• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.216-230
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• 2005

Although the field of study in immune enhancing compounds is relatively new, natural products from plants represent a rich and promising source of novel molecules with immunomodulating properties, Microglial cells, the main immune effector cells of the brain, usually display a ramified morphology and low expression levels of immunologically relevant antigens such as MHC class I and class II. Since any compound which participates in activation of phagocytic cells contributes to the production of potentially toxic factors, the search for convenient in vitro test-systems and study of mechanisms of action of these agents are of great interest. Human blood polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells and primary microglial cells isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats were used as cellular screening tests for study of phagocytosis-stimulating action of immunomodulating agents. Numbers of phagocytic activity were evaluated by the phagocyte ingestion of yeast cells and NO-synthase activity, nitrite production, and nitroblue tetrazolium test were determined after phagocyte stimulation. It was possible to demonstrate that indexes of phagocytic activity can be used as quantitative indicators for measurement immunomodulating activity. As a positive control, Zymosan A-induced phagocytosis in both PMN cells and primary microglial cells was used. $IFN-{\gamma}$ (0.1 -1 U/ml) stimulated phagocytosis in PMN cells 1.2 times after 2 - 3 h incubation, although at higher concentrations (10 - 100 U/ml) it strongly inhibited phagocytosis. In a similar way, at higher concentrations, $IFN-{\gamma}$ (100 - 500 U/ml) suppressed phagocytosis in zymosan-A stimulated microglial cells. When Polypodium leucotomus, cambricum and vulgare extracts were tested alone, increased levels of phagocytosis were observed in PMN. In addition, microglial cells showed both increased phagocytosis and MHC class-II antigen expressions. Surprisingly, when PMN and microglia were treated with a combination of Polypodium and $IFN-{\gamma}$, phagocytosis was not inhibited. We did not find changes in NO-synthase activity and nitrite production in both microglia and PMN cells activated by different immunomodulating agents. These results indicate that primary microglial cell cultures as well as human PMN cells can provide reproducible quantitative results in screening phagocytic activity of different immunoactive compounds. Furthermore, both inhibitory or activation mechanisms might be studied using these in vitro experimental approaches.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.73-80
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• 2010

Granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)는 과립구 및 대식세포뿐만 아니라 상피세포의 증식과 분화를 자극하는 당단백질이며, 최근 생산된 벼세포 유래 재조합 GMCSF(rrhGM-CSF)는 감염원으로부터 안전하고 당사슬이 매우 풍부하여 물질의 안정성 혹은 효과의 지속성을 높여 주는 것으로 알려졌다. 본 실험에서는 간 재생 능력이 우수한 흰쥐를 실험모델로 하여 간의 78%를 제거한 후, 간 재생을 유도하는 과정에서 rrhGM-CSF를 처리하고, 시간 경과에 따라 형태변화의 차이와 더불어 단백질 발현 분석법과 면역조직화학법을 이용하여 PCNA 발현에 미치는 효과에 대해서 알아보고자 하였다. rrhGMCSF는 간 재생 속도를 뚜렷이 증가시키지는 못하였으나, 대조군에 비해 실험군에서는 재생 초기에 간 세포판의 붕괴와 재구성 시기를 다소 앞당기는 것으로 관찰되었다. 증식 중인 세포에서 증가하는 것으로 알려져 있는 핵단백질인 proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)의 간 조직에서의 분포와 발현 정도를 보면 부분간절제 후 12시간과 24시간에서는 PCNA 단백질이 두 그룹에서 조금씩 발현되다가 간 절제 3일과 5일이 경과한 실험군에서 단백질이 높게 발현되었다. 간 재생이 진행될수록 간 조직 전체에서 고르게 PCNA 양성반응이 나타났으며, 대조군 보다 실험군에서 반응성이 더 뚜렷한 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과들로 보아 부분 간절제 후 간 재생을 유도하는 과정에서 rrhGM-CSF가 세포분열을 촉진시키는 인자들 중의 하나로 작용하여 간 재생에 효과를 나타낼 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.