Anti-inflammatory action of Cudrania tricuspidata on spleen cell and T lymphocyte proliferation.

This study examined whether an extract of Cudrania tricuspidata shows anti-proliferative effects in anti-CD3/CD28-mediated spleen and CD4+CD25- T cells and decreases the production of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in anti-CD3/CD28-mediated CD4+CD25- T cells. The proliferation of anti-CD3/CD28-mediated spleen cells and CD4+CD25- T cells was effectively suppressed by C. tricuspidata. This extract, however, did not show cytotoxicity in spleen cells under conditions where the antigen was not stimulated using CCK-8 analysis. C. tricuspidata also decreased the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2 and IFN-gamma by selective inhibition of this extract on proliferating cells in anti-CD3/CD28-mediated CD4+CD25- T cells. These results suggest that C. tricuspidata may be useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and organ transplantation through the inhibitory action of T cells in inflammation.