Advances in Traditional Medicine

Kyung Hee Oriental Medicine Research Center (경희대학교 융합한의과학연구소)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

The immune-enhancement effect by Falun Gong cultivation

  • Jeong, Hyun-Ja (College of Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, and KI Co., Ltd.) ;
  • Kang, Ji-Seok (Donggudaang Oriental Clinic) ;
  • Kim, Hyung-Min (College of Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, and Ki Co., Ltd.) ;
  • Lee, Ki-Nam (College of Oriental Medicine, Wonkwang University)
  • Published : 2002.08.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Falun Gong (FG) is an advanced system of cultivation and practice, which is beneficial for both mind and body. In this study we investigated the effects of FG on the production of cytokines in FG practitioner (FGP). To study whether plasma cytokines levels were affected by FG, their levels were analyzed. The amount of $interferon-{\gamma}$ $(IFN-{\gamma})$, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-6 (2.5-fold for $IFN-{\gamma}$, 1.2-fold for IL-2, 2.1-fold for IL-4 and 2.5-fold for IL-6, respectively) were significantly higher in the FGP group than normal group (P<0.05). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from normal healthy control and FGP were cultured for 24 h in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide. The amount of $IFN-{\gamma}$, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 in culture supernatant was quantified. However, there were no significant differences in the level of the same cytokines between the normal and FGP group. These data suggest that FG cultivation may contribute to immune-enhancement in vivo.

Keywords

References

  1. Alenius H, Laouini D, Woodward A, Mizoguchi E, Bhan AK, Castigli E, Oettgen HC, Geha RS. (2002) Mast cells regulate IFN-gamma expression in the skin and circulating IgE levels in allergen-induced skin inflammation. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 109, 106-113. https://doi.org/10.1067/mai.2002.120553
  2. Brown MA, Hural J. (1997) Functions of IL-4 and control of its expression. Crit. Rev. Immunol. 17, 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1615/CritRevImmunol.v17.i1.10
  3. Carter LL, Dutton RW. (1996) Type 1 and type 2: a fundamental dichotomy for all T-cell subsets. Curr. Opin. Immunol. 8, 336-342. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0952-7915(96)80122-1
  4. Coker, K.H. (1999) Meditation and prostate cancer: integrating a mind/body intervention with traditional therapies. Semin. Urol. Oncol. 17, 111.
  5. Del Prete GF, De Carli M, Mastromauro C, Biagiotti R, Macchia D, Falagiani P, Ricci M, Romagnani S. (1991) Purified protein derivative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and excretory-secretory antigen (s) of Toxocara canis expand in vitro human T cells with stable and opposite (type 1 T helper or type 2 T helper) profile of cytokine production. J. Clin. Invest. 88, 346-350. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI115300
  6. Jelinek DF, Lipsky PE. (1987) Regulation of human B lymphocyte activation, proliferation, and differentiation. Adv. Immunol. 40, 1-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2776(08)60237-0
  7. Jeong HJ, Kim BS, Kim KS, Kim HM. (2002) Regulatory effect of cytokine production in asthma patients by SOOJI CHIM (Koryo Hand Acupuncture Therapy). Immunopharmacol. Immunotoxicol. 24, 265-274. https://doi.org/10.1081/IPH-120003759
  8. Jones, B.M. (2001) Changes in cytokine production in healthy subjects practicing Guolin Qigong : a pilot study. BMC. Complement Altern. Med. 1, 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-1-8
  9. Kim HM, Shin HY, Jeong HJ, An HJ, Kim NS, Chae HJ, Kim HR, Song HJ, Kim KY, Baek SH, Cho KH, Moon BS, Lee YM. (2000) Reduced IL-2 but elevated IL-4, IL-6, and IgE serum levels in patients with cerebral infarction during the acute stage. J. Mo.l Neurosci. 14, 191-196. https://doi.org/10.1385/JMN:14:3:191
  10. Kuziel WA, Greene WC. (1991) Interleukin-2. In: The cytokine handbook edited by Thomsen A, p. 83-102, Academic Press, London.
  11. Li Hongzhi. (1994) Zhuan Falun The complete teaching of Falun Gong. Fair Winds Press, Gloucester, Massachusetts.
  12. Minami Y, Kono T, Yamada K, Taniguchi T. (1992) The interleukin-2 receptors: insights into a complex signalling mechanism. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 16, 163-177.
  13. Morgan DA, Ruscetti FW, Gallo R. (1976) Selective in vitro growth of T lymphocytes from normal human bone marrows. Science 193, 1007-1008. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.181845
  14. Mosmann TR, Coffman RL. (1989) TH1 and TH2 cells: different patterns of lymphokine secretion lead to different functional properties. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 7, 145-173. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.iy.07.040189.001045
  15. Parronchi P, Macchia D, Piccinni MP, Biswas P, Simonelli C, Maggi E, Ricci M, Ansari AA, Romagnani S. (1991) Allergen- and bacterial antigen-specific T-cell clones established from atopic donors show a different profile of cytokine production. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 88, 4538-4542. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.88.10.4538
  16. Peleman R, Wu J, Fargeas C, Delespesse G. (1989) Recombinant interleukin 4 suppresses the production of interferon gamma by human mononuclear cells. J. Exp. Med. 170, 1751-1756. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.170.5.1751
  17. Riddell SR, Murata M, Bryant S, Warren EH. (2002) T-cell therapy of leukemia. Cancer Control 9, 114-122. https://doi.org/10.1177/107327480200900204
  18. Romagnani S. (1991) Human TH1 and TH2 subsets: doubt no more. Immunol. Today 12, 256-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-5699(91)90120-I
  19. Samuel CE. (2001) Antiviral actions of interferons. Clin. Microbio.l Rev. 14(4), 778. https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.14.4.778-809.2001
  20. Shang C. (2001) Emerging paradigms in mind-body medicine. J. Altern. Complement Med. 7, 83.
  21. Shinkai S, Kohno H, Kimura K, Komura T, Asai H, Inai R, Oka K, Kurokawa Y, Shephard R. (1995) Physical activity and immune senescence in men. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 27, 1516-1526.
  22. Vercelli D, Jabara HH, Lauener RP, Geha RS. (1990) IL-4 inhibits the synthesis of IFN-gamma and induces the synthesis of IgE in human mixed lymphocyte cultures. J. Immunol. 144, 570-573.
  23. Zurawski G, de Vries JE. (1994) Interleukin 13, an interleukin 4-like cytokine that acts on monocytes and B cells, but not on T cells. Immunol. Today 15, 19-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-5699(94)90021-3

Cited by

  1. Assessment of Cardiovascular Parameters during Meditation with Mental Targeting in Varsity Swimmers vol.2016, pp.1741-4288, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7923234