Activity immunomodulatory

Dihydroxyvitamin (283) is the endogenous ligand for the vitamin receptor (VDR). It modulates genomic function in a tissue and developmentaHy specific manner and affects ceU proliferation, differentiation, and mineral homeostasis (74). Vitamin mobilizes calcium from the bone to maintain plasma Ca " levels. Vitamin and VDR are present in the CNS where they may play a role in regulating Ca " homeostasis. Vitamin D has potent immunomodulatory activity in vivo. 

Gokhale AB, Damre AS, Saraf MN. Investigations into the immunomodulatory activity of Argyreia speciosa. J Ethnopharmacol 2003 84 109-114. 

Filion, M.C., and Philips, N.C., Toxicity and immunomodulatory activity of liposomal vectors formulated with cationic lipids toward immune effector cells, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1997, 1329, 345-356. 

Melchart, D. et al., Results of five randomized studies on the immunomodulatory activity of preparations of Echinacea, JAltem Complement Med, 1, 145, 1995. 

Borchers, A.T. et al., Shosaiko-to and other Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicines A review of their immunomodulatory activities, J Ethnopharmacol, 73, 1, 2000. 

Host Defense Peptides Bridging Antimicrobial and Immunomodulatory Activities... 

Figure 1 Cartoon representation of the human cathelicidin hCAPI 8. The amino acid residues that define each of the three hCAP18 domains have been added. The sequence of LL-37, the host defense peptide derived from hCAP18, is found in the inset. Structure-activity relationship studies have identified regions within the peptide that are necessary for both antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities.

Despite the unresolved issues regarding the relative importance and the exact physiological roles of the direct antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities of host defense peptides, there is overwhelming evidence that the peptides play a pivotal role in the mammalian innate immune response. Human disease... 

Recently, the activities of host defense peptides related to the resolution of infection have been suggested to result in part from nondirect antimicrobial activities. It has been postulated that immunomodulation may represent the primary action of these peptides in vivo as the immunomodulatory activities are retained under physiological conditions in contrast to the direct antimicrobial activities of most natural mammalian host defense peptides. These immunomodulatory activities include, but are not limited to, direct chemotactic activity, induction of chemokines and other immune mediators, stimulation of leukocyte degranulation and other microbicidal activities, effects on leukocyte and epithelial cell survival and apoptosis, stimulation of epithelial and endothelial cell proliferation, promotion of wound healing and angiogenesis, antiendotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities, and adjuvant fiinctions. These will be described in detail in the following sections and a summary is found in Table 1. 

Table 1 Immunomodulatory activities and cellular locations of a subset of natural host defense peptides... 

Peptide Origin Cellular location Immunomodulatory activity Proposed receptors... 

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