OBJECTIVE: To investigate anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation effects of different ecotype from Isatidis Radix growing in Gansu province. METHODS: Mice were randomly divided into 6 groups (=11)and used the auricular swelling and paw edema to observe the anti-inflammatory effects of Isatidis Radix; Mice were randomly divided into 7 groups (=11) and through the gasbag synovitis model to observe the anti-inflammatory effects of Isatidis Radix; Mice were randomly divided into 6 groups (=11), the immunosuppressed model were established by injection of cyclophosphamide (CTX) to study the effects of Isatidis Radix on index of thymus, blood routine and cytokines. RESULTS: Gansu different ecotype from Isatidis Radix could reduce the swelling of the mice auricle, paw edema and total protein, leukotriene B(LTB)and malonaldehyde(MDA) in airbag synovitis exudates, and upgrade serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD); Degrade the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and upgrade the index of thymus, the number of red and white corpuscles, the level of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4) (<0.05, 0.01) of mice immunosuppressed model; Above the research of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation, there were no significant differences between Isatidis Radix of Gansu different ecotype and tetraploid. CONCLUSIONS Different ecotype of Isatidis Radix has obvious functions in anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation, but there are no significant differences between Gansu different ecotype and tetraploid.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; China ; Cytokines ; immunology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Ecotype ; Immunomodulation ; drug effects ; Isatis ; chemistry ; Mice ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation

Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly used to treat graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), their immune regulatory mechanism in the process is elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the curative effect of third-party umbilical cord blood-derived human MSCs (UCB-hMSCs) on GVHD patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and their immune regulatory mechanism. Twenty-four refractory GVHD patients after allo-HSCT were treated with UCB-hMSCs. Immune cells including T lymphocyte subsets, NK cells, Treg cells and dendritic cells (DCs) and cytokines including interleukin-17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were monitored before and after MSCs transfusion. The results showed that the symptoms of GVHD were alleviated significantly without increased relapse of primary disease and transplant-related complications after MSCs transfusion. The number of CD3(+), CD3(+)CD4(+) and CD3(+)CD8(+) cells decreased significantly, and that of NK cells remained unchanged, whereas the number of CD4(+) and CD8(+) Tregs increased and reached a peak at 4 weeks; the number of mature DCs, and the levels of TNF-α and IL-17 decreased and reached a trough at 2 weeks. It was concluded that MSCs ameliorate GVHD and spare GVL effect via immunoregulations.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Dendritic Cells ; metabolism ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease ; immunology ; therapy ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Immunomodulation ; Killer Cells, Natural ; metabolism ; Male ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; metabolism ; Transplantation, Homologous ; adverse effects ; Young Adult

Adjuvants can be defined as pharmacological and immunological components that are able to modify and/or enhance antigen-specific immune responses. Based on the interdisciplinary research between immunology and material science/engineering, various vaccine adjuvant materials have been developed. By rational design and engineering of antigen or adjuvant materials, immune-modulatory vaccine systems generated to activate immune system. Here, we review the current progress of bioengineered prophylactic and/or therapeutic vaccine adjuvant for cancer and/or infectious disease, and discuss the prospect of future vaccine adjuvant materials.
Adjuvants, Immunologic ; Allergy and Immunology ; Communicable Diseases* ; Immune System ; Immunomodulation ; Immunotherapy*

OBJECTIVEThis study investigated the immunoregulatory and protective roles of Yinchenhao decoction, a compound of Chinese herbal medicine, in a mouse model of concanavalin A (ConA)-induced chronic liver injury.

METHODSFemale BalB/c mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control, ConA model, ConA model treated with Yinchenhao decoction (400 mg/kg, orally), and ConA model treated with dexamethasone (0.5 mg/kg, orally). All treatments were given once a day for 28 d. Except of the normal control, mice received tail vein injection of ConA (10 mg/kg) on days 7, 14, 21, and 28, at 1 h after treatment with Yinchenhao decoction or dexamethasone or saline to induce chronic liver injury.

RESULTSRepeated ConA injection induced chronic liver injury, which was evidenced by inflammatory cell infiltration and necrosis, increased serum alanine aminotranferease activities, decreased albumin levels, and an imbalanced expression of immunoregulatory genes in the liver tissues including significantly enhanced interferon-γ, interleukin-4, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and cluster of differentiation 163 mRNA levels, and reduced tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 mRNA levels. Treatment with Yinchenhao decoction significantly reversed the ConA-induced changes in immunoregulatory gene expression in the liver tissues, reduced serum alanine aminotranferease activity, enhanced serum albumin level, and attenuated the extent of liver inflammation and necrosis. Furthermore, Yinchenhao decoction did not result in hepatocyte degeneration and spleen weight loss that were observed in mice received long-term treatment with dexamethasone.

