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Evaluation of the immunomodulatory effects of a South African commercial traditional immune booster in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells
- Source :
- BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Background With the burden of HIV and AIDS still very high, South Africa has seen an increase in commercial traditional medicines claiming to have immune-enhancing effects. Because of lack of regulation of the traditional medicine sector, these products have proliferated. This study aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of uMakhonya®, a commercial traditional immune booster, using various models of normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Methods Immunosuppressed, mitogen-, and peptidoglycan (PG)-stimulated PBMCs were treated with various doses of uMakhonya® and incubated for 24 h. The treated and control samples were analyzed for cytotoxicity, secretion of 12 different inflammatory cytokines, soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels, and nitric oxide (NO) secretion. Results In cytotoxicity assays, uMakhonya® induced dose-dependent cytotoxic effects in all three models, with IC50 values of 512.08, 500, and 487.91 μg/mL for immunosuppressed, phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-, and PG from Staphylococcus. aureus (PG-S. aureus)-stimulated PBMCs, respectively. UMakhonya® at 100 and 10 μg/mL induced a significant (p 0.05) decreased NO levels in PBMCs after PG-S. aureus stimulation. Conclusions These results showed that uMakhonya® can induce both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects depending on the initial stimuli applied to immune cells.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Cell Survival
Cytotoxicity
Immune booster
Nitric Oxide
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell
Proinflammatory cytokine
Nitric oxide
03 medical and health sciences
chemistry.chemical_compound
0302 clinical medicine
Immune system
Traditional medicines
Humans
Immunologic Factors
Cytotoxic T cell
Medicine
Receptor
Medicine, African Traditional
Phytohaemagglutinin
Soluble receptors
Plants, Medicinal
biology
Plant Extracts
business.industry
General Medicine
030104 developmental biology
Complementary and alternative medicine
chemistry
030220 oncology & carcinogenesis
Immunology
Leukocytes, Mononuclear
biology.protein
Cytokines
Interleukin-2
business
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14726882
- Volume :
- 16
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0b43bba1a9e7d55507456b40632f43e4