• ALGAE
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.343-353
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• 2014

Despite the extensive literature on marine algae over the past few decades, a paucity of published research and studies exists on red algae. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential therapeutic properties of the ethanol extract of the red alga Callophyllis japonica against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage inflammation. The C. japonica extract (CJE) significantly inhibited the nitric oxide (NO) production and the induced dose-dependent reduction of the protein and mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Additionally, the CJE reduced the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6. We investigated the mechanism by which the CJE inhibits NO by examining the level of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation, which is an inflammation-induced signaling pathway in macrophages. The CJE significantly suppressed the LPS-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 MAPK. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that the CJE inhibits LPS-induced inflammation by blocking the MAPK pathway in macrophages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.182-190
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• 2015

This present study demonstrates the immunological synergistic effects of herbal preparation (HemoHIM) and red ginseng powder granule in various immune cell models (bone marrow-derived macrophages, dendritic cells, and mouse splenocytes) from mice. Both herbal preparation and red ginseng extracts were treated to bone-marrow derived macrophages, dendritic cells, and mouse splenocytes, and there was no cytotoxicity at a dose below $200{\mu}g/mL$. Cell proliferation and cytokine [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12] production tested in bone marrow-derived macrophages and dendritic cells significantly increased upon combined treatment. Cell surface marker (CD 80/86, MHC class I/II)-mediated immune cell activation was highly elevated by combined treatment. For cytokine production in splenocytes, combined treatment significantly increased production of Th 1 type cytokines [IL-2 and interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$] but not Th 2 type cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10). Therefore, combined treatment with HemoHIM and red ginseng extracts is an effective method to establish powerful immunological synergy in immune cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.537-544
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• 2016

Barley (Hardeum vulgare L.) sprout has received much attention in recent years as a functional food in many countries, especially in Korea and Japan. It has been reported that barley sprouts are comprised of 52.6% polysaccharides, 34.1% proteins, and 4.97% fats, along with a variety of vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. The purpose of this study was to assess the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extracts of barley sprouts. We examined the inhibitory effect of barley sprout extracts (BSE) on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, and nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and cytokine production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells. BSE contains high amounts of phenolics and flavonoids and exhibits potent anti-oxidative activity, as depicted by the DPPH radical-scavenging experiment. The concentration of total phenols was 17.55 μg/ml, and flavonoids, 13.98 μg/ml. We also investigated the anti-inflammatory activities of BSE in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and PGE₂ production, which had increased as a result of treatment with LPS, were significantly inhibited by BSE in a dose-dependent manner. BSE also significantly suppressed LPS-induced production of NO, and this was accompanied by a decrease in the expression of the iNOS and COX-2 proteins. These results indicate that barley sprouts may be a highly valuable natural product owing to its high-quality functional components as well as its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.105-111
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• 2009

Gammaherpesvirus infection of the central nervous system (CNS) has been linked to various neurological diseases, including meningitis, encephalitis, and multiple sclerosis. However, little is known about the interactions between the virus and the CNS in vitro or in vivo. Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68 or ${\gamma}HV-68$) is genetically related and biologically similar to human gammaherpesviruses, thereby providing a tractable animal model system in which to study both viral pathogenesis and replication. In the present study, we show the successful infection of cultured neuronal cells, microglia, and astrocytes with MHV-68 to various extents. Upon intracerebroventricular injection of a recombinant virus (MHV-68/LacZ) into 4-5-week-old and 9-10-week-old mice, the 4-5-week-old mice displayed high mortality within 5-7 days, while the majority of the 9-10-week-old mice survived until the end of the experimental period. Until a peak at 3-4 days post-infection, viral DNA replication and gene expression were similar in the brains of both mouse groups, but only the 9-10-week-old mice were able to subdue viral DNA replication and gene expression after 5 days post-infection. Pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNAs of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin $1{\beta}$, and interleukin 6 were highly induced in the brains of the 4-5-week-old mice, suggesting their possible contributions as neurotoxic factors in the age-dependent control of MHV-68 replication of the CNS.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.5 no.1 s.8
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• pp.91-103
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• 2002

