• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.175-179
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-diabetic effects of the water extract of Lespedeza cuneata (LCW) using rat insulinoma (RIN) m5F cells and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The effect of LCW on the protection of pancreatic beta cells was assessed using MTT assay, and nitric oxide production was assessed using Griess reagent. STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with 100 and 400 mg/kg body weight of LCW for 5 weeks. In results, LCW significantly protected cytokine-induced toxicity and NO production, and increased insulin secretion in RINm5F cells. LCW significantly decreased serum blood glucose, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) levels, and renal fibronectin expression in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Also, LCW effectively improved BW loss in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Thus, our results suggest that LCW has a beneficial effect on cytokine-induced pancreatic beta cell damage and biomarkers of diabetic complication in hyperglycemic rats.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2011

In the present study, we investigated whether volatile organic compounds induce inflammatory response in human T lymphocytes by evaluating the alteration of inflammatory cytokines. Volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde, o-xylene, benzene, and hydroquinone have no cytotoxic effects on Jurkat T cells at a high concentration of 50 ${\mu}M$ for 48 h. IL-2, IL-4, IL-13, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IFN-${\gamma}$ were increased after the treatment with volatile organic compounds, although alteration of cytokines is different among volatile organic compounds. LPS as a positive control increased the secretion of IL-2, IL-4, IL-13, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IFN-${\gamma}$. MCP-1 and CCL17 (thymus and activation-regulated chemokine, TARC) were weakly increased after the treatment with volatile organic compounds but the amount of the increased cytokine was below 20 pg/ml. These results suggest that the measurement of cytokine in Jurkat T cells may be used as a useful method for evaluating the toxicity of volatile organic compounds in immune response.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1487-1492
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• 2003

Gunjung-tang(GJT) has been reported at Shanghanlun(傷寒論), which has been used for the treatment of general weakness, digestive organ disease and the treatment of allergic disorders in clinical medicine. However, its effect in experimental models remains unknown. In a rat and mouse model, the role of GJT was examined in mast cell-dependent allergic reactions and secretion of inflammatory cytokines. GJT inhibited anti-dinitrophenyl IgE antibody-induced passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction by Intraperitoneal pretreatment. GJT inhibited both IL-1β and TNF-α secretion on egg albumin induced allergic tissues and compound 48/80 induced thymus. Furthermore, GJT enhanced Band T lymphocytes proliferation. Our findings provide evidence that GJT inhibits the IgE-dependent allergic reactions and inflammatory cytokines secretion, and enhanced immune response.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.73-83
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate anti-allergic effects of Glycyrrhizae Radix(GR) pharmacopuncture and GR extract. Methods : In vivo, animals were gotten GR pharmacopunctures at both sides of ST36s three times for 5 days. Then, we investigated anti-DNP IgE-induced passive cutaneous anaphylaxis of Sprague Dawley rats. In vitro, we measured cell viability, ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release, and the secretion of interleukin-4(IL-4) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-${\alpha}$) in RBL-2H3 cells after treatment of various concentrations of GR extract. Results : In vivo, we observed inhibition of passive cutaneous anaphylaxis after GR pharmacopuncture treatments at both sides of ST36s and optional points. In vitro, GR extract treatments did not affect cell viability, but inhibited ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release and the secretion of IL-4 and TNF-${\alpha}$. Conclusions : These results suggest that GR pharmacopuncture and GR extract should be beneficial in the inhibition of allergic inflammatory response.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.66-69
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• 2012

The immunological death induction by EY-6 on the human tumor cell lines was screened. Human colon carcinoma (HCT15, HCT116), gastric carcinoma (MKN74, SNU668), and myeloma (KMS20, KMS26, KMS34) cells were died by EY-6 treatment with dose-dependent manner. CRT expression, a typical marker for the immunological death, was increased on the EY-6-treated colorectal and gastric cancer cells. Interestingly, the effects on the myeloma cell lines were complicated showing cell line dependent differential modulation. Cytokine secretion from the EY-6 treated tumor cells were dose and cell-dependent. IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-12 secretion was increased in the treated cells (200% to over 1000% of non-treated control), except HCT116, SNU668 and KMS26 cells which their secretion was declined by EY-6. Data suggest the potential of EY-6 as a new type of immuno-chemotherapeutics inducing tumor-specific cell death. Further studies are planned to confirm the efficacy of EY-6 including in vivo study.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.237-242
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• 2016

