Essential oil of niaouli preferentially potentiates antigen-specific cellular immunity and cytokine production by macrophages

Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2008;30(3):459-74. doi: 10.1080/08923970802135187.

Abstract

In vivo immunomodulatory effect of essential oil of niaouli (EON) was investigated using a mouse model, in which mice were immunized with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and intraperitoneally given EON (less than 500 microl kg(-1) body weight). In vivo efficacy of EON for immune potentiation was convinced by significantly higher expression of an activation marker, CD25, on freshly isolated draining lymph node (LN) T cells, but not B cells. However, immunofluoresence analysis failed to show any proportional change in T/B and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cell ratios. Data of KLH-specific immunoglobulin serum levels showed that EON does not affect humoral immune response. Instead, proliferative response and IFNgamma production of LN T cells ex vivo stimulated with KLH were significantly higher in EON-treated group, but not IL-2 and IL-4 production. These results clearly show that EON preferentially upregulates T-cell mediated cellular immunity. We further clarified the accessory cells' contribution to the EON-mediated potentiation of cellular immunity and found considerably higher production of and TNF-alpha and IL-12 by splenic macrophages from EON-treated mice when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and IFNgamma. Collectively, in vivo EON treatment potentiates T cell-mediated cellular immunity and macrophage activity, but not humoral immunity. The current study provides a rationale for clinical application of EON to control infectious diseases, in particular, those caused by intracellular pathogens.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / blood
  • CD4-CD8 Ratio
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytokines / metabolism*
  • Hemocyanins / immunology
  • Immunity, Cellular / drug effects*
  • Immunologic Factors / administration & dosage
  • Immunologic Factors / pharmacology*
  • Immunologic Factors / toxicity
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Interleukin-12 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / analysis
  • Lymph Nodes / drug effects
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects*
  • Macrophages / drug effects*
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Oils, Volatile / administration & dosage
  • Oils, Volatile / pharmacology*
  • Oils, Volatile / toxicity
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Terpenes / administration & dosage
  • Terpenes / pharmacology*
  • Terpenes / toxicity
  • Time Factors
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Cytokines
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • Oils, Volatile
  • Terpenes
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-12
  • gomenol
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Hemocyanins
  • keyhole-limpet hemocyanin