Antiobesity Effects of Subsp. , L. casei 431 on High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats.

Obesity is currently regarded as a global concern, and the key objectives of the global health strategy include its prevention and control. Probiotic supplementation can help achieve these objectives. This study aimed to assess whether a probiotic strain ssp.

Effects of Pear Extracts on Microbiome and Immunocytokines to Alleviate Air Pollution-Related Respiratory Hypersensitivity.

Pears are ancient functional foods for modern times. Particularly, Korean pears (.) have been used as folk medicine for respiratory diseases and have strong potential for the treatment of hazardous aerosol-related diseases.

Semi-quantitative analysis of periventricular gray-white matter ratio on CT in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

To investigate alterations in the periventricular gray-white matter ratio (GWR) on computed tomography (CT) in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH), a total of 140 patients with INPH and 52 age-and sex-matched controls were included by using Japanese guidelines published in 2021: possible, probable, and definite INPH for a retrospective case-control study. The non-enhanced brain CT was reviewed, and the Hounsfield unit (HU) was semi-quantitatively measured using the region of interest (ROI). The size (40 mm) and location of the ROI were standardized within the periventricular white matter (WM) and thalamus.

Phenolic acids and flavonoids from and HPLC-UV profiling of four species.

We isolated and purified phenolic acids and flavonoids from the ethanolic extract of using silica gel and a Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Spectroscopy revealed the isolated compounds were caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, hispidulin, luteolin, jaceosidin, nepitrin, homoplantaginin, 6-hydroxyluteolin 7--glucoside, 6-methoxynaringenin 7--glucoside, naasanone, and cosmosiin. Quantitative analyses, using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV (HPLC-UV), revealed that the major flavonoid from was 6-hydroxyluteolin 7--glucoside (100.

Postbiotics Enhance NK Cell Activation in Stress-Induced Mice through Gut Microbiome Regulation.

Recent studies have revealed that probiotics and their metabolites are present under various conditions; however, the role of probiotic metabolites (, postbiotics in pathological states) is controversial. Natural killer (NK) cells play a key role in innate and adaptive immunity. In this study, we examined NK cell activation influenced by a postbiotics mixture in response to gut microbiome modulation in stress-induced mice.

PG102 Upregulates IL-37 through p38, ERK, and Smad3 Pathways in HaCaT Keratinocytes.

IL-37 is an immunomodulatory cytokine that suppresses inflammation in various cell types and disease models. However, its role in keratinocytes has not been clearly understood, and there has been no report on the agents that can increase the expression of IL-37 in keratinocytes. In this study, we investigated the effects of silencing in HaCaT keratinocytes and the molecular mechanisms involved in the upregulation of IL-37 by PG102, a water-soluble extract from .

A Water-Soluble Extract from Ameliorates Psoriasis-Like Skin Inflammation in Mice by Inhibition of Neutrophil Infiltration.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with complex etiology involving multiple factors. Current treatment methods are highly limited and there is a strong need for the development of safer and efficacious agents. We have previously shown that a water-soluble extract derived from hardy kiwifruit , called PG102, shows potent anti-inflammatory effects.

PG201 protects mice from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis via suppression of effector T cell activation.

Background: PG201 is a botanical formulation, approved as an ethical drug (ETC) phytomedicine for treatment of patients with osteoarthritis in Korea, following satisfactory phase II and phase III studies. This phytomedicine was previously been shown to possess significant anti-inflammatory activities, presumably via the control of Th1 and Th17 cells in animal models and in vitro cell culture systems.

Purpose: In this study, the possibility of using PG201 to treat multiple sclerosis was explored.

Catechol Groups Enable Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging-Mediated Suppression of PKD-NFkappaB-IL-8 Signaling Pathway by Chlorogenic and Caffeic Acids in Human Intestinal Cells.

Chlorogenic acid (CHA) and caffeic acid (CA) are phenolic compounds found in coffee, which inhibit oxidative stress-induced interleukin (IL)-8 production in intestinal epithelial cells, thereby suppressing serious cellular injury and inflammatory intestinal diseases. Therefore, we investigated the anti-inflammatory mechanism of CHA and CA, both of which inhibited hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced transcriptional activity. They also significantly suppressed nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells () transcriptional activity, nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit, and phosphorylation of IκB kinase (IKK).

Baicalein induces CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T cells and enhances intestinal barrier function in a mouse model of food allergy.

The incidence of food allergy, which is triggered by allergen permeation of the gastrointestinal tract followed by a T-helper (Th) 2-mediated immune response, has been increasing annually worldwide. We examined the effects of baicalein (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone), a flavonoid from Scutellaria baicalensis used in oriental herbal medicine, on regulatory T (Treg) cell induction and intestinal barrier function through the regulation of tight junctions in a mouse model of food allergy. An allergic response was induced by oral challenge with ovalbumin, and the incidence of allergic symptoms and T cell-related activity in the mesenteric lymph nodes were analyzed with and without the presence of baicalein.

Water soluble extracts from Actinidia arguta, PG102, attenuates house dust mite-induced murine atopic dermatitis by inhibiting the mTOR pathway with Treg generation.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Actinidia arguta is widespread in northeastern Asia, being found in Siberia, Korea, Japan, and northern China. These fruits have been documented to regulate the uncontrolled heat of body resulting in various allergic diseases in the Korean traditional medicine. PG102, a water-soluble extract from an edible fruit, A.

