• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2018

Purpose: Podocytes are important architectures that maintain the crucial roles of glomerular filtration barrier functions. Despite this structural importance, however, the mechanisms of the changes in podocytes that can be an important pathogenesis of minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) are not clear yet. The aim of this study was to investigate whether apoptosis is induced by interleukin (IL)-13 in cultured human podocytes. Methods: Human podocytes were treated with different IL-13 doses and apoptotic cells were analyzed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Results: The IL-13 increased the number of TUNEL-positive cells in a dose-dependent manner at 6 and 18 hours (P<0.05 and P<0.05, respectively). The apoptosis rate was appeared to be increased slightly in the IL-13-stimulated podocytes (8.63%, 13.02%, and 14.46%; 3, 10 and 30 ng/mL, respectively) than in the control cells (7.66%) at 12 hours by FACS assay. Conclusion: Our study revealed that IL-13 expression may increase podocyte apoptosis. Blocking the IL-13 signal pathway can potentially play an important role in regulating the apoptosis of podocytes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 1999

Highly metastatic mouse T-lymphoma CS21 cells can grow in vitro when cocultured with CA12 lymph node stromal cells, but they undergo apoptotic cell death when separated from CA12 stromal cells. It has been found that cysteine and interleukin-7(IL-7) as antiapoptotic soluble factors that produced by CA12 stromal cells. In this study, we report that an ICE family protease is activated in CS21 cells when separated from CA12 stromal cells and cultured alone. Enzyme purification using an avidin affinity column revealed that the involved cysteine protease possessed caspase3-like death protease activity. In addition, when IL-7 was added to CS21 cell culture, the protease activity could not be detected during partial purification of the enzyme. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that the caspase3-like protease activation is suppressed by IL-7 as an antiapoptotic factor that leads to abrogation of apoptosis execution.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1264-1269
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• 2011

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a vital cytokine secreted by activated T lymphocytes, and plays an important role in the regulation of cellular functions and immunity of animals. In this study, the recombinant duck IL-2 (rduIL-2) was secretory expressed in Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris). The recombinant P. pastoris strain was cultured in shake flasks and then scaled up in a 5.0-l bioreactor. The result showed that the maximal fresh-cell-weight of 594.1 g/l and the maximal $OD_{600}$ of 408 were achieved in the bioreactor. The rduIL-2 was purified by two steps of purification procedures, and approximately 311 mg of rduIL-2/L fermentation supernatant was obtained. SDS-PAGE showed that the purified rduIL-2 constituted a homogeneous band of ~16 kDa or ~14 kDa corresponding to the glycosylated or non-glycosylated duIL-2 protein in size, respectively. The bioactivity of rduIL-2 was determined by lymphocyte proliferation assay. The result indicated that the rduIL-2 greatly promoted the proliferation of ConA-stimulated lymphocytes in vitro. The P. pastoris expression system described here could provide promising, inexpensive, and large-scale production of the rduIL-2, which lays the foundation for development of novel immunoadjuvants to enhance both the immunity of ducks against various infectious pathogens and vaccine efficacy.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.39-49
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• 2002

The author measured IL-8 and $TGF-{\beta}1$ levels of 84 ears - 48 ears of them had treated by antibiotics, 36 of them by Kamihyunggyeyungyotang(KHY) - of pediatric recurrent otitis media with effusion using ELISA assay, and compared them. The results were obtained as follows. 1. The level of IL-8 in KHY group was significantly lower than that in antibiotics group(p<0.05). 2. The level of $TGF-{\beta}1$ in KHY group was lower than that in antibiotics group. According to above results, KHY is considered to be used for treating recurrent otitis media with effusion by controlling the production of interleukin-8 and transforming $growthfactor-{\beta}1$.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.203-207
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• 2010

This study investigated the effects of Oligonol intake on cortisol, interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6 concentrations in the serum at rest and after physical exercise loading. Nineteen healthy sedentary male volunteers participated in this study. The physical characteristics of the subjects were: a mean height of $174.2{\pm}2.7$ cm, a mean weight of $74.8{\pm}3.6$ kg and a mean age of $22.8{\pm}1.3$ years. Each subject received 0.5 L water with Oligonol (100 mg/day) (n = 10) or a placebo (n = 9) daily for four weeks. The body composition, the white blood cell (WBC) and differential counts as well as the serum cortisol, IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6 concentrations were measured before and after Oligonol intake. The cortisol concentration and serum levels of IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 after Oligonol intake were significantly decreased compared to before treatment (P < 0.01, respectively). In addition, the rate of increase of these factors after exercise was decreased compared to the placebo group. There was no change in the WBC and differential cell counts. These results suggest that oral Oligonol intake for four weeks had a significant effect on inhibition of inflammatory markers in healthy young men.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.453-462
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Platycodon grandiflorum (PG), an oriental herbal medicine, has been known to improve liver function, and has both anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. However, little is known about the immune-enhancing effects of PG and its mechanism. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether fermented PG extract (FPGE), which has increased platycodin D content, activates the immune response in a murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7. MATERIALS/METHODS: Cell viability was determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and the nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured using Griess reagent. Cytokine messenger RNA levels of were monitored by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying immunomodulatory actions of FPGE in RAW 264.7 cells, we have conducted luciferase reporter gene assay and western blotting. RESULTS: We found that FPGE treatment induced macrophage cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. FPGE also modulated the expression of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6. The activation and phosphorylation levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were increased by FPGE treatment. Moreover, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide, an activator of AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), significantly reduced both lipopolysaccharides- and FPGE-induced NF-κB reporter gene activity. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings suggest that FPGE may be a novel immune-enhancing agent acting via AMPK-NF-κB signaling pathway.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1120-1126
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• 2007

