• 한국약용작물학회지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2010

Inonotus obliquus is one of the immune-regulatory substances and is recognized to play the role in the metabolic process of inflammation, allergy and immuntiy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of water extracts of Inonotus obliquus (IOW) on the liver lymphocyte immune function in the Sprague-Dawley male rats treated with carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) to induce liver damage. Rats were fed with each experimental diet and water for 4 weeks. We found that effects of IOW on interferon-gamma (IFN-$\gamma$), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (pSTAT1) and GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA-3) were decrease in vivo. Interleukin-4 (IL-4), STAT6, pSTAT6 and T-box expressed in T-cells (T-bet) decreased significantly lower in $CCl_4$+IOW group than the $CCl_4$ group. Our data indicated that cytokine protein production were increased in $CCl_4$ group and $CCl_4$+IOW group. As a result of this study, we assume that IOW fed could regulate the immuno-modulating functions through regulate the cytokine production capacity activated by liver damage.

• 약학회지
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.182-188
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• 2000

High soy consumption leading to high exposures of soy isoflavones has been associated with a reduced risk of cancers at many sites. As part of a study focusing on the chemopreventive mechanisms, we have investigated the modulating effects of daidzein and genistein, a prominent and more bioavailable isoflavone in soy foods, on murine immune function. Daidzein (50 mg/kg) or genistein (50 mg/kg) was administered p.o. once a day for 7 days in BALB/c mice. Daidzein decreased the mitogen-stimulated proliferation of murine splenocyte, but genistein increased it. Daidzein stimulated the secretion of interleukin-4, but inhibited the secretion of ${\gamma}$-interferon, interleukin-2 and tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$. Genistein stimulated the secretion of ${\gamma}$-interferon, interleukin-2 and tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$, but inhibited the secretion of interleukin-4. Daidzein and geiustein inhibited the production of nitric oxide and enhanced the phagocytic activity in peritoneal macrophage. These results suggest that cancer preventive effects of daidzein is partly concerned with the secretion of $T_{H}$2 cells cytokine and the activation of macrophage phagocytosis, and genistein is partly concerned with the secretion of $T_{H}$l cells cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ and the activation of macrophage phagocytosis.sis.

• 생약학회지
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• 제53권2호
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• pp.87-95
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• 2022

Methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a gram-positive bacterium, the most commonly isolated bacterial human pathogen. JiYu-san is one of the natural products used to treat diseases in the folk recipe. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of EtOH 70% extracts of JiYu-san (JYS) against MRSA. The antibacterial activity of JYS against MRSA strain was evaluated using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), checkerboard dilution test, and time-kill assay. The effect of JYS on the immune mechanism of MRSA was confirmed through cell membrane permeability tests and energy metabolism tests, and the antibacterial activity mechanism was performed using qRT-PCR and western blot. As a result, in the antibacterial test of JYS, the MIC was measured to be 1.9~1000 ㎍/mL, and synergistic or showed a partial synergistic effect. In addition, JYS showed antibacterial activity in a combination test with DCCD or TX-100. In a study on the mechanism of action of antibacterial activity, it was found that JYS suppressed MRSA resistance genes and proteins. These results suggest that JYS has antibacterial activity and provides great potential as a natural antibiotic by modulating the immune mechanism against MRSA.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.1-25
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the anti-arthritis effects of Jeonsaenghwalhyeoltanggamibang(JHTG) on collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) in mice. Methods: To assess the effects of JHTG on CIA in mice, we conducted several experiments such as analysis of arthritis index, cell count of draining lymph node(DLN) and paw joint, measurement of serum antibody levels and observation of the histological changes of joint. Results: 1. JHTG extract had a suppressive effect on the arthritis index of paw joints in CIA mice. 2. JHTG extract increased the total cell number of DLN, and decreased the total cell number of paw joints in CIA mice. 3. JHTG extract increased the absolute number of various cell surface receptors in DLN, and decreased the absolute number of B220+/CD23+ cells in DLN in CIA mice. 4. JHTG extract decreased the absolute number of CD3+, CD4+, CD11b+/Gr-1 cells in paw joint in CIA mice. 5. JHTG extract didn't decrease the absolute number of CD4+/CD25+ cells in paw joints in CIA mice. 6. JHTG extract decreased levels of total IgM in the serum of CIA mice, but had no effect on levels of collagen II specific antibody. 7. JHTG extract decreased the destruction of articular cartilages and collagen fibers and the proliferation of synovial cells in paw joints from CIA mice. Conclusion: These results indicate that JHTG has clinical potential for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by modulating the immune response.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.44.1-44.10
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• 2023

