• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.7.1-7.14
• /
• 2022

Background: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection is a primary cause of livestock diarrhea. Therefore, effective vaccines are needed to reduce the incidence of ETEC infection. Objectives: Our study aimed to develop a multivalent ETEC vaccine targeting major virulence factors of ETEC, including enterotoxins and fimbriae. Methods: SLS (STa-LTB-STb) recombinant enterotoxin and fimbriae proteins (F4, F5, F6, F18, and F41) were prepared to develop a multivalent vaccine. A total of 65 mice were immunized subcutaneously by vaccines and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The levels of specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and pro-inflammatory cytokines were determined at 0, 7, 14 and 21 days post-vaccination (dpv). A challenge test with a lethal dose of ETEC was performed, and the survival rate of the mice in each group was recorded. Feces and intestine washes were collected to measure the concentrations of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). Results: Anti-SLS and anti-fimbriae-specific IgG in serums of antigen-vaccinated mice were significantly higher than those of the control group. Immunization with the SLS enterotoxin and multivalent vaccine increased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations. Compared to diarrheal symptoms and 100% death of mice in the control group, mice inoculated with the multivalent vaccine showed an 80% survival rate without any symptom of diarrhea, while SLS and fimbriae vaccinated groups showed 60 and 70% survival rates, respectively. Conclusions: Both SLS and fimbriae proteins can serve as vaccine antigens, and the combination of these two antigens can elicit stronger immune responses. The results suggest that the multivalent vaccine can be successfully used for preventing ETEC in important livestock.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.81-92
• /
• 2023

Obesity-induced inflammation is crucial in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we investigated the effects of the Gracilaria chorda (GC) on lipid accumulation and obesity-induced inflammatory changes or glucose homeostasis in cell models (3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages). Samples of GC were extracted using solvents (water, methanol, and ethanol) and subcritical water (SW) at different temperatures (90, 150, and 210℃). The total phenolic content of GCSW extract at 210℃ (GCSW210) showed the highest content compared to others, and GCSW210 highly inhibited lipid accumulation and significantly reduced gene expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c, and fatty acid synthase in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In addition, GCSW210 effectively downregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokine regulator pathways in RAW 264.7 macrophages, including mitogen-activated protein kinase, signal transducers and activators of transcription and nuclear factor-κB. In co-culture of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages, GCSW210 significantly reduced nitric oxide production and interleukin-6 levels, and improved glucose uptake with dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that GCSW210 improves glucose metabolism by attenuating obesity-induced inflammation in adipocytes, which may be used as a possible treatment option for managing obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2023

Objectives The anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of Youngseonjeatonguem (靈仙除痛飮, YSJTU) was evaluated in a cellular model using RAW264.7 macrophages, which are involved in osteoarthritis (OA), and an animal model using Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and a possible mechanism of anti-arthritic actions of YSJTU was presented. Methods RAW264.7 macrophages were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-𝛼, interleukin [IL]-1𝛽, and IL-6) and inflammatory mediators (nitric oxide [NO] and prostaglandin E2 [PGE2]) was determined by ELISA and Griess assay, respectively. Western blot was performed to determine inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. OA was induced by intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) into the right knee joint of SD rats. Results In RAW264.7 macrophages, YSJTU reduced LPS-induced production of TNF-𝛼, IL-1𝛽, and IL-6. In addition, YSJTU inhibited LPS-induced production of NO and PGE2 by suppressing iNOS and COX-2 expression. In SD rats, YSJTU improved MIA-induced OA by reducing swelling, skin heat, and cartilage degradation. In addition, YSJTU reduced serum levels of TNF-𝛼, IL-1𝛽, and IL-6, along with its significant decrease in serum levels of NO and PGE2. Conclusions These results suggest that YSJTU may exert anti-arthritic effect, at least in part, by inhibiting macrophage-mediated joint inflammation.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.131-141
• /
• 2024

Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common disorders and it shows up to 20% prevalence in reproductive-aged women populations, but no cures are available to date. We aimed to investigate the protective effects of Changbudodam-tang (CBD) on cell death signaling pathways, inflammation, and oxidative stress observed in Bone-Marrow derived human mesenchymal stem cell (BM-hMSC) by means of PCOS therapeutics in the future. Methods: BM-hMSCs were applied with cell deaths and injuries. Apoptosis and pyroptosis signals were quenched with their related signaling pathways using quantitative PCR, Western blot, and fluorescence image analysis. Results: Our data clearly displayed hydrogen peroxide- and nigericin-treated cell death signaling pathways via regulations of mitochondrial integrity and interleukin (IL)-1β at the cellular levels (p < 0.01 or 0.001). We further observed that pre-treatment with CBD showed protective effects against oxidative stress by enhancement of antioxidant components at the cellular level, with respect to both protein and mRNA expression levels (p < 0.05, 0.01 or 0.001). The mechanisms of CBD were examined by Western blot analysis, and it showed anti-cell death, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects via normalizations of the Jun N-terminal kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7/c-Jun signaling pathways. Conclusion: This study confirmed the pharmacological properties of CBD by regulation of cellular oxidation and the inflammation-provoked cell death condition of BM-hMSCs, which is mediated by the MKK7/JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2024

Although there have been several attempts to use virtual reality (VR) in the treatment of depression, the results have been inconsistent and existing studies have mostly relied on subjective measures to assess the effectiveness of VR in improving depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nature experience-based VR intervention on depressive symptoms in a young population using both subjective and objective measurements. The study population included 15 participants who had more than 14 identifiers of the Korean Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI)-II. Participants received three weeks (four times per week) of VR intervention. The effectiveness of VR was assessed through changes in K-BDI-II scores and depression-related blood biomarkers. Nature experience-based VR intervention led to an approximately 50% reduction of K-BDI-II score (before 25.7±7.7 vs. after 12.5±8.3 (P<0.001)). Of these, loss of pleasure and fatigue showed the largest amount of improvement. However, levels of cortisol, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and interleukin-6 did not differ from those at baseline. The findings of our pilot study suggest that nature experience-based VR can be a useful adjunctive treatment method for improving depressive symptoms in individuals who have difficulty accessing the real outside natural environment.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.62 no.2
• /
• pp.243-250
• /
• 2024

We investigated organ specific Toxocara canis larval migration in mice infected with T. canis larvae. We observed the worm burden and systemic immune responses. Three groups of BALB/c mice (n=5 each) were orally administered 1,000 T. canis 2nd stage larvae to induce larva migrans. Mice were sacrificed at 1, 3, and 5 weeks post-infection. Liver, lung, brain, and eye tissues were collected. Tissue from 2 mice per group was digested for larval count, while the remaining 3 mice underwent histological analysis. Blood hematology and serology were evaluated and compared to that in a control uninfected group (n=5) to assess the immune response. Cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were also analyzed. We found that, 1 week post-infection, the mean parasite load in the liver (72±7.1), brain (31±4.2), lungs (20±5.7), and eyes (2±0) peaked and stayed constant until the 3 weeks. By 5-week post-infection, the worm burden in the liver and lungs significantly decreased to 10±4.2 and 9±5.7, respectively, while they remained relatively stable in the brain and eyes (18±4.2 and 1±0, respectively). Interestingly, ocular larvae resided in all retinal layers, without notable inflammation in outer retina. Mice infected with T. canis exhibited elevated levels of neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, and immunoglobulin E. At 5 weeks post-infection, interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13 levels were elevated in BAL fluid. Whereas IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, and interferon-γ levels in BAL fluid were similar to that in controls. Our findings demonstrate that a small portion of T. canis larvae migrate to the eyes and brain within the first week of infection. Minimal tissue inflammation was observed, probably due to increase of anti-inflammatory cytokines. This study contributes to our understanding of the histological and immunological responses to T. canis infection in mice, which may have implications to further understand human toxocariasis.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.50 no.9
• /
• pp.882-890
• /
• 2007

