• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.267-273
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• 2014

This study found antibacterial activity of $DMfree^{(R)}$ [green tea extract] on facultative bacteria by direct petri dish method and gene array of obligatory M. leprae infected mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). While DMfree showed DPPH radical scavenging effect and high contents of polyphenol, it did not inhibit growth of facultative bacteria such as E. coli and S. aureus on the petri dish. The result does not exclude a possible antibacterial effect of organic solvent extract of green tea rather than DMfree which comes from the water extract of green tea. Pre-treatment of DMfree appeared to have no effect on copy number of 14 genes compared with control MSC by real-time RT-PCR. However pre-treatment of DMfree on M. leprae infected MSC revealed a significant decrease of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6), (P<0.038) and sharp down-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1). Enhanced expression of VEGFR-1 mRNA was noted in DMfree pretreated M. leprae infected MSC group (P<0.003). These results show that DMfree would stabilize M. leprae infected MSC from further inflammation by down-regulating anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) and pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-$1{\beta}$). This is the first report on DMfree inhibition of IL-6 and IL-$1{\beta}$ expression in M. leprae infected MSC. Further experiments that detect protein levels of IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 may support the result of this gene array.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.31-38
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• 2012

Objectives : Mori Folium is one of the traditional medicinal herb. It was commonly used for sericulture in the world and has been traditionally administered as natural therapeutic agent for the treatment of filariasis, diabetes and dropsy in East Asia. This study investigated an anti-inflammatory potential of Mori Folium ethanol extract (MFE). Methods : We examined the effects of MFE on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) in a murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7. Results : MFE inhibited production of NO and $PGE_2$ in a dose dependent manner and also decreased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$. As a plausible molecular mechanism, increased degradation of I-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and phosphorylation of I-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$, NF-${\kappa}B$ and MAP kinases by LPS were partly blocked by MFE treatment. Conclusions : These results suggest that MFE has an anti-inflammatory therapeutic potential, which may result from inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and MAPK phosphorylation, thereby decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory genes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.138-148
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• 2018

Objective: Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN), common contaminants in the feed of farm animals, cause immune function impairment and organ inflammation. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to elucidate DON and ZEN effects on the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other immune related genes in the kidneys of piglets. Methods: Fifteen 6-week-old piglets were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments for 4 weeks: control diet, and diets contaminated with either 8 mg DON/kg feed or 0.8 mg ZEN/kg feed. Kidney samples were collected after treatment, and RNA-seq was used to investigate the effects on immune-related genes and gene networks. Results: A total of 186 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened (120 upregulated and 66 downregulated). Gene ontology analysis revealed that the immune response, and cellular and metabolic processes were significantly controlled by these DEGs. The inflammatory stimulation might be an effect of the following enriched Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis found related to immune and disease responses: cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, toll-like receptor signaling pathway, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), tuberculosis, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and chemical carcinogenesis. The effects of DON and ZEN on genome-wide expression were assessed, and it was found that the DEGs associated with inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 10 receptor, beta, chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 9, CXCL10, chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 4), proliferation (insulin like growth factor binding protein 4, IgG heavy chain, receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase C, cytochrome P450 1A1, ATP-binding cassette sub-family 8), and other immune response networks (lysozyme, complement component 4 binding protein alpha, oligoadenylate synthetase 2, signaling lymphocytic activation molecule-9, ${\alpha}$-aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, Ig lambda chain c region, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, isozyme 4, carboxylesterase 1), were suppressed by DON and ZEN. Conclusion: In summary, our results indicate that high concentrations of DON and ZEN suppress the inflammatory response in kidneys, leading to potential effects on immune homeostasis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.415-425
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• 2022

Memory formation in the hippocampus is formed and maintained by circadian clock genes during sleep. Sleep deprivation (SD) can lead to memory impairment and neuroinflammation, and there remains no effective pharmacological treatment for these effects. Myricetin (MYR) is a common natural flavonoid that has various pharmacological activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of MYR on memory impairment, neuroinflammation, and neurotrophic factors in sleep-deprived rats. We analyzed SD-induced cognitive and spatial memory, as well as pro-inflammatory cytokine levels during SD. SD model rats were intraperitoneally injected with 10 and 20 mg/kg/day MYR for 14 days. MYR administration significantly ameliorated SD-induced cognitive and spatial memory deficits; it also attenuated the SD-induced inflammatory response associated with nuclear factor kappa B activation in the hippocampus. In addition, MYR enhanced the mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus. Our results showed that MYR improved memory impairment by means of anti-inflammatory activity and appropriate regulation of BDNF expression. Our findings suggest that MYR is a potential functional ingredient that protects cognitive function from SD.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.253-259
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• 2015

Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with obesity. This study investigated effect of high hydrostatic pressure extract of red ginseng (HRG) on inflammation in rats with high-fat (HF) diet induced obesity. Male, Sprague-Dawley rats (80~110 g) were randomly divided into two groups, and fed a 45% HF diet (HF) and a 45% HF diet containing 1.5% HRG (HF+HRG) for 14 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the serum leptin level was reduced by the HRG supplementation. The mRNA expression of genes related to adipogenesis including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and adipocyte protein 2 was down-regulated in the white adipose tissue (WAT). The mRNA levels of major inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and interleukin-6 were remarkably down-regulated by the HRG in WAT. These results suggest that HRG might be beneficial in ameliorating the inflammation-associated health complications by suppressing adipogenic and pro-inflammatory gene expression.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1251-1256
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• 2003

To determine the effect of Zibachunggan-tang(ZCT) on the process of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor-kBp65 (NF-kBp65) activation, and LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory proteins including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), in HepG2 cell. Immunoblot analysis showed that the level of nucleic NF-kBp65 was rapidly up-regulated and cytosolic inhibitory I-kBα was down-regulated by LPS challenge. While ZCT inhibited an increase of NF-kBp65 and degradation of I-kBα in HepG2 cell. Beside LPS-induced expression of a group of genes, such as TNF-α, inducible iNOS and COX-2, are repressed by ZCT. It may be concluded that ZCT attenuates the progress of LPS-induced inflammation by reduction of NF-kBp65 activation. The ZCT would be useful as a therapeutic agent for endotoxin-induced liver disease.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 2016

Using high-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) mice, the mechanism of anti-adiposity and anti-obesity actions produced by Inonotus obliquus water extract (IOE) was investigated. Significant reduction in body weight in DIO mice orally administrated with IOE for 8 weeks compared to IOE-non-treated control mice was observed, which was attributed to the reduction of epididymal and mesenteric adipose tissue, but not the liver and skeletal muscle. Adiponectin synthesis in epididymal adipose tissue (EAT) and AMPK phosphorylation in the liver were significantly increased in IOE-treated DIO mice. Gene expression analysis showed that IOE-treated DIO mice had higher expression levels of lipogenic genes in EAT and fatty-acid oxidative genes in the liver, but lower expression levels of hepatic pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to IOE-non-treated controls. Our findings confirm a therapeutic potential of Inonotus obliquus for reducing adiposity and ameliorating hyperlipidemia to treat metabolic disorders.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 2024

The development of in vitro models is essential in modern science due to the need for experiments using human material and the reduction in the number of laboratory animals. The complexity of the interactions that occur in living organisms requires improvements in the monolayer cultures. In the work presented here, neuroepithelial stem (NES) cells were differentiated into peripheral-like neurons (PLN) and the phenotype of the cells was confirmed at the genetic and protein levels. Then RNA-seq method was used to investigate how stimulation with pro-inflammatory factors such as LPS and IFN𝛾 affects the expression of genes involved in the immune response in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (HFLS). HFLS were then cultured on semi-permeable membrane inserts, and after 24 hours of pro-inflammatory stimulation, the levels of cytokines secretion into the medium were checked. Inserts with stimulated HFLS were introduced into the PLN culture, and by measuring secreted ATP, an increase in cell activity was found in the system. The method used mimics the condition that occurs in the joint during inflammation, as observed in the development of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA). In addition, the system used can be easily modified to simulate the interaction of peripheral neurons with other cell types.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.9
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• pp.1270-1278
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• 2015

In vitro anticancer effects of black soybean doenjang on HT-29 human colon cancer cells were studied. SD (soybean doenjang prepared with nine-time baked bamboo salt) and BD (black soybean doenjang prepared with nine-time baked bamboo salt) were compared with CD (commercial doenjang). There were no significant differences between experimental groups in terms of pH, amino-type nitrogen, and ammonia-type nitrogen levels of the doenjang samples. BD showed the highest antioxidative effect, followed by SD and CD in that order. BD also showed the highest total polyphenol concentration of all samples. CD, SD, and BD extracts showed no toxic effects on normal RAW 264.7 cells at a concentration ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 mg/mL. BD exhibited anticancer effect on HT-29 cells by MTT assay. Also, BD manipulated mRNA expressions in certain factors; it suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines such as $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, and COX-2, promoted cell-cycle-related genes of p21, and p53, suppressed expression of cyclin D1, and suppressed anti-apoptotic Bcl-2; such manipulation by BD was the strongest, followed by SD and CD in order. From the results above, BD exhibited the highest anticancer effects by inhibiting growth of HT-29 cells, probably by regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, cell cycling related genes, etc. These results might be due to using black soybeans containing high levels of polyphenol, including anthocyanins.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.273-280
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• 2012

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which has been known to be able to clear away heat and remove dampness, was used for febrile disease. It is now clear that Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play major roles in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications such as atherosclerosis. In this study, we examined whether Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi suppress the AGE mediated inflammatory responses in the THP-1 cells. AGE treatment increased the gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis revealed that S. baicalensis had inhibitory effects on the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and protein levels in AGE-treated THP-1 cells. S. baicalensis had also reduced the production of ROS in the AGE-treated THP-1 cells. These results suggest that S. baicalensis has inhibitory effects for the development of diabetic vascular complication.