Tumor hypoxia, oxygen deprivation state, occurs in most cancers and promotes angiogenesis, enhancing the potential for metastasis. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family genes play crucial roles in tumorigenesis by promoting angiogenesis. To investigate the malignant processes triggered by hypoxia-induced angiogenesis across pan-cancers, we comprehensively analyzed the relationships between the expression of VEGF family genes and hypoxic microenvironment based on integrated bioinformatics methods. Our results suggest that the expression of VEGF family genes differs significantly among various cancers, highlighting their heterogeneity effect on human cancers. Across the 33 cancers, VEGFB and VEGFD showed the highest and lowest expression levels, respectively. The survival analysis showed that VEGFA and placental growth factor (PGF) were correlated with poor prognosis in many cancers, including kidney renal cell and liver hepatocellular carcinoma. VEGFC expression was positively correlated with glioma and stomach cancer. VEGFA and PGF showed distinct positive correlations with hypoxia scores in most cancers, indicating a potential correlation with tumor aggressiveness. The expression of miRNAs targeting VEGF family genes, including hsa-miR-130b-5p and hsa-miR-940, was positively correlated with hypoxia. In immune subtypes analysis, VEGFC was highly expressed in C3 (inflammatory) and C6 (transforming growth factor β dominant) across various cancers, indicating its potential role as a tumor promotor. VEGFC expression exhibited positive correlations with immune infiltration scores, suggesting low tumor purity. High expression of VEGFA and VEGFC showed favorable responses to various drugs, including BLU-667, which abrogates RET signaling, an oncogenic driver in liver and thyroid cancers. Our findings suggest potential roles of VEGF family genes in malignant processes related with hypoxia-induced angiogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.1299-1306
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• 2024

Antibiotics are used to control infectious diseases. However, adverse effects of antibiotics, such as devastation of the gut microbiota and enhancement of the inflammatory response, have been reported. Health benefits of fermented milk are established and can be enhanced by the addition of probiotic strains. In this study, we evaluated effects of fermented milk containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) SNUG50430 in a mouse model with antibiotic treatment. Fermented milk containing 2 × 10⁵ colony-forming units of L. rhamnosus SNUG50430 was administered to six week-old female BALB/c mice for 1 week. Interleukin (IL)-10 levels in colon samples were significantly increased (P < 0.05) compared to water-treated mice, whereas interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were decreased, of mice treated with fermented milk containing L. rhamnosus SNUG50430-antibiotics-treated (FM+LR+Abx-treated) mice. Phylum Firmicutes composition in the gut was restored and the relative abundances of several bacteria, including the genera Coprococcus and Lactobacillus, were increased in FM+LR+Abx-treated mice compared to PBS+Abx-treated mice. Interestingly, abundances of genus Coprococcus and Lactobacillus were positively correlated with IL-5 and IL-10 levels (P < 0.05) in colon samples and negative correlated with IFN-γ and TNF-α levels in serum samples (P < 0.001). Acetate and butyrate were increased in mice with fermented milk and fecal microbiota of FM+LR+Abx-treated mice were highly enriched with butyrate metabolism pathway compared to water-treated mice (P < 0.05). Thus, fermented milk containing L. rhamnosus SNUG50430 was shown to ameliorate adverse health effects caused by antibiotics through modulating immune responses and the gut microbiota.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.295-306
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• 2007

