Distinctive effects of pilose antler on mouse peripheral blood immune cell populations. Issue 6 (2nd November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zheng, Kexin; Fan, Yudan; Ji, Ruiqin; Ma, Shiliang
• Is Part Of: Food and agricultural immunology. Volume 28:Issue 6(2017)
• Page Start: 1181
• Page End: 1195
• Publication Date: 2017-11-02
• Subjects: Pilose antler -- T cell -- B cell -- NK cell -- memory T cell; Immunochemistry -- Periodicals; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Immunoassay -- Periodicals; 616.079
• DOI: 10.1080/09540105.2017.1332011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-0105

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Pilose antler is a rare animal-sourced traditional Chinese medicine that has been demonstrated to cause a change in total immunity. Little is known about its specific effect on immune cells. In this study, the immunological modulatory effects of pilose antler extract on mice were investigated. Mice were gavaged daily for 7 days with pilose antler extracts, and peripheral blood was analysed by flow cytometry. Our results show that pilose antler extract exerted distinctive effects on the different immune cell types analysed. Pilose antler gavage transiently increased T cell percentage and decreased B cell percentage in peripheral blood. After treatment, the proliferation of killer and helper T cells was stimulated in the short term, but in the longer term, NK and memory T cell populations were increased. These results suggest that pilose antler treatment has both transient and long-term effects on the immune system in mice.