• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.10a
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• pp.65-65
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• 2019

In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of extracts of leaves (LCLE) and branches (LCBE) from L. caerulea in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Inhibitory effect of LCLE and LCBE against LPS-induced overproduction of NO, iNOS and $IL-1{\beta}$ was higher than LCFE. Furthermore, LCLE and LCBE significantly inhibited the overexpression of COX-2, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. LCLE and LCBE did not inhibited LPS-induced degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$, but blocked the nuclear accumulation of p65. LCLE did not inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38, while LCBE significantly attenuated phosphorylation level of p38. LCLE and LCBE increased HO-1 protein level and decrease of iNOS and $IL-1{\beta}$ expression by LCLE and LCBE was inhibited by HO-1 knockdown. The inhibition of p38 by SB203580 and ROS by NAC blocked HO-1 expression by LCLE and LCBE. LCLE and LCBE increased p38 phosphorylation and the inhibition of ROS by NAC blocked p38 phosphorylation LCLE and LCBE. LCLE and LCBE induced nuclear accumulation of Nrf2, but this was significantly reversed by the inhibition of p38 and ROS. In addition, LCLE and LCBE increased ATF3 expression and decrease of iNOS and $IL-1{\beta}$ expression by LCLE and LCBE was inhibited by ATF3 knockdown. Collectively, LCLE and LCBE inhibited LPS-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation by blocking p65 nuclear accumulation, increased HO-1 expression by ROS/p38/Nrf2 activation, and increased ATF3 expression. Furthermore, LCBE inhibited LPS-induced p38 phosphorylation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2019

We investigated whether ${\beta}$-carotene (${\beta}-CA$) or ellagic acid (EA), originating from various fruits and vegetables, has a preventive effect against male infertility induced by exogenous scrotal hyperthermia. ICR adult mice were intraperitoneally treated with 10 mg/kg of ${\beta}-CA$ or EA daily for 13 days consecutively. During this time, mice were subjected to transient scrotal heat stress in a water bath at $43^{\circ}C$ for 20 min on day 7, and their testes and blood were obtained on day 14 for histopathologic and biochemical analyses. Heat stress induced significant testicular weight reduction, germ cell loss and degeneration, as well as abnormal localization of phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in spermatogenic and Leydig cells. Heat stress also altered the levels of oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, SOD activity, and PHGPx, MnSOD, and $HIF-1{\alpha}$ mRNAs), apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-xL, caspase 3, $NF-{\kappa}B$, and $TGF-{\beta}1$ mRNAs), and androgen biosynthesis (serological testosterone concentration and $3{\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA) in testes. These changes were all improved significantly by ${\beta}-CA$ treatment, but only slightly improved by EA treatment. These findings indicate that ${\beta}-CA$, through modulations of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and androgen biosynthesis, is a potent preventive agent against testicular injuries induced by scrotal hyperthermia.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.771-779
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• 2022

Background: As a kind of common complication of the surgery of perianal diseases, perianal ulcer is known as a nuisance. This study aims to develop a kind of 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3)-loaded hydrogel to treat perianal ulcers in a rat model. Methods: The copolymers PLGA₁₆₀₀-PEG₁₀₀₀-PLGA₁₆₀₀ were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization process and Rg3-loaded hydrogel was then developed. The perianal ulcer rat model was established to analyze the treatment efficacy of Rg3-loaded hydrogel for ulceration healing for 15 days. The animals were divided into control group, hydrogel group, free Rg3 group, Rg3-loaded hydrogel group, and Lidocaine Gel® group. The residual wound area rate was calculated and the blood concentrations of interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were recorded. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Masson's Trichrome (MT) staining, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), Ki-67, CD31, ERK1/2, and NF-κB immunohistochemical staining were performed. Results: The biodegradable and biocompatible hydrogel carries a homogenous interactive porous structure with 10 ㎛ pore size and five weeks in vivo degradation time. The loaded Rg3 can be released sustainably. The in vitro cytotoxicity study showed that the hydrogel had no effect on survival rate of murine skin fibroblasts L929. The Rg3-loaded hydrogel can facilitate perianal ulcer healing by inhibiting local and systematic inflammatory responses, swelling the proliferation of nuclear cells, collagen deposition, and vascularization, and activating ERK signal pathway. Conclusion: The Rg3-loaded hydrogel shows the best treatment efficacy of perianal ulcer and may be a candidate for perianal ulcer treatment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 2022

