title: Immunosuppressive effects of an ethyl acetate extract from Urtica dentata Hand on skin allograft rejection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the immunosuppressive effects of HPLC qualitied ethyl acetate extract (EAE) from Urtica dentate Hand on skin allograft rejection in a murine model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Allo-skin transplantation model was established by placing skin allograft of C57BL/6 mice in the wound bed which was on the back of Balb/c mice. We used FACS to study the effects of EAE on dendritic cells (DCs) maturation and CD4(+)CD25(+)T regulatory cells (Tregs) differentiation. We also studied spleen lymphocyte proliferation and T-bet gene expression in DCs. Concentration of Th1/Th2 cytokines was monitored as markers of Th1/Th2 responses by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant prolongation of skin allografts survival was observed as a dose-dependent manner in the animals treated with EAE. By FACS, we found that treatment with EAE (200 mg kg(-1)) resulted in an immature statement of DCs and stimulated the differentiation of CD4(+)CD25(+)Tregs. Additionally, the expression of T-bet gene and the proliferation of spleen lymphocytes were efficiently abated in EAE treated mice. Comparing to the model control, EAE-treated recipients showed a significant down-regulation (P<0.01) of Th1 cytokines (IL-2, IFN-gamma) and an obviously increase (P<0.01) of Th2 cytokine (IL-10) in the serum, which presented in a dose-related way.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anti-allograft rejection effect of EAE by enhancing CD4(+)CD25(+)Tregs differentiation and sustaining DCs immaturation makes EAE to be a possible choice for treating autoimmune diseases in a way of inducing a stable immunological tolerance state.
authors.affiliation: Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resources Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Wen-Rui
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Sheng-Nan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Wei-Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D008517:Phytotherapy; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects; D027003:Urticaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D016207:Cytokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor; C007650:ethyl acetate