Effects of naturally occurring flavonoids on mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation and mixed lymphocyte culture

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) Vol. 54; no. 5; pp. 313 - 320
• Main Authors: Namgoong, S.Y., Son, K.H., Chang, H.W., Kang, S.S., Kim, H.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 1994; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Concanavalin A - pharmacology; Flavonoids - pharmacology; General pharmacology; Glycosides - pharmacology; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; Lymphocyte Activation - drug effects; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mitogens - pharmacology; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - drug effects; Stimulation, Chemical; Cell proliferation; Immunomodulation; Pharmacognosy; Rodentia; Flavonoid; In vitro; Medicinal plant; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Structure activity relation; Mouse; Animal; Plant origin; Immunosuppressive agent; Lymphocyte
• ISSN: 0024-3205; 1879-0631
• DOI: 10.1016/0024-3205(94)00787-X

In this investigation, 34 structurally different flavonoids including derivatives of chalcone, flavanone, flavan-3-ol, flavone, flavonol, and their glycosides were evaluated for in vitro suppression of mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation and mixed lymphocyte culture from mouse spleen. Flavonoids, mainly derivatives of flavone and flavonol, clearly demonstrated the suppressive effects on lymphocyte proliferation at higher than 10−6 M depending on the structures of flavonoid molecules, although their suppressive activities were less than that of cyclosporin A or prednisolone. Various glycosidic substitutions to A- and/or C-ring of the flavonoid aglycones were found to eliminate the suppressive activities of their aglycones, regardless of sugar compositions and positions of substitutions. In concanavalin A-induced lymphocyte proliferation, derivatives of flavone and flavonol having 2,3-unsaturation and at least 1 hydroxyl group showed the suppressive activity. In lipopolysaccharide-induced lymphocyte proliferation, only myricetin was active among flavonoids tested at the concentrations up to 10−5 M. In mixed lymphocyte culture, some derivatives of flavone and flavonol with 2,3-unsaturation were active and especially flavone derivatives showed the higher suppressive activities than those of the flavonol derivatives.