PD1 is transcriptionally regulated by LEF1 in mature T cells

The role of programmed cell death 1 (PD1) in cancer immune evasion is of considerable importance, prompting the development of monoclonal antibodies that specifically target PD-1 to enhance the immune system for cancer therapy. Nevertheless, the efficacy of PD1/programmed cell death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking antibodies is limited to certain patients or tumor types. Although researchers have demonstrated the influence of PD-1 on the positive selection of T cells, its effect on the T-cell repertoire remains uncertain. Lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) has been known to play a critical role as a transcription factor in the development and maturation of T cells. Despite the greater focus on the study of its homologous protein, T cell factor 1 (TCF1), we discovered that LEF1 had a positive regulatory effect on the transcription of PD1 in mature T cells, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and Treg cells. This finding was observed in LEF1 knockout and LEF1-stimulated mice models. Additionally, we confirmed the direct regulation of PD1 by LEF1 in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes through tumor-implantation experiments. The direct regulation of PD1 by LEF1 was further validated in the LEF1 knockout cell line. The results of our study provide novel perspectives on the regulation of PD1 in immune responses and investigate potential approaches for clinical anti-PD1 therapy.

Immunomodulatory Effects of Microcin C7 in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppressed Mice

Microcin C7 (McC) as a viable immunomodulator peptide can be a potential solution for pathogenic microbial infection in the post-antibiotic era and has gained substantial attention. This study was designed to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of Microcin C7 in a cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunodeficient mouse model. We show that Microcin C7 treatment significantly alleviated the CTX-caused body weight loss, improved the feed and water consumption to improve the state of the mice, and elevated the absolute number and proportion of peripheral blood lymphocytes as well as the level of hemoglobulin. We further aim to characterize the phenotypes of the immune function and intestinal health profiles. The results demonstrate that Microcin C7 treatment increased serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG, interleukin 6, and hemolysin, promoted splenic lymphocyte proliferation induced by concanavalin A and LPS, and enhanced the phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages immunized by sheep red blood cells. Additionally, Microcin C7 treatment decreased levels of diamine oxidase and d-lactate, ameliorated CTX-induced intestinal morphological damage, and increased the levels of zonula occluden 1, occludin, claudin-1, mucin 2, and secretary IgA in the jejunum and colon. Moreover, Microcin C7 administration is sufficient to reverse CTX-induced intestinal microbiota dysbiosis by increasing the number of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, decreasing the number of Escherichia coli in colonic contents. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Microcin C7 may have protective and immunomodulatory functions and could be a potential candidate used in animal feed, functional foods, and immunological regimens..

A polysaccharide from Pleurotus citrinopileatus mycelia enhances the immune response in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice via p62/Keap1/Nrf2 signal transduction pathway

The manuscript aimed to study the immunoregulatory activity and the mechanism of the polysaccharide (CMP) from Pleurotus citrinopileatus mycelia. The mice were divided into normal group, model group, different dosage of CMP (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively) groups and levamisole hydrochloride treated group. The results showed that, compared with the model group, CMP could significantly improve the auricle swelling rate, half hemolysis value and phagocytic index in mice. The indices of immune organs were raised, and tissue damage of spleen was relieved. Splenic Th1 cells were decreased, while Th2 cells were increased, furthermore the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes and the cytotoxicity of NK cells were increased. The levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in spleen were decreased, while interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were increased. In serum and spleen, the levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were increased, while the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased. And the levels of Immunoglobulin were also increased. Western blot showed that CMP had immunoregulatory activity by activating Nrf2, Keap1, p62, HO-1, and NQO1 in the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway. The study proved that CMP could be used as a biological Immune regulating agent.

