• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.35-40
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• 2015

Objectives : Zizyphus jujube (ZJ) has been used as a traditional medicine for various diseases. However, the inhibitory effect of ZJ on intestinal inflammation has not been fully understood, yet. The aim of this study is to investigate anti-colitis activity of ZJ in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Methods : To investigate the protective effects of ZJ,the colitis mice were induced by drinking water containing 5% DSS for 7 days. Mice were randomized into groups receiving ZJ (500 mg/kg), sulfasalazine (SFZ) (150 mg/kg) as a positive control, or water as a negative control. We assayed the effects of ZJ on DSS-induced the clinical signs, measuring weight loss, colon length and disease activity index (DAI). Additionally, to find a possible explanation for the anti-inflammatory effects of ZJ, we evaluated the effects of ZJ on the production of prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) and expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in colitis tissue. Results : The results showed that mice treated with DSS showed considerable clinical signs, including weight loss, and reduced colon length. However, administration of ZJ significantly reduced the weight loss, shortens colon length, and improved DAI as clinical symptoms. Moreover, ZJ inhibited the $PGE_2$ production and COX-2 expression levels in DSS-treated colon tissues. Conclusions : Collectively, the findings of this study provide us with novel insights into the pharmacological actions of ZJ as a potential molecule for use in the treatment of intestinal inflammation including ulcerative colitis.

• Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.614-627
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• 2018

Background/Aims Although functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) are common in children, the accurate pathogenesis of FAPDs is not known yet. Micro-inflammation, particularly tissue eosinophilia of gastrointestinal (GI) tract, has been suggested as the pathophysiology observed in several GI disorders. We aimed to evaluate eosinophilic infiltration throughout the entire GI tract in children with FAPDs, compared to those with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and to normal reference values. Methods We included 56 children with FAPDs, 52 children with Crohn's disease, and 23 children with ulcerative colitis. All subjects underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopic and colonoscopic examination with biopsies. Tissue eosinophil counts were assessed in 10 regions throughout the GI tract. Results Eosinophil counts of the gastric antrum, duodenum, terminal ileum, cecum, and ascending colon were significantly higher in children with FAPDs compared to normal reference values. Eosinophil counts of the stomach and the entire colon were observed to be significantly higher in children with IBD than in those with FAPDs. Even after selecting macroscopically uninvolved GI segments on endoscopy in children with IBD, eosinophil counts of the gastric body, cecum, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and the rectum were also significantly higher in children with IBD than those with FAPDs. Conclusions Significantly high eosinophil counts of the stomach and colon were observed in the order of IBD, followed by FAPDs, and normal controls, regardless of endoscopically detected macroscopic IBD lesions in children. This suggests some contribution of GI tract eosinophils in the intrinsic pathogenesis of FAPDs in children.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.391-398
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• 2022

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a typical inflammatory colon disorder. Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) is known to exert various beneficial effects including anti-oxidative and anti-bacterial properties and improvements in liver function. However, the improving effect and mechanism of PG on intestinal inflammation are not fully understood. The present research was designed to investigate the effect of PG on the clinical signs of DSS-induced colitis in mice. The ameliorative effects of PG on inflammatory cytokine expression and the activation of hypoxia-inducible-factor (HIF)-1α in DSS-treated colon tissue were also determined. Our results showed that mice treated with DSS displayed the main clinical symptoms of colitis, including weight loss, bloody stools, decrease in colon length and diarrhea and PG treatment significantly improved the clinical features induced by DSS in mice. PG inhibited the increase in the levels of inflammatory cytokines caused by DSS in colon tissues. We also showed that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of PG involved suppressing the activation of HIF-1α in DSS-treated colon tissues. Collectively, the findings of this study indicate the prospect of developing new drugs from PG for UC treatment.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.68-71
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• 2014

A 57-year-old male visited our hospital due to a growing abdominal mass for 1 month. The patient was diagnosed as transverse colon cancer with duodenal fistula, and then was treated with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy (2 cycles of FOLFOX-4, 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy: 3,000 cGy in 10 fractions). Despite the improvement of colon cancer and associated inflammation, the symptom of colonic obstruction was aggravated. Thus transverse colon segmentectomy was done. After surgery, he have received adjuvant 12 cycles of FOLFOX-4 chemotherapy. Now, he is currently being followed up in cure state.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.99-105
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• 2001

It is well known that the inflammation of somatic tissues, bladder and colon can alter the sensitivity of primary afferents innervating these tissues. To see if uterine afferents also show altered sensitivity, we examined their responses to the algesic agent bradykinin before and after induction of uterine inflammation. Inflammation was induced by injecting the mustard oil into the uterine lumen of adult female rats. After induction of inflammation, the response latency to bradykinin did not change, but the duration and peak of the response and integrated impulse discharges during the response period increased significantly. Furthermore, after inflammation, the level of resting discharges of the afferents was much higher. These results are consistent with the idea that the inflammation can sensitize the uterine afferents.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 2017

