Dregea volubilis ameliorates concanavalin A-induced liver injury by facilitating apoptosis of activated T cells.
Activation of T cells is a critical event in the pathogenesis of concanavalin A (Con A)-induced liver injury, and facilitating apoptosis of activated T cells may provide a strategy for the treatment. Here, we found that the ethanol extract from the stem parts of Dregea volubilis (DVE) inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, which was selective for Con A-activated, rather than nonactivated, lymph node cells. Administration of DVE prevented mice from Con A-induced elevation of serum transaminases, liver necrosis and increased TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2 and IL-4 in mice sera. DVE also caused apoptosis of in vivo activated T cells. In addition, increased active fragments of caspase-3 were found in the DVE-treated cells. But DVE-induced apoptosis was Fas-independent, as it was still observed in T cells from Fas ligand-mutated gld/gld mice. These results suggest that DVE may have great potential to treat T cell-mediated diseases through facilitating apoptosis of activated T cells.
State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 22 Han Kou Road, Nanjing 210093, China.
Fangyuan
F
Gong
Yan
Y
Shen
Chaofeng
C
Zhang
Jianliang
J
Xu
Xuefeng
X
Wu
Zichun
Z
Hua
Qiang
Q
Xu
D000818:Animals; D029062:Apocynaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
D010936:Plant Extracts; D019014:fas Receptor; D003208:Concanavalin A; D020169:Caspases