title: Modulation of cytokine production by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) plus melatonin (MLT) supplementation of old mice.
abstract: Tissue levels of the antioxidants melatonin (MLT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) decline with age, and this decline is correlated with immune dysfunction. The aim of the current study is to determine whether hormone supplementation with MLT and DHEA together would synergize to reverse immune senescence. Old (16.5 months) female C57BL/6 mice were treated with DHEA, MLT, or DHEA + MLT. As expected, splenocytes were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in old mice as compared to young mice. DHEA, MLT, and DHEA + MLT significantly (P < 0.005) increased B cell proliferation in young mice. However, only MLT and DHEA + MLT significantly (P < 0.05) increased B cell proliferation in old mice. DHEA, MLT, and DHEA + MLT help to regulate immune function in aged female C57BL/6 mice by significantly (P < 0.05) increasing Th1 cytokines, IL-2, and IFN-gamma or significantly (P < 0.05) decreasing Th2 cytokines, IL-6, and IL-10, thus regulating cytokine production. DHEA and MLT effectively modulate suppressed Th1 cytokine and elevated Th2 cytokine production; however, their combined use produced only a limited additive effect.
authors.affiliation: Arizona Prevention Center, University of Arizona, Tucson 87524, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Inserra
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ardestani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Araghi-Niknam
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molitor
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016207:Cytokines; D004338:Drug Combinations; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D008550:Melatonin