Mangiferin attenuates TH1/TH2 cytokine imbalance in an ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mouse model.

Abstract

Mangiferin is a major bioactive ingredient in Mangifera indica Linn. (Anacardiaceae) leaves. Aqueous extract of such leaves have been used as an indigenous remedy for respiratory diseases like asthma and coughing in traditional Chinese medicine. However, underlying molecular mechanisms of mangiferin on anti-asthma remain unclear. In our present study, we investigated the anti-asthmatic effect of mangiferin on Th1/Th2 cytokine profiles and explored its underlying immunoregulatory mechanism in mouse model of allergic asthma. Mangiferin significantly reduced the total inflammatory cell counts and eosinophil infiltration, decreased the production of ovalbumin-specific IgE in serum and PGD2 in BALF. The antibody array analysis showed that mangiferin down-regulated the levels of one group of cytokines/chemokines including Th2-related IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and others IL-3, IL-9, IL-17, RANTES, TNF-α, but simultaneously up-regulated Th1-related IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-10 and IL-12 expression in serum. Thus it attenuates the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cells ratio by diminishing the abnormal mRNA levels of Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-12) and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13). Finally, mangiferin substantially inhibited the activation and expression of STAT-6 and GATA-3 in excised lung tissues. Our results suggest that mangiferin can exert anti-asthmatic effect. The underlying mechanism may attribute to the modulation of Th1/Th2 cytokine imbalance via inhibiting the STAT6 signaling pathway.

• Authors: Hong-Wei Guo, Chen-Xia Yun, Guang-Han Hou, Jun Du, Xin Huang, Yi Lu, Evan T Keller, Jian Zhang, Jia-Gang Deng
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 9 Issue 6 Pg. e100394 ( 2014) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24955743 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cytokines
• RNA, Messenger
• Xanthones
• mangiferin
• Ovalbumin

Topics

• Animals
• Asthma (chemically induced, drug therapy, immunology)
• Cytokines (genetics, metabolism)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Immunoenzyme Techniques
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Ovalbumin (toxicity)
• Pulmonary Eosinophilia (chemically induced, drug therapy, immunology)
• RNA, Messenger (genetics)
• Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Th1 Cells (immunology)
• Th2 Cells (immunology)
• Xanthones (pharmacology)