title: Coumestrol inhibits autoantibody production through modulating Th1 response in experimental autoimmune thyroiditis.
abstract: Coumestrol is a common phytoestrogen found in plants and Chinese medicinal herbs. Its influences on experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) were investigated in this study. Female adult CBA/J mice were fed with drinking water containing 1% Tween80 only (Control group), 0.8 mg/l (L group) and 8 mg/l coumestrol (H group) from 6 to 15 weeks of age, respectively. Their serum coumestrol concentrations were determined by high performance liquid chromatography, which were undetectable, 43.70 ± 21.74 ng/ml and 135.07 ± 70.40 ng/ml, respectively. In addition, the mice (n = 14-16/group) were immunized twice with thyroglobulin (Tg) and Freund's adjuvant to induce EAT during the meantime. Although no overt changes in the extent of intrathyroidal mononuclear cell infiltration were shown in the two coumestrol-treated groups as compared with the controls, serum anti-Tg IgG2a, IgG3 and IgG1 titers, ratio of IgG2a to IgG1 and the percentage of T helper (Th)1 cells in the splenocytes were significantly reduced in the L group. Another consistent change was the significantly decreased expression of splenic IFN-γ mRNA after low dose of coumestrol exposure. Uterine weight was also markedly reduced in the mice of L group. These findings suggest that coumestrol treatment may have some beneficial actions against thyroid-specific autoantibody production in the development of autoimmune thyroiditis through suppression of Th1 response due to its anti-estrogenic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Endocrine Diseases, Shenyang, P. R. China.|Present address: Department of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shujun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Endocrine Diseases, Shenyang, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xuemin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Endocrine Diseases, Shenyang, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Endocrine Diseases, Shenyang, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chenling
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Endocrine Diseases, Shenyang, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Endocrine Diseases, Shenyang, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhongyan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Endocrine Diseases, Shenyang, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Teng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D003375:Coumestrol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D048789:Phytoestrogens; C006606:anti-thyroglobulin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D003375:Coumestrol
keywords: Immune response; Immunity; Immunology and Microbiology Section; T helper cell; autoimmunity; coumestrol; phytoestrogen; thyroiditis