• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.507-516
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• 2023

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection is an essential strategy to decrease the risk of developing gastric cancer. However, the standard triple therapy has negative aspects associated with side effects and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, alternative therapies are required to enhance the management of H. pylori infection effectively. In this study we examined the effect of emodin on the amelioration of inflammatory response due to H. pylori infection. Our results indicated that emodin treatment effectively decreased the expression of virulence genes, including sabA, vacA, cagL, cagA, sabA, and suppressed the adhesion ability of H. pylori to AGS cells. Emodin has been shown inhibitory effects on the inflammasome pathway through reductions in VacA translocation, lowering ROS stress, cleaved Caspase-1, NLRP3, and cleaved Gasdermin D levels, thereby lowered pyroptosis in infected cells. In summary, our study demonstrated that emodin has the ability to attenuate inflammation caused by H. pylori by modulating virulence gene expression and decreasing VacA translocation. Further study is required to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of emodin in treating H. pylori infection and better understand the underlying mechanisms.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.15-23
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• 2019

Objective : Reflux esophagitis (RE) is a disease that caused gastric acid reflux and inflammation due to unstable gastroesophageal sphincter, as increasing worldwide respectively. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Evodiae Fructus (EF) extract on chronic reflux esophagitis in rats. Methods : The EF was measured antioxidant activity, such as total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents, 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2, 2'-azinobis-3-ethyl-enzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity. Rats were divided into 3 groups; Nor (normal group), Con (chronic acid reflux esophagitis rats treatment with water), EF (chronic acid reflux esophagitis rat treatment with EF 200 mg/kg body weight group). A surgically-induced chronic acid reflux esophagitis (CARE) model was established in SD rats, and treated with water or EF 200 mg/kg body weight for 14 consecutive days. Results : Administration of EF to rats of induction of chronic acid reflux esophagitis was found to reduce esophagus tissues injury. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and produces peroxynitrite ($ONOO^-$) levels of esophagus tissues were significantly decreased in EF compared to Con group. As results of esophagus protein analyses, EF effectively reduce inflammatory-related factors ($NF-{\kappa}Bp65$, $p-I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$, iNOS, $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6), and increase anti-oxidant enzyme (Nrf2, HO-1, SOD, catalase, GPx-1/2). Conclusions : These results suggest that EF administration comfirmed that decreased esophagus tissues injury, oxidantive stress, anti-inflammation effect, and increased anti-oxidant effect. Therefore, EF was the potential to be used as a natural therapeutic drug.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2002

Purpose: It is known that lactoferrin serves as a source of iron for H. pylori in gastric mucosa. This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between lactoferrin and H. pylori infection coexistent with iron-deficiency anemia by determining the lactoferrin levels in gastric biopsy specimens, and by locating the major sites of lactoferrin expression, according to the presence or absence of iron-deficiency anemia. Methods: Fifty-five adolescents that underwent gastroduodenoscopy were divided into three groups: NL (n=19) for normal controls, HP (n=15) for patients with H. pylori, and IDA (n=21) for patients with H. pylori gastritis and coexisting iron-deficiency anemia. Histopathologic features were graded from to marked on the basis of the Updated Sydney System. The gastric mucosal levels of lactoferrin were measured by immunoassay. Immunohistochemical technique was used to allow identification of the location and quantification of the lactoferrin expression. Results: Lactoferrin levels in the antrum increased significantly, in proportion to, H. pylori density, polymorphonuclear cell infiltration, and chronic inflammation in the histologic specimens. Patients in the HP and IDA groups showed significantly increased mucosal levels of lactoferrin compared with that observed in the normal group (p=0.0001). The lactoferrin level in IDA group tended to be higher than that in the HP group (p=0.2614). The major sites of lactoferrin expression by immunohistochemistry were in glands and neutrophils within epithelium. Lactoferrin was stained weakly in NL, and strongly in HP and IDA. Conclusion: The lactoferrin sequestration in the gastric mucosa of IDA was remarkable, and this finding seems to give a clue that leads to the clarification of the mechanism by which H. pylori infection contributes to iron-deficiency anemia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.671-679
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• 2016

