• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.575-585
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• 2000

This study was performed to observe the influence of host immune response on the chemotherapy of mice experimentally infected with Fasciola hepatica. Following immunosuppression with prednisolone or immunoenhancement with Freund's complete adjuvant(FCA), mice were experimentally infected with 3 Fasciola hepatica metacercariae and treated with closantel at 1 week post infection. In the group of mice infected with metacercariae alone, 2 mice of 10 were dead at 10 weeks post infection(20% mortality), and adult flukes were recovered from the liver and the peritoneal cavity of the remaining 8 mice(100% infectivity). In the group of mice treated with prednisolone and infected with metacercariae, 8 of 10 mice died before euthanasia with a mean time of death earlier than the control group (p<0.05). In the group of immunosuppressed mice infected with metacercariae and treated with closantel 20mg/kg, 4 of 10 mice died before sacrifice. In the group of mice infected and treated with closantel 20mg/kg, mortality and infectivity was 10% and 30%, respectively. Similar results were observed in mice infected and treated with closantel 5mg/kg which resulted in 10% and 50% mortality and infectivity, respectively. These results indicated that the efficacy of closantel treatment was decreased in immunosuppressed mice, while the pathogenicity was increased. In immunoenhanced mice infected with metacercariae, on the other hand, the efficacy of chemotherapy with both 5mg/kg or 20mg/kg closantel resulted in only 10% infectivity. The results shown in this study strongly suggest that a close interaction between chemotherapy against F hepatica with closantel and the host immune system exists. Considering that fascioliasis is a zoonosis, treatment regimen against the infection to immunosuppressed patients may require a concurrent prescription of an appro-priate immuno-enhancing adjuvant.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2000

Ginseng (the root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, Araliaceae) has been used for traditional medicine in China, Korea, Japan and other Asian countries. It is most often used as a general tonic, and it involves a wide range of pharmacological actions, such as antiaging, adaptogen-like effect to foreign deleterious infringement, immunoenhancement, antistress, antitumor, and antioxidant actions. Red ginseng showed anticarcinogenic activity against various chemical carcinogens in mouse and cancer-preventive effect of human being as on mice in experimental and epidemiological studies. In the present study, we have found the protective properties of red ginseng against vinyl carbamate (VC) which is the proximate carcinogen of ethyl carbamate and its ultimate carcinogenic epoxides. Red ginseng exhibited dose-dependent inhibition on the mutagenci activities of boty VC in the presence of S9 mix and vinyl carbamate epoxide (VCO) without metabolic activation in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535. Formation of DNA adducts from VCO was also attenuated in the presence of red ginseng. Oral administration of red ginseng prior to the topical application of each of the above carcinogens and TPA treatment resulted in significant reduction in both incidence and multiplicity of skin tumors in mice. These results indicate that red ginseng possesses a strong chemopreventive effect against mouse skin carcinogenesis induced by VC or VCO.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.96-104
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• 2003

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is traditionally used as appetite enhancer, improver of the digestive system, antithusive, anti-cold, antipyretic, analgesic, and antiinflammation. In vitro evaluation using human lymphocyte cultures showed almost similar indication with those in in vivo mouse study, NK cell lysing activity was improved significantly. Proliferation activity of B and T cells, and CD3$^{＋}$ and CD3$^{＋}$CD4$^{＋}$T cell subset were better observed using oleoresin or gingerol and shogaol fractions. Although there were higher activities in gingerol, the improvement was almost equal to that by oleoresin. Shogaol did not show better improvement except at higher concentration. It could be concluded that treatment with single bioactive compound, such as gingerol, did not show significant effects compared to oleoresin, the crude extract. In human study, involving healthy male adult, the improvement of NK cell lysing activity was again demonstrated and even more apparent. The mechanism involved in the protection seemed to be through the antioxidant activity of gingerol. However, other mechanism underlying the improvement of NK cell lysing activity must be involved since this improvement seemed to be specifically toward NK cell activity. Since NK cells ave specific for the elimination of virus-infected cell and mutated cells, this positive effect on the immune system are very interesting. This work has also scientifically proved that the traditional beliefs that ginger had preventive effects on common cold appeared to be reasonable.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.100-109
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• 2005