Interleukin-1b ($IL-1{\beta}$), a proinflammatory cytokine, regulates the innate immune responses against bacterial infection. Mature $IL-1{\beta}$ is produced from $pro-IL-1{\beta}$ by activated caspase-1, which in turn is activated by the inflammasome complex formation. In this study, we compared the inflammasome mRNA expression induced by S. sanguinis, S. oralis, F. nucleatum and P. intermedia. Among the tested bacteria, S. sanguinis induced the highest $IL-1{\beta}$ secretion. S. oralis, F. nucleatum and P. intermedia induced very weak $IL-1{\beta}$ secretion. S. sanguinis mostly induced the NLRP3 mRNA expressions. Although F. nucleatum did not induce high $IL-1{\beta}$ secretion, it induced high expression levels of AIM2, NLRP2, and NLRP3. No specific inflammasomes were induced by S. oralis and P.intermedia. Studying the inflammasome complex activation induced by oral bacteria may thus enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of oral diseases.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.573-581
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• 2005

Flavonoids, a group of low molecular weight phenylbenzopyrones, have various pharmacological properties including antioxidant activity, anticancer, and immunomodulatory effects. In the present study, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate/phytohemagglutinin (PMA/PHA) were used as stimulants for RAW 264.7 macrophages and human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (hPBMC), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and interleukin (IL)-2 productions were measured. In addition, flavonoids were examined for their effects on LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The results showed that all compounds were not strongly cytotoxic at the tested concentrations on hPBMC and RAW 264.7 macrophages. On immunomodulatory properties, catechin, epigallocatechin (EGC), naringenin, and fisetin repressed NO production and TNF-${\alpha}$ secretion. Furthermore, catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin (EC), luteolin, chrysin, quercetin, and galangin increased IL-2 secretion while EGC, apigenin, and fisetin inhibited the secretion. These results indicated that flavonoids have the capacity to modulate the immune response and have a potential anti-inflammatory activity. There was no obvious structure-activity relationship regard to the chemical composition of the flavonoids and their cell biological effects.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.253-259
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• 2003

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a class of positional, geometric conjugated dienoic isomers of linoleic acid (LA). CLA activates the immune system, protects against tumorigenesis, and reduces the incidence of atherosclerosis. Trans-10, cis-12 CLA has specific effects on lipid metabolism, it has been shown to reduce body fat gain and regulates some adipocyte secreted proteins in vivo and in vitro. Here we report that a CLA mixture affects cytokine secretion from rat primary adipocytes. Rat primary adipocytes were treated with 1 mM, 100 $\mu$M, 1 $\mu$M or 100 nM CLA mixture doses; and leptin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF a ), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and glycerol levels in the medium were measured. Leptin secretion was lower, TNF $\alpha$ secretion higher and IL-6 secretion did not change in response to the CLA mixture. Leptin and TNF $\alpha$ secretions did not change with CLA mixture treatment in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the CLA mixture did not appear to enhance lipolysis in rat primary adipocytes. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the decrease in leptin and increase in TNF $\alpha$ secretion in adipocytes treated with CLA mixture may be due to the apoptotic effect and to a reduction in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR ${\gamma}$ ) ligands.

• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.278-283
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• 2021

Our understanding of the differential effects between specific omega-3 fatty acids is incomplete. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on T-helper type 1 (Th1) cell responses and identify the pathways associated with these responses. Naïve CD4⁺ T cells were co-cultured with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) in the presence or absence of palmitate (PA), DHA, or EPA. DHA or EPA treatment lowered the number of differentiated IFN-γ-positive cells and inhibited the secretion of IFN-γ, whereas only DHA increased IL-2 and reduced TNF-α secretion. There was reduced expression of MHC II on DCs after DHA or EPA treatment. In the DC-independent model, DHA and EPA reduced Th1 cell differentiation and lowered the cell number. DHA and EPA markedly inhibited IFN-γ secretion, while only EPA reduced TNF-α secretion. Microarray analysis identified pathways involved in inflammation, immunity, metabolism, and cell proliferation. Moreover, DHA and EPA inhibited Th1 cells through the regulation of diverse pathways and genes, including Igf1 and Cpt1a. Our results showed that DHA and EPA had largely comparable inhibitory effects on Th1 cell differentiation. However, each of the fatty acids also had distinct effects on specific cytokine secretion, particularly according to the presence of DCs.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.25.1-25.17
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• 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces excessive pro-inflammatory cytokine release and cell death, leading to organ damage and mortality. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is one of the damage-associated molecular patterns that can be secreted by pro-inflammatory stimuli, including viral infections, and its excessive secretion levels are related to a variety of inflammatory diseases. Here, the aim of the study was to show that SARS-CoV-2 infection induced HMGB1 secretion via active and passive release. Active HMGB1 secretion was mediated by post-translational modifications, such as acetylation, phosphorylation, and oxidation in HEK293E/ACE2-C-GFP and Calu-3 cells during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Passive release of HMGB1 has been linked to various types of cell death; however, we demonstrated for the first time that PANoptosis, which integrates other cell death pathways, including pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis, is related to passive HMGB1 release during SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, cytoplasmic translocation and extracellular secretion or release of HMGB1 were confirmed via immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence in the lung tissues of humans and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-overexpressing mice infected with SARS-CoV-2.