This study was performed to screen probiotic bifidobacteria for their ability to bind and neutralize lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Escherichia coli and to verify the relationship between LPS-binding ability, cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), and inhibition of LPS-induced interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion by HT-29 cells of the various bifidobacterial strains. Ninety bifidobacteria isolates from human feces were assessed for their ability to bind fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled LPS from E. coli. Isolates showing 30-60% binding were designated LPS-high binding (LPS-H) and those with less than 15% binding were designated LPS-low binding (LPS-L). The CSH, autoaggregation (AA), and inhibition of LPS-induced IL-8 release from HT-29 cells of the LPS-H and LPS-L groups were evaluated. Five bifidobacteria strains showed high levels of LPS binding, CSH, AA, and inhibition of IL-8 release. However, statistically significant correlations between LPS binding, CSH, AA, and reduction of IL-8 release were not found. Although we could isolate bifidobacteria with high LPS-binding ability, CSH, AA, and inhibition of IL-8 release, each characteristic should be considered as strain dependent. Bifidobacteria with high LPS binding and inhibition of IL-8 release may be good agents for preventing inflammation by neutralizing Gram-negative endotoxins and improving intestinal health.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.319-325
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• 2002

The induction of interleukin-6 (IL-6) using combined proinflammatory agents $(LPS/IFN-{\gamma}\;or\;TNF-{\alpha}/IFN-{\gamma})$ was studied in relation to p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and $NF-{\kappa}B$ transcriptional factor in primary neonatal cardiomyocytes. When added to cultures of cardiomyocytes, the combined agents $(LPS/IFN-[\gamma}\;or\;TNF-{\alpha}/IFN-{\gamma})$ had stimulatory effect on the production of IL-6 and the elevation was significantly reduced by SB203580, a specific p38 MAPK inhibitor. SB203580 inhibited protein production and gene expression of IL-6 in a concentration-dependent manner. In this study, $IFN-{\gamma}$ enhancement of $TNF-{\alpha}-induced\;NF-{\kappa}B$ binding affinity as well as p38 MAP kinase activation was observed. However, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK, SB203580, had no effect on $TNF-{\alpha}/IFN-{\gamma}\;or\;LPS/IFN-{\gamma}-induced\;NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. This study strongly suggests that these pathways about $TNF-{\alpha}/IFN-{\gamma}$ or $LPS/IFN-{\gamma}-activated$ IL-6 release can be primarily dissociated in primary neonatal cardiomyocytes.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2000

Background: TNF-$\alpha$ plays a major role in producing left ventricular dysfunction cardio-myopathy pulmonary edema and inhibits the compensatory mechanism of congestive heart failure. IL-6 is an acute reactant of immune reaction and also known to control immune reaction but its function in the myocyte was not clearly investigated. Author's performed this experiment to investigate the contents of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 on the assumption that TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 may reside in nonfailing heart that has gone cardiac surgery and play some role in cardiac function. Material and Method : Right auricular tissues were sampled from 12 patients who had undergone total corrective surgery for both congenital and acquired heart diseases from January 1998 to June 1998 in Kosin Universcfy Gospel hospital. The quantitive analysis of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 were assessed by ELISA method in right auricular tissue. Hemodynamic values about the pressure of ventricle atrium aorta pulmonary artery and cardiac index pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance and cardiac output were measured by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization and biochemical analyses of LDH & AST were done before operation. statistical analysis was by Paired Student t-test. Patients were divided into children(under 15 years olds) and adults groups and the data was compared beween two groups. Conclusion: Mild pulmonary hypertension and increased pulmonary vascular resistance were existed in both group. The contents of tissue TNF-$\alpha$ IL-6 in each group were independent of each data.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.452-456
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and cellular mechanism of piperine on murine peritoneal macrophages. To evaluate the effects of piperine, we examined the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12. To investigate inhibitory mechanism of piperine, we examined the MAPKs and Ik-Ba in murine peritoneal macrophages, Piperine itself does not have any cytotoxic effect and reduced lipopolysaccharid (LPS), Poly(I:C), CpG-ODN -induced production of NO, IL-10 and IL-12 in peritoneal macrophages. Piperine inhibited the activation of extracelluar signal-regulated kinase (ERK 1/2) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK 1/2) not the activation of p38 and the degradation of inhibitory kappa B a (Ik-Ba) in the LPS-stimulated murine peritoneal macrophages.ln conclusion, Piperine down-regulated LPS-induced production of NO, IL-10 and IL-12, which could provide a clinical basis for anti-inflammatory properties of piperine.