• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.99-111
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• 2009

Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by focal loss of cartilage due to an up-regulation of inflammatory pathways, which produce pro-inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin-1(IL-1), tumour necrosis factor alpha($TNF-\alpha$), prostaglantin, and nitric oxide(NO). We investigated the anti-arthritic effects of water extracts from Pellodendri cortex and Atractylodis rhizoma in vitro and in vivo. Each extract suppressed the production of inflammatory mediators(NO, $IL-1\beta$, $TNF-\alpha$, and prostaglandin $E_2$) and the expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. These suppressive effects were synergistically increased by their combination. The same results were also observed in the rat osteoblast sarcoma cell line ROS17/2.8 stimulated with $IL-1\beta$, $IFN-\gamma,$ and $TNF-\alpha$. Moreover, the combination of these water extracts significantly suppressed collagen-induced mouse arthritis. These results suggest that the combination of water-extractable components of Pellodendri cortex and Atractylodis rhizoma may be useful for therapeutic drugs against rheumatoid arthritis, probably by suppressing the production of inflammatory mediators.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.348-358
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• 2007

Metallothionein, a cysteine-rich stress response protein that is naturally induced by a variety of immunologic stressors, has been shown to suppress autoimmune disorders through mechanisms not yet fully defined. In the present study, we examined the underlying mechanisms by which metallothionein might mediate such regulation of autoimmunity. $Na\ddot{i}ve\;CD4^+$ T cells from metallothionein-deficient mice differentiated to produce significantly less IL-10, $TGF-{\gamma}$, and repressor of GATA, but more $IFN-{\gamma}$ and T-bet, when compared with those from wild-type mice. The levels of IL-4 and GATA-3 production were not different between the two groups of mice. Conversely, treatment with exogenous metallothionein during the priming phase drove $na\ddot{i}ve$ wild-type $CD4^+\;T$ cells to differentiate into cells producing more IL-10 and $TGF-{\beta}$, but less $IFN-{\gamma}$ than untreated cells. Metallothionein-primed cells were hyporesponsive to restimulation, and suppressive to T cell proliferation in an IL-10-dependent manner. Lymphocytes from metallothionein-deficient mice displayed significantly elevated levels of AP-1 and JNK activities in response to stimulation compared with those from wild-type controls. Importantly, transgenic mice overexpressing metallothionein exhibited significantly reduced susceptibility to collagen-induced arthritis and enhanced IL-10 level in the serum, relative to their nontransgenic littermates. Taken together, these data suggest that metallothionein is able to promote the generation of IL-10-and $TGF-{\beta}$-producing type 1 regulatory T-like cells by downregulating JNK-dependent AP-1 activity. Thus, metallothionein may play an important role in the regulation of Th1-dependent autoimmune arthritis, and may represent both a potential target for therapeutic manipulation and a critical element in the diagnostic assessment of disease potential.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.43.1-43.14
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• 2021

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3), which express IL-22 and IL-17A, has been introduced as one of pathologic cells in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Dyslipidaemia should be managed in axSpA patients to reduce cardiovascular disease, and dyslipidaemia promotes inflammation. This study aimed to reveal the role of circulating ILC3 in axSpA and the impact of dyslipidaemia on axSpA pathogenesis. AxSpA patients with or without dyslipidaemia and healthy control were recruited. Peripheral blood samples were collected, and flow cytometry analysis of circulating ILC3 and CD4⁺ T cells was performed. The correlation between Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS)-C-reactive protein (CRP) and circulating immune cells was evaluated. The effect of oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (oxLDL-C) on immune cell differentiation was confirmed. AxSpA human monocytes were cultured with with oxLDL-C, IL-22, or oxLDL-C plus IL-22 to evaluate osteoclastogenesis using tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and real-time quantitative PCR of osteoclast-related gene expression. Total of 34 axSpA patients (13 with dyslipidaemia and 21 without) were included in the analysis. Circulating IL-22⁺ ILC3 and Th17 were significantly elevated in axSpA patients with dyslipidaemia (p=0.001 and p=0.034, respectively), and circulating IL-22⁺ ILC3 significantly correlated with ASDAS-CRP (Rho=0.4198 and p=0.0367). Stimulation with oxLDL-C significantly increased IL-22⁺ ILC3, NKp44^- ILC3, and Th17 cells, and these were reversed by CD36 blocking agent. IL-22 and oxLDL-C increased TRAP⁺ cells and osteoclast-related gene expression. This study suggested potential role of circulating IL-22⁺ ILC3 as biomarker in axSpA. Furthermore, dyslipidaemia augmented IL-22⁺ ILC3 differentiation, and oxLDL-C and IL-22 markedly increased osteoclastogenesis of axSpA.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 2020

