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Context: Garlic 14-kDa protein is purified from garlic (Allium sativum L.) which is used in traditional medicine and exerts various immunomodulatory activities., Objective: The present study investigated the suppressive effect of garlic 14-kDa protein on LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and underlying mechanism in inflammatory macrophages., Materials and Methods: J774A.1 macrophages were treated with 14-kDa protein (5-30 μg/ml) with/without LPS (1 μg/ml) and the production of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), TNF-α, and IL-1β released were measured using ELISA. Nitric oxide (NO) production was determined using the Griess method. The anti-inflammatory activity of 14-kDa protein was examined by measuring inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 proteins using western blot. The expression of nuclear NF-κB p65 subunit was assessed by western blot., Results: Garlic 14-kDa protein significantly inhibited the excessive production of NO, PGE, TNF-α, and IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated J774A.1 macrophages in a concentration-related manner without cytotoxic effect. Western blot analysis demonstrated that garlic 14-kDa protein suppressed corresponding inducible NO synthase expression and activated cyclooxygenase-2 protein expression. The inhibitory effect was mediated partly by a reduction in the activity and expression of transcription factor NF-κB protein., Conclusion: Our results suggested, for the first time, garlic 14-kDa protein exhibits anti-inflammatory properties in macrophages possibly by suppressing the inflammatory mediators via the inhibition of transcription factor NF-κB signaling pathway. The traditional use of garlic as anti-inflammatory remedy could be ascribed partly to 14-kDa protein content. This protein might be a useful candidate for controlling inflammatory diseases and further investigations in vivo.

Cancer is one of the major causes of death in the world and despite many years of research, the treatment of cancer is still a problem. Epidemiological observations and laboratory studies have indicated anticarcinogenic potential of garlic, which has been traditionally used for various human diseases around the world. In this study the cytotoxicity of garlic extract against three malignant cancer cell lines including gastric (AGS), breast (MCF-7) and colon (HT-29) and a nonmalignant cell line (L929) were evaluated by the MTT assay. The results of this study reveal MCF-7 and AGS cells were sensitive to garlic extract. Despite a many reports on inhibitory effects of garlic on cancer cell line, our data showed these effects are tumor specific and dose dependent. Further studies on animal models and humans are needed to clarify the important molecules and their mechanisms.

Natural products are important resources in traditional medicine and have been long used for prevention and treatment of many diseases. Medicinal plants have immunomodulatory properties. Aloe is one of the herbal medicines widely used in natural treatment and alternative therapy for various types of diseases. Aloe vera has been shown to modulate the immune response. Macrophages have been shown to play an essential role as the first line of defense against invading pathogen. Candida albicans is a communal and opportunistic pathogen in humans. In this study, we investigated the effect of A. vera extract and its fractions on infected macrophages with C. albicans. Viability of intraperitoneal macrophages was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. Cell viability of infected macrophages was increased by the extract and dose of some isolated fractions dependently. The extract as well as R100, R50, R30, and R10 fractions of A. vera significantly increased cell viability of macrophages in most doses. R5 and F5 fractions showed no significant difference in comparison with control group. Further studies in animal models and human are necessary to clarify the modulatory effects of A. vera on macrophage function. Isolation and purification of A. vera components are also needed to find out the effective molecules.

Silver nanoparticles, the new generation of antimicrobial agents, are becoming one of the progressively growing products in nanotechnology. Meanwhile, the potential side effects of these nanoparticles have not been studied thoroughly yet. Macrophages, one of the most important immune cells in innate and acquired immune responses, are a key component of the clearance mechanisms in semi-open interfaces of human body against nanosilver (nano-Ag). In this experimental study, we assessed the effect of commercial colloidal nano-Ag on murine peritoneal macrophages by MTT and nitric oxide (NO) production assay in vitro. A significant decrease in cell viability was observed for 1 ppm (part per million) to 25 ppm of nano-Ag concentrations compared to the control group (P < 0.01) after 24 h of cell culture. Also, a significant decrease in the cell viability was observed for 2-25 ppm of nano-Ag concentrations after 48-72 h, respectively (P < 0.05). In our study, exposure to 0.4-25 ppm of colloidal nano-Ags brought about a considerable decline (P < 0.05) in NO production by macrophages. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of substantial difference at lower concentrations. This acute cytotoxic dose-dependent effect of nano-Ag particles on peritoneal macrophages which declines cell viability and NO production urges caution about the usage for sensitive surfaces. It is highly recommended to carry out the in vivo investigation for human to confirm its use.

