Long-Term Treatment with a Health Product (Squina Diacylglyceryl Ether) Enhances Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Mice

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a health product Squina (Diacylglyceryl Ether) (DAGE) on innate and adaptive immunity in mice. Both ex vivo/ in vivo mouse models and an in vitro system using cultured mouse splenocytes were recruited for the assessment of innate and adaptive immunity. For the innate immune response, DAGE extract treatment enhanced the LPS-induced IL1-β secretion by activated macrophages in vitro and long-term DAGE treatment (0.18 and 1.8 g/kg × 20 doses) elevated the phagocytic activity of macrophages, as well as natural killer cell activity in mice. The DAGE-induced increase in macrophage phagocytic and natural killer cell activities were accompanied by the suppression of tumor growth in Sarcoma-180 cell-inoculated mice. For the adaptive immune response, long-term DAGE treatment enhanced the splenocyte index and concanavalin A- stimulated proliferation ex vivo in mice. Consistently, the incubation with DAGE extract potentiated the concanavalin A-stimulated proliferation in mouse splenocytes in vitro. In conclusion, the results show that long-term DAGE treatment produces stimulatory effects on both innate and adaptive immunity in mice.