title: Immunomodulation by pycnogenol in retrovirus-infected or ethanol-fed mice.
abstract: Pycnogenol is a commercial mixture of bioflavonoids that exhibits antioxidative activity. The effects of dietary pycnogenol on immune dysfunction in normal mice as well as those fed ethanol or infected with the LP-BM5 murine retrovirus were determined. The ethanol consumption and retrovirus infection caused abnormalities in the function and/or structure of a broad array of cells involved in humoral and cellular immunity. Pycnogenol enhanced in vitro IL-2 production by mitogen-stimulated splenocytes if its production was suppressed in ethanol-fed or retrovirus-infected mice. Mitogenesis of splenocytes did not show a significant change in mice treated with pycnogenol. It reduced the elevated levels of interleukin-6 produced in vitro by cells from retrovirus infected mice and IL-10 secreted by spleen cells from mice consuming ethanol. Natural killer cell cytotoxicity was increased with pycnogenol treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724, USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cheshier
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ardestani-Kaboudanian
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Araghiniknam
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016183:Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016207:Cytokines; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014810:Vitamin E; D000431:Ethanol; C024070:pycnogenols