Background: This study was performed to determine the effects of liposome-encapsulated bee venom (BV) treatment of inflammatory factors in atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with BV treatment. Methods: AD was induced by phthalic anhydride in mice and the effects of BV liposomes were measured. Using Leica Application Suite, thickened epidermis and dermis were measured after BV liposome treatment (0.05 and 0.1 ㎍/mL). The number of stained mast cells and the concentration of immunoglobulin (Ig)E were measured. Serum IgE concentration was analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-4, and IL-6 inflammatory cytokines were measured. The levels of messenger ribonucleic acid expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines were measured using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, was analyzed on western blot. To measure the transcriptional activity (NF-κB inhibition by BV liposomes), western blots (p65, p-IκB, p50, and IκB) were also performed. Results: The weight of lymph nodes, serum IgE concentrations, morphological changes in the skins from the backs of the mice, and mast cell numbers in inflamed tissues were noticeably lower in the BV liposome treatment group compared with the BV treatment group. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-4, IL-6) and chemokines (TSLP, CCL22) were also reduced. Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-ERK and p-p38), and transcriptional activity (p65, p-IκB, p50, and IκB) was strongly suppressed in the BV liposome group. Conclusion: BV liposomes may have a better therapeutic effect than BV for the treatment of AD.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.29-44
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• 2023

Objectives : This study was planned to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and possible underlying mechanism of TPE (Tetrapanax papyrifer stem(inner part of the stem Extract) and AQE (Akebiae quinata stem Extract) on osteoarthritis. Methods : Osteoarthritis models were induced through intra-articular injection of MIA (monosodium iodoacetate) 50 μL with 80 mg/ml in rats. Excluding the normal group, Osteoarthritis-induced rats were divided into 4 groups (Control, INDO, TPE, AQE). The drug concentrations were indomethacin 5 mg/kg, TPE 200 mg/kg, and AQE 200 mg/kg, and were orally administered once a day for a couple of weeks. After drug supplementation, the effects of TPE and AQE were measured with serum diagnosis, western blotting, and histopathological staining. Results : It was found that the DPPH and ABTS free radical erasure ability of AQE was better than that of TPE. AQE administration improved rear limb overload and it led to relieving pain. Both PTE and AQE significantly reduced the expression of inflammatory mediators COX-2, iNOS, and inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and IL-6 by inhibiting the phosphorylation of IκBα and deactivating the pathway of NF-κBp65. On the other hand, TNF-α was significantly reduced only by administration of AQE. In addition, histopathological analysis showed that the administration of AQE compared to PTE suppressed cartilage degeneration and effectively suppressed damage to proteoglycan, a component of ECM. Conclusion : Reviewing these experimental results, TPE and AQE possessed the effect of delaying the progress of osteoarthritis and protecting cartilage. In addition, the results of this study show that AQE has a better cartilage protection effect than TPE.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.211-219
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• 2023

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component of propolis obtained from honeybee hives. CAPE possesses anti-mitogenic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities in diverse systems, which know as displays antioxidant activity and inhibits lipoxygenase activities, protein tyrosine kinase, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of CAPE on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced human neutrophil phagocytosis. Human neutrophils were cultured with various concentrations of CAPE (1, 10, and 100 µM) with or without LPS. The pro-inflammatory proteins (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-8) levels were measured after 4 h incubation. To investigate the intracellular signaling pathway, we measured the levels of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), including phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Next, to evaluate the potential phagocytosis, neutrophils were labeled with iron particles of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs, 40 nm) for 1 h in culture medium containing 5 mg/mL of iron. The labeling efficiency was determined by Prussian blue staining for intracellular iron and 3T-wighted magnetic resonance imaging. CAPE decreased the activation of intracellular signaling pathways, including ERK1/2 and c-Jun, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-6, but had no effect on the signaling pathways of p38 and cytokine IL-8. Furthermore, images obtained after mannan-coated SPION treatment suggested that CAPE induced significantly higher signal intensities than the control or LPS group. Together, these results suggest that CAPE regulates LPS-mediated activation of human neutrophils to reduce phagocytosis.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.494-507
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• 2023

Vascular dementia (VaD) is characterized by progressive memory impairment, which is associated with microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. Polyphenol-rich natural plants, which possess anti-inflammatory activities, have attracted scientific interest worldwide. This study investigated whether Rubus fruticosus leaf extract (RFLE) can attenuate VaD. Sprague-Dawley rats were separated into five groups: SO, sham-operated and treated with vehicle; OP, operated and treated with vehicle; RFLE-L, operated and treated with low dose (30 mg/kg) of RFLE; RFLE-M, operated and treated with medium dose (60 mg/kg) of RFLE; and RFLE-H, operated and treated with high dose (90 mg/kg) of RFLE. Bilateral common carotid artery and hypotension were used as a modeling procedure, and the RFLE were intraorally administered for 5 days (preoperative 2 and postoperative 3 days). The rats then underwent memory tests including the novel object recognition, Y-maze, Barnes maze, and passive avoidance tests, and neuronal viability and neuroinflammation were quantified in their hippocampi. The results showed that the OP group exhibited VaD-associated memory deficits, neuronal death, and microglial activation in hippocampi, while the RFLE-treated groups showed significant attenuation in all above parameters. Next, using BV-2 microglial cells challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we evaluated the effects of RFLE in dynamics of proinflammatory mediators and the upstream signaling pathway. RFLE pretreatment significantly inhibited the LPS-induced release of nitric oxide, TNF-α, and IL-6 and upregulation of the MAPKs/NF-κB/iNOS pathway. Collectively, we suggest that RFLE can attenuate the histologic alterations and memory deficits accompanied by VaD, and these roles are, partly due to the attenuation of microglial activation.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.30-41
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• 2024

