scholarly journals The Antitumor and Immunostimulating Activities of Water Soluble Polysaccharides from Radix Aconiti, Radix Aconiti Lateralis and Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1000500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Gao ◽  
Hongtao Bi ◽  
Shuai Ma ◽  
Jingmei Lu

In the present study, the water-soluble polysaccharides of Radix Aconiti, Radix Aconiti Lateralis and Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii, were extracted and fractionated into four fractions of each material. The FT-IR and chemical analyses indicated the water-soluble polysaccharides of the three materials were all mainly composed of starch, non-starch type α-D-glucans and pectic polysaccharides with different molecular weight distributions and monosaccharide composition ratios. The antitumor assay showed that all the non-starch type polysaccharide fractions had good antitumor activities, and the tumor growth inhibition ratios were 37.24-70.42%. Specifically the inhibition ratios of pectic polysaccharides were over 60%. Moreover, the immunological tests using the Cyclophosphamide (Cy) induced immunosuppressive mice, including phagocytosis of macrophage, NK cell activity, concanavalin A (ConA)-induced T-cell proliferation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced B-cell proliferation, quantitative haemolysis of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and dinitro-fluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response assays, exhibited that all the non-starch type polysaccharides, especially the pectic polysaccharide fractions, not only had remarkable immunostimulating activities including nonspecific immunity, cellular immunity and humoral immunity, but also could restore the antitumor drug-suppressed immune function. Therefore, the polysaccharides from Aconitum species might be conveniently exploited to be good immune stimulating modifiers and had the potential to apply in the tumor therapy.

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3573
Author(s):  
Seo-Yeon Kim ◽  
Ji-Sun Shin ◽  
Kyung-Sook Chung ◽  
Hee-Soo Han ◽  
Hwi-Ho Lee ◽  
...  

Our previous studies have shown that heat-killed Lactobacillus sakei K040706 exerts immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activities in macrophages, cyclophosphamide (CYP)-treated mice, and dextran sulfate sodium–induced colitis mice. However, the immunostimulatory effects of live Lactobacillus sakei K040706 (live K040706) against CYP-induced immunosuppression and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, we investigated the immunostimulatory effects of live K040706 (108 or 109 colony forming unit (CFU)/day, p.o.) in CYP-induced immunosuppressed mice. Oral administration of live K040706 prevented the CYP-induced decreases in body weight, thymus index, natural killer (NK) cell activity, T and B cell proliferation, and cytokine (interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, and IL-12) production. The administration of live K040706 also exerted positive effects on the gut microbiota of CYP-induced mice, resulting in a microbiota composition similar to that of normal mice. Moreover, live K040706 significantly enhanced IL-6 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production in the splenocytes and Peyer’s patch (PP) cells of mice and increased bone marrow (BM) cell proliferation. Taken together, our data indicate that live K040706 may effectively accelerate recovery from CYP-induced immunosuppression, leading to activation of the immune system. Therefore, live K040706 may serve as a potential immunomodulatory agent against immunosuppression.


2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (10) ◽  
pp. 4801-4819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja C. Erlach ◽  
Verena Böhm ◽  
Christof K. Seckert ◽  
Matthias J. Reddehase ◽  
Jürgen Podlech

ABSTRACT Cytomegalovirus (CMV) poses a threat to the therapy of hematopoietic malignancies by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, but efficient reconstitution of antiviral immunity prevents CMV organ disease. Tumor relapse originating from a minimal residual leukemia poses another threat. Although a combination of risk factors was supposed to enhance the incidence and severity of transplantation-associated disease, a murine model of a liver-adapted B-cell lymphoma has previously shown a survival benefit and tumor growth inhibition by nonlethal subcutaneous infection with murine CMV. Here we have investigated the underlying antitumoral mechanism. Virus replication proved to be required, since inactivated virions or the highly attenuated enhancerless mutant mCMV-ΔMIEenh did not impact the lymphoma in the liver. Surprisingly, the dissemination-deficient mutant mCMV-ΔM36 inhibited tumor growth, even though this virus fails to infect the liver. On the other hand, various strains of herpes simplex viruses consistently failed to control the lymphoma, even though they infect the liver. A quantitative analysis of the tumor growth kinetics identified a transient tumor remission by apoptosis as the antitumoral effector mechanism. Tumor cell colonies with cells surviving the CMV-induced “apoptotic crisis” lead to tumor relapse even in the presence of full-blown tissue infection. Serial transfer of surviving tumor cells did not indicate a selection of apoptosis-resistant genetic variants. NK cell activity of CD49b-expressing cells failed to control the lymphoma upon adoptive transfer. We propose the existence of an innate antitumoral mechanism that is triggered by CMV infection and involves an apoptotic signal effective at a distant site of tumor growth.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1934578X2093165
Author(s):  
Gang Yao ◽  
Jialei Xu ◽  
Xiang Wang ◽  
Jiaojaio Lu ◽  
Mi K. Chan ◽  
...  

