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Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) plays a pivotal role in the activation of B cells and innate inflammatory cells by transducing immune receptor-triggered signals. Dysregulated activity of Syk is implicated in the development of antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis, but the effect of Syk inhibition on such diseases remains to be fully evaluated. We have developed a novel selective Syk inhibitor, SKI-O-592, and its orally bioavailable salt form, SKI-O-703 (cevidoplenib). To examine the efficacy of SKI-O-703 on the progression of SLE, New Zealand black/white mice at the autoimmunity-established phase were administrated orally with SKI-O-703 for 16 weeks. Levels of IgG autoantibody, proteinuria, and glomerulonephritis fell significantly, and this was associated with hypoactivation of follicular B cells via the germinal center. In a model of serum-transferred arthritis, SKI-O-703 significantly ameliorated synovitis, with fewer neutrophils and macrophages infiltrated into the synovial tissue. This effect was recapitulated when mice otherwise refractory to anti-TNF therapy were treated by TNF blockade combined with a suboptimal dose of SKI-O-703. These results demonstrate that the novel selective Syk inhibitor SKI-O-703 attenuates the progression of autoantibody-mediated autoimmune diseases by inhibiting both autoantibody-producing and autoantibody-sensing cells.

This study aimed to compare bulb and leaf characteristics, leaf diseases, physiological disorder, bulb nutritional quality, and storage loss of onion from both organic and conventional farms in southeastern Korea during the 2011/2012 growing season. Soil and plant samples were collected from 8 certified organic fields managed organically for more than 5 years and 8 conventional fields adjacent to the organic fields. Onion bulb fresh weight and marketable bulb yield were significantly higher in the conventional field than in the organic field. At harvest, tops-down and leaf yellowing were 15.0 and 16.9%, respectively, lower in organic onions compared to conventional onions. Total phenolic compounds were significantly higher in conventional than organic onions, while there were no significant differences in pyruvic acid, soluble solid and flavonoids content between conventional onions and organic onions. In principal component analysis, highly weighted variables under PC1 included the number of scales, leaf yellowing, soluble solids, pyruvic acid, flavonoids, phenolics and storage loss in organic onions, but bulb weight and leaf weight in conventional onions. In organic onions, leaf yellowing correlated positively with flavonoids (p = 0.015), but negatively with soluble solids (p = 0.040); soluble solids were negatively correlated with flavonoids (p = 0.049). By contrast, conventional onions showed a positive correlation between bulb weight and leaf weight (p = 0.038), and between soluble solids and phenolics (p = 0.019), but a negative correlation between leaf weight and leaf yellowing (p = 0.016).

This study aimed to compare agricultural practices, soil physical and chemical properties, growth characteristics, and nutrient uptake of bulb onions from organic and conventional farms in southeastern Korea during the 2011–12 growing season. Soil and plant samples were collected from eight certified organic fields managed organically for more than 5 years and eight conventional fields adjacent to the organic fields. The amounts of nutrients applied to onion fields were approximately two times greater with the conventional methods than with organic methods. However, the soil physical and chemical properties were not significantly different between the organic and conventional systems, except for NO3-N in early May. Growth characteristics were significantly different in early April with organic bulb yield of 55.9 t·ha−1, which was 21.8% lower than conventionally produced onions. Yield reduction in organic onions was the result of lower large-sized (8 cm or greater) bulb yield compared with conventional production. In the conventional system, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content of leaf tissue in early April, and nitrogen (N) and P content of bulb tissue in early May were higher than those in the organic system. Uptake of all nutrients was greater in the conventional onions compared with the organic onions, except for leaf tissue at harvest. In conclusion, organic onions began to grow and absorb soil nutrients later than the conventional onions in the initial vegetative growth stage. Moreover, it led to an organic onion producing a lower bulb yield. To accelerate the initial growth of the organic onion plant, agricultural practices need to be modified. Modifications that may help include using larger sized seedlings at transplanting, covering the plants with nonwoven fabric or transparent plastic film to increase warmth during winter, and harvesting the onions 1 week later than the conventional onions.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The fruit of Rubus coreanus has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for alleviation of inflammatory and vascular diseases in Asian countries. Aim of the study The anti-atherogenic effect of unripe Rubus coreanus fruit extract (URFE) and its underlying mechanism were analyzed in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and in cell culture system. Materials and methods Mouse was freely given HFD alone or supplemented with URFE for 14 weeks , followed by analysis of atherosclerotic lesions and serum lipid levels. For in vitro assay, macrophages were pretreated with URFE, followed by stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Expression levels of inflammatory genes (TNF-α, IL-1β, and iNOS) and phase II genes (heme oxygenase-1, glutamate cysteine lygase, and peroxiredoxine-1) as well as intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and NF-κB activation pathway were analyzed in cultured macrophages as well as mouse sera and aortic tissues. Results URFE supplementation reduced HFD-induced atherosclerotic lesion formation which was correlated with decreased levels of lipids, lipid peroxides, and inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, and nitric oxide) in sera as well as suppression of inflammatory gene in aortic tissues. In addition, pre-treatment of macrophages with URFE also suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB activation, ROS production, and inflammatory and phase II gene expressions. Inhibition of phase II enzyme and protein activities attenuated the suppressive effects URFE on ROS production, NF-κB activation, and inflammatory gene expression. Conclusion These results suggest that URFE attenuates atherosclerosis by improving blood lipid profile and inhibiting NF-κB activation via phase II antioxidant gene expression.