Heterogalactan WPEP-N-b from Pleurotus eryngii enhances immunity in immunocompromised mice

This study reports on in vivo immunomodulatory activities mediated by WPEP-N-b, a heterogalactan from Pleurotus eryngii. Using cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed mice, we demonstrate here that WPEP-N-b enhances immunity as determined by the immune organ index, peripheral blood immune cell content, splenocyte proliferation, NK cell activity and T lymphocyte subpopulations. WPEP-N-b prevented apoptosis of bone marrow cells induced by CTX. The level of cytokines (i.e. TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) and macrophage activity in these immunocompromised mice were restored upon treated with WPEP-N-b. Mechanistically, it appears that WPEP-N-b enhances splenocyte proliferation and NK cell activity might through the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-PKC signaling axis, and increases macrophage activity by activating JNK, p38 and NF-κB signaling pathways and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is the possible receptor of WPEP-N-b in macrophages. Our findings indicate that WPEP-N-b may function as a natural immune stimulant.

Immunostimulatory Activity of Cordyceps militaris Fermented with Pediococcus pentosaceus SC11 Isolated from a Salted Small Octopus in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunocompromised Mice and Its Inhibitory Activity against SARS-CoV 3CL Protease

In this study, we investigated the immune-enhancing and anti-viral effects of germinated Rhynchosia nulubilis (GRC) fermented with Pediococcus pentosaceus SC11 (GRC-SC11) isolated from a salted small octopus. The cordycepin, β-glucan, and total flavonoid contents increased in GRC after SC11 fermentation. GRC-SC11 inhibits 3CL protease activity in severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). GRC-SC11 significantly increased thymus and spleen indices in immunocompromised mice. The rate of splenocyte proliferation was higher in GRC-SC11-treated immunocompromised mice than that in GRC-treated immunocompromised mice in the presence or absence of concanavalin A. In addition, GRC-SC11 increased the phagocytic activity and nitric oxide production in immunocompromised mice. The mRNA expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interferon-alpha (IFN-α), and interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) was up-regulated in GRC-SC11 treated RAW 264.7 macrophages, compared to GRC. Our study indicates that GRC-SC11 might be a potential therapeutic agent for immunocompromised patients who are vulnerable to SARS-CoV infection.

Immunomodulatory Effect of Ginsenoside Rb2 Against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression in Mice

Ginsenoside Rb2 (Rb2), a fundamental saponin produced and isolated from ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), has a wide range of biological actions. The objective of this investigation was to see if ginsenoside Rb2 has any immunomodulatory properties against cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppression. For the positive control group, levamisole hydrochloride (LD) was used. We discovered that intraperitoneal injection of Rb2 (5, 10, 20 mg/kg) could relieve CTX-induced immunosuppression by enhanced immune organ index, reduced the pathological characteristics of immunosuppression, promoted natural killer (NK) cells viability, improved cell-mediated immune response, boosted the IFN-γ (Interferon-gamma), TNF-α (Tumor necrosis factor-alpha), IL-2 (Interleukin-2), and IgG (Immunoglobulin G), as well as macrophage activity like carbon clearance and phagocytic index. Rb2 significantly elevated the mRNA expression of IL-4 (Interleukin-4), SYK (Tyrosine-protein kinase-SYK), IL-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 (Interleukin-6) in the spleen of CTX-injected animals. Molecular docking results showed that Rb2 had excellent binding properties with IL-4, SYK, IL-2, TNF, and IL-6, indicating the target protein might be strongly correlated with the immunomodulatory effect of Rb2. Taken together, ginsenoside Rb2 can improve the immune function that is declined in CTX-induced immunosuppressed mice, the efficacy maybe due to the regulation of related cytokine and mRNA expression.

A new GlcNAc-containing polysaccharide from Morchella importuna fruiting bodies: Structural characterization and immunomodulatory activities in vitro and in vivo