Extracts from spinach, cabbage, and onion are known to possess various instructive characteristics, including antioxidant and anti-inflammation activities. Spinach, cabbage, and onion are consumed worldwide and represent important sources of dietary phytochemicals with proven antioxidant properties, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids. Food-derived flavonoids and phenolic compounds are expected to be promising drugs for cancer. In the present study, we investigated the effects of methanol extracts of spinach, cabbage, and onion on cell proliferation and apoptosis in human gastric and breast cancer cells. Proliferation rates of AGS, MDA-MB-231, and SK-BR-3 cells were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The methanol extracts of spinach, cabbage, and onion inhibited proliferation of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. 4',6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining revealed that chromatin condensation significantly increased compared with the control. In the results of MTT assay and DAPI staining, onion extract was the most effective in inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. To assess changes in protein expression level by onion extract, we identified Bax (pro-apoptotic), Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic), and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) protein by western blot analysis. The expression of Bax and cleaved-PARP increased, whereas expression of Bcl-2 was decreased compared with the control. These results suggest that spinach, cabbage, and onion extracts suppressed growth of human gastric cancer AGS, human breast cancer MDA-MB-231, and SK-BR-3 cells through induction of apoptosis. Among the extracts, onion extract had stronger anti-cancer and apoptosis induction effects than spinach and cabbage extracts. Further, onion extract more effectively induced apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells than human breast cancer cells. Therefore, further studies are needed to determine the anti-cancer effects of onion extracts in vivo. Onion extract can be developed as a chemopreventive or therapeutic agent for gastric cancer.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.218-226
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• 2016

Helicobacter pylori primarily colonizes the human stomach. Infection by this bacterium is associated with various gastric diseases, including inflammation, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Although there are antibiotic regimens for the eradication of H. pylori, the resistance of this species against antibiotics has been continuously increasing. The natural compound plumbagin has been reported as an antimicrobial and anticancer molecule. In this study, we analyzed the inhibitory effect of plumbagin on H. pylori strain ATCC 49503 as well as the expression of various molecules associated with H. pylori growth or virulence by immunoblotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses. We demonstrated the minimal inhibitory concentration of plumbagin on H. pylori through the agar dilution and broth dilution methods. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of plumbagin treatment on the expression of the RNA polymerase subunits and various virulence factors of H. pylori. Plumbagin treatment decreased the expression of RNA polymerase subunit alpha (rpoA), which is closely associated with bacterial survival. Moreover, the mRNA and protein levels of the major CagA and VacA toxins were decreased in plumbagintreated H. pylori cells. Likewise, the expression levels of urease subunit alpha (ureA) and an adhesin (alpA) were decreased by plumbagin treatment. Collectively, these results suggest that plumbagin may inhibit the growth, colonization, and pathogenesis of H. pylori by the mechanism demonstrated in this study.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2018

Differences in host ethnicities and geographical distributions may influence the genetic variation and pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori strains, particularly with respect to those with a high risk of gastric cancer and in Asian Enigma regions. We simultaneously identified H. pylori virulence-associated genes involved in inflammation and cell damage in Thai and Korean dyspeptic patients. The virulence-associated gene cagA, cagA genotypes (East Asian and Western type cagA), vacA genotypes (s- and m-), oipA, and sabA were detected in Thai and Korean dyspeptic patients by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR, and DNA sequence analysis. Comparisons between the two regions showed that cagA, East Asian type cagA, and vacA s1/m1 in Korean dyspeptic patients occurred at rates of 100%, 86.67%, and 88.89%, respectively (p < 0.05). The oipA- and sabA-positive samples were significantly more predominant in the Korean population (95.56%, 91.11%) than in the Thai population (32%, 34%). DNA sequence analysis revealed differences in the patterns of cytosine-thymine dinucleotide repeats of oipA and sabA among the two populations of dyspeptic patients. Our results indicate that the H. pylori strains detected in the two regions were divergent, and strains colonizing the Korean dyspeptic patients may be more virulent than those in the Thai population. Our data may help explain H. pylori pathogenesis in Asian Enigma areas with a low gastric cancer incidence. However, other factors involving H. pylori infection in these two regions should be further analyzed.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.227-235
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• 2017

Purpose: Crohn's disease (CD) can involve any site of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). However, the characteristics of upper GIT involvement in CD are unclear, especially in the Eastern pediatric population. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of upper GIT involvement and identify the clinical features of Korean children with CD. Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study that included 52 pediatric patients with CD who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and biopsy. The clinical symptoms and endoscopic and histologic features of the upper GIT were identified according to the presence or absence of upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Results: Among the 52 patients, upper GIT involvement was noted in 50.0% (26/52). The mean age at CD diagnosis was $14.1{\pm}2.1$ years. Gastric ulcer was the most common lesion (19.2%) found on upper GIT endoscopy, followed by duodenal ulcers (15.4%). Chronic inflammation was the most common histopathologic feature (75.0%), followed by gastric erosion (17.3%). Granuloma was found in 9.6% of patients. Helicobacter pylori infection was identified in 5.8% of patients. Endoscopic and histologic findings were not significantly different, but the mean values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate ($60.7{\pm}27.1$ vs. $43.0{\pm}27.6mm/h$, p=0.037) and C-reactive protein ($16.5{\pm}28.2$ vs. $6.62{\pm}13.4mg/dL$, p=0.014) were significantly different between patients with and without upper gastrointestinal CD symptoms. Conclusion: Upper GIT involvement was relatively common in pediatric patients with CD irrespective of upper gastrointestinal symptoms, and H. pylori infection was relatively uncommon. The results of this study should aid the establishment of regional guidelines for upper GIT examination.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2023

