• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.62 no.1
• /
• pp.30-41
• /
• 2024

The dense granule protein of Toxoplasma gondii, inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (IST) is an inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) transcriptional activity that binds to STAT1 and regulates the expression of inflammatory molecules in host cells. A sterile inflammatory liver injury in pathological acute liver failures occurs when excessive innate immune function, such as the massive release of IFN-γ and TNF-α, is activated without infection. In relation to inflammatory liver injury, we hypothesized that Toxoplasma gondii inhibitor of STAT1 transcription (TgIST) can inhibit the inflammatory response induced by activating the STAT1/IRF-1 mechanism in liver inflammation. This study used IFN-γ and TNF-α as inflammatory inducers at the cellular level of murine hepatocytes (Hepa-1c1c7) to determine whether TgIST inhibits the STAT1/IRF-1 axis. In stable cells transfected with TgIST, STAT1 expression decreased with a decrease in interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-1 levels. Furthermore, STAT1 inhibition of TgIST resulted in lower levels of NF-κB and COX2, as well as significantly lower levels of class II transactivator (CIITA), iNOS, and chemokines (CLXCL9/10/11). TgIST also significantly reduced the expression of hepatocyte proapoptotic markers (Caspase3/8/9, P53, and BAX), which are linked to sterile inflammatory liver injury. TgIST also reduced the expression of adhesion (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and infiltration markers of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) induced by hepatocyte and tissue damage. TgIST restored the cell apoptosis induced by IFN-γ/TNF-α stimulation. These results suggest that TgIST can inhibit STAT1-mediated inflammatory and apoptotic responses in hepatocytes stimulated with proinflammatory cytokines.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.75-87
• /
• 1996

Background: Lung cancer is the second most frequent malignancy in man in Korea. Surgery is the best treatment modality for non-small cell lung cancer, but most patients were presented in far advanced stage. So radiation therapy(RT) with or without chemotherapy is the next choice and radiation-induced pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis is the major limiting factor for the curative RT. Radiation pneumonitis is manifested with fever, cough and dyspnea, 2~3 months after the termination of radiotherpy. Chest X ray shows infiltration, typically limited to the radiation field, but occasionally bilateral infiltration was reported. Also Gibson et al reported that BAL lymphocytosis was found in both lungs, even though the radiation was confined to one lung. The aim of this study is to investigate the change of adhesion molecules expression on BAL cells and serum soluble ICAM-1(sICAM-1) level after the RT and its relationship to the development of radiation pneumonitis. The second aim is to confirm the bilaterality of change of BAL cell pattern and adhesion molecule expression. Subjects: BAL and the measurement of sICAM level in serum and BALF were done on 29 patients with lung cancer who received RT with curative intention. The BAL was done before the RT in 16 patients and 1~2 month after RT in 18 patients. 5 patients performed BAL before and after RT. Result: Clinically significant radiation pneumonitis developed in 7 patients. After RT, total cell count in BAL was significantly increased from $(20.2{\pm}10.2){\times}10^6\;cells/ml$ to $(35.3{\pm}21.6){\times}10^6\;cells/ml$ (p=0.0344) and %lymphocyte was also increased from $5.3{\pm}4.2%$ to $39.6{\pm}23.4%$ (p=0.0001) in all patient group. There was no difference between ipsilateral and contraleteral side to RT, and between the patients with and without radiation-pneumonitis. In whole patient group, the level of sICAM-1 showed no significant change after RT(in serum: $378{\pm}148$, $411{\pm}150\;ng/ml$, BALF: $20.2{\pm}12.2$, $45.1{\pm}34.8\;ng/ml$, respectively), but there was a significant difference between the patients with pneumonitis and without pneumonitis (serum: $505{\pm}164$ vs $345{\pm}102\;ng/ml$, p=0.0253, BALF: $67.9{\pm}36.3$ vs $25.2{\pm}17.9\;ng/ml$, p=0.0112). The expression of ICAM-1 on alveolar macrophages (AM) tends to increase after RT (RMFI: from $1.28{\pm}0.479$ to $1.63{\pm}0.539$, p=0.0605), but it was significantly high in patients with pneumonitis ($2.10{\pm}0.390$) compared to the patients without pneumonitis ($1.28{\pm}0.31$, p=0.0002). ICAM-1 expression on lymphocytes and CD 18 (${\beta}2$-integrin) expression tended to be high in the patients with pneumonitis but the difference was statiastically not significant. Conclusion: Subclinical alveolitis on the basis of BAL finding developed bilaterally in all patients after RT. But clinically significant pneumonitis occurred in much smaller fraction and the ICAM-1 expression on AM and the sICAM-1 level in serum were good indicator of it.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.26 no.9
• /
• pp.1027-1032
• /
• 2016

