Immunosuppressive activity of hexane and ethanolic extracts of Pterospermum acerifolium seeds in BALB/c mice

A combined network pharmacology and molecular biology approach to investigate the potential mechanisms of G-M6 on ovarian cancer

Ginsenoside 3β,12β,21α,22β-Hydroxy-24-norolean-12-ene (G-M6), a phase I metabolite of anti-tumor medication 20(R)-25-methoxyl-dammarane-3β,12β,20-triol (AD-1), beats the parent drug in anti-ovarian cancer efficacy. The mechanism of action for ovarian cancer, however, is uncertain. Using network pharmacology, human ovarian cancer cells and nude mouse ovarian cancer xenotransplantation model, the anti-ovarian cancer mechanism of G-M6 was preliminarily explored in this study. The PPAR signal pathway is the key signal pathway of the G-M6 anti-ovarian cancer mechanism, according to data mining and network analysis. Docking tests demonstrated that the bioactive chemical G-M6 was capable of forming a stable bond with the PPARγ target protein capsule. Using human ovarian cancer cells and xenograft model of ovarian cancer to evaluate the anticancer activity of G-M6. The IC50 value of G-M6 was 5.83±0.36, lower than AD-1 and Gemcitabine. The tumor weight of the RSG 80 mg/kg group (C), G-M6 80 mg/kg group (I), and RSG 80 mg/kg + G-M6 80 mg/kg group (J) after the intervention was as follows: C < I < J. The tumor inhibition rates of groups C, I, and J were 28.6%, 88.7%, and 92.6%, respectively. When RSG and G-M6 are combined to treat ovarian cancer, q = 1.00 is calculated according to King's formula, which indicates that RSG and G-M6 have additive effects. Its molecular mechanism may involve the up-regulation of PPARγ and Bcl-2 protein expressions, and the down-regulation of Bax, Cytochrome C (Cyt. C), Caspase-3, and Caspase-9 protein expressions. These findings serve as a reference for further research into the processes behind ginsenoside G-M6's ovarian cancer therapy.

Withania somnifera chemotype NMITLI 101R significantly increases the efficacy of antileishmanial drugs by generating strong IFN-γ and IL-12 mediated immune responses in Leishmania donovani infected hamsters

BACKGROUND

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Solanaceae), commonly known as Ashwagandha, is one of the most important medicinal plant in the traditional Indian medical systems. Pharmacological studies have established that root extracts of W. somnifera contain several bioactive constituents called withanolides. The plant has long been used for its several beneficial properties and recently as an immunomodulator.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

A combination therapy including a potential and safe immunostimulant with lower doses of effective drug, which can reduce the parasitic burden and simultaneously can produce an enhancement of adaptive immunity, has proven to be significantly a more effective approach than immunotherapy or drug therapy alone.

STUDY DESIGN

Evaluation of the immunostimulatory effect of W. somnifera chemotype NMITLI 101R when used in combination with ED₅₀ doses of antileishmanial drugs in Leishmania donovani infected hamsters.

METHODS

Infected animals were administered with chemotype 101R(30mg/kg × 15 days) either alone or in combination with ED₅₀ doses of miltefosine (10mg/kg × 5 days), paromomycin (30mg/kg × 5 days) or amphotericin B (0.5mg/kg × 5 days). The treated animals were euthanized on days 30 and 60 post-treatment (p.t.) and checked for parasite clearance, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response, cytokine and inducible nitric oxide synthase levels by real-time PCR, nitric oxide (NO) production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lymphoproliferative and antibody responses.

RESULTS

The group of animals that received 101R and ED₅₀ dose of miltefosine showed optimum inhibition of parasite multiplication (∼98%) by day 60 p.t. followed by the group that received 101R plus paromomycin (∼94%) and 101R plus amphotericin B (∼93%). The efficacy was well supported by the increased inducible NO synthase mRNA transcript, strong IFN-γand IL-12 mediated Th1 immune responses and significantly suppressed levels of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-β). Additionally, same therapy also induced significant increase in the level of NO production, ROS generation, Leishmania specific IgG2 antibody along with profound DTH and strong T-cell responses as compared with all the other treated groups.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that combination of chemotype 101R with ED₅₀ doses of antileishmanial drugs may provide a promising alternative for the cure of visceral leishmaniasis with significant restoration of the host immune response.

