• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• 제37권3호
• /
• pp.205-214
• /
• 2021

The use of the supernatant from a Bacillus subtilis culture mixed with sodium bicarbonate was explored as a means of controlling stem brown spot disease in dragon fruit plants. In in vitro experiments, the B. subtilis supernatant used with sodium bicarbonate showed a strong inhibition effect on the growth of the fungus, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, the agent causing stem brown spot disease and was notably effective in preventing fungal invasion of dragon fruit plant. This combination not only directly suppressed the growth of N. dimidiatum, but also indirectly affected the development of the disease by eliciting the dragon-fruit plant's defense response. Substantial levels of the pathogenesis-related proteins, chitinase and glucanase, and the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway enzymes, peroxidase and phenyl alanine ammonia-lyase, were triggered. Significant lignin deposition was also detected in treated cladodes of injured dragon fruit plants in in vivo experiments. In summary, B. subtilis supernatant combined with sodium bicarbonate protected dragon fruit plant loss through stem brown spot disease during plant development in the field through pathogenic fungal inhibition and the induction of defense response mechanisms.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• 제65권1호
• /
• pp.23-31
• /
• 2022

Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation play important roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigated the protective effects of paeoniflorin (PF) against neuronal oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mice. The brains of LPS-injected control group showed significantly increased neuroinflammation by activating the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and increasing inflammatory mediators. However, administration of PF significantly attenuated oxidative stress by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide levels, and reactive oxygen species production in the brain; PF at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg/day downregulated the expression of NF-κB pathway-related proteins and significantly decreased inflammatory mediators including inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Moreover, the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor, tropomycin receptor kinase B, were significantly increased in PF-treated mice. Furthermore, acetylcholinesterase activity and the ration of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2 associated X were significantly reduced by PF in the brains of LPS-induced mice, resulting in the inhibition of cholinergic dysfunction and neuronal apoptosis. Thus, we can conclude that administration of PF to mice prevents the development of LPS-induced AD pathology through the inhibition of neuronal oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, suggesting that PF has a therapeutic potential for AD.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• 제24권2호
• /
• pp.12.1-12.17
• /
• 2024

Exosomes are double phospholipid membrane vesicles that are synthesized and secreted by a variety of cells, including T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, immune cells, are extracellular vesicles. Recent studies have revealed that exosomes can play a significant role in under both physiological and pathological conditions. They have been implicated in regulation of inflammatory responses, immune response, angiogenesis, tissue repair, and antioxidant activities, particularly in modulating immunity in autoimmune diseases (AIDs). Moreover, variations in the expression of exosome-related substances, such as miRNA and proteins, may not only offer valuable perspectives for the early warning, and prognostic assessment of various AIDs, but may also serve as novel markers for disease diagnosis. This article examines the impact of exosomes on the development of AIDs and explores their potential for therapeutic application.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제80권1호
• /
• pp.83-89
• /
• 2017

Background: Previous studies report that apoptosis and autophagy are involved in the pathogenesis of emphysema, and macroautophagy is one of the processes regulating the apoptosis pathway. However, few studies have evaluated whether chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) contributes to the regulation of apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the impact of autophagy, including both macroautophagy and CMA, on the apoptosis in bronchial epithelial cells. Methods: Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) was injected intratracheally into C57BL/6 mice, and emphysema and apoptosis were evaluated in the lungs. After treatment with CSE, apoptosis, macroautophagy, and CMA were measured in BEAS2-B cells, and the impact of autophagy on the apoptosis was evaluated following knockdown of autophagy-related genes by short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Results: Intratracheal CSE injection resulted in the development of emphysema and an increase in apoptosis in mice. CSE increased the apoptosis in BEAS2-B cells, and also elevated the expression of proteins related to both macroautophagy and CMA in BEAS2-B cells. The knockdown experiment with siRNAs showed that macroautophagy increases apoptosis in BEAS2-B cells, while CMA suppresses apoptosis. Conclusion: The intratracheal injection of CSE induces pulmonary emphysema and an increase in apoptosis in mice. CSE also induces apoptosis, macroautophagy, and CMA of bronchial epithelial cells. Macroautophagy and CMA regulate apoptosis in opposite directions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제15권4호
• /
• pp.866-872
• /
• 2005