Antigen is substance causing disease derived from pathogen. Living organism has the immune system in terms of defense mechanism against antigen. Antigen is processed through several pathways such as phagocytosis, antibody action, complement activation, and cytotoxins by NK or cytotoxic T lymphocyte via MHC molecule. Lymph node (LN) is comprised of the complicated 3 dimensional network and several stromal cells. Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRC) are distributed in T zone for interaction with T cells. FRC produces the extra cellular matrix (ECM) into LN for ECM reorganization against pathogen infections and secretes homing chemokines. However, it has not so much been known about the involvement of the antigen process of FRC. The present report is for the function of FRC on antigen process. For this, FRC was positioned with several infected situations such as co-culture with macrophage, T cell, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and TNFα stimulation. When co-culture between FRC with macrophage and T cells was performed, morphological change of FRC was observed and empty space between FRCs was made by morphological change. The matrix metallo-proteinase (MMP) activity was up-regulated by Y27632 and T cells onto FRC. Furthermore, inflammatory cytokine, TNFα regulated the expression of adhesion molecules and MHC I antigen transporter in FRC by gene chip assay. NO production was elevated by FRC monolayer co-cultured with macrophage stimulated by LPS. GFP antigen was up-taken by macrophage co-cultured with FRC. Collectively, it suggests that FRC assists of the facilitation of antigen process and LN stroma is implicated into antigen process pathway.

• Implantology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.120-138
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the outcomes of a series of studies on tissue regeneration conducted in multiple institutions including the Department of Periodontology, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University. Materials and Methods: Studies were performed divided into the following three subjects; 1) Development of three-dimensional nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) scaffold for facilitating drug release and cell adhesion. 2) Synergistic effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) application simultaneously with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on HA scaffolds. 3) The efficacy of silk scaffolds coated with n-HA. Also, all results were analyzed by subjects. Results: Hollow hydroxyapatite spherical granules were found to be a useful tool for the drug release and avidin-biotin binding system for cell attachment. Also, BMMSC simultaneously with PRP applied in an animal bone defect model was seen to be more synergistic than in the control group. But, the efficacy of periodontal ligament cells and dental pulp cells with silk scaffolds could not be confirmed in the initial phase of bone healing. Conclusion: The ideal combination of three elements of tissue engineering-scaffolds, cells and signaling molecules could be substantiated due to further investigations with the potentials and limitations of the suggested list of studies.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.161-171
• /
• 1999

Background: Interleukin-12 (IL-12) can induce antitumor effects in vivo. This antitumor effect is associated with T cell infiltration but the effect of IL-12 on the steps of T cell migration into the tumor tissue has not been fully elucidated. This study focused on the effect of IL-12 on the tumor growth and the metastasis and on the expression of E-selectin, an adhesion molecule which is activated endothelial specific in its expression. In addition, we studied whether the expression of E-selectin is associated with the TNF-$\alpha$, a cytokine that its production is increased by IL-12 and has functions inducing a variety of adhesion molecules. Methods: Mice of C57BL/6 strain were injected with Lewis lung cancer cells followed by either IL-12, TNF-$\alpha$, or normal saline by intraperitoneal route. Twenty eight days after tumor cell inoculation, metastatic nodules of lung were enumerated and immunohistochemical staining of the subcutaneous tumors were performed with monoclonal antibodies to CD4, CD8, CD16, and E-selectin. In IL-12 treated mice, the subcutaneously implanted Lewis lung tumors were decreased in size and the metastases were also decreased in number compared to control mice. On tumor tissues, increased infiltration of CD4+, CD8+, and CD16+ cells were oberved in IL-12 treated mice compared to control mice. In control mice, E-selectin was absent on tumor vessels, but the expression of E-selectin was increased on tumor vessels of IL-12 treated mice. Administration of TNF-$\alpha$ increased not only the expression of E-selectin but also infiltrations of CD4+, CD8+, and CD16+ cells on tumor tissues. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that IL-12 inhibits tumor growth and metastases through infiltrations of inflammatory cells in mouse model of Lewis lung carcinoma and E-selectin may playa role in inflammatory cell recruitment on tumor tissue following IL-12 administration. Also, TNF-$\alpha$ may have a role as a mediator responsible for the IL-12 induced expression of E-selectin.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.453-459
• /
• 2010