The dense granule protein of Toxoplasma gondii, inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (IST) is an inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) transcriptional activity that binds to STAT1 and regulates the expression of inflammatory molecules in host cells. A sterile inflammatory liver injury in pathological acute liver failures occurs when excessive innate immune function, such as the massive release of IFN-γ and TNF-α, is activated without infection. In relation to inflammatory liver injury, we hypothesized that Toxoplasma gondii inhibitor of STAT1 transcription (TgIST) can inhibit the inflammatory response induced by activating the STAT1/IRF-1 mechanism in liver inflammation. This study used IFN-γ and TNF-α as inflammatory inducers at the cellular level of murine hepatocytes (Hepa-1c1c7) to determine whether TgIST inhibits the STAT1/IRF-1 axis. In stable cells transfected with TgIST, STAT1 expression decreased with a decrease in interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-1 levels. Furthermore, STAT1 inhibition of TgIST resulted in lower levels of NF-κB and COX2, as well as significantly lower levels of class II transactivator (CIITA), iNOS, and chemokines (CLXCL9/10/11). TgIST also significantly reduced the expression of hepatocyte proapoptotic markers (Caspase3/8/9, P53, and BAX), which are linked to sterile inflammatory liver injury. TgIST also reduced the expression of adhesion (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and infiltration markers of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) induced by hepatocyte and tissue damage. TgIST restored the cell apoptosis induced by IFN-γ/TNF-α stimulation. These results suggest that TgIST can inhibit STAT1-mediated inflammatory and apoptotic responses in hepatocytes stimulated with proinflammatory cytokines.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.217-222
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• 2014

This study was performed to evaluate the sporicidal efficacy of a fumigation disinfectant containing 20% ortho-phenylphenol against Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) spores. In this research, efficacy test of fumigant against C. perfringens spores was carried out according to French standard NF T 72-281. C. perfringens spores working culture suspension number (N value), all the spore numbers on the carriers exposed with the fumigant (n1, n2, and n3), the number of bacterial spore suspensions by pour plate method (N1), the number of bacterial spore suspensions by filter membrane method (N2) and the mean number of bacterial spore recovered on the control-carriers (T value) were obtained from the preliminary test. In addition, the reduction number of C. perfringens spores exposed with the fumigant (d value) was calculated using T value, the mean number of bacterial spore in recovery solution (n'1) and the mean number of bacterial spore on carriers plated in agar (n'2). N value was $4.3{\times}10^7spores/mL$, and n1, n2, and n3 were higher than 0.5N1, 0.5N2 and 0.5N1, respectively. Additionally, T value was $4.9{\times}10^5spores/carrier$. In the sporicidal effect of the fumigant, the d value was 4.52log reduction. According to the French standard for the fumigant, the d value for the effective sporicidal fumigant should be over than 3log reduction. The results indicated that Fumagari $OPP^{(R)}$ had an efficient sporicidal activity against spores of C. perfringens, then the fumigant can be applied to disinfect food materials and kitchen appliances contaminated with bacterial spores.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.303-310
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• 2007

Sweetpotato shoot tops (leaves, tips and petioles) are known to be very useful parts as vegetables because of their high nutritive values and great biomass yield. In this study, the phenolic compound contents, antibacterial activity, mutagenic activity, and antimutagenic activity were investigated in sweetpotato tips that were 10-15cm of shoot top including stems, petioles and tender leaves after sprout of storage roots. The study was done by extracting sweetpotato tips with 80% ethanol and the ethanol fraction was re-extracted with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. In ethyl acetate and butanol fractions, total phenolic compounds contained 95. 6mg/g extract and 69.3 mg/g extract, respectively, The antibacterial activity was measured using the paper disk method with concentrations of 1, 2, 5 and 10 mg/disk of butanol and ethyl acetate fractions against L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium strains. Higher doses of solvent extracts showed the higher antibacterial activities. In addition, 5, 10 and 20 mg/mL of the extracts were tested to determine the antibacterial activity in liquid culture. The sweetpotato leaf extract by ethyl acetate showed 1 log reduction compared to control after 24 hrs on Listeria monocytogenes, but 20 mg/ml of butanol extract completely inhibited the growth of the pathogen after 12 hrs. The extracts from ethyl acetate or butanol on Salmonella Typhimurium did less than 1 log reduction during cultivation compared to control. The numbers of S. Typhimirium TA98 and TA100 revertant colonies were 29-33 and 159-188 CFU/plate, respectively, indicating that solvent extracts were no mutagenic activity. The antimutagenic test was performed by adding direct mutagen 2-NF and MMS, and butanol and ethyl acetate showed antimutagenic effect. Thus, this study showed that sweetpotato tips had high phenolic contents and both antimicrobiol and antimutagenic properties. Sweetpotato tips would be good nutritive source because of their high nutrient content without any toxicity in consuming.