title: β-1,3-Glucan reverses aflatoxin B1-mediated suppression of immune responses in mice.
abstract: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is immunotoxic to animals and is a suspected immunosuppressant in humans. β-1,3-Glucan (BG) consists of glucose polymers and has a variety of stimulatory effects on the immune system. In this study, we investigated the role of BG on the expression of phenotypic markers and cytokine secretion in mice exposed to AFB1. We treated animals with BG (150mg/kg, p.o., once daily) for 7days beginning at the onset of AFB1 exposure. Exposure of animals to AFB1 alone (1250μg/kg, p.o, once daily) for 7days resulted in a decrease in the percentages of lymphocyte subsets (CD4(+), GITR(+), CD8(+), TCR β(+), CD3(+), Foxp3(+), CD4(+)Foxp3(+), and CD127(+)) as compared to an normal control (NC). However, both BG alone and BG given in conjunction with exposure to AFB1 significantly increased the percentages of these lymphocyte subsets in blood. We also observed that mice exposed to AFB1 showed reduced IL-2, TNF-α, IL-17, and IFN-γ production in the spleen and serum. In contrast, oral administration of BG alone and in conjunction with AFB1 exposure augmented the levels of these cytokines. Moreover, this finding was confirmed through RT-PCR and western blot analysis of mRNA and protein expression in the spleen. Altogether, it can be concluded from these studies that BG enhances the responses of lymphocyte subsets, including cytokine production, even when given following exposure to AFB1 immunotoxin. These data demonstrate that BG carries out its immunomodulating activity by regulating cytokine production. Our findings also provide a direction for development of specific immunomodulating therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saleh A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bakheet
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sabry M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.affiliation: Saudi Food & Drug Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammad Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Alwetaid
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mushtaq Ahmad
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Cell Biology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Khairy M A
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Zoheir
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nadeem
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Othman A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Al-Shabanah
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Al-Harbi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: s_fayazahmad@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Sheikh Fayaz
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D047071:beta-Glucans; C033363:beta-1,3-glucan; D016604:Aflatoxin B1
keywords: Aflatoxin B(1); Cytokines; Immunomodulation; Lymphocyte subsets; β-1,3-Glucan