The growth and health of the fetus and neonate are directly influenced by the nutritional and physiological status of sows. Sows are often under catabolic conditions due to restrict feeding program during pregnancy and low voluntary feed intake during lactation. The current restrict feeding program, which aims at controlling energy intake during gestation, results in an inadequate supply of dietary protein for fetal and mammary gland growth. Low voluntary feed intake during lactation also causes massive maternal tissue mobilization. Provision of amino acids and fatty acids with specific functions may enhance the performance of pregnant and lactating sows by modulating key metabolic pathways. These nutrients include arginine, branched-chain amino acids, glutamine, tryptophan, proline, conjugated linoleic acids, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid, which can enhance conception rates, embryogenesis, blood flow, antioxidant activity, appetite, translation initiation for protein synthesis, immune cell proliferation, and intestinal development. The outcome is to improve sow reproductive performance as well as fetal and neonatal growth and health. Dietary supplementation with functional amino acids and fatty acids holds great promise in optimizing nutrition, health, and production performance of sows and piglets. (Supported by funds from Texas Tech, USDA, NLRI-RDA-Korea, and China NSF).

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.103-107
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• 2017

Angelica koreana is an important medicinal plant for some locals in East Asia including Korea. A few reports have shown the efficacy of its phytochemical constituents. We have isolated and purified one compound falcarindiol (FAL) from the methanolic extract of A. koreana roots. At concentrations from to $1{\mu}M$ to $25{\mu}M$, the FAL isolated from the roots of A. koreana exerted no significant cytotoxicity and down-regulated LPS-stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8 in colon epithelial cells, while up-regulating anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. In addition, the FAL decreased the expression of LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 protein by Western blot analysis. Colon epithelial cells play pivotal roles in regulating the colon immune system and thus FAL is expected to be candidate agent as therapeutic potential for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by modulating LPS-induced inflammation in colon epithelial cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.219-240
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• 2009

Since NF-${\kappa}B$ has been identified as a transcription factor associated with immune cell activation, groups of researchers have dedicated to reveal detailed mechanisms of nuclear factor of ${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) in inflammatory signaling for decades. The various molecular components of NF-${\kappa}B$ transcription factor pathway have been being evaluated as important therapeutic targets due to their roles in diverse human diseases including inflammation, cystic fibrosis, sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, atherosclerosis, ischemic injury, myocardial infarction, osteoporosis, transplantation rejection, and neurodegeneration. With regards to new drugs directly or indirectly modulating the NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway, FDA recently approved a proteasome inhibitor bortezomib for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Many pharmaceutical companies have been trying to develop new drugs to inhibit various kinases in the NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathway for many therapeutic applications. However, a gene knock-out study for $IKK{\beta}$ in the NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway has given rise to controversies associated with efficacy as therapeutics. Mice lacking hepatocyte $IKK{\beta}$ accelerated cancer instead of preventing progress of cancer. However, it is clear that pharmacological inhibition of $IKK{\beta}$ appears to be beneficial to reduce HCC. This article will update issues of the NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway and inhibitors regulating this pathway.

• Mycobiology
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.228-232
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• 2020

Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi and is well known as one of the important medical fungi in Chinese, Korea, and other Asian countries, because of its various beneficial effects on human health. The pharmacological activities of Cordyceps extract are mainly focused on anti-cancer, anti-metastatic, and immune modulating effects. In the present study, we investigated whether the antiplatelet effect of ethanol extract of cultured Cordyceps militaris (CMEE) with FeCl₃-induced arterial thrombosis model. We observed that CMEE exhibited a significant inhibitory effect against ADP and collagen-induced platelet aggregation. However, there were no significant differences in prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). These results suggest that antithrombotic activity of CMEE is related to antiplatelet effect rather than anticoagulation effect, and CMEE may be a positive effect on improving blood circulation against vessel injury and occlusion.