title: Induction of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and T helper 1 (Th1) immune response by bitter gourd extract.
abstract: Mice were inoculated intraperitoneally wih 34 different types of vegetable juices, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were measured as markers for the induction of Th1 and Th2 cells, respectively. Serum IFN-gamma level was markedly increased in mice inoculated with bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) juice, but IL-4 levels were not increased with any of the 34 vegetable juices. Testing of the various components of bitter gourd, including peel, pulp, and seed, showed that the pulp induced the highest levels of IFN-gamma. Trial immunogen including the heat extract of the pulp induced specific IgG(2a) antibody of the mice serum inoculated with this immunogen. These results demonstrate that bitter gourd pulp induced IFN-gamma production and show its promise as a means of effective immunostimulatory therapy specific for Th1 cells and IFN-gamma production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Nippon Veterinary and Animal Science University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ike
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D029777:Momordica charantia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011425:Propionibacterium acnes; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D007371:Interferon-gamma