Background: The existing research results on the combined toxicity of these pollutants using mammals, such as rodents, are insufficient, especially in relation to changes in the immune system. Objectives: This study aims at evaluating the cellular immune response to PE-MPs solely or when combined with Pb, which possess excellent adsorption capacity with PE-MPs and is commonly co-exposed in our daily lives. Methods: The study investigated the cellular immune function of 9-week ICR mice with 28 days exposure to PE-MPs (2 mg/mouse/day) and Pb (0.1 mM in distilled water) individually and in combination. PE-MPs were administered via gastric intubation while the lead intake was conducted via the oral drinking water route. Cellular immunity was evaluated by analyzing the production for T_H1 cytokines namely, TNF-α and IFN-𝛾 and T_H2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-6 in culture supernatants from polyclonally activated splenic mononuclear cells ex vivo. Results: Both the PE-MPs only and the PE-MPs+Pb exposure group revealed an increased T_H1 response with elevated TNF-α and IFN-𝛾 levels and downregulated T_H2 response with low IL-4, and IL-6 production levels compared to the control group. Furthermore, an increased IFN-𝛾/IL-4 ratio was found in the PE-MPs only and PE-MPs+Pb exposure groups, which indicated the skewedness to T_H1 response. Meanwhile, reduced blood hemoglobin levels and increased levels of IL-4, the dominant T_H2 cytokine in the Pb-only exposure group, were observed. Conclusions: Our current findings on the predominance of T_H1 immune response in the PE-MPs and PE-MPs+Pb groups suggest that PE-MPs could be responsible for the predominant induction of the cellular immune changes. This finding could be used as an important landmark in research related to T_H1 predominance, such as autoimmune diseases. It suggests that additional research on immune modulation using longer exposure durations or the same exposure route is required to elucidate stronger findings.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.339-349
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• 2020

Objectives : Wiryeong-tang (WRT) is a traditional herbal medicine used to treat kidney-related diseases. However, the anti-inflammatory and anti-gastritis effect of Wiryeong-tang was not well known. Therefore, we experimented to confirmed the anti-inflammatory and anti-gastritis effects of Wiryeong-tang. Methods : The RAW 264.7 cells were pre treated with Wiryeong-tang mix soft extract (WRT-mse; 50, 100 and 200 ㎍/mL) for 1 hrs, and then incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 500 ng/mL). Cell viability was measured by the MTT method, and nitric oxide (NO) was measured with griess reagent. In addition, pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For anti-gastritis effect in vivo, acute gastritis was induced using 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol used ICR mice. WRT-mse (133 mg/kg) was pre treated for 3 days and then treated with 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol 1 hrs later. Then gastritis was observed and inflammatory cytokines in the gastric tissue was measured. Results : The 8 marker components of the WRT-mse were determined by simultaneous analysis using HPLC. WRT-mse was not toxic and inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α at NO production, protein and mRNA levels. Also, it was confirmed that WRT-mse improved bleeding and edema in gastritis, and suppresses inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion : In summary, our results suggest that the treatment of the WRT-mse reduced and improved the 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol induced acute gastritis and the inflammation caused by LPS stimulation in RAW 264.7 cells. Therefore, this study may provide useful drug or clinical evidence for WRT-mse to prevent inflammation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.4
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• pp.440-444
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• 2015

Gastric mucosal damage by iron pills is often reported. However, iron pill aspiration is uncommon. Oxidation of the impacted iron pill causes bronchial mucosal damage that progresses to chronic bronchial inflammation, necrosis, endobronchial stenosis and rarely, perforation. We reported a case of a 92-year-old woman with chronic productive cough and significant left-sided atelectasis. Bronchoscopy revealed substantial luminal narrowing with exudative inflammation of the left main bronchus. Bronchial washing cytology showed necroinflammatory exudate and a small amount of brown material. Mucosal biopsy showed diffuse brown pigments indicative of ferrous pigments, crystal deposition, and marked tissue degeneration. After vigorous coughing, she expectorated dark sediments and her symptoms and radiological abnormalities improved. There are a few such reports worldwide; however, this was the first case reported in Korea. Careful observation of aspiration-prone patients and early detection of iron pill aspiration may prevent iron pill-induced bronchial injury.