• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.103-115
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• 2006

Objectives : Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is a systemic & a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease . A chronic , locally destructive inflammmatory reaction in human is examplified by the synovitis present in some connective tissue disorder. The presence of a number of cytokines, $TNF-{\alpha}$, iNOS & expression of nitric oxide, NF-kB p65 activation implies an important role of cellular immune response in RA inflammatory reaction. This study was designed to evaluate on the effects of the Homnis Placenta herbal acupuncture on EX-LE201 & ST 35 reducing expression of LPS-induced arthritis model in mice. Materials and Methods : Homnis Placenta herbal acupuncture was inserted into 10 rats induced rheumatoid arthritis. The acupunctures were injected into the EX-LE201 and ST35 points. Such indexes were measured the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) expression, nitric oxide(NO) production in vitro experiment and Tumor Necrosis $Factor-{\alpha}(TNF-{\alpha})$ & Nuclear Factor kappa $B(NF-{\kappa}B)$ p65 activation, synovial hyperplasia, angiogenesis and fibrosis in synovial membrane of knee joint of mice in vivo experiment. Results : 1.Homnis Placenta Herbal acupuncture inhibited iNOS mRNA and NO in RAW 264.7 cell of LPS-induced rheumatoid arthritis in a dose dependent manner. 2.Homnis Placenta Herbal acupuncture also showed significant inhibition of $TNF-{\alpha}$ & $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65, activation, synovial hyperplasia, angiogenesis and fibrosis in synovial membrane of knee joint of mice. Conclusion : These results suggest that Homnis Placenta Herbal acupuncture has an therapeutic effects on LPS induced-rheumatoid arthritis by inhibiting $TNF-{\alpha}$ activation.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.184-191
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• 2003

Background : Nowadays asthma is considered to be an inflammatory disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and pulmonary eosinophilia. Production of cytokines by bronchial epithelial cells may contribution to the local accumulation of inflammatory cells in patients with bronchial asthma. Chungsangboha-tang is the herbal treatment of choice in persistent asthma patients. It has been recognized that cessation of treatment with Chungsangboha-tang evokes a recurrence of symptoms in patients with controlled asthma. This study was designed to evaluate the long-term effect of Chungsangboha-tang. Materials and Methods : The subjects consisted of 24 patients with asthma who had been treated with Chungsangboha-tang for four weeks. Chungsangboha-tang is an herbal decoction which has been used as the traditional therapeutic agent for asthma. PFT, QLQAKA, blood eosinophils, serum IgE, Serum IL-4, IL-5, $IFN-{\gamma}$ were checked before treatment, before withdrawal and 3 months after cessation of treatment with Chungsangboha-tang. Results : Treatment with Chungsangboha-tang for four weeks resulted in significant increase in FEV1.0%, PEFR%, and QLQAKA. The patients were treated with Chungsangboha-tang for four weeks with no significant difference in the blood eosinophils, serum IgE, IL-4 and IL-5. The serum $IFN-{\gamma}$ in asthmatic patients decreased significantly after 4 weeks of treatment. Discontinuation of treatment with Chungsangboha-tang resulted in significant drops in QLQAKA. Others measures in asthmatic patients 3 months after discontinuation of treatment with Chungsangboha-tang showed no significant difference. Conclusion : This study demonstrates that asthma can be exacerbated by discontinuation of treatment with Chungsangboha-tang in patients with asthma. Obviously further research concerning this is still necessary.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.7 s.80
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• pp.1181-1187
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• 2006

HS-1580 series (HS-1580, HS-1581, HS-1582) can produce anti-imflammatory effects were synthesized from the marine algae extraction in 2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dihydroxy benzyl methyl ether (TDB). Raw 264.7 cells were pre-treated with $1{\mu}g/{\mu}l$ lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and later treated with HS-1580 series. These cells of inflammatory mediators were tested as well. Nitric oxide (NO) is related to autoimmune disease and is produced by inducible NOS (iNOS). When treated with HS-1580 series, the product of NO will reduce in a dose-dependent manner. HS-1580 series significantly inhibit the iNOS protein expression. Cyclooxygenase (COX) involves with the various physiologic events and catalyzes in prostaglandin. HS-1580 series also inhibit the COX-2 protein expression as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines production such as tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha})\;and\;interluekin-1{\alpha]\;(IL-1{\beta})$. These upcoming results suggest that HS-1580 series have anti-inflammatory efforts in Raw 264.7 cells by inhibiting such as iNOS, COX-2, $TNF-{\alpha}\;and\;IL-1{\beta}$ as inflammatory mediators.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.116-122
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• 2013

