Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, 81744-176, Iran.
Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Alzahra Hospital, Department of Neurology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Inflammation. 2019 Aug;42(4):1203-1214. doi: 10.1007/s10753-019-00980-9.
Dysregulation of the immune system and impairment in the function and number of patient-derived regulatory T cells (Treg) have an important role in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. MS patients still receive different medications to overcome the relapses and to slow the disease progression. However, the benefits of these therapies are limited and are accompanied by different side effects. The immunoregulatory effects of Silymarin as a plant-derived flavonoid have shown in studies. In the present study, regulatory T cells (Tregs) were isolated from MS patients who diagnosed as new cases and IFN-β-treated RRMS patients. Isolated Treg cells were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of Silymarin (50, 100, 150 μM) for 48, 72, and 120 h. Proliferation and activation of Treg cells were assessed by flow cytometry. Also, FOXP3, JAK3, and STAT5 gene expression, IL-10, and TGF-β production by Tregs were evaluated by real-time PCR and ELISA respectively. The results showed that Silymarin promoted Treg proliferation at 100 μM concentration after 72 h. Additionally, IL-10, TGF-β levels, and FOXP3, JAK3, and STAT5 gene expression enhanced by Silymarin dose and time dependently. Our preliminary results suggest that the induction and activation of Tregs could be an underlying mechanism of the ancient used herbal medicine Silymarin, providing effective means against autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
免疫系统失调和患者来源的调节性 T 细胞（Treg）的功能和数量受损在多发性硬化症（MS）发病机制中起重要作用。MS 患者仍需接受不同的药物治疗以控制复发和减缓疾病进展。然而，这些治疗方法的益处有限，且伴有不同的副作用。水飞蓟素作为一种植物来源的类黄酮，其免疫调节作用已在研究中得到证实。在本研究中，我们从新诊断的 MS 患者和 IFN-β 治疗的 RRMS 患者中分离出调节性 T 细胞（Treg）。分离的 Treg 细胞在不同浓度的水飞蓟素（50、100、150 μM）存在下培养 48、72 和 120 小时。通过流式细胞术评估 Treg 细胞的增殖和活化。此外，通过实时 PCR 和 ELISA 分别评估了 FOXP3、JAK3 和 STAT5 基因表达、Treg 产生的 IL-10 和 TGF-β。结果表明，水飞蓟素在 72 小时后在 100 μM 浓度下促进 Treg 增殖。此外，IL-10、TGF-β 水平以及 FOXP3、JAK3 和 STAT5 基因表达随水飞蓟素剂量和时间的增加而增强。我们的初步结果表明，Treg 的诱导和激活可能是古老的草药水飞蓟素的潜在作用机制，为自身免疫和炎症性疾病提供了有效的治疗手段。
