• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.182-187
• /
• 2003

Background: The mushroom Phellinus linteus (PL) has been shown to have the anti-tumor and immunostimulatory effects. We hypothesized that the hot water extract of PL (WEPL) exerts its significant immunostimulatory effect by inducing production of the Th1-derived cytokine interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$) by T lymphocytes. Methods: T lymphocytes were isolated from the mice fed with 200 mg/kg of WEPL once a day for 4 weeks, and then stimulated with the mitogen concanavaline A (Con A). IFN-${\gamma}$ gene and intracellular protein expressions were analyzed by RT-PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. The production of IFN-${\gamma}$ was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: WEPL significantly enhanced the transcription of IFN-${\gamma}$ mRNA. The effect of WEPL on IFN-${\gamma}$ expression was further supported by a concomitant increase in the number of cells with intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ protein as well as the secretion of IFN-${\gamma}$. However, WEPL did not modulate either gene expression or protein secretion of interleukin-4, a Th2-associated cytokine, by Con A-stimulated T lymphocytes. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that one of the potentially beneficial anti-tumor and immunostimulatory effects of WEPL may be mediated through the enhancement of IFN-${\gamma}$ secretion by T lymphocytes.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.47 no.8
• /
• pp.445-450
• /
• 2014

Glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is frequently highly expressed in tumor cells, contributing to the acquisition of several phenotypic cancer hallmarks. GRP78 expression is also positively correlated with tumor metastasis, and promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell invasion via increasing cell motility, however, other mechanisms involving the prometastatic roles of GRP78 remain to be elucidated. Here we report that forced GRP78 expression promotes colon cancer cell migration and invasion through upregulating MMP-2, MMP-9 and especially uPA production. These effects of GRP78 are mediated by enhancing the activation of ${\beta}$-catenin signaling. Interestingly, we identify that GRP78 interacts with uPA both in the cells and in the culture medium, suggesting that GRP78 protein is likely to directly facilitate uPA secretion via protein-protein interaction. Taken together, our findings demonstrate for the first time that besides stimulation of cell motility, GRP78 can act by increasing proteases production to promote tumor cell invasion.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.81-87
• /
• 2007

Objectives: Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Baek-Ji in Korean, BJ) is well known to be used as a medicine for cold, headache, supraorbital pain, nasal congestion, and toothache. Little is understood about the roles of BJ in the cytokine and chemokine secretion by immune cells. This study was designed to find out the effects of BJ on the cytokine and chemokine secretion in human mast cells (HMC). Methods : We treated BJ according to consistency on HMC and measured cytokines and chemokines levels using flow cytometry CBA system. Results: In BJ treated group. the expression of interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-l0), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 9 (MIG), and interleukin 10 (IL-l0) levels were decreased significantly and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (RANTES), IL-8, $interferone-{\gamma}$ ($IFN-{\gamma}$), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) were decreased significantly. Conclusion : The results of this experiment supposed that the treatment of BJ will ameliorate the secreting levels of some chemokines or cytokines such as IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, IL-10, RANTES, IL-8, $IFN-{\gamma}$, and TNF-a.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.483-489
• /
• 2002

The role of $G{\alpha}12\;and\;G{\alpha}13$ in modulating the IgE receptor-mediated histamine secretion in the streptolysin-o-permeabilized human cultured mast cell was investigated. The expression of $G{\alpha}12\;and\;G{\alpha}13$ proteins were regulated during human cultured mast cell differentiation, and a significant correlation was observed between the levels of expression of $G{\alpha}12\;and\;G{\alpha}13$ proteins and IgE receptor-mediated histamine secretion capability in human cultured mast cells. Antibodies against $G{\alpha}12\;and\;G{\alpha}13$ effectively inhibited the IgE receptor-induced histamine release, and the concentration of anti-$G{\alpha}12$ antibody used to inhibit histamine secretion was shown to also inhibit the IgE receptor-mediated elevation of intracellular $Ca^2+$. Therefore, the results suggest that $G{\alpha}12\;and\;G{\alpha}13$ play roles in modulating IgE receptor-activated $Ca^2+$ influx, thereby regulating histamine release in cultured human mast cells. This is the first report to show that $G{\alpha}12\;and\;G{\alpha}13$ are involved in the regulation of $Ca^2+$ mediated exocytosis in human cultured mast cells.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.145-153
• /
• 2006

Background: Tumor cell lysate has been considered as a preferential antigen source for the therapeutic dendritic cell pulsing. Our experiences with in vivo study with animal tumor model indicate the tumor cell lysate dependent differential effect of DC therapy. Our previous data show that MC38 lysate pulsed-DC induced stronger ag-specific immunity than CT26 lysate pulsed-DC in vitro. In this study we tried to reveal the mechanism for differential induction of ag-specific immunity of different colon cancer cell lysate pulsed-DCs. Methods: MC38 and CT26 cell lines were prepared as lysate by freezing-thawing procedure. Tumor cell antigenicity was confirmed by detecting the surface expression of MHC I/II & B7.1/2 molecules. IL-10, IL-12 and TGF-beta in the tumor cell lysate were detected by ELISA and the presence of heat shock proteins were analysed by western blotting. Results: The secretion of IL-10, a immune-inhibitory cytokine was about 470% higher in CT26 lysate than in MC38. Hsp 70 was detected only in the MC38 lysate but not in the CT26. On the other hand, Hsp 60 and 90 expression were not different in two colon cancer cell lysates. Conclusion: In two different colon cancer cell lysate, immune inhibitory IL-10 (higher in CT26) and Hsp70 (MC38 superiority) were differentially expressed. These data indicate that higher agspecific immunity induction by MC38 lysate pulsed-DC may due to the expression of hsp70 and lower secretion of IL-10, a immune-inhibitory cytokine than CT26 lysate. The significance of other cytokine and the surface marker expression will be discussed.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.655-658
• /
• 2007

