title: Effect of yak milk casein hydrolysate on TH1/TH2 cytokines production by murine spleen lymphocytes in vitro.
abstract: Yak casein hydrolysate was derived from the enzymatic alcalase-hydrolysate of a typical northwestern China milk product called Qula. An in vitro study was conducted to examine their immunoregulatory effects on murine T cells, including Con-A-induced lymphoproliferation and splenocyte cell cycle, production, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and interleukin-4 (IL-4). The results showed that yak casein hydrolysate had lymphoproliferation activity on murine splenocytes and induced their cell cycle from the G1 to the S phase. It could increase Con-A-induced IL-2 and IFN-gamma production in spleen cells, but a very weak or no effect was observed in the absence of Con-A. The present study also showed that it could markedly increase the production and mRNA expression of IFN-gamma and IL-2, which are key cytokines for T helper 1 cell (Th1) cell development, in a dose-dependent manner. However, their effects on IL-4 secretion were not obvious, and the enhancement was much lower than that of IFN-gamma and IL-2. All of these demonstrated that yak casein hydrolysate could increase type 1 cytokine production, thereby shifting the Th1/T helper 2 cell (Th2) balance toward a Th1-dominant phenotype, which meant that yak casein hydrolysate could indeed not only modulate the differentiation of helper T cell but also has the capacity to modulate the Th1/Th2 balance. Therefore, yak casein hydrolysate may be useful for the treatment of cell-mediated immune diseases.
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Chinese Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, and Astronaut Research and Training Center of China, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: X Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: F Z
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015847:Interleukin-4; C475729:casein hydrolysate; D007371:Interferon-gamma