Two polysaccharides from Porphyra modulate immune homeostasis by NF-κB-dependent immunocyte differentiation

Food Funct. 2019 Apr 1;10(4):2083-2093. doi: 10.1039/c9fo00023b. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Abstract

Porphyra polysaccharides possess multiple pharmacological activities, such as immunoregulatory, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects, but the specific underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The present work was to investigate the immunomodulatory activity of two different Porphyra polysaccharides, PH and PY, in a BALB/c mouse model and a mouse splenic cell model. Results showed that PH and PY regulated Th1 and Th2 responses, which could be due to the proliferation of CD4+CD25+ Treg. Further investigations demonstrated that PY induced the proliferation and maturation of upstream MHC II+CD11c+ DC. Moreover, both PH and PY activate NF-κB signaling pathways in splenic cells, but the loss-of-function assay with a NF-κB inhibitor demonstrated that the direct Treg-induction activity of PH, but not PY, was mediated by NF-κB. These results suggested that PH and PY show strong immunomodulatory activity by NF-κB-dependent immunocyte maturation and differentiation, which facilitates further application of Porphyra polysaccharides as potential functional foods or immunomodulators.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Homeostasis / drug effects
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • NF-kappa B / genetics
  • NF-kappa B / immunology*
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Porphyra / chemistry*
  • Spleen / cytology*
  • Spleen / drug effects
  • Spleen / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / drug effects*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology

Substances

  • NF-kappa B
  • Plant Extracts
  • Polysaccharides