Immunomodulatory activity, effect

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. 

The innate and the adaptive arms of the immune systems of higher organisms are bridged by a complex set of cellular and molecular mediators. The immunomodulatory activities of host defense peptides, such as the direct chemotactic activity, cytokine and chemokine induction, and the stimulation of differentiation and activation of effector cells, may contribute to this process. Host defense peptides may also influence the polarization of adaptive immune response, for example, through their effects on cytokine production. ... 

These and some other glycosides were further tested for their immunomodulatory activity on mouse splenocyte models (Balb/c and athymic nude Nu/Nu mice). Here, mostly elymoclavine galactoside and lactoside had the highest activity [7]. More detailed studies attempting to resolve effect-structure relations are now under way. 

Despite its widespread and long history of use its specific mechanism of action is not established. It elicits several biological and immunological responses including anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. The present evidence seems to be that the multiple effects work in concert with each other. Each mechanism contributes differently depending on the disease (Ballow, 2005 Shah, 2005). 

Triterpene glycosides of sea cucumbers demonstrate a wide spectrum of biological effects antifungal, antitumor, hemolytic, cytostatic and immunomodulatory activities [12]. The application of many preparations from sea cucumbers in traditional oriental medicine has been reported [13]. The medicinal properties of these sea food preparations are attributed to triterpene glycosides [13]. 

Interferons, which were discovered in the 1950s as a result of their antiviral activity (76), are pleiotropic agents exhibiting a wide variety of effects including antiviral, antiproliferative, hematopoietic, and immunomodulatory activities (77, 78). Interferons are sometimes considered to be cytokines because of their role in cellular and humoral immune responses. 

Antiviral effect on Hepatitis B Virus. Antibacterial, and immunomodulatory activities. 

Another approach to induce a GVT effect in patients who relapse following HSCT is to administer a cytokine posttransplant with immunomodulatory activity, such as interleukin-2 (IL-2)." Some beneficial effects have been observed with the use of IL-2 with respect to effects on natural killer cells and other important antitumor immune responses. Toxicities have been tolerable in most patients but can be serious and life-threatening. Studies are necessary to define the role of these cytokines in prolonging relapse-free survival after HSCT. 

Therefore, there is a great medical need for GC-like compounds that possess both an antiinflammatory/immunomodulatory activity similar to the marketed GCs and a reduced risk of undesired effects. 

Many research efforts were invested into the study of molecular mechanisms of the antiinflammatory/immunomodulatory activities of GCs. However, they are still not well understood. Behind the transrepression activity, several mechanisms are hidden. The role of cofactors and histone deacetylases, for example, is still under discussion, although much research has been performed in the past [51-53]. Furthermore, there are also transactivation events involved in the therapeutic effects of GCs, as has been shown for MKP-1 [45, 47], lipocortin-1 [54] or very recently for GC-induced leucine zipper (GILZ), to name a few [55], Nevertheless, repression of many proinflammatory molecules seems to be a major part of the antiinflammatory effects of GCs. 

There has been very little experimental work conducted with natural products from the phylum Bryozoa. The family of bryostatins, macrolide polyketides isolated by Pettit from the bryozoan Bugula neritina, is certainly of greatest significance in terms of biomedical potential [92]. Bryostatin 1 (57) exhibits selective activity against B-cell lymphomas and leukemias, [93] and directly stimulates bone marrow progenitor cells to form colonies that functionally activate neutrophils [94]. Additionally, bryostatin 1 activates protein kinase C [95] and has immunomodulatory activity both in vitro and in vivo [96]. In combination with the vinca alkaloid vincristine, bryostatin 1 inhibits the growth of lymphoma cells without adverse effects on bone marrow cells [97]. 

Many biochemical processes are closely related to ion exchange, adsorption and catalysis. Zeolites reversibly bind small molecules such as oxygen or nitric oxide, they possess size and shape selectivity, the possibility of metalloenzyme mimicry, and immunomodulatory activity. These properties make them interesting for pharmaceutical industry and medicine. In vitro experiments showed inhibition of tumour cell proliferation as well as MZ to be the possible scavenger of HNE. After i.p. application of MZ, the number of peritoneal macrophages was increased as well as their production of oxide anion. NO generation was totally abolished. At the same time translocation of p65 subunit of NFkB in spleen cells was observed. Thus, here we report anticancer effect of MZ in vitro and immunostimulatory effect in vivo. 

The immunostimulatory effects of saponins can be observed both in vivo and/or in vitro, and may either be directed against a specific antigen induced immune response (adjuvant effect), or to a nonspecific type of immune response. Induction of an adjuvant effect always takes place in vivo, whereas nonspecific stimulation may also take place in vitro. Presently, the bidesmosidic saponins from Quillaja saponaria Molina [16], and to some degree those from Gypsophila sp. and Saponaria officinalis [42], are the only saponins with effective and confirmed antigen-specific immunomodulatory activities in vivo. However, other saponins that show immunostimulatory activity in vitro and/or in vivo are also considered herein. 

Abstract In the current presentation, our latest results performed on Lycopodium clavatum L. the most common species in Turkey, are given in terms of biological activity, which include antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of this fern. Antioxidant activity of the plant was assessed on the basis of the radical scavenging effect of the stable... 

Animal studies have indicated that curculigo has immunomodulatory activity and may counteract the effects of immunosuppressant drugs (Bafna and Mishra 2006 Zhu 1998). 

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