In Vitro and In Vivo Dendritic Cell Immune Stimulation Effect of Low Molecular Weight Fucoidan from New Zealand Undaria pinnatifida.

Litong Liu,Shanshan Cai,Jun Lu,Alimu Aimaier,Yanan Zhao,Jing Bao,Pengfei Yuan,Adila Aipire,Jinyao Li,Xu Yang

doi:10.3390/md20030197

Abstract

Low molecular weight fucoidan (LMWF) has been reported to have immunomodulation effects through the increase of the activation and function of macrophages. In this study, the regulating effect of LMWF from Undaria pinnatifida grown in New Zealand on dendritic cells (DCs) was investigated. We discovered that LMWF could stimulate DCs’ maturation and migration, as well as CD4+ and CD8+ T cells’ proliferation in vitro. We proved that this immune promoting activity is activated through TLR4 and its downstream MAPK and NF–κB signaling pathways. Further in vivo (mouse model) investigation showed that LMWF has a strong immunological boosting effect, such as facilitating the proliferation of immune cells and increasing the index of immune organs. These findings suggest that LMWF has a positive immunomodulatory effect and is a promising candidate to supplement cancer immunotherapy.

Highlights

As a natural sulfated polysaccharide, fucoidan mainly exists in the cell wall of brown algae and has a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory [1], antiviral [2], antioxidant [3], anticoagulant [4], immunomodulatory [5], and antitumor activities [6]
We examined the effect of Low molecular weight fucoidan (LMWF) on Dendritic cells (DCs) maturation in mice
We found that LMWF could promote the maturation of DC in vivo, significantly increased the expression of CD40 and CD80 compared to untreated mice (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

As a natural sulfated polysaccharide, fucoidan mainly exists in the cell wall of brown algae and has a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory [1], antiviral [2], antioxidant [3], anticoagulant [4], immunomodulatory [5], and antitumor activities [6]. According to several previous studies, fucoidan promotes the maturation of DC by enhancing the expression of DC surface molecules and the secretion of cytokines [11,12] to further improve the intensity of immune response [13]. Dendritic cells (DCs), a link between innate immunity and adaptive immunity, play a connecting role in the occurrence and development of immune response. They are the only antigen presenting cells (APC) that can directly activate naïve T cells. The most important functions of DCs are antigen presentation and immune activation. Polysaccharides from natural sources have been extensively studied because of their wide range of biological activities and low toxicity [16]

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Conclusion