title: Macrophage activation induced by the polysaccharides isolated from the roots of Sanguisorba officinalis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Macrophage, involved at all stages of immune response, is an important component of the host defense system. Polysaccharides exist almost ubiquitously in medical plants and most of them possess immunomodulation and macrophage activation properties.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study elucidates the effects on macrophage activation and molecular mechanism induced by the polysaccharides (SOPs) from the roots of Sanguisorba officinalis Linne (Rosaceae).
  
  
  METHODS
  Polysaccharides (SOPs) from the roots of S. officinalis were obtained by water extraction and ethanol precipitation. Physicochemical characterization of SOPs was analyzed by phenol-sulfuric acid, m-hydroxydiphenyl, Bradford method, and gas chromatography. Phagocytic capacity of RAW 264.7 macrophages incubated with SOPs (25 and 100 μg/ml) was determined by the aseptic neutral red method. Macrophages were incubated with SOPs (25 and 100 μg/ml), and the TNF-α and NO the secretion were measured using ELISA kit and Griess reagent, respectively. In addition, TNF-α and iNOS transcripts were evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and NF-κB signaling activation was detected by Western blot assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SOPs enhanced the phagocytosis capacity of macrophages to aseptic neutral red solution and increased TNF-α and NO secretion. The amounts of TNF-α and iNOS transcript were increased significantly at the mRNA level when macrophages were exposed to SOPs. Meanwhile, the stimulation of macrophages by SOPs induced phosphorylation of p65 at serine 536 and a marked decrease of IκB expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggested that SOPs exhibited significant macrophage activation properties through NF-κB signaling pathway and could be considered as a new immunopotentiator.
authors: College of Forestry, Beihua University , Jilin , China and.
authors: Haibin
authors: H
authors: Tong
authors: Dirui
authors: D
authors: Mao
authors: Mingyue
authors: M
authors: Zhai
authors: Zhuorui
authors: Z
authors: Zhang
authors: Guangren
authors: G
authors: Sun
authors: Guiquan
authors: G
authors: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031993:Sanguisorba
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides
keywords: Immunomodulation; NF-κB; RAW 264.7; TNF-α; iNOS; innate immune response