• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3109-3116
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• 2013

The majority of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have a poor prognosis with current therapies, and new approaches are urgently needed. We have developed a novel therapeutic cancer vaccine platform based on tumor cell derived autophagosomes (DRibbles) for cancer immunotherapy. We here evaluated the effectiveness of DRibbles-pulsed dendritic cell (DC) immunization to induce anti-tumor immunity in BALB/c mouse HCC and humanized HCC mouse models generated by transplantation of human HCC cells (HepG2) into BALB/c-nu mice. DRibbles were enriched from H22 or BNL cells, BALB/c-derived HCC cell lines, by inducing autophagy and blocking protein degradation. DRibbles-pulsed DC immunization induced a specific T cell response against HCC and resulted in significant inhibition of tumor growth compared to mice treated with DCs alone. Antitumor efficacy of the DCs-DRibbles vaccine was also demonstrated in a humanized HCC mouse model. The results indicated that HCC/DRibbles-pulsed DCs immunotherapy might be useful for suppressing the growth of residual tumors after primary therapy of human HCC.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.179-189
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• 1992

This study was carried out to investigate the immunopathological effects of 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene(DMBA) on spleen in mice. DMBA was administered subcutaneously to BALB/C mice by interscapular single injection of 50 or 100${\mu}g/g$ of body weight. Each DMBA treatment group and additional corn oil control group of mice were studied on day 1,3,7,14 and 21 following the injection of DMBA. DMBA treatment resulted in marked decrease in weights and cellularity of spleen. Spleen weights showed the greatest decrease at 14days after 50${\mu}g/g$ DMBA treatment, and at 21days after 100${\mu}g/g$ DMBA treatment. Spleen cellularity was similarly deceased in comparison with spleen weights. Spleen showed morphologically no typical changes throughout the experiment after 50${\mu}g/g$ DMBA treatment. Following the treatment of 100${\mu}g/g$ DMBA the spleen showed severe fibrosis, hemosiderin precipitation, and megakaryocytes decrease in red pulp at 14 days, while hemopoietic function was partly restored in addition to the appearance of a few megakaryocytes at 21 days. In spleen sections treated with antibodies to IgM or Thy1.2, lymphocytes strongly stained with IgM antibody were infiltrated around the central artery within the white pulp, and T-lymphocytes of periarterial lymphatic sheath (PALS) were diminished and destructed in sections treated with Thy1.2 antibody, at 14 days after the treatment of 100${\mu}g/g$ DMBA. By the electron microscopy phagocytic epithelial cells or macrophages were remarkably increased in spleen at 14and 21days following the treatment of 100${\mu}g/g$ DMBA.

• 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.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 1995

To observe the production of IgA in Balb/c mice with neodiplostomiasis, 20 mice were infected with each 200 metacercariae of Neoniplostomum seoulenis. Sera and the duodenums were obtained 3, 7, 14, 28 days post-infection (PI) from five mice each group Neodipeostomum specific IgA in serum by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay increased from 7 days PI and persisted till 28 days PI. Immunohistochemistry for lgA was done with sections of the duodenum. The IgA-positive reaction was generally seen in the lamina propria and submucosa. Some of epithelial cells were positive at 7 and 14 days PI. The present finding showed that Neodiplostomun specific IgA antibody increased in serum and that there was local reaction of IgA in the mucosa and submucosa of the duodenum but not directly related with worm expulsion.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.68-78
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• 2011

Background: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a huddle for success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In this study, effects of irradiation dose on immune kinetics of GVHD were investigated using B6 ${\rightarrow}$ BALB.B system, a mouse model for GVHD after MHC-matched allogeneic transplantation. Methods: BALB.B mice were transplanted with bone marrow and spleen cells from C57BL/6 mice after irradiation with different doses. Leukocytes residing in the peripheral blood and target organs were collected periodically from the GVHD hosts for analysis of chimerism formation and immune kinetics along the GVHD development via flow cytometry. Myeloid cells were tested for production of IL-17 via flow cytometry. Results: Pre-conditioning of BALB.B hosts with 900 cGy and 400 cGy resulted in different chimerism of leukocytes from the blood and affected survival of GVHD hosts. Profiles of leukocytes infiltrating GVHD target organs, rather than profiles of peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), were significantly influenced by irradiation dose. Proportions of IL-17 producing cells in the infiltrating $Gr-1^+$ or $Mac-1^+$ cells were higher in the GVHD hosts with high does irradiation than those with low dose irradiation. Conclusion: Pre-conditioning dose affected tissue infiltration of leukocytes and cytokine production by myeloid cells in the target organs.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2002

Enteroaggregative E. coil (EAEC) is an important aethiological causal agent of diarrhea in people of developed and undeveloped countries. Different in vitro and in vivo models have been proposed to study the pathdgenic and immune mechanisms of EAEC infaction. The aim of this study was to analyze whether BALB/c mice could be used as an animal model to study EAEC pathogenesis Six-week-old BALB/c mice were inoculated with EAEC strain 042 (044:H88) nalidixic acid resistant, and re-inoc-ulated ten days after. Mice feces were monitored for the presence of the EAEC strain over a period of 20 days . Bacteria were enumerated on MacConkey agar containing 100$\mu$g of nalidixic acid per ml. Results showed that 35% of the animals were colonized for 3 days, 15% for 5 and 10% for more than 7 days . After re-inoculation only 16% of the animals remained colonized for more than 3 days. During the necropsy, the intestinal fluid of same of the infected animals presented mucus and blood. Six of these fluids showed the presence of IgA antibodies againset Pet toxin and IgG natibodies raised against the toxin were also detected in the animal serum. Histopathologic evidence confirms the stimulation of mucus hypersecretion, an increased amount of goblet cells and the presence of bacterial aggregates in the apical surfaces of intestinal epithelial cells. Edema was present in the submucosa. These results suggest that BALB/c mice could be used as an animal model for in vivo study of EAEC infection.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2023