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease. characterized by leukocyte infiltration, a chronic inflammation of the joint, a pannus formation and the extensive destruction of the 3Iticular caJ1ilage and bone. Several proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpa}$(TNF-${\alpa}$), interleukin-1${\beta}$ (IL-1${\beta}$) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) have been implicated in the pathological mechanisms of synovial tissue proliferation, joint destruction and programmed cell death in rheumatoid joint. In the Korean traditional medicine, Hominis placenta (HP) as an herbal solution of herb-acupuncture has been widely used to treat the inflammatory diseases including RA. In order to study the medicinal effect of HP herb-acupuncture on rheumatoid joint, an adjuvant-induced arthritis (AlA) was generated by the injection of 1.5 mg uf Mycobactelium tuberculusis. emulsified in squalene, 10 the base of the tail of Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats. After onset stage of polyarthritis, HP was daily injected to the Zusanti (ST36) acupuncture points in both of rat lags and the expression pattems of cytokines such as TNF-{\alpa}$, IL-1${\beta}$, and 1L-6 at the knee joint were analyzed using immunostaining and RT-PCR. The HP herb-acupuncture was found to be effective to alleviate the arthritic symptums in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats as regards the joint appearance and the expression profiles of inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, therapeutic effects of HP herb-acupuncture on the rat with AlA might be related to anti inflammatory activities of the hurb-acupuncture.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.42-54
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• 2018

Background: Allergic diseases like such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, and rhinitis have recently increased both domestically and globally. The present study was undertaken to select candidates with anti-allergic activity from plant resources. Methods and Results: Fifty-six plant extracts at $20{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ were screened against ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase production and interleukin (IL)-4 release in degranulated rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 cells. The anti-allergy activity of three plant extracts selected from the preliminary screening experiment, Polygonatum sibiricum F. Delaroche (root), Pyrus pytifolia var. culta (Makino) Nakai (leaf), and Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) Libosch. ex Steud (root) were measured at concentrations of $2-250{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ in three cell lines as RBL-2H3, HaCaT and Jurkcat T cells. The assay showed the root extract of R. glutinosa to have an inhibitory activity of 4.2% - 28.6% on ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase production from IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells. Each extract of P. sibiricum and R. glutinosa reduced IL-4 release in IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells, respectively. The leaf extract of P. pyrifolia var. culta showed a significantly potent suppressive effect of 10.2% - 74.7% on the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ in HaCaT cells sensitized with TNF-a and INF-g, and showed inhibitory effect of -8.6% - 90.9% on the mRNA expression of IL-2 in Jurkat T cells sensitized with PMA and A23187. Conclusions: The results showed that the root of R. glutinosa and leaf of P. pyrifolia var. culta could be useful candidates as antiallergy materials.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.9
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• pp.512-517
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• 2014

In this study, we showed that Mycobacterium abscessus MAB2560 induces the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), which are representative antigen-presenting cells (APCs). M. abscessus MAB2560 stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-12p70] and reduce the endocytic capacity and maturation of DCs. Using $TLR4^{-/-}$ DCs, we found that MAB2560 mediated DC maturation via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). MAB2560 also activated the MAPK signaling pathway, which was essential for DC maturation. Furthermore, MAB2560-treated DCs induced the transformation of $na\ddot{i}ve$ T cells to polarized $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ T cells, which would be crucial for Th1 polarization of the immune response. Taken together, our results indicate that MAB2560 could potentially regulate the host immune response to M. abscessus and may have critical implications for the manipulation of DC functions for developing DC-based immunotherapy.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.601-611
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• 2001

Objectives : We aimed to identify the dose-dependent inhibitory effects of Cheonsagunja-tang(喘四君子湯), leech(Hirudo medicinalis/水蛭) roasted with Ephedrae Herba(麻黃) on the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-16, GM-CSF involved in the asthma model. Methods : In the study BEAS-2B cell lines, human epithelial cells were used. These cells were stimulated with tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-${\alpha}$ for artificial inflammatory expression. ${\beta}$-actin messenger RNA(mRNA) was used by internal standard. After 24 hours of the Cheonsagunja-tang, leech-treatment, total cellular RNAs were collected treating RNA zol directly on the living cells. Then the transcriptional activities of IL-6, 16 and GM-CSF were measured by RT-PCR with electrophoresis. Results: In the Cheonsagunja-tang study, the mRNA expression of IL-6 showed 30% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control group in the $100{\mu}l/ml$ category(p<0.005). In the IL-16, there was 26%, 31% and 31% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control groups in the $4{\mu}l/ml$, $20{\mu}l/ml$ and $100{\mu}l/ml$ categories, respectively(p<0.05). In the GM-CSF, the experimental group had 56% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control group in the $100{\mu}l/ml$ category(p<0.001). In other concentrations, there was no inhibitory effect. In the leech study, the mRNA expression of IL-6 showed 37% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control group in the $100{\mu}l/ml$ category(p<0.001). In the IL-16, there was 63% and 67% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control groups in the $20{\mu}/ml$ and $100{\mu}/ml$ categories, respectively(p<0.001). In the GM-CSF, there was 64% and 68% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control groups in the $20{\mu}l/ml$ and $100{\mu}l/ml$ categories, respectively(p<0.001). In other concentrations, there was no inhibitory effect. Conclusions : This study shows that Cheonsagunja-tang and leech roasted with Ephedrae Herba have dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-16 and GM-CSF in BEAS-2B cell lines, human epithelial cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1071-1077
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• 2017

