• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.206-217
• /
• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The immunomodulatory effect of Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) has been reported, but studies on its mechanism are still lacking. This study was undertaken to confirm whether the hydrolyzed and fermented PG extract (HFPGE) obtained by adding hydrolysis and fermentation to the extraction process has an immune-enhancing effect in the in vivo system. MATERIALS/METHODS: Five-week-old BALB/c mice were divided into 4 groups: normal control group (NOR), control group (CON), 150 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day HFPGE-treated group (T150), and 300 mg/kg BW/day HFPGE-treated group (T300). The mice were administered HFPGE for 4 weeks and intraperitoneally injected with cyclophosphamide (CPA, 80 mg/kg BW/day) on day 6, 7, and 8, respectively, to induce immunosuppression. The levels of immunoglobulins (Igs) and cytokines were measured in the serum. In splenocytes, proliferation and cytokine levels were measured. RESULTS: Serum IgA, IgG, and IgM levels were observed to decrease after CPA treatment, which was recovered by HFPGE administration. The levels of serum interleukin (IL)-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-8, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were also decreased after exposure to CPA but increased after HFPGE administration. Decreased splenocyte proliferation was seen in CPA-treated mice, but was observed to increase in the T150 and T300 groups as compared to the NOR group. Compared to the CON group, splenocyte proliferation stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the HFPGE-treated groups was significantly increased. The cytokines secreted by ConA-stimulated splenocytes (IL-2, IL-12, interferon-γ, TNF-α) were increased in the T150 and T300 groups, and cytokines secreted by LPS-stimulated splenocytes (IL-4, IL-8, TGF-β) were also increased by HFPGE administration. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that HFPGE stimulates the immunity in immunosuppressed conditions, thereby enhancing the immune response. Therefore, it is expected that HFPGE has the potential to be used as functional food and medicine for immune recovery in various immunocompromised situations.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.313-322
• /
• 1995

Metosonimus yokosawai was found deeply invaded into the submucosa of the small intestine of mice (ICR) when they were immunosuppressed by prednisolone injection. Experimental groups consisted of control, fluke infection (1,800 metacercariae per mouse) and fluke infection plus immunosuppression. In fluke infection group, many worms were found sectioned in the intervillous space of the jejunum and ileum at 6 hrs, 12 hrs, and 1 day after infection, and pathological changes characterized by villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia were observed. After 3 days, only a few worms were found in intestinal sections, and after 7 days, the pathological changes became minimal. No worm was found penetrated beyond the mucosal layer. On the other hand, in immunosuppressed mice, numerous worms were found sectioned in the duodenum and jejunum, irrespective of the infection period up to 14 days. Pathological changes of the mucosa were minimal until 3 days after infection, but at 5 days marked destruction of the mucosal layer was observed. At this time many flukes were found invaded deeply into the submucosa facing the muscular layer. Despite continuous immunosuppression, the mucosal damage was gradually recovered at 7-21 days post-infection. The results showed that immunosuppression of ICR mice can induce, for a short perid of time, severe mucosal damage, and allow deep invasion of M. yokogcuwai into the submucosa of the small intestine.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.158-162
• /
• 2005

The immunomodulatory effect of aqueous extract of Inonotus obliquus, called as Chaga, was tested on bone marrow cells from chemically immunosuppressed mice. The Chaga water extract was daily administered for 24 days to mice that had been treated with cyclophosphamide (400 mg/kg body weight), immunosuppressive alkylating agent. The number of colony-forming unit (CFU)-granulocytes/macrophages (GM) and erythroid burst-forming unit (BFU-E), increased almost to the levels seen in non-treated control as early as 8 days after treatment. Oral administration of the extract highly increased serum levels of IL-6. Also, the level of $TNF-{\alpha}$ was elevated by the chemical treatment in control mice, whereas was maintained at the background level in the extract-treated mice, indicating that the extract might effectively suppress $TNF-{\alpha}$ related pathologic conditions. These results strongly suggest the great potential of the aqueous extract from Inonotus obliquus as immune enhancer during chemotherapy.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.21-26
• /
• 1999

The growth and development of Gymnophalloides seoi were studied in C3H/HeN mice and effects of immunosuppression of the host on the worm development were observed. Two hundred metacercariae of G. seoi were orally administered to each mouse, and worms were recovered on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 post-infection (PI). The worm recovery rate was significantly higher in immunosuppressed (ImSP) mice than in immunocompetent (ImCT) mice except on days 1 and 3 PI. The worms attained sexual maturity by day 3 PI with eggs in the uterus, and worm dimensions and the number of uterine eggs continuously increased until day 14 PI in ImSP mice. Worms recovered from ImSP mice were significantly larger in size than those from ImCT mice on days 1 and 3 PI, and the number of uterine eggs was significantly larger in ImSP mice on days 5 and 7 PI. Genital organs such as the ovary, testes, and vitellaria, that were already developed in the metacercarial stage. grew a little in size until day 14 PI. The results show that the C3H/HeN mouse is, though not excellent, a suitable laboratory host for G. seoi.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.439-447
• /
• 2020

