[Immunopharmacological actions of lumin (II): Effect of lumin administration in NZB X NZW (B/W) F1 mice].

Lumin was administered at doses of 0.1 to 100 micrograms/kg for 5 months to NZB/W F1 mice as the model animal for studying systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a human autoimmune disease. The increase in anti-thymic autoantibody level was significantly inhibited at doses of 1 to 100 micrograms/kg. Also, the induction of suppressor T cells by concanavalin A was significantly promoted. In addition, recovery activity was significantly observed, over-coming the reduction in plaque-forming cell (PFC) response of anti-sheep erythrocytes at a dose of 100 micrograms/kg, as well as the reduction in PFC response of anti-trinitrophenylated-lipopolysaccharide at doses of 0.1 to 100 micrograms/kg. The above results prove that lumin exhibits an immunomodulating effect against immune disease in mice.