title: Chitosan promotes immune responses, ameliorates glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase, but enhances lactate dehydrogenase levels in normal micein vivo.
abstract: Chitosan, a naturally derived polymer, has been shown to possess antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties; however, little is known about the effect of chitosan on the immune responses and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in normal mice. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether chitosan has an effect on the immune responses and GOT, GPT and LDH activities in micein vivo. BALB/c mice were divided into four groups. The negative control group was treated with a normal diet; the positive control group was treated with a normal diet plus orally administered acetic acid and two treatment groups were treated with a normal diet plus orally administered chitosan in acetic acid at doses of 5 and 20 mg/kg, respectively, every other day for 24 days. Mice were weighed during the treatment, and following the treatment, blood was collected, and liver and spleen samples were isolated and weighted. The blood samples were used for measurement of white blood cell markers, and the spleen samples were used for analysis of phagocytosis, natural killer (NK) cell activity and cell proliferation using flow cytometry. The results indicated that chitosan did not markedly affect the body, liver and spleen weights at either dose. Chitosan increased the percentages of CD3 (T-cell marker), CD19 (B-cell marker), CD11b (monocytes) and Mac-3 (macrophages) when compared with the control group. However, chitosan did not affect the phagocytic activity of macrophages in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, although it decreased it in the peritoneal cavity. Treatment with 20 mg/kg chitosan led to a reduction in the cytotoxic activity of NK cells at an effector to target ratio of 25:1. Chitosan did not significantly promote B-cell proliferation in lipopolysaccharide-pretreated cells, but significantly decreased T-cell proliferation in concanavalin A-pretreated cells, and decreased the activity of GOT and GPT compared with that in the acetic acid-treated group,. In addition, it significantly increased LDH activity, to a level similar to that in normal mice, indicating that chitosan can protect against liver injury.
authors.affiliation: Office of Director, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Ming-Yang
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Department of School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, R.O.C.; School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Yung-Luen
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.affiliation: Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Miaoli, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Hsueh-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Hsu-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: The Center of General Education, Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Chia-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Jia-You
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Wen-Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Shu-Fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: The School of Chinese Medicine for Post Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Lung-Yuan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.; Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Jing-Gung
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Chung
keywords: chitosan; glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase; glutamic pyruvic transaminase; immune responses; lactate dehydrogenase