African Journal of Immunology Research

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 5 (10), pp. 420-424, October, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Regulatory effect of Laggera alata extract on immune mediated liver injury

Yi-Hang Wu^{1, 2}*, Bing-Jie Hao¹, E. Shen³, Xiao-Meng Zhang¹and Yu Zhao²

¹Department of Pharmacy, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China.

²Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang

University, Hangzhou 310058, China.

³Intensive Care Unit, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou 310014, China.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +86571 8683 5702. Fax: +86 571 8691 4449.

Accepted 09 January, 2018

Abstract

The immune factors were the main reasons of hepatic damage in hepatitis. To validate the beneficial effects of Laggera alata on hepatitis in humans, regulatory properties of L. alata extract (LAE) was studied using a Bacillus Calmette-Guerin- Lipopolysaccharide (BCG-LPS) induced immune liver injury model in mice. Quantificational analysis of LAE indicated that isochlorogenic acids were the major components in the extract whose content amounted to 51%. LAE reduced the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and nitric oxide (NO) levels of the mice, also decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in mouse liver, and increased the levels of total protein and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in mouse liver. Meanwhile, resulted in significant recovery of immune-mediated hepatocyte injury in the liver sections. The study suggests that the regulatory properties of LAE may be achieved by ameliorating oxidative stress from BCG-LPS-induced immune liver injury or by preventing tissue damage as a result in inflammation. Isochlorogenic acids may be its substance basis responsible for the regulatory potential. Additional, flavonol components may also play important role in the pharmacological activity of L. alata.

Key words: Laggera alata, calmette-guerin bacillus, lipopolysaccharide, Isochlorogenic acid, immune mediated liver injury.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 5 (7), pp. 375-385, July, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Immunomodulatory effects of aqueous extract of Ocimum basilicum (Linn.) and some of its constituents on human immune cells

K. D. Tsai^1,2, B. R. Lin^3,4, D. S. Perng⁵, J. C. Wei⁶, Y. W. Yu⁶ and Jaw-Ming Cherng⁶*

¹Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University and Beigang Hospital, Yunlin 651, Taiwan, ROC.

²Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 621, Taiwan, ROC.

³Department of Integrated Diagnostics and Therapeutics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan, ROC.

⁴Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University, College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan, ROC.

⁵Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung County 824, Taiwan, ROC.

⁶Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital and Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, ROC.

*Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +886-4-24739595 ext. 34704. Fax: +886-4-24839376.

Accepted 25 April, 2017

Abstract

Ocimum basilicum Linn. (OB) is an edible plant with high concentrations of caffeic (CA) and p-coumaric acid (pCA). In this study, the authors evaluated the immunomodulatory activities of aqueous extract of OB, CA and pCA on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by lymphoproliferation test, and defined the responding cells by flow cytometry, secretion of various cytokines by ELISA, and expression of mRNA by quantitative Real Time-PCR (qPCR) methods. At concentrations tested (0.135, 0.27, and 0.54 µg/ml of OB extract, 2.5, 5, and 10 µg/ml of CA, 5, 10, and 20 µg/ml of pCA), OB, CA, and pCA were capable of dose-dependently stimulating DNA synthesis of human PBMC. In addition, OB extract suppressed cytokines produced by T_H1 (IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-β), T_H2 (IL-5, IL-10) as well as regulatory T (TGF-β) cells, and expression of ERK2 mRNA in PBMC. OB constituents CA and pCA also suppressed some of the cytokines. These data convincingly demonstrate that OB possesses direct immunomodulatory effect on basic functional properties of human immune cells, possibly mediated by the ERK2 MAP-kinase signal pathway. Thus, aqueous extract of OB can be considered as a powerful natural immunomodulatory spice influencing various types of immune-responses and may have potential health effects.

Key words: Immunomodulation, Ocimum basilicum (Linn.), caffeic acid, immune cells, cytokines, p-coumaric acid.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 5 (8), pp. 391-393, August, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of in vivo immune response activity and in vitro anti-cancer effect by Scrophularia megalantha

Abbas Azadmehr¹, Reza Hajiaghaee², Afshin Afshari¹, Zahra Amirghofran³, Mahmoud Refieian-Kopaei⁴, Hossein yousofi Darani⁵ and Hedayatollah Shirzad^4*

¹Immunology Division, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.

²Department of Pharmacognosy, Institute of Medicinal Plants, (ACECR), Tehran, Iran.

³Department of Immunology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

⁴Medical Plants Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Sharekord, Iran.

⁵Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Sharekord, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected].