Purpose : Preterm very low birth weight infant have high rate of adverse neurodevelopmental sequale. Recently, there have been lots of reports that human umbilical cord blood transplantation ameliorates functional deficits in animal models as hypoxic ischemic injury. This pilot study was undertaken to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of autologous umbilical cord blood cell transplantation for preventing neurodevelopmental sequale in perterm VLBW. Methods : Subjects were 26 preterm infants whose birth weight are less than 1,500 g and delivered under the intrauterine period 34 weeks. Autologous umbilical mononuclear cells (about $5.87{\times}10^7/kg$) were injected to neonate via the umbilical vein on the postnatal 24-48 hour. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed by numbers of nucleated RBC, urinary uric acid/creatinine ratio, concentration of neuron specific enolase (NSE), interleukin 6 (IL6), interleukin-$1{\beta}$ ($IL-1{\beta}$), and glial cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid on day 1 and 7. Results : There were no significant differences in the numbers of the nucleated RBC, urinary uric acid/creatinine ratio, concentration of creatine kinase between the transplanted infants and controls. But the nucleated RBC is more likely to be rapidly discharged in the transplanted group. In the transplanted group, the concentrations of IL6, $IL-1{\beta}$, and GDNF were no significant difference between day 1 and 7, although GDNF seemed to be elevated. Serum NSE concentration was significantly elevated after transplantation, but not in CSF. Conclusion : It is suggested that autologous umbilical cord blood transplantation in preterm very low birth weight infant is safe to apply clinical practice. Long term follow up study should be needed to evaluate the potential therapeutic effect of umbilical cord blood transplantation for neuroprotection.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.10
• /
• pp.886-895
• /
• 2020

The development of novel peptide antibiotics with potent antimicrobial activity and anti-inflammatory activity is urgently needed. In a previous work, we performed an in-silico analysis of the Papilio xuthus transcriptome to identify putative antimicrobial peptides and identified several candidates. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of papiliocin 3, which was selected bioinformatically based on its physicochemical properties against bacteria and mouse macrophage Raw264.7 cells. Papiliocin 3 showed antibacterial activities against E. coli and S. aureus without inducing hemolysis and decreased the nitric oxide production of the lipopolysaccharide-induced Raw264.7 cells. Moreover, ELISA and Western blot analysis revealed that papiliocin 3 reduced the expression levels of pro-inflammatory enzymes, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂). In addition, we examined whether papiliocin 3 could inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β) in LPS-induced Raw264.7 cells. We found that papiliocin 3 markedly reduced the expression level of cytokines through the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. We also confirmed that papiliocin 3 binds to bacterial cell membranes via a specific interaction with lipopolysaccharides. Collectively, these findings suggest that papiliocin 3 could be a promising molecule for development as a novel peptide antibiotic.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.735-743
• /
• 2015

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of barley leaf extract in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and hairless mice. Pre-treatment with barley leaf extract significantly inhibited the protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-II (COX-II) in a dose-dependent manner in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Barley leaf extract also significantly inhibited the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Moreover, phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) were strongly suppressed by barley leaf extract in LPS-stimulated cells. In hairless mice, barley extract significantly decreased the pathological phenotypes of contact dermatitis, such as erythema, edema, and scabs. These results indicate that barley leaf extract has an anti-inflammatory effect and therefore a possible role in the treatment of inflammatory diseases or in functional cosmetics.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.103-110
• /
• 2018

Environmental stimuli can lead to the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is one of the risk factors for premature skin aging. Here, we investigated the protective effects of $7-MEGA^{TM}$ 500 (50% palmitoleic acid, 7-MEGA) against oxidative stress-induced cellular damage and its underlying therapeutic mechanisms in the HaCaT human skin keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT cells). Our results showed that treatment with 7-MEGA prior to hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced damage significantly increased the viability of HaCaT cells. 7-MEGA effectively attenuated generation of $H_2O_2$-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inhibited $H_2O_2$-induced inflammatory factors, such as prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$), and $interleukin-1{\beta}$ ($IL-1{\beta}$). In addition, cells treated with 7-MEGA exhibited significantly decreased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and increased expression of procollagen type 1 (PCOL1) and Elastin against oxidative stress by $H_2O_2$. Interestingly, these protective activities of 7-MEGA were similar in scope and of a higher magnitude than those seen with 98.5% palmitoleic acid (PA) obtained from Sigma when given at the same concentration (100 nL/mL). According to our data, 7-MEGA is able to protect HaCaT cells from $H_2O_2$-induced damage through inhibiting cellular oxidative stress and inflammation. Moreover, 7-MEGA may affect skin elasticity maintenance and improve skin wrinkles. These findings indicate that 7-MEGA may be useful as a food supplement for skin health.