Aqueous extract from aerial parts of Artemisia vestita, a traditional Tibetan medicine, reduces contact sensitivity in mice by down-regulating the activation, adhesion and metalloproteinase production of T lymphocytes.
In the present paper, the effect of the aqueous extract from aerial parts of Artemisia vestita (AV-ext), a traditional Tibetan medicine, on ear contact sensitivity was examined. AV-ext significantly reduced the ear swelling when administered during the induction phase of picryl-chloride (PCl)-induced ear contact sensitivity in mice. The extract also showed a dose-dependent inhibition on lymphocyte proliferation and IL-2 production in Con A-activated spleen cells. The proliferation inhibition was confirmed in the mixed lymphocytes reaction. Furthermore, the adhesion of the isolated spleen cells from PCl-sensitized mice to type IV collagen was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner by AV-ext. Such decrease was also seen in AV-ext-treated Jurkat T cells and the T cells purified from above spleen cells. The purified spleen T cells from PCl-sensitized mice produced more matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) than naive T cells, and AV-ext remarkably reduced MMP-9 production both in vivo and in vitro. These results suggest that AV-ext may alleviate contact sensitivity through blocking the activation of T lymphocytes and decreasing their localization to the inflammatory sites via down-regulating the potential of cell adhesion and metalloproteinase production.
Wang
Jule
J
State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 22 Han Kou Road, Nanjing 210093, China.
Sun
Yang
Y
Li
Yihua
Y
Xu
Qiang
Q
D000818:Animals; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D038861:Medicine, Tibetan Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010853:Picryl Chloride; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology
D010936:Plant Extracts; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D010853:Picryl Chloride