Studies of immunomodulating actions of carotenoids. II. Astaxanthin enhances in vitro antibody production to T-dependent antigens without facilitating polyclonal B-cell activation.

Previously we have shown that astaxanthin, a carotenoid without provitamin A activity, enhances in vitro antibody (Ab) production to sheep red blood cells in normal B6 mice. In this study, we further attempted to examine the mechanisms of this enhancing action of carotenoids on specific Ab production in vitro in relation to different antigen (Ag) stimuli, cytokine production, and T- and B-cell interactions in both normal and autoimmune strains of mice. When the actions of carotenoids were tested in normal strains of mice, we found that astaxanthin enhanced in vitro Ab production to T cell-dependent Ag, but not to T-independent Ag, and did not augment total immunoglobulin production. Astaxanthin exerted maximum enhancing actions when it was present at the initial period of Ag priming. This action of astaxanthin was abolished when T cells were depleted from spleen cell suspensions and appeared to require direct interactions between T and B cells. The results also indicated that carotenoids may modulate the production of interferon-tau in this assay system. When the actions of carotenoids were tested in autoimmune-prone MRL and NZB mice, the enhancing action of astaxanthin on in vitro Ab production was less significant. Furthermore, carotenoids did not potentiate or augment spontaneous Ab and immunoglobulin production by spleen cells in these strains. Taken together, carotenoids without provitamin A activity may be able to augment in vitro specific Ab production to T cell-dependent Ag partly through affecting the initial stage of Ag presentation without facilitating polyclonal B-cell activation or autoantibody production.