The effects of Korean solar salt on an azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colon cancer C57BL/6 mouse model were studied. Korean solar salt samples (SS-S, solar salt from S salt field; SS-Yb, solar salt from Yb salt field), nine-time-baked bamboo salt (BS-9x, made from SS-Yb), purified salt (PS), and SS-G (solar salt from $Gu\acute{e}rande$, France) were orally administered at a concentration of 1% during AOM/DSS colon cancer induction, and compared for their protective effects during colon carcinogenesis in C57BL/6 mice. SS-S and SS-Yb suppressed colon length shortening and tumor counts in mouse colons. Histological evaluation by hematoxylin and eosin staining also revealed suppression of tumorigenesis by SS-S. Conversely, PS and SS-G did not show a similar suppressive efficacy as Korean solar salt. SS-S and SS-Yb promoted colon mRNA expression of an apoptosis-related factor and cell-cycle-related gene and suppressed pro-inflammatory factor. SS-Yb baked into BS-9x further promoted these anti-carcinogenic efficacies. Taken together, the results indicate that Korean solar salt, especially SS-S and SS-Yb, exhibited anti-cancer activity by modulating apoptosis- and inflammation-related gene expression during colon carcinogenesis in mice, and bamboo salt baked from SS-Yb showed enhanced anti-cancer functionality.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2015

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease, which is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder. Pulsatilla koreana (P. koreana) is a perennial plant that grows around Korea and it has various pharmacological effects such as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activity. However, the regulatory effects of P. koreana in intestinal inflammation are not yet understood. This study attempted to determine the effect of P. koreana in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. The colitis mice were induced by drinking water containing 5% DSS for 7 days. The results showed that mice treated with DSS showed remarkable clinical signs, including weight loss, and reduced colon length. Administration of P. koreana attenuated DSS-induced the weight loss, colon shortening and Disease activity index in mice. Additionally, P. koreana inhibited the cyclooxygenase-2 and prostaglandin $E_2$ levels in DSS-treated colon tissues. These results provide experimental evidence that P. koreana might be a useful therapeutic medicine for patients with UC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5543-5552
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• 2013

Colorectal cancer (CRC), a complex multi-step process involving progressive disruption of homeostatic mechanisms controlling intestinal epithelial proliferation/inflammation, differentiation, and programmed cell death, is the third most common malignant neoplasm worldwide. A number of promising targets such as inducible nitric acid (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin, Notch and apoptotic signaling have been identified by researchers as useful targets to prevent or therapeutically inhibit colon cancer development. In this review article, we aimed to explore the current targets available to eliminate colon cancer with an update of dietary and non-nutritional compounds that could be of potential use for interaction with regulatory molecules to prevent CRC.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.227-236
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• 2014

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a serious gastrointestinal tract disease characterized by recurrent chronic inflammation and mucosal damage of the gastrointestinal tract. The conventional therapies of choice are anti-inflammatory agents, steroids and anti-TNF-${\alpha}$ therapy. However, inherent limitations in these therapies have steered many UC patients to supplement existing therapies with alternative medicinal products. In the current study, we tested the efficacy of Gingko bilola extract (EGb 761) in abating colonic inflammation in a DSS-induced murine model of colitis. C57BL/6 mice were administered 2% DSS in the drinking water for 7 days, then regular water for 7 days, and then 2% DSS for an additional 7 days. EGb 761 (1 mg/dose) was oral gavaged daily for the duration of the experiment. At the termination of the experiment, mice treated with EGb+DSS showed higher body weight, lower spleen weight and longer colon length compared to mice treated with DSS alone. HE-stained colon tissues also exhibited less histologic inflammation in mice treated with EGb+DSS mice compared to mice treated with DSS alone. The serum levels inflammatory cytokines, KC and TNF-${\alpha}$, were also decreased in mice treated with EGb+DSS compared to mice treated with DSS alone. Finally, addition of EGb 761 to TNF-${\alpha}$ treated colonic cell line (HT29/c1) decreased secretion of IL-8 in vitro. These results collectively suggest that EGb 761 abates induction of colitis in DSS-induced model of colitis in mice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.664-670
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• 2014

In the present study, we investigate the role of V. vulnificus in promoting the inflammation of mouse ileal ephitelium and its related signaling pathways. ICR mice were infected orally with V. vulnificus ($1{\times}10^9CFU$) for 16 h as a representative model of food-borne infection. To find the major portal of entry of V. vulnificus in mouse intestine, we have measured the levels of bacterial colonization in small intestine, colon, spleen, and liver. V. vulnificus appeared to colonize in intestine and colon in the order of ileum >> jejunum> colon, but lack in the duodenum, spleen, and liver. V. vulnificus in ileum caused severe necrotizing enteritis and showed shortened villi heights accompanied by an expanded width and inflammation, compared with the control mice. V. vulnificus induced ileal epithelium inflammation by activating phosphorylation of PKC and membrane translocation of $PKC{\alpha}$. V. vulnificus induced the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK, but did not affect p38 MAPK phosphorylation. Notably, V. vulnificus stimulated the I-${\kappa}B$-dependent phosphorylation of NF-${\kappa}B$ in mouse ileal epithelium. Finally, the ileal infection of V. vulnificus resulted in a significant increase in expression of proinflammatory cytokines and Toll-like receptors, respectively, compared to the control. Collectively, our results indicate that V. vulnificus induces ileal epithelium inflammation by increasing NF-${\kappa}B$ phosphorylation via activation of PKC, ERK, and JNK, which is critical for host defense mechanism in food-borne infection by V. vulnificus.