This study investigated the purification and characterization of a new immunomodulatory GlcNAc-containing polysaccharide (MIPB70-1) from Morchella importuna with molecular weights of 20.6 kDa. Structural analysis indicated that MIPB70-1 was composed of GlcNAc:Gal:Glc:Man with molar ratios of 1.00:7.16:5.54:5.61, and its primary structure was characterized as a repeating unit consisting of →6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, α-D-GlcpNAc-(1→, α-D-Galp-(1→, β-D-Glcp-(1→, →6)-α-D-Manp-(1→, →4)-α-D-GlcpNAc-(1→, →4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→, →3,6)-α-D-Manp-(1→, →2)-α-D-Galp-(1→, →2,3,6)-α-D-Manp-(1→. Immunological assays indicated that MIPB70-1 enhanced the phagocytic function and promoted the secretion of nitric oxide (NO) as well as cytokines through targeting Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on macrophage membrane and activating the downstream signaling pathways in RAW 264.7 cells. MIPB70-1 regulated mouse immunity to counteract the immune damage caused by the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide (CTX) in vivo. Furthermore, MIPB70-1 enhanced the anti-tumor activity of doxorubicin (DOX) and inhibited the growth of tumors, by immunomodulation in the orthotopic murine model of 4T1 breast cancer. These results demonstrate the potential of this GlcNAc-containing polysaccharide as an immune enhancer.

Immunomodulatory effects of selenium-enriched peptides from soybean in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice

In this study, selenium-enriched soybean peptides (<3 kDa, named Se-SPep) was isolated and purified from the selenium-enriched soybean protein (Se-SPro) hydrolysate by ultrafiltration. The in-vivo immunomodulatory effects of Se-SPep were investigated in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice. Se-SPep treatment could alleviate the atrophy of immune organs and weight loss observed in immunosuppressive mice. Besides, Se-SPep administration could dramatically improve total protein, albumin, white blood cell, immunoglobulin (Ig) M, IgG, and IgA levels in blood. Moreover, Se-SPep strongly stimulated interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), nitric oxide (NO), and cyclic guanosine monophosphate productions by up-regulating mRNA expressions of IL-2, IFN-γ, and inducible NO synthase in spleen tissue. Furthermore, Se-SPep exhibits more effective immunomodulatory activity compared to Se-SPro and SPep. In conclusion, Se-SPep could effectively enhance the immune capacity of immunosuppressive mice. These findings confirm Se-SPep is an effective immunomodulator with potential application in functional foods or dietary supplements.

Glycopeptides from Paecilomyces sinensis ameliorate ethanol-induced gastric ulcers via anti-inflammation and the miR-9-5p-MEK/ERK signaling pathway

The aim of this study was to investigate the immunomodulatory effect and mechanism of the glycopeptides from Paecilomyces sinensis (CPS-II) on ethanol induced ulcers in mice. In this study, histopathological evaluation (H&E staining) and the gastric ulcer score, ulcer index, total acid secretion and gastric pH value were used to determine the anti-ulcer activity. The expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, interleukin (IL)-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by ELISA. The contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and epidermal growth factor (PEG2) in serum were measured according to the instructions for the reagents. Western blotting was used to detect the effect of CPS-II on the MEK/ERK pathway. The results showed that CPS-II could inhibit the ulcer score and ulcer index compared with the disease control group. CPS-II could significantly increase gastric pH and decrease gastric acid secretion in mice. The ELISA analysis showed that the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the CPS-II treatment group were significantly decreased, while the expression levels of IL-10 were significantly increased in the CPS-II treatment group. In the resveratrol treatment group, the content of MDA in serum was decreased, and the level of PEG2 and the activity of SOD in serum were significantly increased, which indicated that CPS-II has immunoregulation and anti-ulcer properties. The CPS-II treatment group could reduce the expression level of miR-9-5p in gastric tissue. pEGFR had been identified as a potential target of miR-9-5p. Western blot analysis showed that CPS-II could up-regulate the relative protein expression of pEGFR/EGFR, pRaf/Raf, pMEK/MEK, pERK/ERK, and ZO-1. The results showed that CPS-II could reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response by regulating the miR-9-5p-MEK/ERK signaling pathway, thus protecting the gastric mucosa and improving stress gastric ulcers.