Introduction: Ameloblastic carcinoma is a rare malignant lesion, and may arise from either carcinoma ex-ameloblastoma or de novo carcinoma. Aberrant promoter hypermethylation of the tumor-associated genes leading to their inactivation is a common event in many cancer types. The p16/CDKN2/INK4A gene and p16 5 protein are involved directly in regulating the cell cycles. Cadherins are cell adhesion molecules that modulate the epithelial phenotype and regulate tumor invasion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of p16 and E-cadherin methylation and loss of p16 and E-cadherin expression in the malignant transformation of an ameloblastoma. Materials and Methods: Eight cases of ameloblastoma, including 4 benign ameloblastomas without recurrence, 2 benign ameloblastomas with recurrence and 2 carcinoma ex-ameloblastomas, were examined. The promoter hypermethylation profile of the p16 and E-cadherin genes was studied using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and immunohistochemical staining for p16 and E-cadherin expression. Results: 1) Aberrant CpG island methylation of the p16 gene was detected in 3 of the 4 benign ameloblastomas without recurrence and 1 of the 2 benign ameloblastomas with recurrence. 2) Aberrant CpG island methylation of the E-cadherin gene was found in 1 of the 4 benign ameloblastomas without recurrence. 3) A loss of p16 expression was noted in 1 of 4 benign ameloblastomas without recurrence and 1 of 2 carcinoma ex-ameloblastomas. 4) A loss of E-cadherin expression was noted in 2 of the 4 benign ameloblastomas without recurrence, 1 of the 2 benign ameloblastomas with recurrence and 2 of the 2 carcinoma ex-ameloblastomas. 5) A loss of p16 expression was observed in 1 of the 4 cases showing aberrant methylation of the p16 gene. 6) A loss of E-cadherin expression was observed in 3 benign ameloblastoma case showing aberrant methylation of the E-cadherin gene. Conclusion: These results suggest that loss of E-cadherin expression related to the other genetic pathway (not methylation) might be an adjuvant indicator predicting the malignant transformation of an ameloblastoma. However, the number of samples in this study was too small and the relationship between the treatment methods and clinical course were not defined. Therefore, further study will be needed.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.299-308
• /
• 2009

We manufactured PVA-derived hydrogels using a foam generation technique that has been widely used to prepare colloidal gas aphrons(CGA). These gels were differentiated to the conventional gels such as for medical or pharmaceutical applications, which have tiny pores and some crystalline structure. Rather these should be used in de-pollution devices or adhesion of cells or biomolecules. The crosslinkers used in this work were amino acid, organic acid, sugars and lipids(vitamins). The structures of the gels were observed in a scanned electron microscope. Amino acids gels showed remarkably higher swelling ratios probably because their typical functional groups help constructing a highly crosslinked network along with hydrogen bonds. Boric acid and starch would catalyze dehydration while structuring to result in much lower water content and accordingly high gel content, leading to less elastic, hard gels. Bulky materials such as ascorbic acid or starch produced, in general, large pores in the matrices and also nicotinamide, having large hydrophobic patches was likely to enlarge pore size of its gels as well since the hydrophobicity would expel water molecules, thus leading to reduced swelling. Hydrophilicity(or hydrophobicity), functional groups which are involved in the reaction or physical linkage, and bulkiness of crosslinkers were found to be more critical to gel's cross linking structure and its density than molecular weights that seemed to be closely related to pore sizes. Microscopic observation revealed that pores were more or less homogeneous and their average sizes were $20{\mu}m$ for methionine, $10-15{\mu}m$ for citric acid, $50-70{\mu}m$ for L-ascorbic acid, $30-40{\mu}m$ for nicotinamide, and $70-80{\mu}m$ for starch. Also a sensory test showed that amino acid and glucose gels were more elastic meanwhile acid and nicotinamide gels turned out to be brittle or non-elastic at their high concentrations. The elasticity of a gel was reasonably correlated with its water content or swelling ratio. In addition, the PVA gel including 20% ascorbic acid showed fair ability of cell adherence as 0.257mg/g-hydrogel and completely degraded phenanthrene(10 mM) in 240 h.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.595-606
• /
• 2018

Objective: The Fusarium mycotoxins of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zerolenone (ZEN) cause health hazards for both humans and farm animals. Therefore, the main intention of this study was to reveal DON and ZEN effects on the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other immune related genes in the liver of piglets. Methods: In the present study, 15 six-week-old piglets were randomly assigned to the following three different dietary treatments for 4 weeks: control diet, diet containing 8 mg DON/kg feed, and diet containing 0.8 mg ZEN/kg feed. After 4 weeks, liver samples were collected and sequenced using RNA-Seq to investigate the effects of the mycotoxins on genes and gene networks associated with the immune systems of the piglets. Results: Our analysis identified a total of 249 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which included 99 upregulated and 150 downregulated genes in both the DON and ZEN dietary treatment groups. After biological pathway analysis, the DEGs were determined to be significantly enriched in gene ontology terms associated with many biological pathways, including immune response and cellular and metabolic processes. Consistent with inflammatory stimulation due to the mycotoxin-contaminated diet, the following Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways, which were related to disease and immune responses, were found to be enriched in the DEGs: allograft rejection pathway, cell adhesion molecules, graft-versus-host disease, autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), type I diabetes mellitus, human T-cell leukemia lymphoma virus infection, and viral carcinogenesis. Genome-wide expression analysis revealed that DON and ZEN treatments downregulated the expression of the majority of the DEGs that were associated with inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 10 receptor, beta, chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 9), proliferation (insulin-like growth factor 1, major facilitator superfamily domain containing 2A, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2, lipase G, and salt inducible kinase 1), and other immune response networks (paired immunoglobulin-like type 2 receptor beta, Src-like-adaptor-1 [SLA1], SLA3, SLA5, SLA7, claudin 4, nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, thyrotropin-releasing hormone degrading enzyme, ubiquitin D, histone $H_2B$ type 1, and serum amyloid A). Conclusion: In summary, our results demonstrated that high concentrations DON and ZEN disrupt immune-related processes in the liver.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.302-309
• /
• 2019

