• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.161-165
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• 1990

For evaluating the cytolytic effects on the mouse thymocytes, four typical antiinflammatory steroids (dexamethasone, triamcinolone acetonide, prednisolone, hydrocortisone) were selected in this study. When steroids were treated to the mouse thymocytes in vitro cytolysis occurred with dose-dependent fashion and the activities were found to be paralle with the known local anti-inflammatory activities. In vivo thymus atrophogenic activities appeared by the treatment of topical and subcutaneous applications of the derivatives were also found to dose-dependent, but not coincided with the thymocyte cytolytic activities in vitro and local anti-inflammaatory activity in the case of triamcinolone acetonide. Triamicinolone acetonide induced potent thymocyte cytolysis in vitro, but showed less thymus atrophy.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1076-1081
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• 1998

The purpose of this research was to isolate an active component on immunoytes from 70% MeOH extract of Codonopsis lanceolatae Radix(CLE). CLE was fractionated successively with hexane, methylene chloride, n-butyl alcohol and water, and then the water fraction was separated with molecularporous membrane tubing(m.w. 3,500). Each fraction(50mg/kg) was administered p.o. once a day for 7 days in BALB/c mice respectively. None of these fractions affected the apoptosis and mitochondrial transmembrane potential in thymocyte. Hexane and methylene chloride fractions decreased CD4$^{[-10]}$ CD8$^{+}$ single-positive cells, and the water fraction enhanced CD4$^{+}$ CD8$^{[-10]}$ single-positive cells in thymocyte. The proliferation of thymocytes was decreased by the fraction hexane, but was enhanced by the water fraction. Hexane, methylene chloride and butyl alcohol fractions suppressed the production of nitric oxide, which was not affected by the water fraction. Hexane and butyl alcohol fraction suppressed the phagocytic activity, but water fraction enhanced it. The components(m.w. 3,500 above) separated from the water fraction enhanced the proliferation of thymocyte, the population of CD4$^{+}$ CDB$^{[-10]}$ single-positive cells, and phagocytic activity in macrophage. These results suggest that the stimulative components of proliferation, TH population and phagorytc activity is in the water fraction, and the molecular weight is 3,500 above. (Korean J Nutrition 31(6) : 1076~1081, 1998) 1998)

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2004

Background: In the thymus, developing thymocytes continually interact with thymic epithelial cell components. Self MHC restriction of mature T cells are imposed in the thymus through interaction of immature double positive thymocytes and thymic cortical epithelial cells. The site of negative selection, however, is a matter of debate. Through systemic injection of anti-TCR antibody or antigenic peptides, investigators suggested that most of the negative selection occurs in the thymic cortex. But the requirements for negative selection, i.e cellular counterparts and costimulatory molecules are more available in the medulla or cortico-medullary junction rather than in the thymic cortex. Methods: The direct and indirect pathways of thymocyte death after systemic anti-TCR antibody injection were separated through several experimental systems. B6 mice were either adrenalectomized or sham-adrenalectomized to evaluate the role of endogenous glucocorticoids from adrenal gland. Role of TNF were evaluated through using TNF receptor double knockout mice. Results: We found that without indirectly acting mediators such as $TNF-\alpha$ or corticosteroid, double positive thymocyte death were minimal by systemic injection of anti-TCR antibody in TNF receptor double knockout neonatal mice. Also by analyzing neonatal wild-type mice with adoptively transferred mature T cells, only peripheral activation of mature T cells could induce extensive double positive thymocyte death. Conclusion: Thus, systemically injected anti-TCR antibody mediated thymocyte death are mostly induced through indirect pathway.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.160-168
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• 1997

