title: Soamsan, a traditional Korean medicine, enhances antigen-specific immune responses in low-responder mice via the combined activity of glycoproteins and endotoxins.
abstract: Soamsan is a traditional anti-cancer treatment in oriental medicine. It is thought that this material modulates immune responses. To determine whether Soamsan treatment has any effect on the induction of antigen-specific immune responses, C57BL/6 mice, which are low-responders to hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL), were injected with HEL, and their specific immune responses were measured while they were fed Soamsan. Oral administration of Soamsan enhanced the anti-HEL antibody response as well as the T-cell proliferative response to the antigen. Analyses of the HEL-specific antibody isotypes showed that Soamsan treatment resulted in increased levels of HEL-specific antibodies, irrespective of isotype. In particular, however, HEL-specific antibodies of the IgG2b, IgG3, and IgM isotypes, which are associated with direct stimulation of B cells, were significantly increased by the Soamsan treatment. Stimulation of C57BL/6 splenocytes in vitro showed that the presence of Soamsan significantly augmented the proliferative activity induced by both B and T cell mitogens. This augmentation was associated with glycoprotein(s) with a molecular weight mass of about 100 kDa, as well as with endotoxin-like compounds. These results suggest that Soamsan modulates and enhances antigen-specific immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences and The Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Chonbuk National University Chonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Ha
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong-Chae
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Me-Yae
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chan-Hee
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yong-Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007452:Iodates / Q000737:chemistry; D007723:Korea; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects; D009113:Muramidase / Q000276:immunology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D011402:Pronase / Q000737:chemistry; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016207:Cytokines; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D007452:Iodates; D010940:Plant Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D009113:Muramidase; D011402:Pronase; C032285:sodium iodate