Psoriasis is one of the most common inflammatory skin disorders, with a global prevalence of 2% - 3%. It is an autoimmune skin disorder characterized by excessive generation of plaques on the skin with typical long-lasting red, itchy, and scaly lesions. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the anti-psoriatic effect of the methanolic extract of Persicaria senticosa (PS), a bioactive edible plant extract used in traditional medicine, using a mouse model of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis. The daily topical application of IMQ could induce human psoriasis-like lesion. The extract ameliorated IMQ-induced psoriasis. Furthermore, hematoxylin and eosin staining and the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores indicated that topical application of PS led to an improvement in erythema, scaling, and thickness scores of the mouse dorsal skin and a considerable decrease in the epidermal thickness of the ear and dorsal skin in the IMQ-induced psoriatic mouse model. We also studied the effect of PS on the proliferation of keratinocytes using HaCaT cells. The extract inhibited cell proliferation and IL-6 and pSTAT3 expression induced by M5 cocktail (comprising interleukin [IL]-1α, IL-17A, IL-22, oncostatin M, and tumor necrosis factor-α) in HaCaT cells. Thus, PS might serve as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of psoriasis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1995

Alveolar macrophages play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of silicosis since the macrophages may release a wide variety of toxic and inflammatory mediators as well as mitogenic growth factors. In the present study, the effects of in vitro exposure to silica on release of various mediator such as reactive oxygen species, platelet activating factor(PAF), and interleukin-1 (IL-1) by alveolar macrophages were examined. First, hydrogen peroxide release from alveolar macrophages was monitored by measuring the change in fluorescence of scopoletin in the absence or presence of graded concentration of silica. Significantly enhanced release of hydrogen peroxide was observed at 0.5 mg/ml and above. A maximal enhancement of 10 fold above control was observed at 5 mg/ml silica. Similarly, in vitro exposure to silica also significantly stimulated the generation of chemiluminescence from alveolar macrophages at 0.5 mg/ml and above with n maximal enhancement of 8 fold at 5 mg/ml silica. Second, PAF release from alveolar macrophages after 30 min incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ in absence or presence of zymosan and silica was determined by measuring $^{3}H-serotonin$ release ability of the conditioned macrophage supernates from platelets. 5 mg/ml zymosan as a positive control fur the PAF assay increased PAF release by 19 % of total serotonin release. Furthermore, silica also resulted in significant enhancement of the PAF release compared with that in unstimulated (control) cells, i.e., $17.7{\pm}5.8%$ and $24.0{\pm}4.9%$ of total serotonin release at 5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml silica, respectively, which represents the release of nanomole levels of PAF. Lastly, IL-1 production by alveolar macrophages was analysed following their stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and silica by their capacity to stimulate thymocyte proliferation. $10\;{\mu}g/ml$ LPS resulted in an 11 fold increase in IL-1 production. In comparison, $50\;{\mu}g/ml$ silica resulted in a 4 fold increase in IL-1 release. These data indicate that in vitro exposure of alveolar macrophages to silica activates the release of various bioactive mediators such as reactive oxygen species, PAF and IL-1 which thus contribute to amplification of inflammatory reactions and regulation of fibrotic responses by the lung after inhalation of silica.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.206-217
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The immunomodulatory effect of Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) has been reported, but studies on its mechanism are still lacking. This study was undertaken to confirm whether the hydrolyzed and fermented PG extract (HFPGE) obtained by adding hydrolysis and fermentation to the extraction process has an immune-enhancing effect in the in vivo system. MATERIALS/METHODS: Five-week-old BALB/c mice were divided into 4 groups: normal control group (NOR), control group (CON), 150 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day HFPGE-treated group (T150), and 300 mg/kg BW/day HFPGE-treated group (T300). The mice were administered HFPGE for 4 weeks and intraperitoneally injected with cyclophosphamide (CPA, 80 mg/kg BW/day) on day 6, 7, and 8, respectively, to induce immunosuppression. The levels of immunoglobulins (Igs) and cytokines were measured in the serum. In splenocytes, proliferation and cytokine levels were measured. RESULTS: Serum IgA, IgG, and IgM levels were observed to decrease after CPA treatment, which was recovered by HFPGE administration. The levels of serum interleukin (IL)-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-8, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were also decreased after exposure to CPA but increased after HFPGE administration. Decreased splenocyte proliferation was seen in CPA-treated mice, but was observed to increase in the T150 and T300 groups as compared to the NOR group. Compared to the CON group, splenocyte proliferation stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the HFPGE-treated groups was significantly increased. The cytokines secreted by ConA-stimulated splenocytes (IL-2, IL-12, interferon-γ, TNF-α) were increased in the T150 and T300 groups, and cytokines secreted by LPS-stimulated splenocytes (IL-4, IL-8, TGF-β) were also increased by HFPGE administration. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that HFPGE stimulates the immunity in immunosuppressed conditions, thereby enhancing the immune response. Therefore, it is expected that HFPGE has the potential to be used as functional food and medicine for immune recovery in various immunocompromised situations.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.17-23
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• 2011