This study was conducted to determine whether CD4 T cell responses to citrullinated fibrinogen occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially in HLA-DR4-positive subjects. Whole peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of RA patients and control subjects were stimulated with citrullinated fibrinogen peptides, and T-cell production of proliferation and proinflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-${\gamma}$(IFN-${\gamma}$) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A), were measured. In addition, CD4 T cells from RA patients were stimulated with the citrullinated fibrinogen peptide, $Fib-{\alpha}$ R84Cit, identified as a DRB1*0401-restricted T cell epitope in HLA-DR4 transgenic mice, and the degree of T cell activation was examined similarly. No proliferative responses to the citrullinated fibrinogen peptides were observed in whole PBMCs or CD4 T cells from RA patients. Furthermore, no increased production of IFN-${\gamma}$ or IL-17A was found in whole PBMCs or CD4 T cells stimulated with the citrullinated fibrinogen peptides, although these cells responded to recall antigen, a mixture of tetanus toxoid, purified protein derivative (PPD) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Candida albicans. The results of this study indicate that anti-citrulline immunity in RA patients may be mediated by fibrinogen because there is no evidence of CD4 T cell-mediated immune responses to citrullinated fibrinogen peptides.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.947-954
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• 2005

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of hydrolyzed Lactobacillus supplementation with digestive enzymes treatment on the macrophage activation, the induction of nitric oxide(NO), interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-$\alpha$. The RAW 264.7 murine macrophage was exposed to porcine Lactobacillus strains which were digested with both pepsin and pancreatin. The production of NO, TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 in the macrophage were strain and dose-dependent, respectively. The induction of NO and cytokines were higher in both 3149 and 3146 strains compared with other Lactobacillus strains. Overall, the level of NO was observed at the lower range between 10 and 150 μg hydrolysates per ml, whereas IL-6 and TNF-$\alpha$ were observed at relatively higher concentration between 50 and 300 μg hydrolysates per ml. Lactobacillus strains which produced a high level of NO also showed a high induction of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6. Therefore, the present results suggest that hydrolysates of Lactobacillus strains are related to induction of several macrophage mediators, and then it could be beneficially used to modulate gastrointestinal immune function of the host. Also, the methodogly employed in this study might be useful to investigate the effects of lactic acid bacteria on gastrointestinal immunity.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2009

Nitric oxide (NO) acts as an intracellular messenger at the physiological level but can be cytotoxic at high concentrations. The cells within periodontal tissues, such as gingival and periodontal fibroblasts, contain nitric oxide syntheses and produce high concentrations of NO when exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharides and cytokines. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying NO-induced cytotoxicity in periodontal tissues are unclear at present. In our current study, we examined the NO-induced cytotoxic mechanisms in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). Cell viability and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined using a MTT assay and a fluorescent spectrometer, respectively. The morphological changes in the cells were examined by Diff-Quick staining. Expression of the Bcl-2 family and Fas was determined by RT-PCR or western blotting. The activity of caspase-3, -8 and -9 was assessed using a spectrophotometer. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, decreased the cell viability of the HGF cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. SNP enhanced the production of ROS, which was ameliorated by NAC, a free radical scavenger. ODQ, a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, did not block the SNP-induced decrease in cell viability. SNP also caused apoptotic morphological changes, including cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation. The expression of Bax, a member of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family, was upregulated in the SNP-treated HGF cells, whereas the expression of Bcl-2, a member of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family, was downregulated. SNP augmented the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol and enhanced the activity of caspase-8, -9, and -3. SNP also upregulated Fas, a component of the death receptor assembly. These results suggest that NO induces apoptosis in human gingival fibroblast via ROS and the Bcl-2 family through both mitochondrial- and death receptor-mediated pathways. Our data also indicate that the cyclic GMP pathway is not involved in NO-induced apoptosis.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.555-563
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• 2018

