stimulatory effects which can enhance exercise performance and reduce fatigue.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.122-130
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• 2019

Objectives: The medicinal plants are believed to enhance the natural resistance of the body to infections. Some of the main constituents of the plant and derived materials such as, proteins, lectins and polysaccharides have anti-inflammatory effects. Portulaca oleracea (P. oleracea) were used traditionally for dietary, food additive, spice and various medicinal purposes. This review article is focus on the anti-asthmatic effects of P. oleracea and its constituents. Methods: Various databases, such as the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched the keywords including "Portulaca oleracea", "Quercetin", "Anti-inflammatory", "Antioxidant", "Cytokines", "Smooth muscle ", and " Relaxant effects " until the end of Jul 2018. Results: P. oleracea extracts and its constituents increased $IFN-{\gamma}$, IL-2, $IFN{\gamma}/IL-4$ and IL- 10/IL-4 ratio, but decreased secretion of $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-4 and chemokines in both in vitro and in vivo studies. P. oleracea extracts and quercetin also signifcantly decreased production of NO, stimulated ${\beta}$-adrenoceptor and/or blocking muscarinic receptors in tracheal smooth muscles. Conclusion: P. oleracea extracts and quercetin showed relatively potent anti-asthmatic effects due to decreased production of NO, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, reduced oxidant while enhanced antioxidant markers, and also showed potent relaxant effects on tracheal smooth muscles via stimulatory on ${\beta}$-adrenoceptor or/and blocking muscarinic receptors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.743-749
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• 2005

Estrogen is known to play an important role in maintaining bone mass, since the concentration of serum estrogen decrease after menopause and the estrogen deficiency results in bone loss. Phytoestrogens are plant compounds with estrogen-like biological activity, In this study, to investigate the bioactivities of phytoestrogen, which act on bone metabolism, we examined the effect of selected food-borne phytoestrogens (genistein, daidzein and resveratrol) on osteoblast proliferation and IGF-I production using MC3T3-El cells, a mouse calvaria osteoblast-like cell line. Cells were cultured in a serum free medium for 48 hr in the presence of genistein $(10^{-5}\;M)$, daidzein $(10^{-5}\;M)$ and resveratrol $(10^{-5}\;M)$. The effects of genistein, daidzein and resveratrol on the cell proliferation and growth were evaluated by total cell numbers, MTS assay and cell migration assay. Their effect was compared with the $17\beta-estradiol$. Genistein, daidzein and resveratrol exhibited stimulatory effects on the growth of MC3T3-El cells, and the most pronounced effect was shown with daidzein. In addition, these phytoestrogen increased alkaline phosphatase activity of MC3T3-El cells. These effects were similar to that of $17\beta-estradiol$ effects. Moreover, treatment with genistein, daidzein and resveratrol increased production of insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in conditioned media, indicating that the growth promoting effects of these phytoestrogen were related to the changes in production of IGF-I by MC3T3-El cells. These results show that genistein, daidzein and resveratrol have a stimulatory effect on osteoblast function, and that these findings in a cell model may prove relevant to protecting against the loss of bone mass and the development of osteoporosis in human subjects.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.637-653
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• 2023

The physiology of most organisms, including Drosophila, is heavily influenced by their interactions with certain types of commensal bacteria. Acetobacter and Lactobacillus, two of the most representative Drosophila commensal bacteria, have stimulatory effects on host larval development and growth. However, how these effects are related to host immune activity remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the Drosophila development-promoting effects of commensal bacteria are suppressed by host immune activity. Mono-association of germ-free Drosophila larvae with Acetobacter pomorum stimulated larval development, which was accelerated when host immune deficiency (IMD) pathway genes were mutated. This phenomenon was not observed in the case of mono-association with Lactobacillus plantarum. Moreover, the mutation of Toll pathway, which constitutes the other branch of the Drosophila immune pathway, did not accelerate A. pomorum-stimulated larval development. The mechanism of action of the IMD pathway-dependent effects of A. pomorum did not appear to involve previously known host mechanisms and bacterial metabolites such as gut peptidase expression, acetic acid, and thiamine, but appeared to involve larval serum proteins. These findings may shed light on the interaction between the beneficial effects of commensal bacteria and host immune activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.969-973
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• 2006

Stimulatory effects of three different intermediate metabolites (1-hydroxy-2-naphthoate, salicylate, and catechol) as potential inducers on phenanthrene degradation were investigated using two different bacteria (Pseudomonas putida ATCC 17484 and Burkholderia cepacia PB12). The relative induction capacity was high in the sequence of 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoate, salicylate, and catechol in both strains. The highest of up to 12 times increase of the induction was obtained by the addition of 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoate in the strain PB12, compared with the control where no exogenous inducer was added. The induction capacity of the potential inducers was closely related with the number of oxygenations required per electron equivalents in one mole of the inducer.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.78-82
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• 2009

We explored the effects of dexamethasone on osteoclast precursors using BMMs. Dexamethasone inhibited the proliferation of BMMs. Furthermore, it stimulated the osteoclast formation via NFATc1 activation in the presence of RANKL. Since dexamethasone targeted the early stage of osteoclast formation, we investigated its effect on mRNA expression of GR and $IFN-{\beta}$. Whereas dexamethasone had no effects on GR expression in the presence of RANKL, it reduced the expression of $IFN-{\beta}$, suggesting that dexamethasone increased RANKL-induced osteoclast formation by modulating $IFN-{\beta}$.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.115-116
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• 1980

To investigate mechanism of antineoplastic activities of the protein-polysaccharide fraction of Coriolus versicolor (Fr.) Quel., the mycelium of the fungus was grown in a liquid medium and was extracted with hot water. The extract was purified and used for examining its effects upon immune response in mice. The fraction was administered at a dose of 20mg/kg/day to ICR mice for five days. After ten days the mice were immunized by sheep red blood cells. The plaque-forming cells (PFC) in their spleen were increased in the treated mice. The number of PFC in case of the protein-removed polysaccharide was lower than that of the entire protein-­polysaccharide fraction of the fungus.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.153-158
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• 1998

Effects of cyclic (c) AMP and G-protein related reagents (3-isobutyl-l-methyxanthine (IBMX), Forskolin (FSK), cholera toxin (CTX), and pertussis toxin (PTX≫ on estradiol-17$\beta$ induced vitellogenin (VTG) induction were examined in primary hepatocyte cultures in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. The addition of IBMX, FSK, or CTX to the incubation medium markedly increased VTG production, while PTX was not effective in stimulating the production. It is well known that cAMP regulates phosphorylation and dephosphorylation through mediation of protein kinase A. These results suggest that VTG production is highly dependent on cAMP state in hepatocytes because of its highly phosphorylated nature.