title: Immunoregulatory function of lactoferrin in immunosuppressed and autoimmune animals.
abstract: In this article we review our recent results on the effects of lactoferrin (LF), given orally, on the immune status of mice subjected either to chemotherapy or immobilization stress as well as on rats with experimentally induced autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We demonstrated that LF accelerated reconstitution of the immune system function after administration of a sublethal dose cyclophosphamide (CP) and normalized the ratio of major blood cell types in that model. Also, after application of methotrexate (MTX) LF was effective to speed up reconstitution of the cellular and humoral immune response. Mice treated with lethal dose of busulfan (Bu) and CP and reconstituted with bone marrow cells (BMC) were able to quicker develop optimal immune responses when administered LF. In addition LF was shown to accelerate engraftment of bone marrow cells from syngeneic donors in that model. Using immobilization stress model was shown that LF accelerates reconstitution of the cellular and humoral immune response. In rats with EAE lactoferrin lowered the clinical score of the disease and diminished pathohistological changes in the spinal cord. In summary, in a series of studies we demonstrated a benefit of orally administered LF in immunocompromised animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Therapy, Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Science, Wrocław, Poland. zimecki@iitd.pan.wroc.pl
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zimecki
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Artym
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chodaczek
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kocieba
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuryszko
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Houszka
authors.forename: Marian L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kruzel
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000633:toxicity; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007781:Lactoferrin