Experimental study of the effects of Asarinin on immunosuppression activity in vitro

Objective To test the extract of Asarum heterotropides called Asarinin in the immunosuppression activity in vitro and compared with cyclosporine A(CsA). Methods Cardiomyocytes of adult wistar rats and spleen cells of adult SD rats were separated. 0.1 ml of the cardiomyocytes(2×10 6/ml) as stimulate cells and 0.1 ml of spleen cells(1×10 7/ml) as response cells were cultured in 96 culture plates. The model of rejection reaction in vitro was set up. Then the 0.1 ml serum including Asarinin was given to culture plates, the inhibition rate of lymphocyte transformation was investigated with MTT after 108 hours and IL-2、INF-γ、IL-4 were detected with ELISA. Results Asarinin inhibited the lymphocyte transformation (inhibition rate 60.37%) in vitro. Compared with positive control group, it significantly decreased IL-2(69.11±17.47 pg/ml vs 160.44±19.79 pg/ ml, P 0.01)、INF-γ(183.11± 95.24 pg/ml vs 521.89± 133.18 pg/ml, P 0.01) and increased IL-4(53.14±11.80 pg/ml vs 14.44± 4.21 pg/ml, P 0.01)in culture plates. The effect was similar to CsA group (IL-2: 53.11±18.35 pg/ml, IFN-γ: 166.22± 61.56 pg/ml, IL-4: 44.20±11.56 pg/ml, P 0.05). Conclusion The extract of Haerba Asari has immunosuppression activity and can inhibit acute rejection in vitro. At the same time it decreases IL-2、 INF-γ and increases IL-4 in culture plates. This may be related to the increase of transplantation tolerance.