• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2009

Equisetum hyemale Linne. (EH) (Equisetaceae) has been used for the treatment of eye and skin disease, chronic eczema, pneumoconiosis and asthma in Korea and China. Human leukemic mast cells are widely distributed in the connective tissues of mammals and other vertebrates. Phorbol 12-myristrate 13-acetate (PMA) and calcium ionophore A23187 stimulated Human leukaemic mast cell line-1 (HMC-1) can produce a variety of inflammatory mediators and several pro-inflammatory and chemotactic cytokines such as TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 and IL-8. Since TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 and IL-8 are major factors during the inflammatory process, we studied the effects of EH on TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 and IL-8 release in HMC-1 stimulated with PMA and A23187. The result of this study indicate that EH inhibits TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 and IL-8 in activated HMC-1 cells via $I{\kappa}B$/Nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ pathway. Therefore, EH might contribute significantly to the prevention or treatment of mast-cell mediated inflammatory diseases and EH has potential use in the therapy of chronic allergic inflammation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammation effect of extract of Carthamus tinctorious seed, on skin obtained from Gyeong buk, Korea. Regulatory mechanisms of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) involved in immunological activity of Raw 264.7 cells. Tested cells were pretreated with 70% ethanol extracted of Carthamus tinctorious seed and further cultured for an appropriated time after the addition of lipopolyssacharide (LPS). During the entire experimental period, 5, 10, 25 and 50 ${\mu}g/ml$ of Carthamus tinctorious seed showed no cytotoxicity. In these concentrations, ethyl acetate layer of ethanol extracted Carthamus tinctorius seed (CT-E/E) inhibited the production of NO and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), tumor necorsis factor-a (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). At a 50 ${\mu}g/ml$ level of CT-E/E, $PGE_2$, iNOS and COX-2 inhibition activity were shown 60%, 38%, and 42%, respectively. In addition, CT-E/E reduced the release of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6. These results suggest that Carthamus tinctorious seed extracts may be a potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent due to the significant effects on inflammatory factors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1668-1674
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• 2016

Red ginseng, a steamed and sun-dried ginseng, is a popular health-promoting food in Korea and other Asian countries. We introduced nanofertilizer technology using gold nanoparticles in an effort to develop red ginseng with an elevated level of ginsenosides, the main active compounds of ginseng. Shoots of 6-year-old ginseng plants were fertilized three times with colloidal gold nanoparticle sprays. Red ginseng extract was prepared from the main roots. The concentrations of gold and ginsenosides were measured following gold nanoparticle treatment. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects, mouse peritoneal macrophages of male BALB/c mouse were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide plus interferon-γ in the presence of extracts from red ginseng with or without gold nanoparticle treatment. The content of ginsenosides, such as Rg1, Re, Rf, and Rb1, increased in ginseng treated with gold nanofertilizer whereas the steaming process increased only the levels of Rd and Rg3. The levels of nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and interleukin-6, but not tumor necrosis factor-α, were more suppressed in macrophages treated with extract from gold nanoparticle-treated red ginseng. Our results show that the use of a colloidal gold nanoparticle fertilizer improved the synthesis of ginsenosides in ginseng and enhanced the anti-inflammatory effects of red ginseng. Further research is required to elucidate the causal factors for the gold-induced change in ginsenoside synthesis and to determine the in vivo effect of gold nanoparticle-treated ginseng.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.671-678
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• 2018

Papiliocin, isolated from the swallowtail butterfly (Papilio xuthus), is an antimicrobial peptide with high selectivity against gram-negative bacteria. We previously showed that the N-terminal helix of papiliocin (PapN) plays a key role in the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity of papiliocin. In this study, we measured the selectivity of PapN against multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, as well as its anti-inflammatory activity. Interactions between Trp2 of PapN and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a major component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, were studied using the Trp fluorescence blue shift and quenching in LPS micelles. Furthermore, using circular dichroism, we investigated the interactions between PapN and LPS, showing that LPS plays critical roles in peptide folding. Our results demonstrated that Trp2 in PapN was buried deep in the negatively charged LPS, and Trp2 induced the ${\alpha}$-helical structure of PapN. Importantly, docking studies determined that predominant electrostatic interactions of positively charged arginine residues in PapN with phosphate head groups of LPS were key factors for binding. Similarly, hydrophobic interactions by aromatic residues of PapN with fatty acid chains in LPS were also significant for binding. These results may facilitate the development of peptide antibiotics with anti-inflammatory activity.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.3444-3450
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• 2013