CONCLUSIONYinchenhao decoction treatment protected liver against the ConA-induced chronic liver damage and improved liver function, which were associated with the modulation of gene expression related to immune/inflammatory response.

Animals ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury, Chronic ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Concanavalin A ; toxicity ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Immunomodulation ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is an intensive therapy to cure high-risk haematological malignant disorders, congenital diseases, autoimmune disease and so on. The main complication of HSCT is graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which can cause the death of recipients and affect the therapeutic effect. Many kinds of immune cells and inflammatory factors were involved in the occurrence of GVHD. Twenty years ago the mice and human interleukin-17 (IL-17) were found. A new kind of T cell-CD4(+) IL-17(+) T was found in recent years, named Th17 cells. Now IL-17 and Th17 cells have become the hot spot in the research field of infection immunity, autoimmune diseases, tumor immunity and GVHD. In this article, immunoregulatory effects of interleukin-17 and Th17 cells in GVHD are reviewed.
Animals ; Graft vs Host Disease ; immunology ; therapy ; Humans ; Immunomodulation ; Interleukin-17 ; immunology ; Mice ; Th17 Cells ; immunology

We purified a novel mannose binding lectin form Musca domestica pupae by affinity chromatography on Con A-Sepharose 4B and DEAE weak anion-exchange chromatography. By SDS-PAGE, MBL-1 yielded a single band with the molecular weight of 24 kDa. It was a glycoprotein detected by periodic acid-schiffs staining reaction, with 97.36% protein and 2.1% oligosaccharide. Meanwhile, the results of beta-elimination reaction, infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and protein sequencing instrument show that MBL-1 was an ellipsoidal-shaped monomer with 60-100 nm in diameter. N-glycoside bond linked oligosaccharide chain and the N-terminal blocked peptide chain. Further study suggested that MBL-1 promote the proliferation of macrophage in a concentration-dependent manner. The scanning electron microscope analysis shows that MBL-1 promoted the activation of macrophages. These results show that MBL-1 purified from Musca domestica pupae possesses immune regulation effect, serving a reference basis to develop natural immune-modulator.
Animals ; Glycoproteins ; analysis ; Houseflies ; chemistry ; Immunomodulation ; immunology ; physiology ; Macrophages ; immunology ; Mannose-Binding Lectin ; chemistry ; physiology ; Oligosaccharides ; analysis ; Pupa ; chemistry

OBJECTIVEAutoimmunity participates in chronic heart failure (CCI), it is CD4+ T lymphocytes that mainly induces myocardial infiltration and the progression of the disease. The purpose of this research is to assess changes of CD4+, CD8+ T lymphocyte subset, and phenotype of primary T cell (CD4+ CD45RA+) and memory T cells (CD4+ CD45RO+) in peripheral blood in aged male patients with CCI. And to investigate the immunomodulatory effects on subsets of CD4+, CD8+ and phenotype of CD4+ CD45RA+ and CD4+ CD45RO+ and the possible therapeutic mechanism.

METHODSThe participant were 155 aged men among whom 94 cases were diagnosed as CCI and heart function of the rest 41 cases were normal. All patients underwent echocardiography examination and were collected peripheral blood before and after treatment. Serum N terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were detected by heterogeneous immunoassay. Serum C reactive protein (CRP) were measured by immunoturbidimetry assay. T lymphocytes in peripheral blood were separated and determined distribution of CD4+, CD8+, CD4+ CD45RA+, CD4+ CD45RO+ using flow cytometry. Participants were divided into 3 groups: the CCI intervention group, who received regular therapy and thymopentin (20 mg intramuscular injection, once every other day for 3 month; n = 60) , the CCI control group, who received regular therapy (n = 54) and 41 healthy individual older than 57 years of age, who served as normal controls.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and CD4+ CD45RO+ levels decreased, left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), NT-proBNP, CRP, CD4+, CD4+ CD45RA+, CD4+/CD8+, CD4+ CD45RA+/CD4+ CD45RO+ levels were obviously higher in CCI group. Distribution of CD8+ was not significantly changed. The level of NT-proBNP, CRP, CD4+/CD8+, CD4+ CD45RA+/CD4+ CD45 RO+ was negatively correlated with LVEF. LVEF could be much improved via decreasing distribution of CD4+/CD8+, CD4+ CD45RA+/CD4+ CD45RO in CCI intervention group than in CCI control group.