Accepted 11 May, 2017

Abstract

Many studies have showed that plant extracts possess immunomodulatory and anti-cancer effects. In this study, these effects of Scrophularia megalantha extract, a native plant in Iran, were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Microculture tetrazolium test (MTT assay) was employed to evaluate the effects of S. megalantha on human Jurkat (lymphoblast-like) cell line cytotoxicity. Furthermore, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and hemagglutination tests in mice employed to evaluate the effects of S. megalantha on cellular and humoral responses, respectively. In vitro exposures of the Jurkat cells with various concentrations of S. megalantha extract (0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 mg/mL) significantly suppressed their growth in a dose-dependent manner. The maximum tumor cell growth inhibition was observed with 0.2 mg/mL of the extract. Moreover, the production of specific antibody to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antigen in immunized mice significantly increased by different concentrations of S. megalantha extract. In conclusion, our results indicated that S. megalantha extract could be an immunomodulator plant and a good candidate for further investigations in order to develop a natural compound as an immunomodulator and anticancer agent.

Key words:  Scrophularia megalantha, extract, tumor growth, immune response.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 5 (6), pp. 349-357, June, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study of probability of dying in the stage of HIV in a year without passing to the state of AIDS

Gurprit Grover and Dulumoni Das*

Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 02 February, 2017

Abstract

The human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic represents the most serious public health problem in India. There is no denial of the enormity of the problem. The available surveillance data clearly indicates that HIV is prevalent in almost all parts of the country. Hence, knowledge of HIV incidence is important to formulate sensible strategies aimed at controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The objective of this paper is to estimate the probability of dying in the stage of HIV (Grover and Das, 2005) in a year without passing to the state of AIDS (HIV mortality rate). Secondly, a double decrement life table approach (Biswas et al., 2006) has been followed for a cohort of hemophiliacs who were at risk of infection with the AIDS virus. This device consists essentially of two decrements: HIV positive hemophiliacs either depart from the AIDS-free group by eventually developing AIDS or by dying from other causes; those who eventually develop AIDS either remain alive with it until they die from it or die from other causes. The distribution of incubation period of AIDS is based on a two-stage parametric regression model (Brookmeyer and Goedert, 1989), proposed for the analysis of cohort of hemophiliacs.

Key words: HIV mortality rate, incubation period, two-stage parametric regression model, double decrement life table, sero-positivity.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 5 (3), pp. 314-319, March, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Association of HLA-G 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism with autoantibody production in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases

Feng-Xia WU¹, Li-Jun WU², Xiong-Yan Luo¹, Zhong Tang¹, Ming-Hui Yang¹, Yan-Hui Xia¹*, Chuan-Mei XIE¹, Ning-Tao Liu³, Xiao-feng Zeng⁴ and Guo-Hua Yuan¹

¹Institute of Rheumatology and Immunology, Affiliated Hospital, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, P. R. China.

²Department of Rheumatology, People`s Hosptial of XinJiang Uygur Autonomus Region, Urumchi, XiJiang, P. R. China.

³Department of Rheumatology, Suining Municipal People’s Hospital, Suining City, Sichuan, P. R. China.

⁴Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +86 817 226 2325. Fax: +86 817 222 323.

Accepted 03 May, 2017

Abstract

HLA-G is a non-classical HLA-class Ib molecule and has multiple immunoregulatory properties. A 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the HLA-G gene has been suggested to influence the expression of HLA-G and then to associate with certain pathological conditions, including autoimmune diseases. The aim of study was to evaluate the possible association of the HLA-G 14bp insertion (+14bp) and deletion (-14bp) polymorphism with autoantibody production in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. A total of 504 patients with rheumatic diseases and 367 unrelated healthy controls from a Chinese Han population were HLA-G genotyped for the 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism. No statistically significant differences were observed in the frequencies of the HLA-G 14bp insertion/deletion alleles or genotypes between controls and patients with rheumatic disease. However, significant differences in the distribution of the HLA-G 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism could be demonstrated for patients with positive anti-snRNP antibodies and patients with positive anti-histone antibodies when compared with the respective antibody-negative patients. The anti-snRNP antibodies positive group showed markedly increased frequencies of the +14bp allele (P = 0.0001, OR = 1.794, 95% CI = 1.329 - 2.422) as well as the +14/-14bp heterozygotes (P = 0.0001, OR = 2.306, 95% CI = 1.511 - 3.521). Moreover, an increased frequencies of the -14bp allele (P = 0.0001, OR = 2.302, 95% CI = 1.657 - 3.198) and the -14/-14bp homozygous genotype (P = 0.0001, OR = 3.035, 95% CI = 1.974 - 4.667) was observed in the patients with positive anti-histone antibodies. These findings are the first time to indicate that the HLA-G 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism could be a genetic risk factor influencing the susceptibility for the autoantibody production in rheumatic diseases.

Key words: HLA-G, polymorphism, autoantibodies, rheumatic disease.