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Immunoregulatory effects of the herba Epimediia glycoside icariin
Insights
Icariin (ICA), a Chinese herbal extract, modulates human immune cells, enhancing natural killer (NK) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activity. This suggests potential applications for icariine in adoptive immunotherapy strategies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
- Natural Products
Background:
- Icariin (ICA) is a glycoside derived from Chinese Herba Epimedii.
- Investigating the immunomodulatory effects of natural compounds is crucial for therapeutic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro effects of icariine (ICA) on human immune responses.
- To evaluate ICA's potential in adoptive immunotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors and tumor patients were treated with ICA.
- Cell proliferation assays were performed, comparing ICA to phytohemagglutinin (PHA).
- Flow cytometry was used to analyze T-cell subsets (CD4+8-, CD4-8+).
- Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) and natural killer (NK) cell activities were measured.
- Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production by monocytes was assessed.
Main Results:
- ICA induced weak, delayed proliferation of PBMCs compared to PHA.
- Both T-cells (TCR alpha beta+) and B cells responded to ICA.
- ICA treatment altered T-cell populations, increasing CD4-8+ and decreasing CD4+8- cells.
- ICA enhanced LAK cell activity at concentrations of 0.1-1.0 µg/ml in healthy donors and tumor patients.
- ICA augmented NK cell activity at concentrations of 1.0-5.0 µg/ml in tumor patients.
- ICA stimulated TNF-α production in monocytes from healthy donors.
Conclusions:
- Icariine demonstrates immunomodulatory effects in vitro, affecting T-cell and B-cell proliferation.
- ICA enhances both LAK and NK cell activities, suggesting potential as an immunotherapeutic agent.
- Icariine may offer a superior approach to interleukin-2 (IL-2) for generating LAK cells in adoptive immunotherapy.
Abstract:
The in vitro effects of the Chinese Herba Epimediia glycoside icariine (ICA), a chinese herbal extract, on human immune responses were investigated. ICA induced a weak and delayed proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors when compared to phytohemagglutinin. Both T- (TCR alpha beta+) and B cells were the ICA-responding cells. Within T-cells, the relative proportion of CD4-8+ cells increased but that of CD4+8- cells decreased. ICA in certain concentrations could increase lymphokine-activated killer cell (LAK) activity (0.1 to 1.0 microgram/ml) in both tumor patients and healthy donors, and natural killer cell (NK) activity (1.0 to 5.0 micrograms/ml) in tumor patients. Moreover, ICA stimulated the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in monocytes from healthy donors. These findings provide evidence that ICA could be applied to adoptive immunotherapy. Generation of LAK cells in presence of an appropriate dose of ICA might be superior to interleukin-2 alone.