Immunomodulation by pycnogenol® in retrovirus-infected or ethanol-fed mice

  • Jeanne E. Cheshier
  • , Sussan Ardestani-Kaboudanian
  • , Bailin Liang
  • , Mohsen Araghiniknam
  • , Sangbun Chung
  • , Lisa Lane
  • , Anabell Castro
  • , Ronald R. Watson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Pycnogenol® is a commercial mixture of bioflavonoids that exhibits antioxidative activity. The effects of dietary pycnogenol on immune dysfunction in normal mice as well as those fed ethanol or infected with the LP-BM5 murine retrovirus were determined. The ethanol consumption and retrovirus infection cause abnormalities in the function and/or structure of a broad array of cells involved in humoral and cellular immunity. Pycnogenol enhanced in vitro IL-2 production by mitogen-stimulated splenocytes if its production was suppressed in ethanolfed or retrovirus-infected mice. Mitogenesis of splenocytes did not show a significant change in mice treated with pycnogenol. It reduced the elevated levels of interleukin-6 produced in vitro by cells from retrovirus infected mice and IL-10 secreted by spleen cells from mice consuming ethanol. Natural killer cell cytotoxicity was increased with pycnogenol treatment.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)PL87-PL96
JournalLife Sciences
Volume58
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 22 1995

Keywords

  • ethanol-fed mice
  • immune dysfunction
  • pycnogenol
  • retrovirus-infected mice

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

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