Treatment with Subcritical Water-Hydrolyzed Citrus Pectin Ameliorated Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression and Modulated Gut Microbiota Composition in ICR Mice

Subcritical water can effectively hydrolyze pectin into smaller molecules while still maintaining its functional regions. Pectic heteropolysaccharide can mediate immune regulation; however, the possible effects of subcritical water-hydrolyzed citrus pectin (SCP) on the immune response remain unclear. Therefore, the effects of SCP on immunomodulatory functions and intestinal microbial dysbiosis were investigated using a cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mouse model. In this research, immunosuppressed ICR mice were administrated with SCP at dosages of 300/600/1200 mg/kg.bw by oral gavage, and body weight, immune organ indexes, cytokines, and gut microbiota were determined. The results showed that subcritical water treatment decreased the molecular mass and increased the content of galacturonic acid in citrus pectin hydrolysates. Meanwhile, the treatment with SCP improved immunoregulatory functional properties and bioactivities over the original citrus pectin. For example, SCP protected immune organs (accelerated recovery of immune organ indexes) and significantly enhanced the expression of immune-related cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α). The results of the 16S rDNA sequencing analysis on an IlluminaMiSeq platform showed that SCP normalized Cy-induced gut dysbiosis. SCP ameliorated Cy-dependent changes in the relative abundance of several taxa, shifting the balance back to normal status (e.g., SCP increased beneficial Muribaculaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Prevotellaceae while decreasing pathogenic Brevundimonas and Streptococcus). The results of this study suggest an innovative application of citrus pectin as an immunomodulator.

Apios americana Medik flowers polysaccharide (AFP) alleviate Cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in ICR mice

Immunosuppression refers to the suppression of the immune response. The immune function of immunocompromised people is not enough to resist bacterial, viral, fungal and other infections, leading to a series of diseases. A large number of experimental data show that polysaccharide compounds are immune modulators, which can enhance the body immunity with little toxic. Meanwhile, it can reduce the side effects of commonly used immunosuppressants, such as cytotoxicity, decreased ability of the body to fight infection, and inhibition of the reproduction of bone marrow hematopoietic cells. It can be used as oral or injectable drugs. In this study, a purified polysaccharide was primarily extracted from the flowers of Apios americana Medik (AAM), which can improve the immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX). The immunoenhancement effect of AFP was evaluated by measuring the body weight, immune organ index, cytokine secretion and antibody generated levels of CTX-induced mice. Our results showed that AFP could significantly improve the above immune indexes, which indicated AFP could alleviate immunosuppression induced by CTX. The study provided a theoretical basis for the promotion, development and application of AAM as a newly introduced food material.

Investigation on activation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells and protection in cyclophosphamide-treated mice of Pseudostellaria heterophylla protein hydrolysate

Our previous study has demonstrated that Pseudostellaria heterophylla protein hydrolysate (PPH) has immunomodulatory activity on murine spleen lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate the excitation of PPH in RAW264.7 macrophage cells and the protective effect in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-treated mice. The results showed PPH of 50 μg/mL could stimulate macrophages resulting in significant promotions of nitric oxide (NO) production, endocytosis and reactive oxygen species formation. Meanwhile, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-10 were significantly upregulated by PPH. Furthermore, 50 mg/kg per day PPH restored the T lymphocyte proliferation and natural killer cell activity, and increased NO production and pinocytosis of peritoneal macrophages in CTX-treated mice. These findings indicate PPH plays a crucial role in RAW264.7 macrophage cells activation and in the protection against immunosuppression in CTX-treated mice and could be used as a potential immunostimulant agent.

Ginsenoside Rg3 improves cyclophosphamide-induced immunocompetence in Balb/c mice

Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), which comprises Panax ginseng, is commonly used to improve the immunocompetence of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. This study was designed to elucidate the immunoenhancement effects of Rg3 in immunosuppressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX) treatment. Balb/c mice were administered Rg3 intragastrically once daily for 19 consecutive days and were intraperitoneally administered CTX (80 mg/kg) on days 15-19. Weight and immune organ indices were recorded. Hematological tests and cytokines were assessed using ELISA. We measured the activity of LDH and ACP, performed pathological and immunohistochemical staining of immune organs, and evaluated cytokines and transcription factors using RT-PCR. Immunosuppressed mice showed weight loss, decreased thymus and spleen indices and severe pathological damage. CTX attenuated macrophage phagocytosis by decreasing activity of LDH and ACP and decreased the release of related immune factors, IgG, IL-2 and G-CSF. Subsequently, we observed T lymphocyte expression on the surface of the thymus and spleen, which inhibited T cell activity. Further mechanistic analysis showed that CTX decreased the expression of T-bet and IFN-γ and increased the expression of GATA-3 and IL-4 in the thymus and spleen, which affected the Th1/Th2 balance. However, Rg3 treatment reversed CTX-induced immunosuppression. In summary, all the results suggest that Rg3 has protective effects on CTX-induced immunosuppression, which could be partially related to macrophages, T cells and Th1/Th2 balance. Although deeper studies of its mechanism are needed, these findings support the hypothesis that Rg3 can improve the reduced immunocompetence after CTX injury.

Immunomodulatory effects of a new whole ingredients extract from Astragalus: a combined evaluation on chemistry and pharmacology

Background

Water extract (WAE) and ultrafine powder (UFP) are two types of commonly used supplements in preparing various pharmaceutical products and functional foods. However, the correlations of the chemical compositions with the traditional functions between WAE and the herb itself, as well as the potential problems of safety for UFP have been more and more concerned by many doctors and customers.

Methods

In this study, a new whole ingredients extract of Astragalus (WIE) was prepared using the gradient solvent extraction method. The chemical compositions of WIE and WAE were comparatively analysed using spectrophotometric and chromatographic approaches. In addition, the in vivo immunomodulatory effect of WIE, WAE and UFP of Astragalus were comprehensively compared in cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced immunosuppressive mice.

Results

The compositions and contents of main active ingredients (polysaccharides, saponins and flavonoids) in WIE were determined to be more abundant than those in WAE. In Cy-induced immunosuppressive mice, oral administered with low dosage of WIE (equalled to 1.0 g herb/kg/day) for 18 consecutive days significantly improved the immune-related responses (body weight, number of peripheral white blood cells, thymus and spleen indexes, splenocyte proliferations, natural killer cell activity, splenic lymphocyte subset, and serum levels of immunoglobulins G and M). The potency of three Astragalus preparations on immunomodulation was observed to be WIE ≥ UFP > WAE.

Conclusions

WIE maximally retained the chemical integrity of astragalus, and presented better therapeutic effectiveness than UFP and WAE. It can be further developed as new strategy for reasonable use of medicinal/edible herb-derived supplement (extract) for pharmaceutical and healthcare applications.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13020-019-0234-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Immunomodulatory activity of a novel polysaccharide from Lonicera japonica in immunosuppressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide

Lonicera japonica is a typical Chinese herbal medicine. We previously reported a method to isolate polysaccharides from Lonicera japonica (LJP). In this study, we first performed a qualitative analysis of LJP using the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR) and explored the monosaccharide composition of LJP using the pre-column derivatization high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. We then investigated the immunomodulatory function of LJP in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed mouse models. The results showed that LJP had the characteristic absorption of typical polysaccharides consisting of 6 types of monosaccharides. In addition, LJP can increase significantly the organ index, splenic lymphocyte proliferation, macrophage phagocytosis, and natural killer (NK) cell activity in CTX-treated mice. LJP could also restore the levels of serum cytokines interleukin (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in the CTX-treated mice. Finally, the results on measuring the T-lymphocytes subsets of spleen also confirmed LJP-induced immunomodulatory activity in immunosuppressed mice from another perspective. Therefore, LJP could be used as a potential immunomodulatory agent.