CONCLUSIONThe changes of CD4+/CD8+ and CD4+ CD45RA+/CD4+ CD45RO+ suggest that CD4+ T lymphocyte subset and its phenotype play an important role in the process of CCI. The regulation of CD4+ T lymphocyte and its phenotype may be one of the strategy in the treatment of CCI.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; CD4-CD8 Ratio ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Heart Failure ; blood ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunomodulation ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; immunology ; Male ; Phenotype ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology

In the last 10 years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a therapeutic approach to regenerative medicine, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and many more due to their potential to differentiate into various tissues, to repair damaged tissues and organs, and also for their immunomodulatory properties. Findings in vitro and in vivo have demonstrated immune regulatory function of MSCs and have facilitated their application in clinical trials, such as those of autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory diseases. There has been an increasing interest in the role of MSCs in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), including hematopoietic stem cell engraftment and the prevention and treatment of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and their therapeutic potential has been reported in numerous clinical trials. Although the safety of clinical application of MSCs is established, further modifications to improve their efficacy are required. In this review, we summarize advances in the potential use of MSCs in HSCT. In addition, we discuss their use in clinical trials of the treatment of GVHD following HSCT, the immunomodulatory capacity of MSCs, and their regenerative and therapeutic potential in the field of HSCT.
Animals ; Chimerism ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Graft vs Host Disease/immunology/therapy ; *Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Immunomodulation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/*cytology/immunology

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome resulting from a host response to infection. The early stage of sepsis is characterized by excessive inflammatory response, accompanied by immune dysfunction characterized by aggravating cellular immunosuppression. The vast majority of patients with sepsis survive the initial excessive inflammatory response, but die of hospital-acquired infection, opportunistic pathogenic bacteria infection, latent virus reactivation, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. These facts indicate that immunosuppression may be a significant cause of exacerbation of the illness even death of the septic patients. The primary cellular mechanisms in inducing immune dysfunction include immune dysfunction of T lymphocytes, negative regulation of regulatory T lymphocytes and dendritic cells, and damage of intestinal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue. Xuebijing injection is a complex Chinese patent medicine, which is widely used in the treatment of sepsis. It has a potential immunoregulation ability, as well as effects on bacteriostasis, anti-endotoxin and anti-inflammation. Its target and mechanism of action need to be explored further.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunomodulation ; Sepsis ; drug therapy ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of ricin temperature response gel on breast cancer and its regulatory effect on immune function in rats.

METHODSRicin was purified by chromatography and identified by immunoblotting. The rat subcutaneously transplanted breast cancer model was established. Forty model rats with a tumor diameter of about 3.0 cm were subjected to the study. They were randomized into four groups equally: the model group and three treated groups (blank gel, ricin, ricin-gel) were administered with blank gel, ricin, and ricin temperature response gel via percutaneous intratumor injection, respectively. The tumor was isolated 10 days later for the estimation of tumor inhibition rate (TIR) by weighing, pathologic examination, and detection of tumor apoptosis-associated genes bcl-2 and bax with semiquantitative RT-PCR. Also, peripheral blood was obtained to test T-lymphocyte subsets, the killing function of lymphocytes, and the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). The outcomes were compared between groups.

RESULTSThe TIR in the ricin-gel group was 61.8%, with the pathologic examination showing extensive tumor tissue necrosis. Compared with the model group, after ricin temperature response gel treatment, bcl-2 expression was down-regulated, bax expression was up-regulated, CD4+ lymphocytes and CD4+/CD8+ ratio in peripheral blood were increased, the killing function of lymphocytes was enhanced, and the contents of TNF-α and IL-2 were elevated (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONIntratumor injection of ricin temperature-responsive gel showed significant antitumor effect on breast cancer and could enhance the immune function in the tumor-bearing rat.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; CD4-CD8 Ratio ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Gels ; therapeutic use ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunomodulation ; drug effects ; Injections, Intralesional ; Interleukin-2 ; immunology ; metabolism ; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Ricin ; administration & dosage ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Temperature ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; immunology ; metabolism