A rise in the occurrence of allergic diseases is attributed to the dysregulated balance of type 1/type 2 immunity, where type 2 T-helper (Th2) cells predominate over type 1 T-helper (Th1) cells, leading to an abnormally increased production of IgE in response to unharmful antigens. Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food, is a rich source of beneficial lactic acid bacteria. In this study, we investigated the ability of Enterococcus faecium FC-K derived from kimchi to induce type I immunity in the presence of Th2 polarizing conditions in vitro and in vivo. Stimulation of mouse peritoneal macrophages with E. faecium FC-K induced the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12. Under the in vitro Th2 conditions in which splenic T cells were activated in the presence of IL-4, E. faecium FC-K enhanced the ability of T cells to produce interferon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$. Using the ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergy model, male BALB/c mice receiving E. faecium FC-K reduced the serum level of total IgE, but not that of OVA-specific IgE. Furthermore, the population of activated splenic B cells during OVA immunization was decreased in E. faecium FC-K-treated mice, accounting for a reduction of total IgE in the serum. Restimulating splenocytes from OVA-immunized mice with OVA ex vivo resulted in an increased production of $IFN-{\gamma}$, with no effect on IL-4, in E. faecium FC-K-treated mice. These observations provide the evidence that E. faecium FC-K can be a beneficial probiotic strain that can modulate the Th2-mediated pathologic response.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2000

This study was conducted to compare probiotic activities and physiological functions of Bifidobacterium longum Mk-G7 with weveral commercial and type strains of bifidobacteria. bif. longum MK-G7 showed the highest acid tolerance against HCl and acetic acid, whereas bif. infantis Y-1 showed the lowest acid tolerance and more than 4 log cycles of viable cell count decreased due to acid injuty. Viable cell counts of bifidobacteria strains decreased more than 1.5 log cycles owing to oxygen toxicity, with the exception of Bif. longum MK-G7, Bif. infantis Y-2, Bif. longum Y-3, Bif. longum Y-6, and Bif. longum RD-13 showed the highest bile tolerance, whereas Bif. longum MK-G7 showed a medium level of bile tolerance. Only Bif. longum MK-G7 howed much higher antibiotic resistance against both tetracycline and penicillin-G in the MIC(minimum inhibitory concentration) level of 24.8 mg/I and 0.52mg/I, respectively. Bif longum Y-6, and Bif. bifidum ATCC 29539 showed more than 80% of anti-mutagenicity against NQO(4-nitroquinolinel-oxide). Since the production of cytokines such as $TNF(tumor necrosis factor)-{\alpha}$ and IL (interleukin)-6, and NO(nitric oxide) in the macrophage cell line Raw 264.7 cells increased as Bif. longum MK-G7 cell concentration increased, ti was suggested that Bif. longum MK-G7 is able to enhance immunopotentiating activity in vitro. When freeze-dred Bif. longum MK-G7 was administered to mice at the dose of 1,2,4, and 6 g/kg of body weight, all of the mice survived in all feeding groups, proving the GRAS(generally recognized as safe) status of Bif. longum MK-G7. When fermented milk containing Bif. longum MK-G7 was administered to human volunteers, viable cell count of total bifidobacteria and anaerobes in the feces increased up to 0.5 log cycles more than before the administration. In particular, Bif. logum MK-G7 ingibited the growth of Bacteroides at the level of 1.0-1.5 log cycles.