Cellulose sulfate suppresses immunoglobulin E production by murine B lymphocytes in vitro.

BACKGROUND

Immunoglobulin (Ig) E plays an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis and allergic asthma.We previously reported that a sulfate polysaccharide, fucoidan, suppressed IgE production by murine B cells in vitro. However, the mechanism by which fucoidan suppresses IgE production remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

We incorporated sulfate groups into cellulose and studied their biological characteristics in vitro to explore the possibility of converting biologically neutral polysaccharides to active reagents with antiallergic functions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Cellulose was chemically processed using N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and DMF-sulfurtrioxide and recovered as cellulose sulfate with a molecular weight of around 10 kDa. We then studied the effect of cellulose sulfate on IgE production from B cells, IgE class-switching, and populations of IgE-secreting B cells prepared from murine spleen. We also investigated the effects of sulfated cellulose on the production of interleukin (IL) 4 and interferon (IFN) gamma and the expression of T-bet mRNA by splenic T cells. The cytotoxicity of cellulose sulfate was also examined.

RESULTS

Cellulose sulfate suppressed IgE production in B cells stimulated with IL-4 and anti-CD40 antibody by inhibiting IgE class-switch recombination and decreasing the number of IgE-secreting B cells in vitro. Moreover, both cellulose sulfate and fucoidan suppressed IL-4 production and enhanced IFN-gamma production by murine T cells stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies, despite the decrease in T-bet mRNA expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Cellulose gains an antiallergic effect on B cells and T cells with the addition of sulfate groups.