H. pylori is known to cause severe gastric diseases, including peptic ulcers and gastric cancers, and a link has also been suggested with iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). However, little is known about the pathogenesis of H. pylori-associated IDA. In the present study, to determine whether H. pylori strains are correlated with the prevalence of IDA, we analyzed and compared the sequences of the napA genes encoding a bacterioferritin-like protein in H. pylori strains. A total of 20 H. pylori strains were isolated from antral biopsies of patients with and without IDA, and the napA genes amplified from the genomic DNA were sequenced. A comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences for NapA revealed two sites with major variations. At residue 70, five out of the 12 non-IDA strains ($41.7\%$) contained serine, while only one of the 8 IDA strains ($12.5\%$) contained serine, indicating a significantly higher frequency of serine in the non-IDA strains. In addition, the NapA proteins from all 17 Western strains available on Web sites were found to contain serine residues at this position. Meanwhile, the other major variation was located at residue 73, where all eight IDA strains ($100\%$) contained leucine, while this was only true for eight of the 12 non-IDA strains ($66.7\%$). Therefore, these results indicated that the strains within each group were more genetically related to each other than to strains in the other group. When the expression level of the napA genes in the H. pylori strains was measured using RT-PCR, no significant difference was observed between the two groups, suggesting a similar intensity for the inflammatory responses induced by the NapA protein among the strains. Consequently, when taken together, the present data suggest that the occurrence of H. pylori-associated IDA may be partly determined by the infecting H. pylori strain, and the non-IDA strains are more closely related to Western strains than the IDA strains.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• 제24권1호
• /
• pp.24-40
• /
• 2007

배경 : 골관절염은 단순 노화로 인한 질병이 아니라 연골대사의 이상으로 인한 기계적 그리고 생화학적 불안정성이 나타나는 질환이다. Transforming growth factor-${\beta}$와 같이 연골세포의 기능을 향상시키는 촉진인자가 있는 반면 Interleukin(IL)-1이나 Tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$는 염증반응을 증가시킨다. 이중 IL-1은 골관절염의 병인에서 가장 중요한 염증 유발 인자로 알려져 있으며 이에 대한 자료도 축적되고 있다. 이 논문의 목적은 IL-$1{\beta}$에 대한 human chondrosarcoma cell (SW1353)의 유전자 발현 양상을 파악하여 골관절염 병인의 이해를 증대시키는데 있다. 재료 및 방법 : Chondrosarcoma cell line (SW 1353)은 연골세포의 IL-$1{\beta}$를 통한 세포노화에 대한 유전자 조절을 실험실에서 연구하는데 유용한 것으로 알려져 있다. 골관절염에서 IL-1에 의한 전체적인 유전자 발현의 변화를 연구하고 분석하기 위해 SW1353을 각각 1시간, 6시간, 24시간동안 IL-1에 노출시킨후 각각 총 RNA를 정제하였다. 유전자 발현의 변화는 17k human cDNA microarray로 분석하였고 semiquantitative RT-PCR로 확인하였다. 결과 : Metallothioneins, matrix metalloproteinases, extracellular proteins, antioxidant protein, cytoskeletal proteins, cell cycle regulatory proteins, 세포성장과 세포 자멸사에 대한 단백질, signal protein, transcriptional factor를 포함한 1,200개 유전자에서 2배 이상의 변화가 관찰되었다. 이러한 변화는 초기 관절염에서 보이는 병리생리학적 변화와 상관관계가 있는 것으로 생각된다. 결론 : cDNA microarray 분석으로 유전자 발현의 의미있는 변화를 관찰하였으며 골관절염 발병기전에서 분자생물학적 변화에 대한 인식과 치료 목표를 정립하는데 대한 새로운 자료로서 가치가 있을 것으로 생각된다.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• 제26권2호
• /
• pp.27-38
• /
• 2009

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, principally characterized by synovial inflammation of the joints. We previously reported the effect of acupuncture for RA, but the mechanism is still unclear. Various factors such as oxidative stress and angiogenesis were involved in the pathogenesis of RA, and recently, it has also been reported that cytokines also play a major role in RA. Thus, we investigated whether acupuncture could induce any changes in the levels of cytokines including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiogenin and epidermal growth factor (EGF) as well as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), c-reactive protein (CRP), and rheumatoid factor (RF) in the sera of RA patients. Methods: The forty three patients who met the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for RA recruited. The acupuncture group (n=21) underwent 14 sessions of partially individualized acupuncture treatment for 6 weeks, and the control group had no treatment (n=13) over the same periods. We evaluated ESR, CRP and RF. In addition, to find out the mechanism of acupuncture, we assessed the changes of the cytokine activities using protein cytokine array in the sera of the patients. Results: Acupuncture significantly decreased the levels of ESR and CRP, but RF were not changed after 6-week acupuncture treatments. Moreover, acupuncture reduced the levels of VEGF, angiogenin and EGF in the sera of the patients. Interestingly, they were related with angiogenesis, which is an important process in the pathogenesis of RA. The levels of oncostatin, interleukin(IL)-$1{\alpha}$, IL-8, leptin, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, macrophage-derived chemokine, macrophage inflammatory proteins-1, platelet-derived growth factor BB and RANTES were not changed significantly. Conclusions: The effect of acupuncture for reliving RA symptoms can be partially explained by inhibition of angiogenesis factors in the sera of the RA patients.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• 제10권1호
• /
• pp.16-22
• /
• 2012

