title: Effects of Ajoene on lymphocyte and macrophage membrane-dependent functions.
abstract: Ajoene, (E, Z) -4, 5, 9-trithiadeca-1, 6, 11-triene 9 oxide, is a compound originally isolated from ethanolic extracts of garlic that impairs platelet aggregation by inhibiting the functional exposure of platelet integrins GPIIb/IIIa. In vitro, Ajoene is toxic for several tumoral cell lines, and exert an antiproliferative effect on T. cruzi and murine malaria parasites. Here we show that Ajoene strongly inhibited the proliferation induced in human lymphocytes by the mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and anti-CD3, and the capping formation induced in B lymphocytes by anti-IgM antibodies. On macrophages, Ajoene was also found to partially inhibit the lypopolysaccharide-induced production of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), and to decrease the phagocytic activity of thioglycolate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages for IgG-opsonized, human erythrocytes. Ajoene also partially prevented the lytic effect of human and rabbit TNF on Actinomycin D-treated WEHI 164 cells. These results strongly suggest that Ajoene is a potent modulator of membrane-dependent functions of immune cells.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Montaño
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Apitz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gebrán
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soyano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D004220:Disulfides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007152:Immunologic Capping / Q000187:drug effects; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013454:Sulfoxides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004220:Disulfides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D013454:Sulfoxides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C048980:ajoene