Bacillus polyfermenticus SCD was transformed by the recombinant shuttle vector for Bacillus and Escherichia coli containing 3 antibiotic resistant genes and an ${\alpha}$-amylase gene from Bifidobacterium adolescentis Int57. The ${\alpha}$-amylase gene fused to a secretion sequences was expressed under the control of the promoter of amylase gene from B. subtilis var. natto. The recombinant plasmid was maintained stably in the transformants producing the ${\alpha}$-amylase. The enzyme was secreted to outside of the cell and showed the similar enzyme activity as that of Bacillus subtilis BD170 under the same conditions of pH and growth temperature. Because of the relatively easy transformation and the secretion of the enzyme, the transformants of B. polyfermenticus SCD may give a new strategy in the production of foreign genes.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.169-173
• /
• 2007

Luteolin is a major flavonoid of Lonicera japonica and has anti-inflammatory effect. The activation of proteinase-activated receptor (PAR)-2 and -4 by trypsin appears to play a role in inflammation, In the present study, we examined the inhibitory effects of luteolin on activation of trypsin-induced human leukemic mast cells (HMC-1). HMC-1 cells were stimulated with trypsin, PAR-2 and PAR-4 agonist, in the presence or absence of luteolin. The level of TNF-${\alpha}$ secretion was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of tryptase and phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were assessed by Westem blot analysis. Moreover, trypsin activity was measured by the substrate Bz-DL-Arg-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA). TNF-${\alpha}$ secretion and Tryptase expression in trypsin-stimulated HMC-1 cells were markedly inhibited by pretreatment of luteolin. Furthermore, the pretreatment of luteolin resulted in the reduction of ERK phosphorylation and trypsin activity. These results suggest that luteolin might has the inhibitory effects on the PAR-2 and -4-dependent inflammation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.11
• /
• pp.1799-1808
• /
• 2006

A food-grade integration vector based on site-specific recombination was constructed. The 5.7-kb vector, pIMA20, contained an integrase gene and a phage attachment site originating from bacteriophage A2, with the ${\alpha}$-galactosidase gene from Lactobacillus plantarum KCTC 3104 as a selection marker. pIMA20 was also equipped with a controllable promoter of nisA ($P_{nisA}$) and a signal peptide-encoding sequence of usp45 ($SP_{usp45}$) for the production and secretion of foreign proteins. pIMA20 and its derivatives mediated site-specific integration into the attB-like site on the Lactococcus lactis NZ9800 chromosome. The vector-integrated recombinant lactococci were easily detected by the appearance of blue colonies on a medium containing $X-{\alpha}-gal$ and also by their ability to grow on a medium containing melibiose as the sole carbon source. Recombinant lactococci maintained these traits in the absence of selection pressure during 100 generations. The ${\alpha}-amylase$ gene from Bacillus licheniformis, lacking a signal peptide-encoding. sequence, was inserted downstream of $P_{nisA}\;and\;SP_{usp45}$ in pIMA20, and the plasmid was integrated into the L. lactis chromosome. ${\alpha}-Amylase$ was successfully produced and secreted by the recombinant L. lactis, controlled by the addition and concentration of nisin.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.82-93
• /
• 2008

Objective: Previously, the methanol extracts of the semen of Xanthium strumsrium could involved anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw 264,7 cells, We evaluated the anti-allergic effects of X. strumarium on rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells, Methodes : To investigate the effect of X. strumarium on the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and calcium ionophore A23187-induced RBL-2H3 cells. The effects of X. strumarium on the degranulation and the pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion and expression from RBL-2H3 cells were evaluated with $\beta$-hexosaminidase assay, ELISA, and RT-PCR analysis, In addition, we examined the effects of X. strumarium on nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$ activation and $I{\kappa}B-\alpha$ degradation using Western blot analysis. Results : X. strumarium inhibited degranulation and secretions and expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF-\alpha$), interleukin (IL)-4 and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, on stimulated RBL-2H3 cells, however, X. strumarium not affect cell viability. In stimulated RBL-2H3 cells, the protein expression level of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) was decreased in the nucleus by X. strumarium. In addition, X. strumarium suppressed the degradation of inhibitory protein $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ protein in RBL-2H3 cells. Conclusion : These results suggest that X. strumarium inhibits the degranulation and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines through blockade of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and I $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ degradation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.605-610
• /
• 2014

Chronic liver diseases, including cancer, are characterized by inflammation and elevated serum ferritin (SF). However, the causal-relationship remains unclear. This study used primary rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC) as a model to investigate effects of physiological SF concentrations (10, 100 and 1000 pM) because HSCs play a central role in the development and progression of liver fibrosis. Physiological concentrations of SF, either horse SF or human serum, induced pro-inflammatory cytokine $IL1{\beta}$, IL6 and $TNF{\alpha}$ secretion in rat activated HSCs (all p<0.05). By contrast, treatment did not alter activation marker ${\alpha}SMA$ expression. The presence of SF markedly enhanced expression of Grp78 mRNA (p<0.01). Furthermore, transient knock down of Grp78 by endotoxin EGF-SubA abolished SF-induced $IL1{\beta}$ and $TNF{\alpha}$ secretion in activated HSCs (all p<0.05). In conclusion, our results showed that at physiological concentrations SF functions as a pro-inflammatory mediator in primary rat HSCs. We also provide a molecular basis for the action of SF and identified Grp78-associated ER stress pathways as a novel potential therapeutic target for resolution of fibrosis and possible prevention of liver cancer.