• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.69-76
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• 2006

Objectives : The fresh young leaves and dried fruits of Zanthoxylum piperitum (Korean name: Chopi) are used as diuretics, stomachies, anthelmintic and for the treatments of disorders of the digestive organ in Asia. We investigated inhibitory effects of Zanthoxylum piperitum extract on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced production of nitric oxide(NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines including $TNF-{\alpha}$ and $IL-1{\beta}$ from RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells. Methods : After methanol extract of Zanthoxylum Fructus (Zanthoxylum extract) was pretreated in RAW264.7 cells, the cells were stimulated with LPS. Cell toxicity of Zanthoxylum extract was assayed bv MTT assay. The production of NO from the cells was measured in culture medium by Griess reaction. The production of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and $IL-1 \;{\beta}$ from the cells was measured in culture medium by ELISA. Results : Zanthoxylum Fructus extract greatly inhibited the production of inflammatory mediators such as NO, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and $IL-1{\beta}$ from LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Conclusion : This result suggests that Zanthoxylum extract may have an anti-inflammatory effect through the inhibition of inflammatory mediators.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.583-588
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• 1998

These experiments were investigated effects of the cell death of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) on transplanted-L1210 cells in BALB/c mice. The GA suppressed the proliferation of L121 0 cells in vivo and in vitro system. The administration of GA induced apoptosis of transplanted-L1210 cells via the reduction of mitochondrial transmembrane potential in mice. The GA enhanced the production of nitric oxidation in peritoneal macrophages obtained from L1210 cells-transplanted mice. The apoptosis of L1210 cells were induced by co-culture of the macrophages obtained from GA administered mice and L1210 cells in vitro, and was partly inhibited by the treatment of L-NMMA. These results suggest that GA induces the cytotoxicity and the apoptosis of transplanted-L1210 cells via the production of nitric oxide in peritoneal macrophages.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.3 s.19
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• pp.206-212
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• 2005

Purpose: Angiogenesis has a critical role in tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. In gastric cancer, tumor-associated macrophages and mast cells produce angiogenic factors such as VEGF, that inhibit the functional maturation of dendritic cells. The aim of this study is to identify tumor-associated macrophages, mast cells, dendritic cell infiltrations, and microvessel densities (MVD) to investigate the relationship between them and the prognosis for gastric-cancer patients. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 79 patients selected from those who had undergone a curative gastric resection for stomach cancer. With them, Immune-histochemical staining was done using CD34 for the MVD, CD68 antigen for macrophages, and S-100 protein for dendritic cells, and toluidine blue staining was done for mast cells. Results: Macrophage infiltration showed a statistically significant positive correlation with histologic differentiation and a negative correlation with invasion depth, nodal metastasis, and stage. S-100 (+) dendritic cells and mast cells had no significant correlations with histologic differentiation, invasion depth, nodal metastasis, distant metastasis, stage, and MVD. As survival, no statistically significant differences were seen between the variables. Conclusion: Tumor-associated macrophages should be evaluated as possible prognostic markers in gastric-cancer patients.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.94-99
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• 2007

The immunostimulating activities of mucilage fraction from yam were investigated. The proliferation of BSA-primed lymph node cells was enhanced between 4.1- to 10.9-fold compare to control, when cultured with 1 to $25{\mu}g/mL$ of yam-mucilage fraction. It showed strong immunostimulating activity than ginseng extract and as remarkable as Bifidobacterium adolescentis M101-4 known as a positive immunostimulator. Mitogenicity to lymph node cells was fully induced by concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide. The proliferation of splenocytes and Peyer's patch cells was enhanced between 5.0- to 14.1-fold and 2.4- to 6.4-fold, respectively, when cultured with 1 to $25{\mu}g/mL$ of yam-mucilage fraction. It enhanced the production of cytokines such as tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 in the culture of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. In the culture of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, production of cytokines was as similar as compared to controls. In unstimulated RAW 264.7 cells, both tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 production were enhanced between 15.6- to 60.1-fold and 2.3- to 9.1-fold, respectively. Mucilage fraction from yam is expected to be a safe immunopotentiator to maintain the host immunity and develop a physiologically functional food.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 1999

The present work was carried out to examine the effect of costunolide on the growth of several cells and characteristics of U-937 human leukemia-derived cell line. Costunolide produced a potent antitumor activity in vitro dependent on concentration against several tumor cells such as P-388, L-1210 leukemia and SNU-5 stomach cancer cells. However, it showed less cytotoxicity on normal cells such as Maccaccus rheus monkey kidney cells (MA-104) up to 200 ${\mu}M$ concentration. An effect of cell differentiation by costunolide was assessed by its ability to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), and to induce phagocytosis of latex particles. In order to establish whether costunolide induces U-937 cells to differentiate toward macrophage or granulocyte, esterase activities was measured. Based on these results, we found that costunolide having cytotoxicity on U-937 human leukemia cells was explained through differentiation inducing activity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1404-1408
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• 2009

