title: Artemisinin and its derivatives enhance T lymphocyte-mediated immune responses in normal mice and accelerate immunoreconstitution of mice with syngeneic bone marrow transplantation.
abstract: Artemisinin and its derivatives, dihydroartemisinin and sodium artesunate, enhanced DNA synthesis of mouse spleen cells that had been activated with alloantigens or T cell mitogen Con A, but not B cell mitogen LPS, both in vitro and ex vivo. In vivo experiments showed that DTH response and antibody response against sheep erythrocytes were augmented in sodium artesunate-treated animals. In addition, sodium artesunate, a representative of these compounds, increased IL-2 production from mouse splenocytes stimulated with Con A. Because of the long-term T cell function deficiency in mice after bone marrow transplantation, the effect of sodium artesunate on the immune reconstitution was assessed. The results demonstrated that 10 mg/kg sodium artesunate significantly accelerated the immune reconstitution in mice after syngeneic bone marrow transplantation. These data suggested that artemisinin and its derivatives appeared to promote T cell function selectively, and these compounds had a potential application for the recovery of immune function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Beijing Medical University, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: S X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Z Z
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Long
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology; D037621:Artemisinins; D000077332:Artesunate; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D003208:Concanavalin A; D000077332:Artesunate; C039060:artenimol; D004247:DNA; C031327:artemisinin