We investigated the immune restoration activity of Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan-rich extract in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice. C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with 80 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide (CP) and orally administered with either drinking water (DW), red ginseng extract (RG), or one of three different doses of Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan-rich extract (DSU02 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg). After 14 days, liver, spleen, and whole blood were isolated from each animal. The frequencies of NK and CD³⁺, CD⁴⁺, and CD⁸⁺ T cells were significantly increased in splenocytes isolated from the DSU02 100 mg/kg and DSU02 150 mg/kg groups (NK1.1+, 5.4% or 4.9% vs 3.8%; CD³⁺, 39.3% or 37.9% vs 32.3%; CD4+, 22% or 20.2% vs 17.4%; CD8+, 12.7% or 11.6% vs 10.1%). NK cytotoxicity was enhanced in the DSU02-fed groups at all doses (CP-treated DW, 93.4%; RG, 107.2%; DSU02 50, 107.3%; DSU02 100, 107.3%; DSU02 150, 107.1%), and the proliferation of T cells (CD³⁺, CD⁴⁺, and CD⁸⁺) was also greater in the DSU02 100 mg/kg and DSU02 150 mg/kg administered groups compared with the unfed group. Plasma concentrations of TNF-α, IgM, and total IgG from the DSU02 150 mg/kg group were also significantly higher compared with the other groups (TNF-α: CP-treated DW - 21.5 pg/ml, DSU02 150 - 47.1 pg/ml; IgM: CP-treated DW - 82.9 ng/ml, DSU02 150 - 110.8 ng/ml; total IgG: CP-treated DW - 114.4 ng/ml, DSU02 150 - 162.7 ng/ml). We suggest that Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan-rich extract could be a promising candidate for a marine natural immune stimulator.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.27-36
• /
• 1986

Experiments were performed on mice to investigate the effect of Panax ginseng petroleum ether fraction on the immunotoxicity of lead acetate. Lead acetate was administered in the drinking water and ginseng p-ether fraction was injected intraperitoneally, Mice were sensitized and challenged with sheep red blood cell. Humoral immune responses were evaluated by antibody production and Arthus reaction. Pathotoxicological influences were measured by serum protein, alkaline phosphatase and total cholesterol. The weight of liver, spleen and thymus were measured. Lead acetate exposure significantly decreased hemagglutination titer, hemolysin titer, Arthus reaction, spleen and thymus weight. Ginseng p-ether fraction administration significantly restored or potentiated reduced humoral immune response, spleen and thymus weight. Reduced serum A/G ratio, total cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase activity were restored or increased by ginseng p-ether fraction administration.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.35-40
• /
• 2009

The immunomodulatory activities of the ethanol extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum, termed hereafter as GPE, were examined in immunosuppressed mice as well as in normal mice in the present study. Oral administration of GPE into mice prevented dexamethasone (DEX)-induced immunosuppression as determined by the mitogen-induced proliferation of the splenocytes and the the cytokine production (TNF-$\alpha$, IL-$1{\beta}$) in the whole blood culture. In addition, oral administration of GPE increased antitumor host defense in mice implanted with sarcoma-180 tumor cells. The immunoaugmenting activity of orally administered GPE was also confirmed in mice immunized with ovalbumin (OVA). Mice that were orally administered with GPE generated much more potent OVA-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses upon intravenous OVA injection compared to the untreated controls. These results demonstrate that oral administration of the ethanol extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum could be useful to increase host defense in immunocompromised situations such as stress- or tumor-induced immunosuppression.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.1791-1799
• /
• 2018

In this study, the immunomodulatory activity of oligopeptide (CP) derived from solid-state fermented cottonseed meal were investigated in immunosuppressed BALB/c mice models by treatment with cyclophosphamide (CY). Results indicated that oligopeptide increased the thymus and spleen indices of CY-treated mice. The count of plague forming cells (PFC) and the content of half serum hemolysis ($HC_{50}$) in immunosuppressive mice were restored to the normal level in CP-10 and CP-20 groups while the cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) were increased significantly in CP-20 group. Similar increasing the immunoglobulin of IgG and IgM content in the serum of CP-10 group were also observed. These findings indicated that oligopeptide derived from solid-state fermented cottonseed meal had a strong immune-enhancing activity as well as a protective effect against immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide in mice.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.101-105
• /
• 2011

We investigate the resistance of Cryptosporidium (C.) parvum oocysts to commercial bleach treatment. The viability and infectivity of C. parvum oocysts suspended in 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.3 or 3.2% aqueous commercial bleach for 10, 30, 60, 120 or 180 min at room temperature were assessed by nucleic acid Syto-9 staining, histologic examination of ileum and infectivity to immunosuppressed neonatal C57BL/6N mice. Although the viability was decreased compared with normal oocysts, all oocysts in contact with serially diluted commercial bleach for 180 min were alive by nucleic acid dye Syto-9 staining. And, microscopic examination of ileum sections revealed developmental stages of C. parvum in all mice. The oocyst shedding patterns between mice infected with oocysts contacted with commercial bleach and normal control mice were not significantly different each other. Although commercial bleach is widely used as a bacterial and viral disinfectant, the present findings indicate that it is not an effective disinfectant for C. parvum oocysts under practical conditions. Authors conclude that, therefore, it is undesirable to recommend commercial bleach as a disinfectant for C. parvum oocysts.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.636-641
• /
• 2013

We prepared 2 different crude polysaccharides from persimmon leaves, by hot water (PLW-0) and pectinase digestion (PLE-0), respectively. PLW-0 and PLE-0 showed similar sugar compositions and contained 11 different sugars, including rarely observed sugars such as 2-methyl-fucose, 2-methyl-xylose, apiose, and aceric acid. However, the uronic acid content of PLE-0 was lower than that of PLW-0, because of pectinase treatment. In normal mice, administration of PLW-0 and PLE-0 increased the spleen index and splenocyte proliferation. The effect of PLE-0 on the spleen index and splenocyte proliferation was greater than that of PLW-0. We subsequently assessed the immunomodulatory activities of PLW-0 and PLE-0 on cyclophosphamide (CY)-induced immunosuppressed mice. We revealed that mice treated with PLW- 0 or PLE-0 showed increased splenocyte proliferation, NK cell activity, and white blood cell numbers. Taken together, our results indicate that PLW-0 and PLE-0 can enhance immune function in normal mice and modulate CY-induced immune suppression.