• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2017

Purpose: Previously, Kawasaki disease (KD) treatment with low-dose aspirin was administered for 6-8 weeks after the acute phase. However, inflammatory marker levels normalize before 6-8 weeks. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical outcome of short-term low-dose aspirin treatment based on inflammatory and thrombotic marker levels. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of patients with KD who were hospitalized at Chungnam National University Hospital between September 2012 and May 2014. When fever subsided, low-dose aspirin treatment was started. Inflammatory (white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein) and thrombotic markers (D-dimer) were monitored at follow-ups conducted in 1- to 2-week intervals. The low-dose aspirin administration was terminated when both markers were normalized and no cardiovascular complications were observed. Results: Eighty-four patients with KD (complete KD, n=49; incomplete KD, n=35) were enrolled. The inflammatory and thrombotic marker levels were normalized within 3-4 weeks on average. At the beginning the low-dose aspirin treatment, 9 patients had coronary artery lesions but 75 did not. When the low-dose aspirin administration was terminated at the time the inflammatory marker levels were normalized, no new CALs developed during the follow-up at 6-8 weeks. Conclusion: Most of the inflammatory marker levels were normalized within 3-4 weeks after the acute phase of KD. New cardiovascular complications did not develop during the course of the short-term aspirin treatment based on the inflammatory marker levels, clinical findings, and echocardiography.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.22-34
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate changes of the marker compounds and anti-inflammatory effect of Gamisoyo-san decoction (GMSYS) depending on storage temperature and periods. Methods: GMSYS was stored at room temperature or refrigeration for 12 months. According to storage temperature and periods, pH and sugar content of GMSYS were measured. To determine the marker compounds of GMSYS, high-performance liquid chromatography analysis was performed. To estimate the anti-inflammatory effect of GMSYS, LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines were measured in RAW 264.7 cells. Results: There was no change in pH and sugar content depending on storage temperature and periods of GMSYS. The contents of gallic acid and mangiferin in both of room temperature and refrigerated decoctions reduced with increasing storage periods. Chlorogenic acid was time-dependently decreased in case of stored at room temperature. GMSYS significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of nitric oxide, prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 cells. These effects equally maintained up to 3 months at both of room temperature and refrigeration. Since 4 months, the inhibitory effect of GMSYS on LPS-induced $PGE_2$ production was time-dependently reduced, and the decrease in $PGE_2$ inhibitory effect of decoction stored at refrigeration was lower than that of stored at room temperature. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the anti-inflammatory effect of GMSYS are maintained up to 12 months, but it shows optimal efficacy up to 3 months. It is recommended to store in a refrigeration for short periods since some components decrease as storage periods becomes longer.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.623-628
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity-induced steatohepatitis accompanied by activated hepatic macrophages/Kupffer cells facilitates the progression of hepatic fibrinogenesis and exacerbates metabolic derangements such as insulin resistance. Heme oxyganase-1 (HO-1) modulates tissue macrophage phenotypes and thus is implicated in protection against inflammatory diseases. Here, we show that the flavonoid quercetin reduces obesity-induced hepatic inflammation by inducing HO-1, which promotes hepatic macrophage polarization in favor of the M2 phenotype. MATERIALS/METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice were fed a regular diet (RD), high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD supplemented with quercetin (HF+Que, 0.5g/kg diet) for nine weeks. Inflammatory cytokines and macrophage markers were measured by ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. HO-1 protein was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS: Quercetin supplementation decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines ($TNF{\alpha}$, IL-6) and increased that of the anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) in the livers of HFD-fed mice. This was accompanied by upregulation of M2 macrophage marker genes (Arg-1, Mrc1) and downregulation of M1 macrophage marker genes ($TNF{\alpha}$, NOS2). In co-cultures of lipid-laden hepatocytes and macrophages, treatment with quercetin induced HO-1 in the macrophages, markedly suppressed expression of M1 macrophage marker genes, and reduced release of MCP-1. Moreover, these effects of quercetin were blunted by an HO-1 inhibitor and deficiency of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: Quercetin reduces obesity-induced hepatic inflammation by promoting macrophage phenotype switching. The beneficial effect of quercetin is associated with Nrf2-mediated HO-1 induction. Quercetin may be a useful dietary factor for protecting against obesity-induced steatohepatitis.

