Pycnogenol Supplementation Retards Immune Dysfunction in Murine AIDS (MAIDS) After LP-BM5 Leukemia Virus Infection by Modulating Cytokine Secretion

Abstract

We investigated the effect of pycnogenol (PYC) supplementation on retarding the immune dysfunction of C57BL/6 mice after murine AIDS (MAIDS) development. Dysfunction of T and B cell mitogenesis from primary cultured splenocytes has been observed with retrovirus infection and PYC supplementation partially recovered the dysfunction of T and B cells. There was an abnormal shift of cytokine pattern with retrovirus infection, which was designated by the decreased secretion of Th1 cytokines and increased secretion of Th2 cytokines. PYC supplementation increased IL-2 and IFN-γ secretion and decreased IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-α secretion, but it was not sufficient enough to maintain the normal level of these cytokines. Hepatic vitamin E level was significantly decreased by retrovirus infection, in accordance with increased hepatic lipid peroxidation level, whereas PYC supplementation normalized the hepatic level of vitamin E and lipid peroxidation. This study suggests that PYC supplementation may partially help retard the incidence of symptoms during MAIDS.