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by formation of multiple fluid-filled cysts that expand over time and destroy renal architecture. The proteins encoded by the $PKD1$ and $PKD2$ genes, mutations in which account for nearly all cases of ADPKD, may help guard against cystogenesis. Previously developed mouse models of $PKD1$ and $PKD2$ demonstrated an embryonic lethal phenotype and massive cyst formation in the kidney, indicating that $PKD1$ and $PKD2$ probably play important roles during normal renal tubular development. However, their precise role in development and the cellular mechanisms of cyst formation induced by $PKD1$ and $PKD2$ mutations are not fully understood. To address this question, we presently created $Pkd2$ knockout and $PKD2$ transgenic mouse embryo fibroblasts. We used a mouse oligonucleotide microarray to identify messenger RNAs whose expression was altered by the overexpression of the $PKD2$ or knockout of the $Pkd2$. The majority of identified mutations was involved in critical biological processes, such as metabolism, transcription, cell adhesion, cell cycle, and signal transduction. Herein, we confirmed differential expressions of several genes including aquaporin-1, according to different $PKD2$ expression levels in ADPKD mouse models, through microarray analysis. These data may be helpful in $PKD2$-related mechanisms of ADPKD pathogenesis.

• 동의생리병리학회지
• /
• 제18권2호
• /
• pp.468-473
• /
• 2004

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin characterized by epidermal hyperplasia, dermal angiogenesis, infiltration of activated T cells, and increased cytokine levels, and affects 1-3% of the world-wide population. Although many immunological and clinical reports indicate a role for the immune system in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, puzzling questions about psoriasis remain unsolved. During the several decade, immunosuppressor and PUVA treatment are ubiquitously used to psoriasis therapy. But recently, to promote terminal differentiation of keratinocytes, block either NK-Tcell or T-cell activation, and interrupting the angiogenic switch represent another therapeutic opportunity in psoriasis. To keep face with immunological therapy, the needs of newly designed prescription on the psoriasis treatments were demanded. With the object of understand the psoriasis from an orient medical point of view, patients were administrated the GY during several weeks. We investigated the changes of gene expression in involved and uninvolved skin samples during the oriental remedy. Microarray data showed several important results. First, Gene expression profiling is similar to each patient. Second, precursor proteins that organize cornified envelops are decreased at the end of remedy. But genes which related to apoptosis, G-protein signalling, and lipid metabolism are increased. Third, 68.5% of clustering genes localized on the psoriasis susceptibility locus. In our results indicated that GY influence on the keratinocytes hyperproliferation by regulating the gene, which located on the psoriasis susceptibility locus.

• 셀메드
• /
• 제3권2호
• /
• pp.10.1-10.8
• /
• 2013

Cancer is one of the major dreaded diseases causing high mortality. Lung cancer is second in position of all cancer related deaths and mainly divided into two morphologic sub-types: small-cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC is an aggressive neoplasm which hardly responds to any conventional chemotherapy. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) belongs to the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinase that is mainly over-expressed in NSCLC. EGFR is mainly involved in the pathogenesis and progression of different carcinoma. In vivo and in vitro studies suggest that EGFR and EGF like peptides are often over-expressed in human NSCLC and these proteins are able to induce cell transformation. The conventional therapies mostly inhibit the EGFR activity and expression level in human NSCLC with the use of some EGFR-inhibitors like HKI-272, EKB569, CL-387785 etc. and some synthetic chemotherapeutic drugs like erlotinib, gefitinib, plumbagin, docetaxel, cisplatin etc., alone or in combination of two or more drugs. These therapies selectively act by competitive inhibition of the binding of adenosine triphosphate to the tyrosine kinase domain of the EGFR, resulting in inhibition of the EGFR signaling pathway. But these chemotherapeutic drugs have some cytotoxic activities to the normal cells and have some adverse side-effects. Recent studies on some traditional alternative therapies including some herbal and plant extracts, active ingredients like curcumin, different homeopathic drugs, etc. can target EGFR-signalling in NSCLC with less toxic side-effects are being currently developed.