Effects of Jerusalem Artichoke Extract and Inulin on Blood Glucose Levels and Insulin Secretion in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Mice / 임상당뇨병

Background@#To determine the effects of Jerusalem Artichoke extract (JAE) and inulin on blood glucose levels and insulin secretion in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. @*Methods@#Thirty four mice were divided into a normal control group and three experimental groups: diabetic control, JAE, and inulin. STZ (50 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally to induce diabetes in the three experimental groups. The JAE and inulin groups were fed 10 g/kg JAE or fed 1 g/kg inulin, respectively, for 6 weeks. Fasting glucose was checked weekly. After 6 weeks, the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed, and the insulin level was checked. @*Results@#Four mice from the JAE group (n = 9) died and autopsies revealed inflammation and ulceration of skin lesions on the chest areas. Fasting glucose levels were not decreased in the inulin or JAE group relative to diabetic control group. In the OGTT at 60 minutes and 120 minutes, the serum glucose levels were significantly higher in the inulin group (572.6 ± 52.0 mg/dL and 555.8 ± 72.9 mg/dL, respectively) than in diabetic control group (484.3 ± 81.6 mg/dL and 467.3 ± 111.1 mg/dL, respectively). Insulin levels were not increased in the inulin group relative to the diabetic control group. @*Conclusion@#These results indicate that JAE and inulin might not be useful therapeutic strategies for diabetes mellitus and indiscreet intake of Jerusalem Artichoke could exacerbate to diabetes.

Characteristics of B Cell proliferation by polysaccharide fraction of Paeonia japonica miyabe

BACKGROUND: Paeonia j ap onica Miyabe is a medicinal plant which has been widely used as a component of blood-building decoctions (Chinese medicinal concept : Bu-Xie). The immunopharmacological characteristics of the extract of Paeonia j ap onica (PJ) were investigated. METHODS: The effects of fractions of PJ extract on lymphocyte proliferation were measured by H3 -thymidine incorporation assay . The proliferated lymphocyte subsets were analyzed in flow cytometry . The subset cell populations of spleen cells were separated by magnetic cell separation system, and their proliferation by the extract were investigated. The effect of the extract on antibody production was determined in mice challenged with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) using hemolytic plaque forming cell assay. RESULTS: Spleen cells were proliferated by water extract of PJ. Polysaccharide fraction (PJ-P) of the extract was most active in the proliferation. It was found in flow cytometry that the lymphocyte subset proliferated by PJ-P was B cell population. Among the separated subset cell populations, T cell-depleted cell population and macrophage-depleted cell population were most proliferated by PJ-P. However, positively selected populations of B cells and T cells were not proliferated by PJ-P. These result s indicate that B cell proliferation by PJ-P may require the assistance of macrophages or T cells. These result s suggest that firstly PJ-P may stimulate macrophages or T cells, and then B cells are activated. The number of antibody-secreting cells was increased by administration of PJ-P in mice immunized with SRBC as a T-dependent antigen. CONCLUSION: These result s suggest that macrophages and accessory cells are directly activated by PJ-P and then helper T cells and B cells are indirectly activated. As the results, immune responses might be coordinately improved. In conclusion, PJ-P, a polysaccharide of P. j ap onica, may be a characteristic immunostimulator, which is analogous to polysaccharides such as lentinan, PSK and ginsan.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Indeces Apoptosis of Jurkat Cell Line Through the Cleavage of Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase

No abstract available.

Identification of a Lymphocyte Mitogenic Factor Produced by Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, a gram-negative, capnophiTic bacterium, is associated with several human diseases including periodontal disease. Products of A. actinomycetemcomitans exert immunomodulatory effects on various lymphoid populations, some of which may be implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. It has been recently suggested that some of periodontopathic bacterial products might possess superantigenic (SAg) activities. In order to examine SAg activity of A. actinomycetemcomitans, we tried to purify immunomodulating factor (IMF) which can induce proliferation of mouse splenocytes and human PBMC. IMF fraction was obtained from the culture supernatant of A. actinomycetemcomitans by alcohol precipitation, ultrafiltration, size exclusion chromatography, and dye ligand affinity chromatography which has been widely used for the puri5cation of known SAgs. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the factor migrated to a molecular mass of 40 kDa. The concentration of IMF which elicited maximal proliferative response of mouse splenocytes was ranged 1-10 ug/ml of protein on day 3 in culture. Human PBMC gave a similar response profile to IMF, but their maximal response was obtained by lower concentraion of IMF on day 2 in culture. This activity of IMF was heat and proteinase K sensitive and was not blocked by co-incubation with polymyxin B, a ligand for the lipid A region of lipopolysaccharide. T cell-enriched fraction of mouse splenocytes obtained by nylon wool column lost the response to IMF. Even though mitomycin C-treated antigen presenting cells were added to T cell-enriched fraction, the response to IMF was feeble as compared to unfractionated cells. Splenocytes depleted of T cells by anti-Thy 1.2 and complement also did not respond to IMF. These findings demonstrated that T cells are responsible for a minor proportion of the observed proliferation induced by IMF and the help of these cells are essential to the most of the proliferating cells which may be B cells. This observation was confirmed by flow cytometric analysis of responding lymphocyte subpopulations. These results indicate that IMF of A. actinomycetemcomitans does not act in a manner consistent with known SAgs but is more relevant to the explanation of pathologic findings of periodontal lesions.

The Effects of Korean Medical Drug on Lymphocyte Activity in Allergic Contact Dermatitis / 대한면역학회지

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of Hwangyun, Hwangyunhaedogtang, and Kumeunhwa on the lymphocyte activity in allergic contact dermatitis induced by contact allergen 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB) of Balb/c mouse. For examination of a contact hypersensitivity, MEST (mouse ear swelling test) and lymphocyte proliferation assay measured by [(3)H]-methylthymidine incorporation were done. Cytokine mRNA in the draining lymph node cells were examined by RT-PCR. Contact hypersensitivity was more effectively induced by 0.25% DNCB treatment than 1% DNCB treatment. Local lymph node cell proliferation from DNCB-sensitized mouse was most highly elicitated with 100 ug/ml DNBS stimulation in vitro. The cytokine profiles of lymph node cells from DNCB-sensitized and DNBS-stimulated mouse were strong expression of IL-2 and IFN-r, weak expression of LT and IL-4, and no expression of IL-6 and IL-10. This lymphocyte proliferation was significantly inhibited in mice administered Korean medical drug for 10 days and sensitized with DNCB at day 5 (88.22%, 65.14%, and 52.29% in Hwangyun, Hwangyunhaedogtang, and Kumeunhwa, respectively). But Kumeunhwa was not effective in the inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation when administered after DNCB-sensitization. The cytokine expressions were also inhibited especially IL-2 and IFN-r in Hwangyun administered- mice. These inhibitions of lymphocyte activity by Korean medical drugs were also observed when stimulated with ConA (1 ug/ml). Conclusively, immune responses of contact hypersensitivity induced by DNCB are involved in local lymph node T cells mainly Th1 type cells, and Korean medical drugs especially Hwangyun suppressed allergic contact dermatitis via inhibition of the activity of these cells.