Alantolactone ameliorates graft versus host disease in mice.


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Odabas G. P., Aslan K., Suna P. A., Kendirli P. K., Erdem Ş., Çakır M., ...More

International immunopharmacology, vol.128, pp.111560, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 128
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111560
  • Journal Name: International immunopharmacology
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, BIOSIS, Biotechnology Research Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database
  • Page Numbers: pp.111560
  • Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Abstract

The anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs which are used in the treatment of Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD) have limited effects in controlling the severity of the disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prophylactic effect of Alantolactone (ALT) in a murine model of experimental GVHD.

The study included 4 BALB/c groups as hosts: Naïve (n = 7), Control GVHD (n = 16), ALT-GVHD (n = 16), and Syngeneic transplantation (n = 10). Busulfan (20 mg/kg/day) for 4 days followed by cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg/day) were administered for conditioning. Allogeneic transplantation was performed with cells collected from mismatched female C57BL/6, and GVHD development was monitored by histological and flow cytometric assays. Additionally, liver biopsies were taken from GVHD patient volunteers between ages 2–18 (n = 4) and non-GVHD patients between ages 2–50 (n = 5) and cultured ex vivo with ALT, and the supernatants were used for ELISA.

ALT significantly ameliorated histopathological scores of the GVHD and improved GVHD clinical scores. CD8+ T cells were shown to be reduced after ALT treatment. More importantly, ALT treatment skewed T cells to a more naïve phenotype (CD62L+ CD44). ALT did not alter Treg cell number or frequency. ALT treatment appears to suppress myeloid cell lineage (CD11c+). Consistent with reduced myeloid lineage, liver and small intestine levels of GM-CSF were reduced in ALT-treated mice. IL-6 gene expression was significantly reduced in the intestinal tissue. Ex vivo ALT-treated liver biopsy samples from GVHD patients showed a trend of decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines but there was no statistical significance.

Collectively, the data indicated that ALT may have immunomodulatory actions in a preclinical murine GVHD model.