Allergic diseases have increased rapidly over the past decades, affecting an estimated 20~30% of the population in developed countries. In this study, we investigated whether or not a typical costal sand dune plant Carex pumila (CPE) suppresses the activation of mast cells and IgE-mediated allergic response in vitro and in vivo. As the results, the extract of Carex pumila inhibited antigen-stimulated degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells and Bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs), and IgE-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) in mice. CPE also suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-4, in antigen-stimulated mast cells. As its mechanism of action, CPE inhibited the activation of Syk in FcεRI-mediated signalling pathway, and that of LAT, a downstream adaptor molecule of Syk, in a dose-dependent manner. CPE also suppressed the activation of mitogenactivated protein (MAP) kinases, p38, ERK1/2, JNK, and Akt. Altogether, CPE inhibited mast cell activation and IgEmediated allergic response by antigen through suppressing the activation of Syk. These results suggest that CPE may be useful for the treatment of allergic diseases.

본 연구에서는 버섯추출물 (42개)의 in vitro 항알레르 기 효능탐색을 위해 랫드비만세포 (RBL-2H3 cell)에서 면역글로불린 (IgE)가 매개한 탈과립에 대한 저해 효과를 실험하였다. 이를 위해 anti-DNP IgE 및 DNP-HSA에 의 해 알레르기반응이 유발된 랫드비만세포에서 버섯 추출물 의 IL-4과 β-hexosaminidase 분비량에 대한 저해활성과 세포생존에 대한 영향이 분석되었다. 실험결과, IL-4 분비 에 대해서는 팽이버섯 물추출물 등 5개의 버섯 추출물이 20% 이상의 우수한 저해효과를 나타내었으며, β- hexosaminidase 분비에 대해서는 영지버섯의 물추출물 등 8개의 버섯 추출물이 20% 이상의 비교적 우수한 저해활성 을 나타내었다. 세포증식에 대해서는 잎새버섯의 물추출물 등 대부분의 버섯 추출물이 우수한 세포증식효과를 나타 내었다. 팽이버섯의 물추출물과 상황버섯의 물추출물은 β- hexosaminidase 및 IL-4 분비에 대해 모두 비교적 우수한 저해효과를 나타내었다. 추가로 2, 10, 50 ug/ml에서 실험 된 영지버섯, 편각영지버섯, 눈꽃동충하초, 상황버섯 그리 고 느타리버섯의 물추출물들은 β-hexosaminidase의 분비 량을 농도-의존적으로 감소시켰다. 이상의 결과를 살펴볼 때, 이들 in vitro 항알레르기 효과를 나타낸 버섯 추출물 들은 추가실험을 통해 항알레르기 소재로의 활용성 검토 가 필요하다고 사료되었다.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing, non‐contagious pruritic skin disease with two phases: acute and chronic. Previous studies have shown that cathepsin S (CTSS) is a cysteine protease linked to inflammatory processes, including atherosclerosis and asthma. The possibility that this or other cysteine proteases might evoke itch or be part of a classical ligand‐receptor signaling cascade has not been considered previously. Recently, CTSS was known as a ligand for proteinase‐activated receptor 2 (PAR2) associated with itching. In the present study, we showed that CTSS‐overexpressing transgenic (TG) mice spontaneously developed a skin disorder similar to chronic AD under conventional conditions. This study suggest that CTSS overexpression triggers PAR2 activation in dendritic cells (DCs), resulting in promotion of CD4+ differentiation involved in MHC class II expression. In addition, we investigated mast cells and macrophages and found significantly higher mean levels of T‐helper type 1 (Th1) cell‐associated cytokines than of T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cell‐associated cytokines in CTSS‐overexpressing TG mice. These results suggest that increasing of PAR2 expression in DCs mediated by CTSS overexpression induces scratching behavior and Th 1 cell‐associated cytokines, and can trigger chronic AD symtoms.

In this study, the inhibitory activities of fifty plant extracts on IgE-mediated degranulation in the rat basophilic leukemia cell line (RBL-2H3 cells) were measured; the release of interleukin (IL)-4 and β-hexosaminidase from IgE-sensitized cells treated with the plant extracts was measured; and the effects of the plant extracts on cell viability were tested. The results of the analysis of plant extracts at 20 ㎍/㎖, including the aerial part of Magnolia sieboldii K. Koch, exhibited suppressive activities upon the release of IL-4. Furthermore, several plant extracts including methanol extracted from Lindera erythrocarpa Makino (aerial part) at the same concentration significantly inhibited the release of β-hexosaminidase. Twenty-six of the plant extracts, including methanol extract of Weigela subsessilis (Nakai) L. H. Bailey (branch), showed a cell proliferation effect of over 80% at 100 ㎍/㎖. In conclusion, the results suggest that the leaf/stem of Geum japonicum Thunb. and the stamen/ovary of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., which exhibited effective inhibition on β-hexosaminidase release and IL-4 release from mast cells and showed high cell viability, could be useful candidates as anti-allergy materials.

Increased total IgE and eosinophil count levels are thought to provoke the occurrence of urticaria. The purpose of this study is to measure serum total IgE levels, specific IgE sensitization rates, and blood eosinophil count and to investigate the relationship between those factors. Among children who visited the Department of Pediatrics at Chosun University Hospital from January 2011 to December 2013, we retrospectively analyzed 63 patients with acute urticaria. Positive rates of the total serum IgE level, specific IgE, and blood eosinophil count were analyzed in patients with acute urticaria. A total of 63 patients were included in the study and the rate of males to females was 1: 0.8. Mean age of patients was 6.41±4.97 years (range 0-17 years). Among the subjects, 42.9% of patients showed an elevated serum total IgE and 63.5% of patients showed at least more than one allergen-specific IgE by MAST (multiple allergosorbent test). The mean number of allergens detected in positive patients was 2.42±2.56/patient. The serum total IgE and allergen specific IgE showed significant positive correlation (OR = 0.290, p=0.02). This study is meaningful as it revealed a positive correlation between serum total IgE and allergen specific IgE in urticaria patients.

The marine carotenoid fucoxanthin can be found in marine brown seaweeds, macroalgae, diatoms, and microalgae, and has remarkable biological properties. Numerous studies have shown that fucoxanthin has considerable potential and promising applications in human health, but the underlying mechanisms involved in its anti-allergic activity are not fully understood. We here investigated the mechanisms by anti-allergic activity of fucoxanthin fraction from Eisenia bicyclis in immunoglobulin E-antigen complex (IgE/DNP-BSA)-stimulated RBL-2H3 mast cells. This study we found that the fucoxanthin inhibits the release of β-hexosaminidase and suppressed not only transcriptional activation of NF-kB, but also phosphorylation of ERK and JNK in IgE/DNP-BSA-treated RBL-2H3 cells. Fucoxanthin may be useful for preventing allergic diseases, including asthma and atopic dermatitis.