The effects of edible bird’s nest on T-lymphocyte proliferation, secondary lymphoid organs, and interleukin-2 production

Abstract

• Edible bird’s nest (EBN) specifically promotes the expansion of T-cells both in vitro and in vivo studies. • EBN treatments can maintain the homeostasis of T-cells under the immunosuppressive condition. • The level of serum IL-2 has predominantly increased in response to the administration of EBN treatments. • The changes of secondary lymphoid organs (Peyer’s patches and spleen) have been affected by EBN treatments. This study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of edible bird’s nest (EBN) in vitro and in vivo studies. EBN-treated peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed that EBN specifically enhanced the expansion of CD3 + T-cells. The restoration of lymphocyte subpopulations under the influence of immunosuppressive drug has been successfully recovered in CD3 + T-cells, not CD45RA + B-cells and CD335 + NK-cells. In addition, oral administration of EBNs in Sprague-Dawley rats revealed their potential to increase the number of peripheral blood T-cells. Our study also demonstrated that EBN treatments affected the numbers of the Peyer’s patches, spleen weight and length, and cellularity of the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath. Interestingly, we observed that elevation of serum interleukin-2 (IL-2) had been correlated with the proliferation of T-cells in the animal model. Therefore, these results are essential for developing therapeutic strategies in improving immunity, particularly T-cell homeostasis, under immunosuppressive therapy.