Astragalus Polysaccharide Mediates Immunomodulatory Effects on Crosstalk between Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Ovarian Cancer Cell Line

Abstract

Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is a functional component of Astragalus membranaceus with antitumor and immunomodulatory properties. This study evaluated the effect of APS on the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation, cytokine secretion, and regulatory T cell (Treg) induction in an in vitro coculture model of human PBMCs and A2780 human ovarian cancer cells.
 PBMC proliferation and Treg frequency were measured by flow cytometry. Cytokine levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
 APS significantly enhanced the PBMC proliferation, reduced Treg frequency, decreased anti-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin [IL]-10, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), and increased the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6.
 These findings suggest that APS may be an effective immunomodulatory supplement for cancer therapy, particularly for ovarian cancer by enhancing antitumor immune responses.

Cell Cultures as a Versatile Tool in the Research and Treatment of Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases

“…PBMC cultures provide a basis for long-term experiments in controlled and standardized environments at the cost of time-consuming isolation and the imbalance of transcriptional and nutritional factors that may influence the immunological responses of cells [82]. Moreover, PBMC cultures often require additives such as concanavalin A (Con A) [83] or Astralagus polysaccharide (APS) [84] to enhance their proliferation. PBMCs are widely used in the research of RA and SLE as well as other ACTD.…”