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KMID : 0425120090470040345
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Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
2009 Volume.47 No. 4 p.345 ~ p.351
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Aureobasidium-Derived Soluble Branched (1,3-1,6) β-Glucan (Sophy β-glucan) Enhances Natural Killer Activity in Leishmania amazonensis-Infected Mice
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Yatawara Lalani
Wickramasinghe Susiji
Nagataki Mitsuru
Nomur Haruka
Agatsuma Takeshi
Takamoto Misa
Ikeue Yasunori
Watanabe Yoshiya
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Abstract
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The β-glucans derived from yeast cell walls have been reported for having many immunomodulatory activities in vivo and in vitro. In this study, Aureobasidium-derived soluble branched (1,3-1,6) β-glucan (Sophy β-glucan) was checked for natural killer (NK) activity and for the production of IFN-γ and IL-4 in Leishmania amazonensis infection. The main experiment was performed with a group of female C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, orally supplemented with 5% of Sophy β-glucan and infected with promastogotes of L. amazonensis (1 × 107) into the footpad. Increase in the footpad thickness with time was observed in BALB/c mice in spite of the oral Sophy β-glucan supplement, but it was less in C57BL/6 mice. The difference in overall mean footpad thickness between ’infection only’ versus ’infection + glucan’ groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001). High NK activity in C57BL/6 than BALB/c mice was observed in ’glucan only’ group compared to the control group and also in ’infection + glucan’ group compared to ’infection only’ group. The difference in the NK activity among these groups was significant (P < 0.05). The IFN-γ level increased at weeks 7 and 8 post-infection in C57BL/6 mice and was significantly high in ’infection + glucan’ group compared to the ’infection only’ group (P < 0.05). IL-4 levels did not increase up to detectable levels throughout the study. The results led a conclusion that Sophy β-glucan enhances NK activity and cellular immunity in L. amazonensis-infected mice.
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KEYWORD
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Leishmania amazonensis, Sophy β-glucan, NK activity, IFN-γ
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