Research
Arctigenin from Arctium lappa inhibits interleukin-2 and interferon gene expression in primary human T lymphocytes
1 National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
2 Institute of Life Science, Fu-Jen University, Taipei, 24205, Taiwan
3 Graduate Institute of Pharmacology Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan
4 Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan
5 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
Chinese Medicine 2011, 6:12 doi:10.1186/1749-8546-6-12
Published: 25 March 2011Abstract
Background
Arctium lappa (Niubang), a Chinese herbal medicine, is used to treat tissue inflammation. This study investigates the effects of arctigenin (AC), isolated from A. lappa, on anti-CD3/CD28 Ab-stimulated cell proliferation and cytokine gene expression in primary human T lymphocytes.
Methods
Cell proliferation was determined with enzyme immunoassays and the tritiated thymidine uptake method. Cytokine production and gene expression were analyzed with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
Results
AC inhibited primary human T lymphocytes proliferation activated by anti-CD3/CD28 Ab. Cell viability test indicated that the inhibitory effects of AC on primary human T lymphocyte proliferation were not due to direct cytotoxicity. AC suppressed interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, AC decreased the IL-2 and IFN-γ gene expression in primary human T lymphocytes induced by anti-CD3/CD28 Ab. Reporter gene analyses revealed that AC decreased NF-AT-mediated reporter gene expression.
Conclusion
AC inhibited T lymphocyte proliferation and decreased the gene expression of IL-2, IFN-γ and NF-AT.
