title: Possible immunomodulating activities of carotenoids in in vitro cell culture experiments.
abstract: Immunomodulating activities of beta-carotene and carotene-associated carotenoids such as canthaxanthin (beta, beta-carotene-4,4 dione) and astaxanthin (3,3'-dihydroxyl beta, beta-carotene 4,4-dione) were analyzed by in vitro cell culture experiments. (i) beta-Carotene, canthaxanthin and astaxanthin caused significant stimulatory effects on the cell proliferative response of spleen cells and thymocytes from BALB/c mice at the concentrations of 2 x 10(-8) to 10(-7) M, although they showed the activities different from each other. (ii) Astaxanthin exhibited the highest activity on the polyclonal antibody (immunoglobulin M and G) production of murine spleen cells at the concentrations of 2 x 10(-8) to 10(-7) M but beta-carotene did not cause a significant effect at a low concentration (2 x 10(-8) M) although stimulated at a high concentration (2 x 10(-7) M). Canthaxanthin expressed moderate activities at the same concentrations. (iii) All tested carotenoids significantly enhanced the release of interleukin-1 alpha and tumor necrosis factor-alpha from murine peritoneal adherent cells at the concentrations of 2 x 10(-8) to 10(-7) M and the ranks of cytokine-inducing activities were astaxanthin > canthaxanthin > beta-carotene. These results indicate that carotenoids such as beta-carotene, canthaxanthin and astaxanthin have possible immunomodulating activities to enhance the proliferation and functions of murine immunocompetent cells.
authors.affiliation: Division of Food and Nutrition, Osaka Kun-Ei Women's College, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashi-Okai
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D016644:Canthaxanthin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000166:cytology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000975:Antioxidants; D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; D016644:Canthaxanthin; C005948:astaxanthine