BACKGOURND/OBJECTIVES: Vascular inflammation is an important feature in the atherosclerotic process. Recent studies report that leaves and branches of Carpinus turczaninowii (C. turczaninowii) have antioxidant capacity and exert anti-inflammatory effects. However, no study has reported the regulatory effect of C. turczaninowii extract on the arterial inflammatory response. This study therefore investigated modulation of the arterial inflammatory response after exposure to C. turczaninowii extract, using human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HAoSMCs). MATERIALS/METHODS: Scavenging activity of free radicals, total phenolic content (TPC), cell viability, mRNA expressions, and secreted levels of cytokines were measured in LPS-stimulated (10 ng/mL) HAoSMCs treated with the C. turczaninowii extract. RESULTS: C. turczaninowii extract contains high amounts of TPC ($225.6{\pm}21.0mg$ of gallic acid equivalents/g of the extract), as well as exerts time-and dose-dependent increases in strongly scavenged free radicals (average $14.8{\pm}1.97{\mu}g/mL$ $IC_{50}$ at 40 min). Cell viabilities after exposure to the extracts (1 and $10{\mu}g/mL$) were similar to the viability of non-treated cells. Cytokine mRNA expressions were significantly suppressed by the extracts (1 and $10{\mu}g/mL$) at 6 hours (h) after exposure. Interleukin-6 secretion was dose-dependently suppressed 2 h after incubation with the extract, at $1-10{\mu}g/mL$ in non-stimulated cells, and at 5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$ in LPS-stimulated cells. Similar patterns were also observed at 24 h after incubation with the extract (at $1-10{\mu}g/mL$ in non-stimulated cells, and at $10{\mu}g/mL$ in the LPS-stimulated cells). Soluble intracellular vascular adhesion molecules (sICAM-1) secreted from non-stimulated cells and LPS-stimulated cells were similarly suppressed in a dose-dependent manner after 24 h exposure to the extracts, but not after 2 h. In addition, sICAM-1 concentration after 24 h treatment was positively related to IL-6 levels after 2 h and 24 h exposure (r = 0.418, P = 0.003, and r = 0.524, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that C. turczaninowii modulates the arterial inflammatory response, and indicates the potential to be applied as a therapeutic use for atherosclerosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.936-944
• /
• 1996

Background: Neutrophils or monocytes separated in vitro by the adherence to plastic surface are known to be activated by surface adherence itself and subsequent experimental data might be altered by surface adherence. Adhesion molecules and gene transcription of the inflammatory mediators are known to be associated in this process. To evaluate whether adhesion molecule and transcriptional activation of the inflammatory substances are also involved in the activation of human alveolar macrophage by the adherence procedure, we designed this experiment. Method : Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed in the person whose lung of either side was confirmed to be nonnal by chest cr and alveolar macrophage was harvested. To measure the expression of Interleukin-8(IL-8) mRNA, manganese superoxide dismutase(SOD) mRNA and CD11/CD18 mRNA in human alveolar macrophage of both adherence state and suspension state, Northern blot analysis was done at 0, 2, 4, 8 and 24hrs after the adherence to plastic surface and during suspension state. Then, phorbol myristate acetate(pMA) and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine(fMLP) were added respectively in the same experimental condition. Result : 1) Human alveolar macrophages in the adherent state induced IL-8 mRNA and SOD mRNA expression which was maximal at 8 hours after the adherence to plastic surface. But we could not observe the upregulation of CD18 mRNA by surface adherence. 2) PMA induced these mRNA expression both in the adherent cell and the nonadherem cells, but the induction of mRNA expression by fMLP occurred only in the adherent cells. Conclusion: These results suggest that adherence of huamn alveolar macropahge is an important cell-activating event that may play a critical role in the modulation of lung inflammatory respones.