Cytokines/Chemokines Profile in Rats Treated with Euphorbia tirucalli Extract

摘要

Drug development can depend on natural products. The Euphorbiaceae family, especially the genus Euphorbia , with a distinct regard to the Euphorbia tirucalli , is used as folk medicine in some Saudi Arabian regions. There is a lot of evidence that its latex has immunomodulatory activities. It is possible that the mechanism for such activities involves immune cells activation and production of cytokines. For the first time, in this work we aim to evaluate the production of $$hbox {T}_{mathrm{H}}1$$ T H 1 cytokines (IFN- $$upgamma $$ γ , TNF- $$upalpha $$ α , GM-CSF and IL-2), $$hbox {T}_{mathrm{H}}2$$ T H 2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-13) and chemokines (IL- $$1upalpha $$ 1 α , IL- $$1upbeta $$ 1 β , IL-12 and RANTES) in vivo by treating rats with ethanol extract of E. tirucalli latex gathered from Abha, Aseer, KSA. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: group 1 received no treatment, while groups 2 and 3 orally received 0.250 mg latex extract in 0.5 ml daily for 21 or 35 days, respectively. At the end of the experiment, blood was taken and tested for the concentrations of $$hbox {T}_{mathrm{H}}1$$ T H 1 and $$hbox {T}_{mathrm{H}}2$$ T H 2 cytokines and chemokines. The main compound of the purified extract was euphol. The extract presented a potential to induce significant increases in IL- $$1upbeta $$ 1 β , IL-2, IL-6, GM-CSF and RANTES. In conclusion, ethanol extract contained mainly the euphol. The extract made some immunological stimulation that appeared in $$hbox {T}_{mathrm{H}}1$$ T H 1 and $$hbox {T}_{mathrm{H}}2$$ T H 2 cytokines and chemokines profiles changes. These changes are in favor of enhancing and enforcing the immune system. This extract can be recommended as a supplementary material for immunological drugs such as vaccines.