Under constant environmental pollution, the incidence of Atopic Dermatitis (AD) caused by air pollutants and allergens has increased. AD is an allergy inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritus, eczema, and skin dryness. In herbal medicine, Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma; AR) has been utilized to treat Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and inflammation. The purpose of study evaluated the effect of AR in a mouse model of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD-like skin lesions. After acclimatization for 5 days, the mice (6-week-old, male Balb/c) were divided into five groups (n=6/group): NC (normal control), DNCB (control), Dex (5 mg·kg-1, p.o.), AR100 (100 mg·kg-1, p.o.), and AR300 (300 mg·kg-1, p.o.). On days 1 and 3, 1% DNCB was applied to the skin and ears. After 4 days, 0.5% DNCB was applied once every 2 days for 2 weeks. Then, skin and ears eczema area and severity index (EASI); skin nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels; and plasma immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were examined. The AR groups showed lower EASI, skin and ear thickness, mast cell count, and IgE levels than the control groups. Moreover, AR reduced iNOS, COX-2, and PGE2 levels. Therefore, AR possesses anti-inflammatory properties and can improve skin damage, indicating its therapeutic potential against AD.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.418-427
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• 2023

Toxoplasma gondii infections are primarily diagnosed by serological assays, whereas molecular and fluorescence-based techniques are garnering attention for their high sensitivity in detecting these infections. Nevertheless, each detection method has its limitations. The toxoplasmosis detection capabilities of most of the currently available methods have not been evaluated under identical experimental conditions. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic potential of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and immunofluorescence (IF) in BALB/c mice experimentally infected with various doses of T. gondii ME49. The detection of toxoplasmosis from sera and brain tissues was markedly enhanced in mice subjected to high infection doses (200 and 300 cysts) compared to those subjected to lower doses (10 and 50 cysts) for all the detection methods. Additionally, increased B1 gene expression levels and cyst sizes were observed in the brain tissues of the mice. Importantly, IHC, IF, and ELISA, but not RT-PCR, successfully detected T. gondii infections at the lowest infection dose (10 cysts) in the brain. These findings may prove beneficial while designing experimental methodologies for detecting T. gondii infections in mice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.1126-1135
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• 2008

This study was carried out to investigate the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory actions of genistein in BALB/c mice injected with lopopolysaccharide (LPS), called endotoxin. Mice (10 weeks of age) weighing approximately 20 g were divided into 4 groups. Endotoxin shock was induced by intraperitoneal injection of LPS (100 mg/kg BW). LPS and genistein+LPS groups were injected with LPS 30 min after phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution and genistein (200 mg/kg BW) injections, respectively. Genistein group was injected with genistein, followed by PBS, while PBS group received two injections of PBS. Superoxide anion generation of peritoneal macrophage cells was significantly (p<0.05) lower in the genistein+LPS group than in the LPS injection group at 8 h after intraperitoneal injection, while SOD activity was significantly higher in genistien+LPS group than LPS group. Tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ levels of plasma were significant lower (p<0.05) in the genistein+LPS injection group than LPS group at 8 h after intraperitoneal injection. Plasma TBARS was lower in genistein+LPS group than LPS group, while hepatic TBARS were not different among groups. Hepatic glutathione concentrations and antioxidant enzyme activities were ignificantly higher in the genistein+LPS group than in the LPS group at 1 h and 8 h after intraperitoneal injection. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) transactivation was significantly (p<0.05) inhibited in LPS group. These results demonstrate genistein may ameliorate inflammatory diseases through inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ transactivation and oxidative stress, which may be mediated partially by anti-oxidative effect of genistein.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.257-262
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• 2008

Purpose: Oral mucositis induced by radiotherapy to the head and neck area, is a common acute complication and is considered as the most severe symptom for cancer patients in the early stages of treatment. This study was proposed to establish the oral mucositis mouse model induced by a single dose of radiation for the facility of testing therapeutic candidates which can be used for the oral mucositis treatments. Materials and Methods: Fifty-five BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control, 16 Gy, 18 Gy, and 20 Gy. Oral mucositis was induced by a single dose of radiation to the head and neck using 6 MV x-Ray from linear accelerator. After irradiation, body weight and physical abnormalities were checked daily. Tongue tissues from all groups were taken on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 14, respectively and H&E staining was conducted to examine morphological changes. Results: Body weight dramatically decreased after day 5 in all irradiated mice. In the 16 Gy treatment group, body weight was recovered on day 14. The histology data showed that the thickness of the epithelial cell layer was decreased by the accumulated time after radiation treatment, up to day 9. Severe ulceration was revealed on day 9. Conclusion: A single dose of 16 Gy is sufficient dose to induce oral mucositis in Balb/C mice. Significant changes were observed in the Balb/C mice on days 7 and 9 after radiation. It is suggested that this mouse model might be a useful standard tool for studying oral mucositis induced by radiation.