The immunostimulatory activity of polysaccharides from Glycyrrhiza uralensis

Adila Aipire; Mahepali Mahabati; Shanshan Cai; Xianxian Wei; Pengfei Yuan; Alimu Aimaier; Xinhui Wang; Jinyao Li

doi:10.7717/peerj.8294

The immunostimulatory activity of polysaccharides from Glycyrrhiza uralensis

PeerJ. 2020 Jan 29:8:e8294. doi: 10.7717/peerj.8294. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Adila Aipire¹, Mahepali Mahabati¹, Shanshan Cai¹, Xianxian Wei¹, Pengfei Yuan¹, Alimu Aimaier¹, Xinhui Wang², Jinyao Li¹

Affiliations

¹ Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China.
² College of Resource and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China.

Abstract

Background: The enhancement of immunity is very important for immunocompromised patients such as cancer patients with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Glycyrrhiza uralensis has been used as food and medicine for a long history. G. uralensis polysaccharides (GUPS) were prepared and its immunostimulatory effects were investigated.

Methods: Human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) and murine bone marrow-derived DCs were treated with different concentrations of GUPS. The DCs maturation and cytokine production were analyzed by flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. Inhibitors and Western blot were used to study the mechanism of GUPS. The immunostimulatory effects of GUPS were further evaluated by naïve mouse model and immunosuppressive mouse model induced by cyclophosphamide.

Results: GUPS significantly promoted the maturation and cytokine secretion of human monocyte-derived DCs and murine bone marrow-derived DCs through TLR4 and down-stream p38, JNK and NF-κB signaling pathways. Interestingly, the migration of GUPS treated-DCs to lymph node was increased. In the mouse model, GUPS increased IL-12 production in sera but not for TNF-α. Moreover, GUPS ameliorated the side effect of cyclophosphamide and improved the immunity of immunosuppressive mice induced by cyclophosphamide. These results suggested that GUPS might be used for cancer therapy to ameliorate the side effect of chemotherapy and enhance the immunity.

Keywords: Cytokine production; Dendritic cell; Glycyrrhiza uralensis polysaccharides; Immunity; Immunosuppressive mouse model; Maturation; Migration; Signaling pathway.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1803381 to Jinyao Li and 31760260 to Xinhui Wang), the 2017 Doctoral Start-up Fund of Xinjiang University and the 1000 Young Talents Program of China to Jinyao Li, and the Graduate Science and Technology Innovation Project of Xinjiang University (XJUBSCX-2016016) to Adila Aipire. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.