Effects of Ajoene on lymphocyte and macrophage membrane-dependent functions

Ajoene, (E, Z) -4, 5, 9-trithiadeca-1, 6, 11-triene 9 oxide, is a compound originally isolated from ethanolic extracts of garlic that impairs platelet aggregation by inhibiting the functional exposure of platelet integrins GPIIb/IIIa. In vitro, Ajoene is toxic for several tumoral cell lines, and exert an antiproliferative effect on T. cruzi and murine malaria parasites. Here we show that Ajoene strongly inhibited the proliferation induced in human lymphocytes by the mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and anti-CD3, and the capping formation induced in B lymphocytes by anti-IgM antibodies. On macrophages, Ajoene was also found to partially inhibit the lypopolysaccharide-induced production of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), and to decrease the phagocytic activity of thioglycolate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages for IgG-opsonized, human erythrocytes. Ajoene also partially prevented the lytic effect of human and rabbit TNF on Actinomycin D-treated WEHI 164 cells. These results strongly suggest that Ajoene is a potent modulator of membrane-dependent functions of immune cells.