Three phase hollow fiber-liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME), which is faster, simpler and uses a more environmentally friendly sample-preparation technique, was developed for the analysis of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in human urine. For the effective simultaneous extraction/concentration of NSAIDs by three phase HF-LPME, parameters (such as extraction organic solvent, pH of donor/acceptor phase, stirring speed, salting-out effect, sample temperature, and extraction time) which influence the extraction efficiency were optimized. NSAIDs were extracted and concentrated from 4 mL of aqueous solution at pH 3 (donor phase) into dihexyl ether immobilized in the wall pores of a porous hollow fiber, and then extracted into the acceptor phase at pH 13 located in the lumen of the hollow fiber. After the extraction, 5 ${\mu}L$ of the acceptor phase was directly injected into the HPLC/UV system. Simultaneous chromatographic separation of seven NSAIDs was achieved on an Eclipse XDB-C18 (4.6 mm i.d. ${\times}$ 150 mm length, 5 ${\mu}m$ particle size) column using isocratic elution with 0.1% formic acid and methanol (30:70) at a HPLC-UV/Vis system. Under optimized conditions (extraction solvent, dihexyl ether; $pH_{donor}$, 3; $pH_{acceptor}$, 13; stirring speed, 1500 rpm; NaCl salt, 10%; sample temperature, $60^{\circ}C$; and extraction time, 45 min), enrichment factors (EF) were between 59 and 260. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) in the spiked urine matrix were in the concentration range of 5-15 ng/mL and 15-45 ng/mL, respectively. The relative recovery and precision obtained were between 58 and 136% and below 15.7% RSD, respectively. The calibration curve was linear within the range of 0.015-0.96 ng/mL with the square of the correlation coefficient being more than 0.997. The established method can be used to analyse of NSAIDs of low concentration (ng/mL) in urine.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2019

Kounis syndrome is defined as the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome associated with vasoactive mediators, such as histamines in the setting of hypersensitivity and allergic reactions or anaphylactic insults. The condition can be caused by various drugs, foods, or environmental factors that cause allergic reactions. A 35-year-old male visited the emergency room with anaphylaxis accompanied by chest pain approximately 20 minutes after taking zaltoprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. After acute treatment for the anaphylaxis, the patient was stabilized and all symptoms disappeared, but the ischemic changes in the electrocardiogram and elevation of the cardiac enzymes were observed. The emergency cardiac angiography and echocardiography were all normal. The allergic reaction of this patient to zaltoprofen was believed to cause a temporary coronary arterial vasospasm, inducing Type 1 Kounis syndrome. Thus far, there have been case reports of Kounis syndrome caused by a range of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but there are no reports of the condition being caused by zaltoprofen. According to the pathophysiology, both cardiac and allergic symptoms must be solved simultaneously, so rapid treatment and diagnosis are needed. Doctors treating acute allergic reactions and anaphylaxis patients must check the cardiovascular symptoms thoroughly and consider the possibility of Kounis syndrome.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.83-90
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• 2014

Objectives : This research has been done to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of Coptidis Rhizoma extracts. Method : Coptidis Rhizoma was extracted by $100^{\circ}C$ water. The extract (CC : Extract of Coptis chinensis rhizome) was used to examine its effects on the cell viability of mouse macrophage Raw 264.7 cell line. Also the production of nitric oxide (NO), the c-jun N-terminalkinase (JNK) activation and the production of cytokines such as (IL)-5 were evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells. After the CC and LPS were applied to Raw 264.7 cells which were cultured for 24 hours, the MTT assay was performed. Result : The CC extracts didn't affect the viability of macrophage cells. However, the extracts inhibited the NO production and the JNK activation significantly in LPS-stimulated macrophage cells treated with 100 and $200{\mu}g/mL$ concentrations. The CC extract, also, impeded the production of inflammation-related factors and cytokines such as KC, VEGF, MCP-1, GM-CSF, IL-$1{\alpha}$, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-12p40 in LPS-stimulated macrophage cells at the concentration higher than $25{\mu}g/mL$. The production of basic-FGF concentration of 50 and $100{\mu}g/mL$, the production of IP-10 at $100{\mu}g/mL$, and the production of IFN-${\gamma}$ at $25{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Conclusion : The CC prepared using $100^{\circ}C$ water showed the significant anti-inflammatory effect such as the inhibition not only on the production of NO, KC, VEGF, MCP-1, GM-CSF, IL-$1{\alpha}$, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-12p40 in LPS-stimulated macrophage cells at or higher than the concentration of $25{\mu}g/mL$, but also on the JNK activation at 100 and $200{\mu}g/mL$.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.76 no.6
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• pp.261-268
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• 2014

Patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are increasingly being treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents and are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Therefore, diagnosis and treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI) is recommended in these patients due to the initiation of anti-TNF therapy. Traditionally, LTBI has been diagnosed on the basis of clinical factors and a tuberculin skin test. Recently, interferon-gamma releasing assays (IGRAs) that can detect TB infection have become available. Considering the high-risk of developing TB in patients on anti-TNF therapy, the use of both a tuberculin skin test and an IGRA should be considered to detect and treat LTBI in patients with IMIDs. The traditional LTBI treatment regimen consisted of isoniazid monotherapy for 9 months. However, shorter regimens such as 4 months of rifampicin or 3 months of isoniazid/rifampicin are increasingly being used to improve treatment completion rates. In this review, the screening methods for diagnosing latent and active TB before anti-TNF therapy in patients with IMIDs will be briefly described, as well as the current LTBI treatment regimens, the recommendations for managing TB that develops during anti-TNF therapy, the necessity of regular monitoring to detect new TB infection, and the re-initiation of anti-TNF therapy in patients who develop TB.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2011

Biological activities of sarcocarp and calyx of persimmon (Cheongdo Bansi) were investigated. The electron donating ability of the calyx extract was 91% at a 500 ${\mu}g/mL$ level, which was higher than that of the sarcocarp extract (40%). The superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity of calyx extracts was about 22% at a 1,000 ${\mu}g/mL$ level. During the entire experimental period, there was no cytotoxicity found from sarcocarp and calyx up to 50 ${\mu}g/mL$. Our results indicated that sarcocarp and calyx significantly inhibited NO production and iNOS and COX-2 expression accompanied by an attenuation of interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, and tumer necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ formation in human keratinocyte. These results suggest that sarcocarp and calyx of persimmon may have significant effect on inflammatory factors and can be used as potential anti-inflammatory agents.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.13-26
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• 2010

Objectives : The present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of the Gamroeum water extracts (GRE) in vivo and in vitro. Methods : The effects of GRE on anti-inflammation were measured by production of NO, $PGE_2$ (Prostaglandin $E_2$), iNOS (inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase), COX-2, $NF{\kappa}B$ (Nuclear Factor kappa B), TNF-$\alpha$ (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha) and IL-$1{\beta}$ (Interleukin-$1{\beta}$), IL-6 in Raw 264.7 macrophage cells stimulated with LPS. Results : 1. In machrophage cells, LPS displayed significant stimulatory effects on the production of NO and $PGE_2$. However, GRE showed significant inhibitory effects on NO and $PGE_2$ release. The level of NO and $PGE_2$ was decreased by GRE in a concentration dependent manner as compared with LPS only group. 2. Immunoblot analysis verified that LPS stimulation significantly increased the iNOS and COX-2 protein level, but GRE suppressed the induction of iNOS and COX-2 protein at a concentration dependent manner. 3. GRE reduced the elevated production of TNF-$\alpha$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 by LPS. Moreover, the inhibitory effects of GRE was occurred in a dose-dependent manner. 4. GRE significantly reduced the expression of NF-${\kappa}B$ protein in nuclear fraction. 5. GRE effectively inhibited the increases of hind paw skin thicknesses and inflammatory cell infiltrations induced by carrageenan treatment. It, therefore, considered that GRE will be favorably inhibited the acute edematous inflammations. Conclusions : These results indicated that GRE could have anti-inflammatory capacity by inhibiting the production of NO, $PGE_2$ and cytokines in vitro and by reducing the formation of carrageenan-induced paw edema in vivo. Moreover, inhibitory effects of GRE on the macrophage activation were attributable to the reduction of some of inflammatory factors by inhibiting iNOS and COX-2 through the suppression of NF-${\kappa}B$.