The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of Panax ginseng saponin extracts on the dexamethasone-induced apoptosis of mouse thymus in vivo and mouse thymocytes in vitro. The saponin fractions of red ginseng (R-SAP) and white ginseng (Wl-SAP) were provided by the Korea Ginseng & Tobacco Research Institute, and the other saponin fraction of white ginseng (W2-SAP) was extracted in our laboratory. 1. The male ICR mice (3~4 wk old; weighing 15$\pm$2 g) were given by each saponin fraction of 5 mg/kg/ day for 4 days, and at one hour after the last treatment, they were injected by deuamethasone (5 mg/kg : DX). The mouse thymus was extracted at 6 hours after DX injection, and they were stained with hematoxylin-eosin reagents and an Apop-Tag kit, respectively, and the thymocytes prepared from it were labelled with anti-mouse FITC-anti-CD4 and anti-mouse PE-anti-CD8 and then analyzed by fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS). DX-induced reduction of thymus weight was significantly attenuated by W2- SAP but was not affected by other saponin fractions. And DX-induced apoptotic death of thymocytes, appeared in the histologic findings of the thymus, was inhibited by the saponin fractions and the order of these inhibitory potencies was R-SAP》W2-SAP>Wl-SAP. However, in respect of T cell receptors, the differentiation of thymocytes seems not to be changed by treatments with DX or/and the saponin fractions. 2. In the primary thymocyte culture, the DX-induced reduction of thymocyte MTT values was rather greater in RPMI 1640 medium of IWc fetal bovine serum (FBS) or horse serum (HS). In addition, the DX-Induced MTT reduction was significantly inhibited by R-SAP or W2-SAP, in the culture using that medium of 5% FBS or HS. But these saponin fraction did not effected the DX-induced reduction of thymocyte MTT value in primary culture of 10% FBS or 10% HS. These results suggest that R-SAP and some W-SAP fractions may protect thymocyte from stress or glucocorticoisteroid-induced death of them.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.363-367
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• 1999

Palmultang(PMT) consists of Ginseng Radix Alba, Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba, Hoelen, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Preparata, Paeoniae Radix, Cnidii Rhizoma and Angelicae Gigantis Radix. PMT enhanced the lucigenin chemiluminescence and the engulfment of fluorescein-conjugated E. coli particles and inhibited the production of nitric oxide in murine peritoneal macrophage. PMT enhanced the production of ${\gamma}-interferon$, interleukin-2 and the cell viability in murine thymocyte, but did not affect the production of interleukin-4. These results indicate that PMT enhances the phagocytosis of macrophage via the stimulation of ${\gamma}-interferon$ production in $T_H1$ cells and the reduction of nitric oxide production in peritoneal macrophage.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2002

The effects of genistein on murine thymocytes for inducing apoptotic cell death and phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophage were studied in vitro. Addition of genistein (10 and 50$\mu$M) to cultured thymocytes from BALB/c mice definitely promoted DNA fragmentation. Also, cytofluorometric analysis of these cells demonstrated a reduction in mitochondrial transmembrane potential ($\Delta$Ψm). But, repeated administration of genistein (1 mg/mouse/day) to mice for 7 days did not cause any detectable DNA fragmentation. Genistein decreased lucigenin chemiluminescence and engulfment of fluorescein-conjugated E. coli particles in peritoneal macrophage. These results suggest that genistein induce an apoptosis of thymocyte via reduction in $\Delta$Ψm and decrease phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophage in vitro.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.144-149
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• 1993

We have identified a T cell-activating material in the culture supernatant of Streptomyces species. The factor in microbial culture supernatant (MCS) induced thymocyte proliferation in a does dependent fashion and it could be detected by immunoblot analysis using anti-interleukin-1(IL-1) antibody. The factor in MCS was slightly larger(about 21 kd) in its molecular weight than IL-1 on SDS-PAGE. When 125I-MCS was covalently coupled with homo-bifunctional cross-linking agent, disuccinimidyl-propionate to IL-1 receptor(IL-1R) on mouse thymoma cell(EL-4) and immunoprecipitated with anti-IL-1R antibody the molecular weight of this complex of 110 kd was observed.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.113-123
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• 1996

