title: Augmentation of cellular immune response by Ipomoea obscura and Ipobscurine alkaloid attenuates tumor growth in mice.
abstract: The immune status of the host plays a crucial role in controling the process of carcinogenesis. General or selective activation of various immunocompetent cells and their secretory function to maintain a healthy immune status may help in cancer prophylaxis, as well as therapy. The present study focused on the effect of Ipomoea obscura and Ipobscurine on cell-mediated immune response. In this study we evaluated the effect of I. obscura and an indole alkaloid fraction from I. obscura on effector mechanisms of cell-mediated immune response by analyzing cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity, natural killer (NK) cell activity, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), and antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytotoxicity (ACC). The effect of I. obscura and Ipobscurine on interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels was also analyzed. In the in vitro and in vivo systems, I. obscura and Ipobscurine treatment augmented cell-mediated immune response by enhancing the killing activity of CTL and NK cells from splenocytes in normal as well as tumor-bearing mice. ADCC and ACC were also enhanced significantly in both normal and tumor-bearing animals after drug administration, compared with untreated control. Administration of I. obscura and Ipobscurine significantly enhanced the production of IL-2 and IFN-γ in normal as well as tumor-bearing animals. This study reveals that both I. obscura and Ipobscurine have the potential to augment immune response through the enhanced secretion of IL-2 and IFN-γ by T cells and thereby inhibit tumor growth and as an alternative medicine for cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Amala Cancer Research Centre, Amala Nagar, Thrissur, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Hamsa
authors.forename: Girija
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuttan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000187:drug effects; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D026121:Indole Alkaloids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D027741:Ipomoea / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D020014:K562 Cells; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D026121:Indole Alkaloids; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007371:Interferon-gamma