This study aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of Pleurotus florida on cell-mediated immunity in Balb/c mice. Aqueous extract of P. florida was isolated, lyophilized, and stored in refrigerator until application. Forty female Balb/c mice were randomly divided into seven test and one control groups. Four groups received 10, 20, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day of P. florida extract intraperitoneally, whereas three others received 200, 500, or 1000 mg/kg/day by oral administration. Moreover, the control group received the same volume of normal saline intraperitoneally. The treatments were continued once a day for 2 weeks. Then, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH), viability of splenic cells, and histology of secondary lymphoid tissues were examined. The results showed that DTH responses were not affected by various doses of the P. florida in different routes. However, a significant decrease in splenic cells viability was observed in groups treated with intraperitoneal injection of 10, 20, and 50 mg/kg of the P. florida extract. In contrast, oral administration of 1000 mg/kg of the extract caused a significant increase in viability of splenic cells. Although atrophic changes in spleen and lymph nodes were observed in some peritoneal injected groups, some doses of oral administration were lead to hyperplastic changes. The results of this study indicated that the effects of P. florida on cellular responses depends on dose and route of administration.

Introduction: Garlic (Allium sativum), traditionally being used as a spice worldwide, has different applications and is claimed to possess beneficial effects in several health ailments such as tumor and atherosclerosis. Garlic is also an immunomodulator and its different components are responsible for different properties. The present work aimed to assess the effect of protein fractions of garlic on peritoneal macrophages., Materials and Methods: 14-kDa and 47-kDa protein fractions of garlic were purified. Mice peritoneal macrophages were lavaged and cultured in a microtiter plate and exposed to different concentrations of garlic proteins. MTT assay was performed to evaluate the viability of macrophage. The amount of nitric oxide (NO) was detected in culture supernatants of macrophages by Griess reagent and furthermore, the cytotoxicity study of culture supernatants was carried out on WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cell line as tumor necrosis factor-α bioassay., Results: MTT assay results for both 14-kDa and 47-kDa protein fractions of stimulated macrophages were not significant (P > 0.05). Both 14-kDa and 47-kDa fractions significantly suppressed production of NO from macrophages (P = 0.007 and P = 0.003, respectively). Cytotoxicity of macrophages' supernatant on WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cells was not affected by garlic protein fractions (P = 0.066 for 14-kDa and P = 0.085 for 47-kDa fractions)., Conclusion: according to our finding, 14-kDa and 47-kDa fractions of aged garlic extract are able to suppress NO production from macrophages, which can be used as a biological advantage. These molecules had no cytotoxic effect on macrophages and do not increase tumoricidal property of macrophages.

Macrophages play an essential role against invading pathogen and malignancies. The present study addresses the in vivo effect of P.florida extract on nitric oxide (NO) production and cell viability of macrophages. Forty Balb/c mice were divided to 8 groups and were treated with different doses of P. florida aqueous extract. MTT test has been performed in order to evaluate viability of intraperitoneal macrophages and Griess method to measure NO production of macrophages. The results indicated that cell viability of macrophages significantly increased by oral administration of P. florida with 200, 500 and 1000mg/kg/day. Also, NO production significantly increased by oral administration of doses of 500 and 1000mg/kg/day of P. florida. but i.p. injection of P. florida with 10,20,50,100mg/kg/day significantly decreased NO production by macrophages. This study showed a macrophage activator function for P. florida and also may confirms its anti inflammatory role. Further studies are needed to address effective phytochemicals of this edible mushroom and their mechanisms.