title: Dietary flavones suppresses IgE and Th2 cytokines in OVA-immunized BALB/c mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The flavonoids are a diverse family of chemicals commonly found in fruits and vegetables. Previously, we have shown that the two flavones, chrysin and apigenin could suppress the expression of the high affinity IgE receptor FcepsilonRI in human basophilic KU812 cells. We also demonstrated that dietary apigenin decreased IgE level in C57BL/6N mice sera.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the anti-allergic effect of the two flavones in vivo, we evaluated the effect of the two flavones, chrysin and apigenin, on the immune system in BALB/c mice sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were fed experimental diets containing either of the flavones for 3 weeks and immunized with OVA. After the experimental feeding period, measurement of Igs concentration in the mice sera was performed using a sandwich ELISA. Cytokines expression in mice sera was assessed using a cytokine array. Furthermore, cytokines mRNA levels in spleen lymphocytes from mice sensitized with OVA were measured by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total IgE level in mice fed one of the two flavones were suppressed, whereas levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA were not affected. The production of interleukin (IL)-4, which is known as one of Th2 cytokines and regulates the production of IgE, was down-regulated by the chrysin or the apigenin diet. Moreover, OVA-induced mRNA expression of Th2 cytokines in spleen lymphocytes from mice sensitized with OVA, such as IL-4 and IL-13 were down-regulated by the chrysin or the apigenin diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the diet containing one of the two flavones might suppress the up-regulation of serum IgE induced by OVA-immunization through the suppression of Th2-type immune response.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Dept. of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.forename: Tatsunori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sumida
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tachibana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D047310:Apigenin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D047309:Flavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D047309:Flavones; D005419:Flavonoids; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; C043561:chrysin; D047310:Apigenin; D010047:Ovalbumin