Effect of the Polysaccharides from Hovenia acerba Lindl. on Immune Activity in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunodepressed Mice

Abstract:

The impact of Hovenia acerba Lindl. (HAP) polysaccharides on immune activity in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunodepressed mice was studied. Except for the control group, mouse models for all other groups were constructed by intraperitoneal injection with CTX (30 mg/kg) on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, respectively, and the control group was administrated normal saline (NS, 0.1 mL/10 g) by gavage．After the mouse model was established, mice with similar weight were randomly divided into five groups: normal control group, immunodepression model group, and HAP-treated groups (low-, medium-, and high-dose). The intragastric administration of HAP was performed continuously for four weeks, and the effects of HAP on the thymus and spleen indices, spleen lymphocyte proliferation, clearance index, phagocytic index, the concentration causing 50% hemolysis (HC50), the levels of serum interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and the difference in toe thickness in CTX-induced immunodepressed mice were assessed. Compared to the CTX group, the spleen index, clearance index, phagocytic index, spleen lymphocyte proliferation, HC50, and the difference in toe thickness were enhanced significantly (p ＜ 0.05) in the HAP groups (with all doses). Levels of serum IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ were significantly increased in the low-, medium- and high-dose HAP groups (p ＜ 0.05) in CTX-induced immunodepressed mice. These results suggested that HAP could improve non-specific and specific immunological activities in immunodepressed mice．