Mitigation effects of red Platycodon grandiflorum extract on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in splenocytes isolated from mice / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) is known to have effective antimicrobial and anticancer activity. The main bioactive components of PG are saponins, and these could contribute to anti-inflammatory activity. However, little is known about the anti-inflammatory effect of PG. In this study, we aim to assess the anti-inflammatory response to Red PG Extract (RPGE) in splenocytes under ex vivo conditions. METHODS: The cell viability of isolated splenocytes taken from mice was analyzed by performing a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The productions of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines (specifically interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10)) were measured utilizing Griess reagent and ELISA, respectively. RESULTS: We found that co-treatment with RPGE and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) decreased isolated splenocyte proliferation as compared with that of the LPS-stimulated control. We also observed that RPGE markedly suppressed NO synthesis and IL-6 production that was induced by LPS. There were no significant differences of IL-10 production between co-treatment with RPGE plus LPS and treatment with LPS alone. CONCLUSION: When taken together, our data has shown that RPGE mitigates LPS-induced inflammation in splenocytes isolated from mice. Further research is surely needed to confirm the anti-inflammation effects of RPGE in an in vivo model.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Salvia plebeia R. Br extract in vitro and in ovalbumin-induced mouse model

BACKGROUND: Asthma is an increasing global health problem, and novel strategies to prevent or ameliorate the condition are needed. Here, the effects of 80 % ethanol extracts of Salvia plebeia R. Br. (SE) on an induced inflammatory response were investigated RESULTS: Salvia plebeia R. Br. inhibited production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, as well as nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. NO and pro-inflammatory cytokine production was suppressed more effectively by SE of the aerial parts (SE-A) than of the roots (SE-R) of S. plebeia. In BEAS-2B cells, both SE-A and SE-R inhibited the increase in production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8. We also investigated the antiasthmatic effects of SE in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced BALB/c mouse model. SE-A treatment significantly reduced the number of airway eosinophils, IL-4 and IL-13 levels, mucus production, and inflammatory infiltration, as compared with the corresponding levels in the untreated, OVA-induced mice, and had similar effects to dexamethasone CONCLUSIONS: Salvia plebeia ethanol extract ameliorated the induced inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 and BEAS-2B cells, with more effective inhibition noted for SE-A than for SE-R. SE-A treatment was effective in improving the histopathological changes in the lungs of asthma model mice via modulation of eosinophils and Th2 cytokines. These results suggest that SE-A can be considered as a therapeutic agent that can potentially relieve asthma

The Distribution Pattern of Lymphocyte Subsets according to the Level of Serum Albumin in Preoperative Patients with Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: Considering that nutritional state correlates to immunity, we performed this study to evaluate the correlation by assessing the numerical changes of the levels of serum albumin and lymphocyte subsets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on patients who were diagnosed as having gastric cancer and who underwent curative surgery from August 1998 to August 2004 in the Gyeongsang National University Hospital and whose peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were tested prior to surgery. The study population was a total of 150 cases. RESULTS: The change in the lymphocyte subsets in relation to the change in the level of serum albumin in all patients with gastric cancer was determined, and was compared to disease stages. When patients were classified by using the level of serum albumin with 3.2 mg/dl as the cut-off point (low group: serum albumin or=3.2 mg/dl), the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes, CD3+ cells, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, and CD16+56 cells were, significantly lower in the group with the level of serum albumin below 3.2 mg/dl (low group) than it was in the group with a serum albumin level above 3.2 mg/dl (normal group) (P<0.05). In stage I (n=59), CD16+56 cells were significantly lower in the low group. In stage II (n=29), the number of CD16+56 cells was lower and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was higher in the low group than in the normal group significantly. In stage IV (n=33), except for CD19+ cells, the number of all lymphocyte subsets was significantly lower and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was significantly higher in the low group. CONCLUSION: The group with a low level of serum albumin had a low absolute number of lymphocyte subsets. Based on this, we reconfirmed that the nutritional state is closely related with the immune state in patients with gastric cancer.

The Distribution Pattern of Lymphocyte Subsets according to the Level of Serum Albumin in Preoperative Patients with Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: Considering that nutritional state correlates to immunity, we performed this study to evaluate the correlation by assessing the numerical changes of the levels of serum albumin and lymphocyte subsets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on patients who were diagnosed as having gastric cancer and who underwent curative surgery from August 1998 to August 2004 in the Gyeongsang National University Hospital and whose peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were tested prior to surgery. The study population was a total of 150 cases. RESULTS: The change in the lymphocyte subsets in relation to the change in the level of serum albumin in all patients with gastric cancer was determined, and was compared to disease stages. When patients were classified by using the level of serum albumin with 3.2 mg/dl as the cut-off point (low group: serum albumin or=3.2 mg/dl), the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes, CD3+ cells, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, and CD16+56 cells were, significantly lower in the group with the level of serum albumin below 3.2 mg/dl (low group) than it was in the group with a serum albumin level above 3.2 mg/dl (normal group) (P<0.05). In stage I (n=59), CD16+56 cells were significantly lower in the low group. In stage II (n=29), the number of CD16+56 cells was lower and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was higher in the low group than in the normal group significantly. In stage IV (n=33), except for CD19+ cells, the number of all lymphocyte subsets was significantly lower and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was significantly higher in the low group. CONCLUSION: The group with a low level of serum albumin had a low absolute number of lymphocyte subsets. Based on this, we reconfirmed that the nutritional state is closely related with the immune state in patients with gastric cancer.