PG27, an extract of Tripterygium wilfordii hook f, induces antigen-specific tolerance in bone marrow transplantation in mice.
PG27, an active fraction purified from an extract of a Chinese herb, Tripterygium wilfordii hook f, was used to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in a murine model. Lethally irradiated BALB/c (H-2(d)) recipients of B10.D2 (H-2(d)) donor grafts were given daily intraperitoneal injections of PG27 (40 mg/kg per day) for the first 35 days after transplantation. Control mice were given daily injections of solvent vehicle (Ethanol and Cremophor EL). All the control recipients (15/15) died of GVHD within 90 days, but all the recipients given prophylactic treatment with PG27 (15/15) survived beyond 100 days without any signs of GVHD. Furthermore, the GVHD-free recipients were used as donors, and their bone marrow and spleen cells were transplanted into lethally irradiated normal BALB/c (same party) or lethally irradiated normal C3H (H-2(k), third party) mice. Although 10 of 10 same-party recipients survived more than 100 days without any signs of GVHD, 10 of 10 third-party C3H recipients died of GVHD within 40 days. Further studies of PG27 in the murine BCL1 leukemia/lymphoma model demonstrated that animals treated with PG27 partially retained the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect of the graft without GVHD. These results suggest that treatment with PG27 induces host-specific tolerance and retains the GVL effect of allogeneic marrow grafts. (Blood. 2000;95:705-710)
Chen
Y
Y
Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Zeng
D
D
Schlegel
P G
PG
Fidler
J
J
Chao
N J
NJ
D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007375:Interleukin-1; D010936:Plant Extracts