Bupleurum chinense DC, a traditional medicinal plant in China that has many pharmacological effects, contains polysaccharide as one of its active components. In this study, we isolated and structurally characterized the polysaccharide from B. chinense. Water-soluble polysaccharides (termed WBCP) were extracted from the plant and fractionated by anion-exchange and size exclusion chromatographies. From this procedure, we obtained a homogeneous acidic polysaccharide (WBCP-A2) and determined its monosaccharide composition. Analysis by FT infrared and 13C NMR spectroscopies, along with enzymatic hydrolysis, indicated that WBCP-A2 is a pectic polysaccharide, composed of rhamnogalacturonan I, rhamnogalacturonan II, highly methyl-esterified homogalacturonan (HG), and either non- or low methyl-esterified HG domains. These different fractions may be covalently linked through HG segments to form the complex pectin molecules.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayank Thakur ◽  
Paul Connellan ◽  
Myrna A. Deseo ◽  
Carol Morris ◽  
Vinod K. Dixit

Chlorophytum borivilianumSantapau & Fernandes (Liliaceae) is an ayurvedicRasayanaherb with immunostimulating properties. The polysaccharide fraction (CBP) derived from hot water extraction ofC. borivilianum(CB), comprising of~31% inulin-type fructans and~25% acetylated mannans (of hot water-soluble extract), was evaluated for its effect on natural killer (NK) cell activity (in vitro). Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), isolated from whole blood on a Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient, were tested in the presence or absence of varying concentrations of eachC. borivilianumfraction for modulation of NK cell cytotoxic activity toward K562 cells. Preliminary cytotoxicity evaluation against P388 cells was performed to establish non-cytotoxic concentrations of the different fractions.Testing showed the observed significant stimulation of NK cell activity to be due to the CBP ofC. borivilianum. Furthermore,in vivoevaluation carried out on Wistar strain albino rats for humoral response to sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) and immunoglobulin-level determination using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), exhibited an effectiveness ofC. borivilianumaqueous extract in improving immune function. Present results provide useful information for understanding the role of CBP in modulating immune function.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wioletta Olejarz ◽  
Agnieszka Dominiak ◽  
Aleksandra Żołnierzak ◽  
Grażyna Kubiak-Tomaszewska ◽  
Tomasz Lorenc

Tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) are involved in cancer development, metastasis, and disease progression. They can modulate angiogenesis to elevate the malignant degree of tumor cells. TEX carry immunosuppressive factors affecting the antitumor activities of immune cells. Tumor cells as well as immune cells secrete immunologically active exosomes which affect intercellular communication, antigen presentation, activation of immune cells, and immune surveillance. Cell proliferation and immune response suppression create a favorable microenvironment for tumor. TEX can inhibit immune cell proliferation, induce apoptosis of activated CD8+ Teffs, suppress NK cell activity, interfere with monocyte differentiation, and promote Treg as well as MDSC expansion. Exosomes of microenvironment cells may also contribute to the development of drug resistance in cancer therapy. An important role of TEX in modulating the sensitivity of tumor cells to immunotherapy is a promising area of research to make the cancer therapy more successful.


2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (15) ◽  
pp. 7932-7943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa M. Campbell ◽  
Brian P. McSharry ◽  
Megan Steain ◽  
Barry Slobedman ◽  
Allison Abendroth

ABSTRACTNatural killer (NK) cell-deficient patients are particularly susceptible to severe infection with herpesviruses, especially varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). The critical role that NK cells play in controlling these infections denotes an intricate struggle for dominance between virus and NK cell antiviral immunity; however, research in this area has remained surprisingly limited. Our study addressed this absence of knowledge and found that infection with VZV was not associated with enhanced NK cell activation, suggesting that the virus uses specific mechanisms to limit NK cell activity. Analysis of viral regulation of ligands for NKG2D, a potent activating receptor ubiquitously expressed on NK cells, revealed that VZV differentially modulates expression of the NKG2D ligands MICA, ULBP2, and ULBP3 by upregulating MICA expression while reducing ULBP2 and ULBP3 expression on the surface of infected cells. Despite being closely related to VZV, infection with HSV-1 produced a remarkably different effect on NKG2D ligand expression. A significant decrease in MICA, ULBP2, and ULBP3 was observed with HSV-1 infection at a total cellular protein level, as well as on the cell surface. We also demonstrate that HSV-1 differentially regulates expression of an additional NKG2D ligand, ULBP1, by reducing cell surface expression while total protein levels are unchanged. Our findings illustrate both a striking point of difference between two closely related alphaherpesviruses, as well as suggest a powerful capacity for VZV and HSV-1 to evade antiviral NK cell activity through novel modulation of NKG2D ligand expression.IMPORTANCEPatients with deficiencies in NK cell function experience an extreme susceptibility to infection with herpesviruses, in particular, VZV and HSV-1. Despite this striking correlation, research into understanding how these two alphaherpesviruses interact with NK cells is surprisingly limited. Through examination of viral regulation of ligands to the activating NK cell receptor NKG2D, we reveal patterns of modulation by VZV, which were unexpectedly varied in response to regulation by HSV-1 infection. Our study begins to unravel the undoubtedly complex interactions that occur between NK cells and alphaherpesvirus infection by providing novel insights into how VZV and HSV-1 manipulate NKG2D ligand expression to modulate NK cell activity, while also illuminating a distinct variation between two closely related alphaherpesviruses.


1983 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Yoda ◽  
Tsukasa Abe ◽  
Akio Tashiro ◽  
Shinsaku Hirosawa ◽  
Kenichi Kawada ◽  
...  

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 557
Author(s):  
Xuewen Deng ◽  
Hiroshi Terunuma ◽  
Mie Nieda

Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic immune cells with an innate capacity for eliminating cancer cells and virus- infected cells. NK cells are critical effector cells in the immunosurveillance of cancer and viral infections. Patients with low NK cell activity or NK cell deficiencies are predisposed to increased risks of cancer and severe viral infections. However, functional alterations of human NK cells are associated with lifestyles and aging. Personal lifestyles, such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, stress, obesity, and aging are correlated with NK cell dysfunction, whereas adequate sleep, moderate exercise, forest bathing, and listening to music are associated with functional healthy NK cells. Therefore, adherence to a healthy lifestyle is essential and will be favorable for immunosurveillance of cancer and viral infections with healthy NK cells.


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