It has been well known that polyamines ensure the stability of chromatin structure and the fidelity of DNA transcription. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of polyamines on the apoptosis of mouse thymocytes induced by dexamethasone and polyamine synthesis inhibitors. 1) In the histological death findings of thymocytes double-stained with acridine orange and ethidium bromide, the apoptotic and the necrotic fractions (AF; NF) in the control group were $9.4{\pm}4.2%$ and $4.5{\pm}5.3%$, respectively. Dexamethasone $(3\;{\times}\;10^{-8}\;M:\;DX)$ in creased AF upto $52.0{\pm}8.1%$ and did not change NF, but A23187 $(5\;{\times}\;10^{-7}\;M:\;A2)$ increased AF and NF upto $45.0{\pm}8.9%$ and $20.5{\pm}10.6%$, respectively. 2) The thymocyte viability was significantly reduced by DX, DHEA $(1\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;M)$, A2, DFMO $(1\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;M)$, and $MGBG\;(1\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;M)$, respectively. It was, however, little affected by $aminoguanidine\;(1\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;M:\;AG)$, $putrescine\;(1\;{\times}\;10^{-5}\;M:\;PT)$, $spermidine\;(1\;{\times}\;10^{-5}\;M:\;SD)$, and $spermine\;(1\;{\times}\;10^{-5}\;M:\;SM)$. 3) The genomic DNA of mouse thymocyte was markedly fragmented by DX and A2, respectively, and to a lesser extent, by DHEA, but was little affected by MGBG, DFMO, AG, and each of polyamines. 4) The DX induced reduction of thymocyte viability was moderately attenuated by DHEA, but little affected by DFMO, MGBC, and AG. However, SM significantly attenuated the viability reduction induced by A2 as well as DX. 5) The thymocyte viability reduction by MGBG and DFMO was significantly attenuated by only SM among three polyamines applied in this study. 6) The thymocyte viability redution by combined treatments of DX with DFMO and MGBG, respectively, was significantly attenuated by SM, and moderately by PT. But the viability reduction by combined treatment of DX with AG or DHEA was not affected by polyamines. These results suggest that polyamines, particularly spermine, might play the inhibitory role in thymocyte apoptosis and the inhibitory effect can be ascribed in part to the increase of polyamine uptake by thymocytes pretreated with DFMO and MGBG.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.441-449
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• 2013

Recent study showed that T cells in the immune organs and peripheral blood are influenced by estradiol, leading to a dysfunction of the immune system. However, little is known about the thymic-gonadal relationship during the estrous cycle in mouse. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanism by which a change in estradiol levels during the estrous cycle regulates the development of T cells in the mouse thymus. Six-week-old ICR mice were used and divided into four groups, including diestrous, proestrous, estrous, and metestrous. We first confirmed that ER-${\alpha}$ and - ${\beta}$ estrogen receptors were expressed in thymic epithelial cells, showing that their expression was not different during the estrous cycle. There was also no significant difference in thymic weight and total number of thymocytes during the estrous cycle. To determine the degree of thymocyte differentiation during the estrous cycle, we analyzed thymocytes by flow cytometry. As a result, the percentage of CD4+CD8+ double-positive (DP) T cells was significantly decreased in the proestrous phase compared to the diestrous phase. However, CD4+CD8- or CD4-CD8+ (SP) T cells were significantly increased in the proestrous phase compared to the diestrous phase. In addition, the percentage of CD44+CD25- (DN1) T cells was significantly decreased in the estrous phase compared to other phases, whereas the percentages of CD44+CD25+ (DN2), CD44-CD25+ (DN3), and CD44-CD25- (DN4) were not changed during the estrous cycle. These results indicate that the development of thymocytes may arrest in the DP to SP transition stage in the proestrous phase displaying the highest serum level of estradiol. This study suggests that a change in estradiol levels during the estrous cycle may be involved in the regulation of thymocyte differentiation in the mouse thymus.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 1997.04a
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• pp.57.2-57.2
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• 1997