Effects of astilbin on maturation and immunologic function of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells

Abstract

To explore the effects of astilbin on the maturation and immunologic function of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs). Mouse bone marrow cells were cultured with recombinant mouse granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4 (IL-4) for 5 days to get immature DCs (imDCs), then the imDCs was cultured in the presence of 1 microg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or LPS (1 microg/mL) plus astilbin (25, 50, 100 microg/mL) for 48 h. Then, the cells were harvested, and the apoptosis, immunophenotypes and antigen phagocytosis capability of imDCs in LPS, and low-, medium- and high-dose astilbin groups were analyzed by flow cytometry. Contents of p40 subunit of interleukin-12 (IL-12p40) in the supernatants were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The stimulatory activity of the harvested cells on allogeneic T cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) was tested by incorporation of 3H-thymidine, and the contents of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) in the supernatants of MLR were examined by ELISA. At the concentrations of 25 to 100 microg/mL, astilbin exhibited no toxicity on co-cultured DCs. Compared with the lipopolysaccharide, low-, medium- and high-dose astilbin could decrease the expression levels of major histocompatibility complex-Ia (MHC-Ia), CD40, CD80 and CD86 molecules in DCs. DCs in the low-, medium- and high-dose astilbin groups exhibited weaker capabilities for antigen phagocytosis and less contents of IL-12p40 in the supernatants than in the LPS group. Furthermore, low-, medium- and high-dose astilbin showed weak activities in stimulating the proliferation of allogeneic T cells as compared with the LPS (P<0.05). Compared with the LPS, low-, medium- and high-dose astilbin could decrease IL-2 and INF-mu secretion from T cells in MLR but had no effect on IL-10 secretion. Astilbin can inhibit maturation of mouse bone marrow-derived DCs with dose-dependent effect and exert negative effects on immunologic function of the DCs.