Volume 24, Issue 103, May - June, 2020

The immunostimulating effect of Echinacea purpurea L. root extract on the model of immunodeficiency induced by cyclosporine in rats

Haneen L. Bakheet¹, Hala A.H. Khattab^1,2, Seham K. Abounasef^3,4, Buthaina M. Aljehany¹

¹Food and Nutrition Dept., Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, KAU, Jeddah, KSA
²Nutrition and Food Science Dept., Faculty of Home Economics, Helwan University, Egypt
³Anatomy Dept., Faculty of Medicine, KAU, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
⁴Histology and Cell Biology Dept., Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

ABSTRACT

Many plants have studied recently to protect the negative impact of immunosuppressive drugs. Echinacea purpurea root extract (EPR) has immunostimulatory effects. The present research was conducted to assess the potential effect of EPR on the immunosuppressive action of cyclosporine-A (CsA) in rats. Male adult Wistar albino rats (n=32) were classified into four equal groups: control, CsA, CsA+ EPR 100 mg/kg/day, and CsA + EPR 200 mg/kg/day. After 21 days, blood was collected for measuring serum inflammatory cytokines levels (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α)). Formalin-fixed splenic specimens were used for immunohistochemical staining for CD3 T lymphocytes and CD56 natural killer cells (NKC). Frozen spleen homogenates were used for detection of the antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). The results displayed that pretreatment of CsA injected rats with both EPR doses significantly increased SOD and GST levels. EPR pretreated CsA rats showed a significant elevation in the area percent of the CD3+ T lymphocytes and CD56+ NKC. Besides, EPR pretreatment increased splenic immunostaining of CD3+ T lymphocytes and CD56+NKC compared to CsA group. The high dose was the most effective compared with the low dose. Hence, this study concluded that EPR has immunostimulant and antioxidant effects that inhibit the side effects of CsA. Further studies were warned to investigate the EPR effects on the cytotoxicity of CsA.

Keywords: Immunosuppression, Echinacea purpurea root, antioxidants, cytokines, T lymphocyte, immunohistochemistry

Medical Science, 2020, 24(103), 1708-1717

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