Immunosuppressive effect of extracts from leaves of Fraxinus Mandshurica Rupr

Plants provide a rich resource of medicinal material for research and development of new medicine. To discover new compounds as Immunosuppressant from plants, we evaluated the immunosuppressive effect of different fractions and particularly one compound (Calceolarioside A) that were extracted from the leaves of Fraxinus Mandshurica Rupr. The fractions and the compound were tested on the ability to reduce Immunoglobulin E (IgE) secretion by human U266 multiple myeloma cells (U266 cells) and to reduce interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion by mouse spleen cells. Our results showed that both the butanol extract fraction and the compound of Calceolarioside A inhibited the IgE and IL-2 production in U266 cells and mouse spleen cells respectively, and no cytotoxicity was observed within the effective dose range. These results suggest that Calceolarioside A could potentially serve as an immunosuppressant.

N-Methyl-6, 7-dimethoxyisoquinolone in Annona squamosa twigs is the major immune modifier to elicit polarized Th1 immune response in BALB/c mice

Annona squamosa (AS) has traditionally been used as ethnomedicine. We have earlier extracted and fractionated the twigs of AS based upon its bioactivity and observed its immune potentiating activity that was localized in its three fractions. Present communication deals with the phytochemical analysis and pharmacological investigation of the most active chloroform fraction that led to isolation and identification of a number of compounds whose structures were elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. Amongst the twelve pure compounds isolated, five compounds Lanuginosine (1), (+)-O-methylarmepavine (2), (+)-anomuricine (3), Isocorydine (4), and N-methyl-6, 7-dimethoxyisoquinolone (5) were evaluated in vivo for their immune modifier activities in BALB/c mice after oral administration at three log doses of 0.3, 1.0 and 3.0mg/kg for 14 consecutive days. Of these, three compounds (1, 2 and 5) showed dose dependent immune stimulating activity. However, the uppermost activity was noted in the compound N-methyl-6, 7-dimethoxyisoquinolone at the 3.0mg/kg oral dose. The activity was assessed in the form of increased splenic T and B cellular proliferation, up-regulated CD4+, CD8+ and CD19+ cell population and accentuation in the peritoneal macrophage function. The compound possibly acted modifying the expression of Th1- and Th2- cytokines via stimulation of pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines IL-2 and IFN-γ. These results warrant the use of the above compounds as an efficient immune-stimulant or immune-adjuvant against diseases with immune suppression. The analogs of the compound may further be chemically synthesized to achieve desired immune modifying activity.

Immunomodulatory Effect of Rhaphidophora korthalsii on Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity

The in vivo immunomodulatory effect of ethanolic extracts from leaves of Rhaphidophora korthalsii was determined via immune cell proliferation, T/NK cell phenotyping, and splenocyte cytotoxicity of BALB/c mice after 5 consecutive days of i.p. administration at various concentrations. Splenocyte proliferation index, cytotoxicity, peripheral blood T/NK cell population, and plasma cytokine (IL-2 and IFN-γ) in mice were assessed on day 5 and day 15. High concentration of extract (350 μg/mice/day for 5 consecutive days) was able to stimulate immune cell proliferation, peripheral blood NK cell population, IL-2, and IFN- γ cytokines, as well as splenocyte cytotoxicity against Yac-1 cell line. Unlike rIL-2 which degraded rapidly, the stimulatory effect from the extract managed to last until day 15. These results suggested the potential of this extract as an alternative immunostimulator, and they encourage further study on guided fractionation and purification to identify the active ingredients that contribute to this in vitro and in vivo immunomodulatory activity.