Barley has nutritional benefits due to its high dietary fiber content; therefore, the intake of whole barley grains is recommended. However, barley is often consumed in the fermented form because of the improved texture and digestibility. The present study was designed to elucidate the intracellular signaling pathway for macrophage activation by the polysaccharide BF-CP from fermented barley. BF-CP is a neutral polysaccharide, composed of neutral sugars, including glucose (70.7%), xylose (11.4%), and arabinose (9.0%). BF-CP exhibited macrophage-stimulatory activity by inducing the production of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, and nitric oxide in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Further, BF-CP treatment strongly increased the IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ gene expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Signal transduction experiments using immunoblotting showed that BF-CP phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and p38, and nuclear factor $(NF)-{\kappa}B$, in RAW 264.7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that BF-CP activates the macrophages via MAPK and $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathways, and also induces an increase in the production of cytokines.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.147-155
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• 2008

In previous works, we found that solvent extract of Opuntia humifusa Raf., a member of the lactaceae family, displayed potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Thus, all solvent fractions, except for the water layer, showed potent scavenging effects. According to activity-guided fractionation, one of active radical scavenging principles in the ethyl acetate fraction was found to be taxifolin. In this study, we investigated whether taxifolin showed anti-oxidative activity. In addition, taxifolin modulated nitric oxide (NO) release and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA such as interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), IL-6, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and TNF-${\alpha}$. Taxifolin showed potent anti-oxidant activity with the $IC_{50}\;of\;8.5{\pm}1.4\;and\;9.3{\pm}1.0{\mu}M$ using xanthine/xanthine oxidase (XO) assay and 2,2-Diphenyl-lpicrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assay, respectively. We next determined the role of taxifolin on the immunomodulating activity using murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7 cells. Taxifolin dose-dependently inhibited NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7. It also significantly blocked the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA in the LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, taxifolin potently suppressed the expression of IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and GM-CSF mRNA in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells, but not that of TNF-${\alpha}$ Moreover, taxifolin significantly inhibited the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) and activator protein -1 (AP-1). These results suggest that taxifolin may downregulate inflammatory iNOS, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and GM-CSF gene expressions through inhibition of NF-K and AP-1 activation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.528-534
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• 2018

The current study investigated the effects of enzyme treatment on black rice (Oryza sativa L.) aleurone layer extracts. Different enzymes (lipase, lecitase ultra and lipopan 50BG) were used to test anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. The antioxidant activities of enzyme treated or non-enzyme treated extracts of black rice bran were evaluated via 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity. Lipase treated extracts of black rice bran showed higher antioxidant activity compared to that of non-enzyme treated extracts. Anti-inflammatory activities of enzyme treated black rice bran extracts on nitrite production and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) secretion, were tested using a nitric oxide (NO) colorimetric assay kit and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The ethanolic extract of enzyme treated black rice bran decreased the levels of nitric oxide production and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, in a lipopolysaccharidestimulated RAW 264.7 cell culture. These findings indicate that enhanced anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation activities of the ethanolic extracts of enzyme treated black rice (Oryza sativa L.) aleurone layers, may be attributed to molecular conversion of ingredients in enzyme catalyzed reactions.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.161-169
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• 2018

This study aimed to evaluate seaweed polysaccharide extracts as a cosmetic material. To assess anti-microbial efficacy, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was treated with seaweed polysaccharide extracts and zones of inhibition were measured. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect was confirmed in RAW 264.7cells, and seaweed polysaccharide extracts was applied to the dorsal skin of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to evaluate single-dose toxicity. As a results, seaweed polysaccharide extracts did not exhibit cytotoxicity at concentrations up to $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ in skin fibroblasts. Furthermore, when S. aureus was treated with 1% seaweed polysaccharide extracts, clear zones of $1.52{\pm}0.34cm$ formed, confirming sufficient anti-microbial activity. When RAW 264.7 cells were treated with seaweed polysaccharide extracts extract, nitric oxide (NO) production decreased in a concentration-dependent manner and the production of inflammation-related cytokines, such as interleukin 1 beta ($IL1{\beta}$), tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF{\alpha}$), and prostaglandin E2(PGE2), decreased. When seaweed polysaccharide extracts extract was applied at various concentrations to rats, symptoms did not change for more than 14 d, and there was no change in body or organ weights. In conclusion we found that seaweed polysaccharide extracts is not cytotoxic and has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, it is suitable for use as a cosmetic material.