Immunomodulatory Effect of Tremella Polysaccharides against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression in Mice

Polysaccharides are closely associated with immune regulation, but there are different polysaccharide effects from different sources. In this study, the aim was to investigate the effect of tremella polysaccharides (TP) in cyclophosphamide-induced immunodeficient mice. We observed the thymus and spleen index, liver and spleen pathological changes, and the levels of IL-2, IL-12, INF-γ, TGF-β and Ig G in serum, and we also noted the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-12 and TGF-β in liver and spleen. Besides, we also measured the best effects of different doses of TP (Low-TP was 20 mg/kg·BW, Middle-TP was 40 mg/kg·BW, and High-TP was 80 mg/kg·BW) on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice. The results were remarkable, and suggested that TP had a significant effect for enhancing immunity in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression, and the immune enhancement of High-TP had the best results in TP-treated mice. It could significantly increase the thymus and spleen index, alleviate pathological features of immunosuppression such as the arrangement of liver sinusoid and hepatic plates was disordered, massive inflammatory cells infiltrated and fatty degeneration of hepatocytes in liver, and red pulp and white pulp were intermixed, splenic corpuscles demolished and disappeared, splenic sinusoid extended, and lymphocytes of spleen were reduced in spleen. Besides, it could also up-regulate serum levels of IL-2, IL-12, INF-γ and Ig G, reduce the level of TGF-β in serum, markedly promote mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-4 and IL-12 in liver and spleen, and suppress mRNA expression of TGF-β. Above all, TP showed preventive effect for cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice.

Preliminary characterization of the structure and immunostimulatory and anti-aging properties of the polysaccharide fraction ofHaematococcus pluvialis

In this study, a polysaccharide fraction (HPP-c3-s1) was obtained from Haematococcus pluvialis using DEAE-52 anion exchange and Sephacryl S400 chromatographies. The structure of HPP-c3-s1 was partially characterized and its biological activity was investigated. HPP-c3-s1 is a homogeneous polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 23 413 kDa as determined by high-performance gel permeation chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Periodate oxidation and Smith degradation analysis combined with GC-MS determined that HPP-c3-s1 contains 1 → 2, 1 → 3, 1 → 4, and probably a few 1 → 6 glycosyl linkages. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses indicate HPP-c3-s1 is a pyranose containing an amino and O-acetyl group. The sugar chains in HPP-c3-s1 contain both α and β glycosidic configurations, where the β configuration is the primary form. It was observed that the HPP-c3-s1 nanostructure had linear and branched forms at a concentration of 5 μg mL⁻¹ and created different sized aggregates at a higher concentration of 50 μg mL⁻¹. Furthermore, HPP-c3-s1 had significant immunostimulatory effects on splenocytes and B lymphocytes. In assays assessing anti-aging effects, HPP-c3-s1 extended the mean survival of Caenorhabditis elegans without adversely affecting reproduction. In addition, treatment with HPP-c3-s1 resulted in delays in age-related physiologic parameters, including body movement, rates of head swing and body bending, and accumulation of intestinal lipofuscinosis in C. elegans. Overall, these results suggest HPP-c3-s1 has remarkable immunomodulatory and anti-aging properties that may serve as the basis for development of functional foods and dietary supplements.

HPP-c3-s1 is a pyranose with an average molecular weights of 23 413 kDa, which exhibited siginificant immunomodulatory and anti-aging activities.

Dietary Chlorella vulgaris Ameliorates Altered Immunomodulatory Functions in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppressive Mice

Based on the well-known toxicity of cyclophosphamide (CYP) on the immune system, this research investigated the modulating effects of the long-term dietary Chlorella vulgaris (CV) supplementation on the immunosuppression induced by CYP in mice, in order to provide a novel dietary design to mitigate the side effects of CYP therapy. Control, CYP-treated, CYP + CV (6%), CYP + CV (12%) and CYP + CV (24%) were used for 6 weeks, CV supplement in diet recovered the significantly reduced immunological function in CYP treated mice. As CV may have a modulating function through the inducible expression of cytokines, we assayed the expressions of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-12 (IL-12), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Our results suggested that CYP significantly reduced the lymphocytes proliferation and phagocytic activities of macrophages, and stimulated the production of IL-2, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ and that this impairment has been successfully adjusted by CV supplementation. Treatment with the algae also enhanced the natural killer (NK) cells cytotoxicity, and ameliorate histological changes of the spleen in CYP-treated mice. Therefore, as we found in this study, a diet supplemented with whole CV has beneficial effects on CVP-induced immunosuppression, through its immunomodulatory potential.