Oral administration of PPC enhances antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses while reducing IgE levels in sensitized mice.

For almost 2000 years it has been recognized that aqueous extracts from pinecones possess medicinal properties beneficial for the treatment of a broad variety of diseases and conditions. In this report, the ability of an orally administered poly phenylpropanoid-polysaccharide rich extract of pinecones (PPC) to suppress the generation of IgE and to significantly enhance antigen-specific cellular responses to a variety of vaccines was tested.

Methods: A variety of vaccine protocols were utilized to determine the affects of orally administered PPC on the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, the production of IgE antibodies, and the generation of antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells.

The effect of PPC on the Th1/Th2 balance in aged mice was also investigated.

Results: Oral delivery of PPC was found to significantly suppress serum IgE levels in naive mice and in mice sensitized to ovalbumin. PPC was also found to enhance the generation of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in mice immunized with DNA, dendritic cell, and soluble protein vaccines.

The suppression of IgE was associated with reduction of IL-4 secretion and the enhanced production of IL-12 and IFN by antigen-stimulated splenocytes from PPC treated mice. PPC also suppressed the Th2 response and enhanced the Th1 response of splenocytes from aged mice.

Conclusions: Oral delivery of PPC enhances the generation of an antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses induced by soluble protein, DNA, and dendritic cell vaccines while at the same time suppressing the generation of a Th2 dominant IgE response.

This effect on the Th1/Th2 balance was also observed in aged mice.

Author: Mike BurrowsDeepak AssundaiEsteban CelisFrank TufaroAkiko TanakaW Bradley
Credits/Source: BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2009, 9:49

Published on: 2009-11-30

Copyright by the authors listed above - made available via BioMedCentral (Open Access). Please make sure to read our disclaimer prior to contacting 7thSpace Interactive. To contact our editors, visit our online helpdesk. If you wish submit your own press release, click here.

Comments Page 0 of 0

There are currently 0 comments to display.

+ Add New Comment

Custom Search