title: Effect of carotenoids on in vitro immunoglobulin production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells: astaxanthin, a carotenoid without vitamin A activity, enhances in vitro immunoglobulin production in response to a T-dependent stimulant and antigen.
abstract: The effect of carotenoids on in vitro immunoglobulin (Ig) production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) was examined by employing blood samples from adult volunteers and full-term newborn babies (umbilical cord blood). Under carotenoid-supplemented culture conditions, cells were stimulated by polyclonal stimulants, neoantigens, and a recall antigen (Ag), and IgM, IgA, and IgG levels in the culture supernatant were measured. Beta-carotene and astaxanthin were used as representatives of carotenoids with and without vitamin A activity, respectively. Astaxanthin enhanced IgM production in response to T-dependent Ag (TD-Ag) and a T-dependent polyclonal stimulant. Astaxanthin also augmented IgG production in response to a recall Ag. IgA production without supplemental carotenoids was negligible for all stimuli. However, in carotenoid-supplemented cultures, IgA production was significantly higher in response to a T-dependent polyclonal stimulant than in unsupplemented cultures. IgM and IgA production was augmented at 10(-8) mol/l astaxanthin, whereas astaxanthin enhanced IgG production in response to a recall Ag at 10(-10)-10(-9) mol/l. Similar enhancing actions of astaxanthin on IgM production were observed in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMNC), although CBMNC produced less IgM than adult PBMNC. Beta-carotene did not have a significant effect on human Ig production. The carotenoid actions were not demonstrated under serum-free culture conditions; serum is essential for solubilization of carotenoids. In summary, this study has shown for the first time that astaxanthin, a carotenoid without vitamin A activity, enhances human Ig production in response to T-dependent stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jyonouchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D001769:Blood; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; C005948:astaxanthine