Balanced TH1 and TH2 immunopotentiating effects of silicates partly containing nanoparticles present in calcined serpentine

Abstract

Calcined Serpentine (CS) is used in various formulations of alternative systems of medicine as a tonic to vital organs and as an anti-inflammatory agent. The process of calcination or incineration is believed to render non-toxic, gently absorbable, adaptable and digestible properties to the mineral compounds. The present study characterized CS and also evaluated its immunostimulatory potential. CS was characterized by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction, atomic absorption spectroscopy and CHNS analysis. The characterized CS was further evaluated for its immunomodulatory potential in Swiss mice. X-Ray diffraction analysis revealed that the CS contained silicates of magnesium, calcium and iron as major minerals. Elemental composition and heavy metal analyses showed a presence of various inorganic elements/heavy metals, albeit at levels well below daily permissive intake values. TEM analysis of the test CS revealed a presence of nano particles with an average size of 10–20 nm (≈ 26% of total material). Oral administration of CS to mice at 50, 75, 100 or 200 μg/kg body weight for 10 days led to enhanced levels of total IgG, IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2b in ovalbumin-immunized mice as well as ex vivo lymphocyte proliferation and levels of TH1 (IL-2, IFNγ) and TH2 (IL-4, IL-10) cytokines produced by their cultured splenocytes. Similarly, CS treatment resulted in enhanced delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in GRBC-primed hosts. CS also activated host peritoneal macrophages, as indicated by increases in phagocytic activity and in TLR-2, CD80 and CD86 expression. The CS did not affect liver, kidney and spleen histology. Taken together, the results indicated that absorbed CS was stimulatory of host cell-mediated immune responses. It is hypothesized for now that the immunomodulatory effect of CS may have been due, in part, to a presence of nanoparticles on the CS; further study is required to validate this viewpoint.