The focus of this study was to clarify the relation between the nitric oxide (NO) production and cytokine expression including tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and also investigated the effect of G-NANA (N-acylneuraminic acid isolates from glycomacropeptide) or S-NANA (Synthetic N-acylneuraminic acid) on LPS stimuli from RAW264.7 cell. The NANA is the predominant sialic acid found in mammalian cells and G-NANA is isolation of GMP (GMP is a valuable bioactive peptide with a varying degree of glycosylation including sialic acid). The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria induces the expression of cytokines and potent inducers of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6. In this experiment, upon stimulation with increasing concentrations of chitosan, the LPS-stimulated TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 secretion was significantly recovered with in the incubation media of RAW264.7 cells. Consistently, RT-PCR with mRNA and immunoblot analysis with anti-cytokine antiserum including TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 showed that the amount of TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 secretion in the incubation media recovered with the concentration of chitosan. The LPS-stimulated NO secretion was significantly recovered with in the 6 and 12 h incubation media of RAW264.7 cells, too. The recovery effect of G-NANA on IL-6 and NO secretion may be induced via the stimulus of TNF-${\alpha}$ in RAW264.7 cell. These results once again suggest that G-NANA may have the anti-inflammatory effect via the stimulus of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the LPS-stimulated inflammation in RAW264.7 cells.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2022

Background: Neutrophilic asthma (NeuA) is usually resistant to corticosteroids. Tiotropium bromide (TIO) is a bronchodilator that is used as an add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting β2 agonist in asthma treatment. However, the role of TIO in NeuA is not fully known. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of TIO on NeuA compared to that of corticosteroids. Methods: C57BL/6 female mice were sensitized with ovalbumin and lipopolysaccharide to induce neutrophilic inflammation. Dexamethasone (DEX) was administered on days 14, 17, 20, and 23. TIO was inhaled on days 21, 21, and 23. On day 24, mice were sacrificed. Airway hyper-responsiveness, levels of cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung homogenates, and lung tissue histopathology were compared between the two groups. Results: Neutrophil counts, T helper 2 cells (T_H2)/T_H17 cytokines, and pro-inflammatory cytokine in BAL fluids were elevated in the NeuA group. TIO group showed lower total cells, neutrophil counts, and eosinophil counts in BAL fluids than the DEX group (p<0.001, p<0.05, and p<0.001, respectively). Airway resistance was attenuated in the TIO group but elevated in the NeuA group (p<0.001). Total protein, interleukin (IL)-5, and IL-17A levels in BAL fluids were lower in the TIO group than in the NeuA group (all p<0.05). Conclusion: TIO showed more potent effects than DEX in improving airway inflammation and attenuating airway resistance in NeuA.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.382-392
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• 2012

This study evaluated the effects of dietary anticoccidial drugs plus antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) on parameters of immunity in commercial broiler chickens. Day-old chicks were raised on used litter from a farm with endemic gangrenous dermatitis to simulate natural pathogen exposure and provided with diets containing decoquinate (DECX) or monensin (COBN) as anticoccidials plus bacitracin methylene disalicylate and roxarsone as AGPs. As a negative control, the chickens were fed with a non-supplemented diet. Immune parameters examined were concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated spleen cell proliferation, intestine intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) and spleen cell subpopulations, and cytokine/chemokine mRNA levels in IELs and spleen cells. ConA-induced proliferation was decreased at 14 d post-hatch in DECX-treated chickens, and increased at 25 and 43 d in COBN-treated animals, compared with untreated controls. In DECX-treated birds, increased percentages of $MHC2^+$ and $CD4^+$ IELS were detected at 14 d, but decreased percentages of these cells were seen at 43 d, compared with untreated controls, while increased $TCR2^+$ IELs were evident at the latter time. Dietary COBN was associated with decreased fractions of $MHC2^+$ and $CD4^+$ IELs and reduced percentages of $MHC2^+$, $BU1^+$, and $TCR1^+$ spleen cells compared with controls. The levels of transcripts for interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-17F, IL-13, CXCLi2, interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$), and transforming growth factor${\beta}$4 were elevated in IELs, and those for IL-13, IL-17D, CXCLi2, and IFN-${\gamma}$ were increased in spleen cells, of DECX- and/or COBN-treated chickens compared with untreated controls. By contrast, IL-2 and IL-12 mRNAs in IELs, and IL-4, IL-12, and IL-17F transcripts in spleen cells, were decreased in DECX- and/or COBN-treated chickens compared with controls. These results suggest that DECX or COBN, in combination with bacitracin and roxarsone, modulate the development of the chicken post-hatch immune system.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.89-89
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• 2002

In this study, we examined transmission efficiency and expression level of the transgenes in the transgenic mice. The transgenic lines secreting a considerable amount of human lactoferrin(LF) thrombopoietin(TPO), interleukin-10(IL-10) into their milk were subjected to access the inheritance and maintenance of transgenic phenotype. They were bred through three generations. The transmission frequency for each generations(F9, F10, F11) of 3 lines was 38.03±10.43%(13/35), 48.33±3.76%(19/39) and 31.83±8.88%(9/28) in the LF line, 51.33±18.98%(20/38), 63.70±35.71%(12/20) and 29.57± 15.05%(8/26) in the TPO line, 38.27±17.74%(15/37), 47.47±29.88%(14/28) and 50.87±5.85%(14/28) in the IL-10 line, respectively. (omitted)