Development of bioactive functions in Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium. VII. Immunomodulatory activities of thunberginol A and related compounds on lymphocyte proliferation.

Immunomodulatory activities of constituents isolated from Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium and their related compounds on lymphocyte proliferation were investigated using splenocytes and lymph node cells. Thunberginol A (TA) significantly suppressed B lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 10(-5) M. However TA at a lower concentration (10(-6) M) and the other compounds, except hydrangenol and 3'-hydroxyhydrangeaic acid, tended to potentiate B lymphocytes proliferation (10(-5) M). On the other hand, thunberginol A significantly suppressed T lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by concanavalin A (Con A), but did not suppress phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Hydrocortisone and cyclosporin A strongly suppressed T lymphocyte proliferation induced by both Con A and PHA. These results suggest that thunberginol A acts on both B and T lymphocytes and may have a suppressive mechanism different from the known immunosuppressants. The cytotoxicity of TA for splenocytes seemed weaker than known immunosuppressants resulting from viability tests using MTT assay and the measurement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released in the medium. Moreover, TA suppressed antigen-specific T lymphocyte proliferation in mice lymph node cells immunized with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Thus, these findings show that TA has a suppressive effect on lymphocyte activation, and this inhibitory effect of TA seems to contribute to its suppressive effect on type IV allergies.