• Experimental and Molecular Medicine
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• v.50 no.11
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• pp.1.1-1.10
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• 2018

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) are used extensively for cardiac repair and interact with immune cells in the damaged heart. Macrophages are known to be modulated by stem cells, and we hypothesized that priming macrophages with BMMSCs would enhance their therapeutic efficacy. Rat bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without coculture with rat BMCs. In the LPS-stimulated BMDMs, induction of the inflammatory marker iNOS was attenuated, and the anti-inflammatory marker Arg1 was markedly upregulated by coculture with BMMSCs. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced in rats. One group was injected with BMMSCs, and a second group was injected with MIX (a mixture of BMMSCs and BMDMs after coculture). The reduction in cardiac fibrosis was greater in the MIX group than in the BMC group. Cardiac function was improved in the BMMSC group and was substantially improved in the MIX group. Angiogenesis was better in the MIX group, and anti-inflammatory macrophages were more abundant in the MIX group than in the BMMSC group. In the BMMSCs, interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) was exclusively induced by coculture with macrophages. IRF5 knockdown in BMMSCs failed to suppress inflammatory marker induction in the macrophages. In this study, we demonstrated the successful application of BMDMs primed with BMMSCs as an adjuvant to cell therapy for cardiac repair.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.436-444
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• 2023

To produce an intestinal immunomodulatory beverage containing Centella asiatica extract (CAE), three types of CAE-added beverage prototypes were prepared, and their immunomodulatory activities and marker compounds were analyzed. As a result of the cytotoxicity assessment, all the beverages did not show significant toxicity compared to the control group. Next, the immunomodulatory activities of the beverage prototype were evaluated using the inflammatory model of IL-1β-induced intestinal epithelial cell line. All the samples significantly reduced the production of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 in a CAE concentration-dependent manner. In addition, CAE-added beverages inhibited NO, IL-6, and IL-12 production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. When the major triterpenoids, as marker compounds for the production of CAE-added beverages, were analyzed by HPLC-DAD, only asiaticoside was detected beyond the limit of quantification, while madecassoside, madecassic acid, and asiatic acid were not detected. The amounts of asiaticoside in CAE-added beverage prototypes were confirmed in No. 1 (19.39 ㎍/mL), 2 (19.25 ㎍/mL), and 3 (19.98 ㎍/mL). In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that CAE-added beverage prototypes induced immunomodulatory effects in the intestinal inflammatory cell line models and asiaticoside could be used as a marker compound for CAE-added beverage production.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.291-300
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• 1998

Dementia is the neurodegenerative process that affects cognition, behavior and function and one of the most prominent diseases of dementia is Alzheimer's disease(AD). AD is a dementing illness characterized clinically by the progressive and irreversible deafferentation of the limbic system, association neocortex and basal forebrain. A number of conditions are known to be predisposing risk factors for AD. In several of these, initiation of glial-mediated inflammatory pathways as a mechanism of AD is getting a lot of attention. On the other hand, a biochemical marker for monitoring the onset and progression of the disease would be a valuable tool for disease management. Also such a marker might be used as an end point in clinical intervention protocols. This biochemical marker will have the potential for identifying subjects afflicted with the disease and possibly for monitoring the onset and longitudinal progression of the disease. Here we have reviewed the latest papers of different approaches to AD. Of course, there is a section of PET which is very useful clinically nowadays.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.238-243
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• 2019

In this study, the marker compounds of Curcumae Rhizoma (CR) were simultaneously quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a photodiode array detector and the anti-inflammatory effects of CR extract and marker compounds in human benign prostatic hyperplasia epithelial-1 (BPH-1) cell lines were investigated. The marker components (4S,5S)-(+)-germacrone-4,5-epoxide, furanodienone, and germacrone, were separated on Gemini $C_{18}$ columns ($250mm{\times}4.6mm$, $5{\mu}m$) at $40^{\circ}C$ by using a gradient of two mobile phases eluting at 1.0 mL/min. Prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) levels in Human BPH-1 cells were determined with an ELISA kit. The coefficients of determination in a calibration curve of each analyte were all 0.9997. The limits of detection and quantification of the three compounds were $0.10-0.32{\mu}g/mL$ and $0.30-0.98{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The content of three compounds, (4S,5S)-(+)-germacrone-4,5-epoxide, furanodienone, and germacrone, in the CR sample were found to be 5.79 - 5.92 mg/g, 4.72 - 4.86 mg/g, and 1.06 - 1.09 mg/g, respectively. Regarding pharmacological activity against benign prostatic hyperplasia, CR and its components significantly suppressed $PGE_2$ levels of BPH-1 cells. The established analysis method will help to improve quality assessment of CR samples and related products. In addition, CR and its components exhibit antiinflammatory activity in BPH-1 cells, suggesting the inhibitory efficacy of these compounds against the pathogenesis of BPH.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.61-61
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• 2023

