title: Effects of the total saponins from Dioscorea nipponica on immunoregulation in aplastic anemia mice.
abstract: Dioscorea nipponica Makino, a popular folk medicine, exerts anti-inflammation properties. The present study investigated the therapeutic effect of the total saponins from Dioscorea nipponica Makino (TSDN) on aplastic anemia (AA) and possible immune regulation mechanisms. Using a mouse model of AA, three different doses of TSDN were orally administrated for 14 consecutive days. We first demonstrated that TSDN was found to be effective in alleviating pancytopenia with a hypocellular bone marrow as compared with AA model group. Moreover, gastrogavage administration of a medium dose of TSDN was found to dramatically increase the percentage of CD4(+) cells in bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNC) and restore the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio. The pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations of IL-2 and IFN-γ were significantly decreased, and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 was significantly increased in culture supernatant of BMNC. Further investigations showed that TSDN obviously inhibited Fas-FasL-induced BMNC apoptosis as well as effectively suppressed intracellular apoptosis protein of caspase-3 and -8 expressions. Taken together, these findings suggested that TSDN could alleviate AA by elevating the CD4(+)/CD8(+) T-cell ratio, inhibiting inflammatory Th1-cytokines, and exerting anti-apoptosis effects.
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Key Laboratory for Critical Care Medicine of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300192, China.
authors: Yuliang
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Tiangai
authors: T
authors: Yan
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Ma
authors: Baoshan
authors: B
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D060433:Administration, Ophthalmic; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D027742:Dioscorea / Q000737:chemistry*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012503:Saponins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D012503:Saponins; D020169:Caspases
keywords: Aplastic Anemia Mice; CD4+/CD8+ Ratio; Dioscorea nipponica; Immune Regulation; Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines; Saponins