Comparison of two- and three-dimensional sonography for the prediction of the extrathyroidal extension of papillary thyroid carcinomas.

Background/aims: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic validity of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography (US) when predicting the extrathyroidal extension of papillary thyroid cancer.

Methods: All 2D data were interpreted in real time and 3D data were stored, rendered using tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI), and then reviewed retrospectively.

Results: Extrathyroidal extension was present in 17 papillary thyroid cancers(24.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) attenuates food allergy symptoms by regulating type 1/type 2 helper T cells (Th1/Th2) balance in a mouse model of food allergy.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has traditionally been used to treat pain, fever, allergic and inflammatory diseases such as bronchitis, arthritis, and dermatitis. In particular, turmeric and its active component, curcumin, were effective in ameliorating immune disorders including allergies. However, the effects of turmeric and curcumin have not yet been tested on food allergies.

Enhancing Effect of Trachelogenin from Trachelospermi caulis Extract on Intestinal Barrier Function.

Trachelospermi caulis is used widely as an herbal medicine in oriental countries to attenuate fever and pain. We wished to reveal the novel function of this herb and its active component on barrier function in intestinal epithelial cells. Monolayers of intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2) were used to evaluate the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and quantity of permeated ovalbumin (OVA) as indices of barrier function.

Association between Serum Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 and Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of plasma fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 with angiographically significant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Serum FGF-21 was measured in 120 patients undergoing coronary angiography. Patients were divided into 4 groups based on the presence/absence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and of significant CAD.

Expression of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor during Osteogenic Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone well known for its glucose-lowering effect, was recently reported to exert an anabolic effect on bone. Although the exact mechanism is not known, it likely involves the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R), which is expressed in some osteoblastic cell lines. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have mesenchymal stem cell-specific characteristics, including osteoblastic differentiation potential.

High prevalence of papillary thyroid cancer in Korean women with insulin resistance.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine if hyperinsulinemia and/or insulin resistance are/is associated with the prevalence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) in Korean women.

Methods: This study included 735 female patients with PTC and 537 female non-PTC control subjects. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations between hyperinsulinemia/insulin resistance and the occurrence of PTC.

Anti-inflammatory effect of chlorogenic acid on the IL-8 production in Caco-2 cells and the dextran sulphate sodium-induced colitis symptoms in C57BL/6 mice.

Chlorogenic acid (CHA) is an antioxidant polyphenol prevalent in human diet, with coffee, fruits, and vegetables being its main source. Effects of CHA and CHA metabolites were evaluated on the IL-8 production in human intestinal Caco-2 cells induced by combined stimulation with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and H2O2. CHA and caffeic acid (CA) inhibited TNFα- and H2O2-induced IL-8 production.

Preventive effects of skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) extract in a mouse model of food allergy.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Food allergy, which accompanies acute symptoms such as pruritus, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethal anaphylactic shock is an increasing clinical problem. Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine to treat inflammation, cancer, and allergy, but its effects in treating food allergy are not yet known.

Materials And Methods: To examine the effect of skullcap on food allergy, female BALB/c mice were sensitized with 20 μg OVA and 2mg alum by intraperitoneal injection on day 0.

Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) extract and its active compound, wogonin, inhibit ovalbumin-induced Th2-mediated response.

Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) has been widely used as a dietary ingredient and traditional herbal medicine owing to its anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. In this study, we investigated the anti-allergic effects of skullcap and its active compounds, focusing on T cell-mediated responses ex vivo and in vivo. Splenocytes from mice sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) were isolated for analyses of cytokine production and cell viability.

Cheonggukjang ethanol extracts inhibit a murine allergic asthma via suppression of mast cell-dependent anaphylactic reactions.

Cheonggukjang (CGJ), a traditional Korean fermented soybean food, exerts immunomodulatory effects. Asthma is the most common chronic allergic disease to be associated with immune response to environmental allergens. In the pathogenesis of asthma, histamine is one of the important inflammatory mediators released from granules of mast cells.

High-normal serum uric acid predicts the development of chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and preserved kidney function.

Aims: We evaluated whether high-normal serum uric acid (SUA) levels can predict the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and preserved kidney function at baseline.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational longitudinal study of patients presenting at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Pusan National University Hospital. A total of 512 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and preserved kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥ 60 mL/min/1.

Adiposity in the Relationship between Serum Vitamin D Level and Insulin Resistance in Middle-Aged and Elderly Korean Adults: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008.

Background: The role of adiposity in the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and insulin resistance has not yet been fully studied. This aim of this study is to clarify the role of adiposity in the relationship between serum vitamin D level and insulin resistance among middle-aged and elderly Korean adults.

Methods: We used data from 2,710 individuals aged ≥50 years based on national data from a representative sample of the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV-2 in 2008.

Immunosuppression of the trimellitic anhydride-induced th2 response by novel nonanatural products mixture in mice.

Many natural dietary products prevent or cure allergic inflammation; however, the ability of mixtures of these natural medicinals to suppress allergic skin inflammation is unknown. We examined the inhibitory effects of nonanatural products mixture (NPM-9), which provides immunoregulatory activation, on Th2-mediated skin allergic inflammation. Oral administration of NPM-9 in mice reduced ear thickness and specific IgE production in trimellitic anhydride- (TMA-)induced contact hypersensitivity (CHS).