In South America, natural products with unknown drug effects are used as folk remedies and for preventive medicine. Among South American natural products, we directed our attention to Propolis, which have been known as medicinal plants, and examined the mechanisms by which these substances affect antioxidant activity, anti-tumor activity and immunoresponse. When the antioxidant activities of Propolis were examined by the DPPH and Rhoudan iron methods, since Propolis contains high levels of flavonoids, it is thought that flavonoids may be responsible for the antioxidant activity in this study. In the examination of immunoenhancement activity, we measured lymphocyte versus polymorphonuclear leukocyte ratios (L/P activity). The number of lymphocytes was significantly increased in groups treated with Proplolis. Specifically, slightly high levels of $IFN-{\gamma}$ were measured in mice bearing the S-180 carcinoma, after administration of Propolis. This strongly suggests that cellular immunity is especially activated by treatment with Propolis, because production of $IFN-{\alpha}$ is limited to the T cells and NK cells stimulated by mitogen and sensitized antigen. $TNF-{\alpha}$ shows a different extent and mechanism of action depending on the target cells. When $TNF-{\alpha}$ was measured in mice bearing the S-180 carcinoma, mice treated with Propolis showed slightly higher $TNF-{\alpha}$ levels as compared to the control group. This suggests that activated macrophages produce $TNF-{\alpha}$ in mice treated with Prapolis, since activated macrophages and lymphocytes are the source of most $TNF-{\alpha}$. When anti-tumor action was examined using two kinds of sarcoma (Ehrlich solid carcinoma and Sarcoma-180 carcinoma), tumor-suppressive ratios after treatment with Propolis was 29.1%. When Sarcoma-180 solid carcinoma was used, tumor-suppressive ratios were 62%. Thus, Propolis showed strong anti-tumor activity against two kinds of solid carcinoma. Taken altogether, this strongly suggests that Propolis enhances original functions of macrophages and NK cells, and as a result, secondarily enhances the immune reaction and suppresses tumor growth.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1026-1038
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• 1995

Although aloe lost a lot of its previous popularity in modern clinical uses as medicine numerous scientific researches still have claimed the beneficial properties(curing and general tonic effect) of aloe gel. Whereas considerable contradictory reports have helped to confuse the aloe gel issue and continually aroused controversy about aloe gel efficacy. However health food, cosmetic and medicinal products made from aloe gel are widely available in the world market especially in U.S.A. so the growing of Aloe plant and the processing of A. vera gel have become big industries in some countries. In some previous papers the salicylic acid, one of the common trace gel components, was thought to have an analgetic and antinflammatory effect. Large amount of Mg ion in the gel was suggested to act as anesthetic, Mg-lactate as antihistamic, and Aloctin A(a glycoprotein) as wound healer by promoting the cell growth. The carboxypeptidase and bradykinase activity in the gel were proposed to have the pain relieving and antiinflammatory effect. But any of thes etheories concerining the physiological action of the trace gel components has not been demonstrated by modern pharmacology, and failed to be supported by clinical research. It was suggested by some research workers that trace amount of anthraquinone compounds in the gel play an important role to act as false substrate inhibitors for PG and TX production(antiprostanoid effect), by which, they believed, inflammation, burn and frostbite, and infected wound could be healed. This hypothesis has not been substantiated. Butthe suggested antimicrobial action, antidiabetic, and antidotic effect of aloe gel are likely to be attributed to the trace anthraquinone compounds. In a lot of recent experimental reports it has been claimed that aloe gel polysaccharides(acetylglucomannan, acetylmannan, and glycoprotein) have the antimicrobial, antinflammatory, antitumour, and infected wound healing effect by immunoenhancement. It is hoped that these effects will be soon documented in clinical studies, then the controversy on aloe gel beneficial effect will cease. In the 30 days subchronic toxicity test the lowest observed adverse effect level of acemannan(acetylmannan) on dog was 5.0 mg/kg, IP. But the aloe gel is generally agreed to be harmless and non toxic even for the internal use such as health food. In the case of idiosynrasy one must keep the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction of aloe gel in mind. In conclusion it seem to be impossible to simply refuse a lot of evidences made by research workers who have claimed aloe gel's beneficial effects and to deny the fact that there had been long therapeutic histories of Aloe plants.