Effect of astragaloside IV on T, B lymphocyte proliferation and peritoneal macrophage function in mice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of astragaloside IV (ASI) on T, B lymphocyte proliferation, antibody production, and cytokines produced by murine peritoneal macrophages.


METHODS
MTT assay was used to determine T, B lymphocyte proliferation and quantitative hemolysin spectrophotometry (QHS) assay was applied to test antibody production; IL-1 production was measured by thymocyte proliferation assay; TNF-alpha production was determined by the cytotoxicity assay against L929 cells.


RESULTS
1) In vivo, ASI 50-200 mg/kg ig for 7 d increased T lymphocyte proliferation and antibody production, and ASI 50-100 mg/kg ig for 7 d increased B lymphocyte proliferation but ASI 200 mg/kg had no effect on B lymphocyte proliferation; 2) In vitro, ASI increased T, B lymphocyte proliferation only at 100 nmol/L; 3) ASI increased IL-1 activity at 1 nmol/L in vitro, but decreased it at 100 and 1000 nmol/L; 4) ASI inhibited TNF-alpha activity with or without LPS-stimulation in vitro.


CONCLUSIONS
ASI increased T, B lymphocyte proliferation and antibody production in vivo and in vitro; but inhibited productions of IL-1 and TNF-alpha from peritoneal macrophages in vitro.
Wang
Yan-Ping
YP
Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
Li
Xiao-Yu
XY
Song
Chun-Qing
CQ
Hu
Zhi-Bi
ZB
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012503:Saponins; D014315:Triterpenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C052064:astragaloside A