Methanol extracts of Rubus Coreanus Miquel (RCM) were found to exhibit apoptosis induction of U937 human histiocytic leukemia cells. Treatment of RCM exerted strong cytotoxicity against U937 human leukemia cells. RCM induced apoptosis of U937 leukemia cells in a dose dependent manner. Nitric oxide (NO) production was increased in RCM-treated RAW264.7 macrophage cell line. RCM increased the p53 and $NF{\kappa}B$ gene and decreased the $I{\kappa}B$ gene expression in U937 cells. RCM also increased the $NF{\kappa}B$ protein expression, but decreased the PCNA and BcL-xL protein expression in cultured U937 cells. These data suggest that RCM are effective on the apoptosis induction of human leukemia cells and anti-cancer properties.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.584-589
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• 2006

Bifidobacteria has been suggested to exert health promoting effects on the host by maintaining microbial flora and modulating immune functions in the human intestine. We assessed modulatory effects of the different cell fractions of Bifidobacterium sp. BGN4 on macrophage cells and other immune cells from the spleen and Peyer's patches (PP) of mouse. Cell free extracts (CFE) of the BGN4 fractions induced well-developed morphological changes in the macrophages and increased the phagocytic activity more effectively than other fractions in the mouse peritoneal cells. Nitric oxide (NO) production was significantly reduced by both the cell walls (CW) and CFE in the cultured cells from the spleen and PP. The production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) was eminent in the spleen cells treated with experimental BGN4 cell fractions. However, in the PP cells, IL-6 was slightly decreased by the treatment with the whole cell (WC) and CW, whereas IL-10 was significantly increased by the treatment with the CW and CFE. These results suggest that different types of bifidobacterial cell fractions may have differential immunomodulatory activities depending on their location within the host immune system.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.203-212
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• 1988

To find antitumor components from the higher fungi of Korea, the mycelia of Favolus alveolarius (Fr.) Quelet were cultured in a liquid medium. The cultured mycelia were extracted with hot water twice, and a high molecular weight fraction was obtained by adding two volumes of ethanol to the extract. Two grams of Fraction A were obtained by dialyzing it. It was further separated into four fractions by gel filtration with Sepharose CL-4B, and they were designated Fractions B, C, D, and E. The results of the antitumor test showed that Fractions A, B, C, D and E had tumor inhibition ratios of 92.3, 78.5, 59.6, 77.4 and 62.2%, respectively. Anthrone test was carried out to determine the contents of total polysaccharide of the five fractions, and they had 46.3, 27.3, 65.3, 64.6, and 46.1%, respectively. The contents of the total protein of the five fractions were 29.4, 13.9, 14.3, 14.3, and 29.1%, respectively. Monosaccharide subunits of each fraction were analyzed with gas chromatography, and glucose, xylose, mannose, galactose and fucose were identified. Fraction A was examined for immunological effects. It increased the count of hemolytic plaque forming cells 12.8 times to that of the control group, and the population of macrophage in peritoneal cavity 3.2 times to that of the control group.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.57-58
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• 2006

Red ginseng is a classical traditional Chinese medicine. Among Chinese herbs, red ginseng has been considered as one of the tonics. Many studies indicated that red ginseng could enhance immune function of the human body. Red ginseng total saponin, ginsenoside, the most important active constituents identified in red ginseng can protect against myocardial ischaemia damage and protect endothelium against electrolysis-induced free radical injury. Macrophages play a significant role in host defense mechanisms. When activated, they inhibit the growth of a wide variety of tumor cells. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of pure ginsenoside Rb1 on immunostimulatory activity such as murine macrophage phagocytosis and proliferation of splenocytes. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on the production of nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha) in murine macrophage, RAW 264.7 cells. ROS have emerged as important signaling molecules in the regulation of various cellular processes. Ginsenoside Rb1 significantly increased production of ROS in dose dependent manner. As NO plays an important role in immune function, ginsenoside Rb1 treatment could modulate several aspects of host defense mechanisms due to stimulation. Treatment with ginsenoside Rb1 to macrophages induced the production of NO and proinflammatory cytokines and expression levels of these genes in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, incubation of RAW 264.7 cells with ginsenoside Rb1 showed a dose dependent increased phagocytosis activity and lymphocyte proliferation of splenocytes. Therefore, these results suggest that ginsenoside Rb1 has promising potential as a natural medicine for stimulation of the immune system.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.2878-2882
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• 2012

Amentoflavone is naturally occurring bioflavonoid that is found in a number of plants. In this paper, the anti-inflammatory activity of amentoflavone in LPS-stimulated macrophages and its mode of action were examined. Using LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells, we found that amentoflavone exerted anti-inflammatory activities through inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 secretion. Amentoflavone (1.0-20 ${\mu}M$) gradually inhibited nitrite production without cytotoxicity. Amentoflavone (1.0 and 10 ${\mu}M$) effectively suppressed both TNF-${\alpha}$ and MIP-2 cytokine release from LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The expression of mIL-$1{\beta}$ and mMIP-2 cytokine mRNAs was completely inhibited while expression of mMIP-1 was effectively suppressed and mTNF-${\alpha}$ expression was slightly inhibited by 10 ${\mu}M$ amentoflavone. We also demonstrated that the innate immune response to amentoflavone involves the toll-like receptor (TLR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. LPS-induced upregulation of p38 MAPK phosphorylation was significantly reduced by 10 ${\mu}M$ amentoflavone. These results suggest that amentoflavone exhibits effective anti-inflammatory activities through regulation of TLR4 and phosphorylation of p38 MAPKs.