Zanthoxylum piperitum has been used as a spice or various folk remedies since ancient times, and studies on antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects have been reported. In this study, a raw material standardization study was conducted for the industrialization of Z. piperitum. First, optimal conditions for drying methods were established for the standardization of raw materials for Z. piperitum, and optimal conditions were established through content analysis using quercitrin, an marker compound, by obtaining samples every month. As for the drying method of Z. piperitum, it was confirmed that cold air drying was the best. It was analyzed that the marker compound content was highest in July. Next, for functional and toxicity evaluation of Z. piperitum, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing efficacy and cytotoxicity were evaluated. Cytotoxicity of Z. piperitum was not observed, and it was confirmed that although it had an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, it had no immuneenhancing effects. In addition, a study was conducted on the change in the efficacy of Z. piperitum using lava seawater, and as a result of the study, it was confirmed that the efficacy was superior when lava seawater was simultaneously treated. In conclusion, this study suggested the standardization of raw materials through the analysis of the marker compounds and the functional evaluation of Z. piperitum, and it can be used as basic data for future industrialization.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.932-935
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was the effect of complex training of obese men in their 30s on inflammatory markers and homocysteine, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The subjects consisted of obese men (n=12) with the body fat ratio of 25% or above in their mid 30s who had no medical conditions and can follow the exercise routine required by this study. To achieve the purpose of this study measured the maximum oxygen intake (VO_2max) and 1RM of 5 kinds of machine(bench press, lat pull down, arm curl, leg press, squat) as a preliminary test; based on the results, performed 8 weeks complex training (aerobic exercise + weight training); and then analyzed the variation in body composition (body weight, body fat and BMI), blood inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α and CRP), and homocysteine between before and after training. The results exhibited that 8 weeks complex training reduced weight, body fat and BMI significantly (p<0.01) and also reduced inflammatory marker CRP and homocysteine, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, significantly (p<0.05). In conclusion, 8 weeks complex training confirmed the variation in body composition, and this variation has a positive effect on the inflammatory marker and the risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.29-38
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• 2017

Objectives The present study aimed to investigate the change in marker compounds, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of salt-water processed Cortex Eucommiae. Methods To evaluate the influence of processing on anti-oxidant effect of Cortex Eucommiae, changes in total phenol, total flavonoid, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) between processed and raw Cortex Eucommiae were assessed. In addition, nitrite assay was conducted to determine the influence of processing on anti-inflammatory effect of Cortex Eucommiae. Cell viability was also examined as to elucidate whether processing affects cytotoxicity of Cortex Eucommiae. Finally, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was conducted to monitor changes in pinoresinol diglucoside amount of processed and raw Cortex Eucommiae. Results Salt-water processed Cortex Eucommiae showed higher total phenol and flavonoid amount, compared to raw Cortex Eucommiae. Furthermore, anti-oxidative activity of processed Cortex Eucommiae was improved as discovered in DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. Anti-inflammatory effect of Cortex Eucommiae was also enhanced following salt-water processing, as evidenced in nitrite assay. HPLC analysis found that the amount of pinoresinol diglucoside, widely known as the marker compound of Cortex Eucommiae, increases through salt-water processing. All experiments were performed with non-toxic concentration of Cortex Eucommiae; processing did not affect the cytotoxicity of Cortex Eucommiae up to the currently adopted concentration. Conclusions The present results support that salt-water processing of Cortex Eucommiae is beneficial in terms of marker compound amount, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory activities. Additional investigations are needed to standardize the processing method of Cortex Eucommiae.