Immunomodulation by Dok Din Daeng (Aeginetia indica Roxb.) extracts in female B6C3F1 mice: (I): Stimulation of T cells

• Published in: International immunopharmacology 2004-10, Vol.4 (10-11), p.1367-1379
• Main Authors: Auttachoat, Wimolnut, Chitsomboon, Benjamart, Peachee, Vanessa L, Guo, Tai L, White, Kimber L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Aeginetia indica; Aeginetia indica Roxbert; Animals; Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Female; Immunotoxicology; In Vitro Techniques; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Leukocyte Count; Liver - pathology; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Medical sciences; Mice; Orobanchaceae; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - drug effects; T cell proliferation; T-Lymphocytes - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Thailand; Tumors
• ISSN: 1567-5769; 1878-1705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2004.06.002

Aeginetia indica Roxbert (Dok Din Daeng, DDD), a parasitic plant that grows on bamboo, is extensively used in Thai traditional medicine to treat various diseases. There have been no published studies on the pharmacological, toxicological or immunological effects of DDD, indigenous to Thailand. The study reported here was focused on the immunological effects (T cells) of the whole plant extract using water (WDDD) or ethanol (EDDD) as a solvent. The extracts were administered to female B6C3F1 mice by gavage for WDDD (10–100%) and intraperitoneally (i.p.) for EDDD (0.25–250 mg/kg) for 28 days. Only mice administrated the highest dose of EDDD exhibited an increase in absolute spleen and liver weights. Three T cell functional assays, including anti-CD3 antibody-mediated T cell proliferation, the mixed leukocyte response (MLR) and the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response, were employed to determine the effects of DDD extracts on splenic T cell activities. Exposure to WDDD enhanced the responses in all three assays with significant changes observed in the anti-CD3 and MLR assays. Exposure to EDDD also enhanced the responses in all three assays with significant changes observed in the MLR and CTL assays. Additionally, significant increases in the MLR and anti-CD3 responses were also observed when EDDD was used to treat cells in vitro. Finally, exposure to WDDD decreased both the percentage and absolute number of regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells in the spleen, which was consistent with a significant increase in interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production from Con A-stimulated splenocytes. Overall, this study demonstrated that the extracts from A. indica Roxbert had a T cell stimulatory activity.