Chitosan promotes immune responses, ameliorates glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase, but enhances lactate dehydrogenase levels in normal mice in vivo

Abstract

Chitosan, a naturally derived polymer, has been shown to possess antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties; however, little is known about the effect of chitosan on the immune responses and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in normal mice. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether chitosan has an effect on the immune responses and GOT, GPT and LDH activities in mice in vivo. BALB/c mice were divided into four groups. The negative control group was treated with a normal diet; the positive control group was treated with a normal diet plus orally administered acetic acid and two treatment groups were treated with a normal diet plus orally administered chitosan in acetic acid at doses of 5 and 20 mg/kg, respectively, every other day for 24 days. Mice were weighed during the treatment, and following the treatment, blood was collected, and liver and spleen samples were isolated and weighted. The blood samples were used for measurement of white blood cell markers, and the spleen samples were used for analysis of phagocytosis, natural killer (NK) cell activity and cell proliferation using flow cytometry. The results indicated that chitosan did not markedly affect the body, liver and spleen weights at either dose. Chitosan increased the percentages of CD3 (T-cell marker), CD19 (B-cell marker), CD11b (monocytes) and Mac-3 (macrophages) when compared with the control group. However, chitosan did not affect the phagocytic activity of macrophages in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, although it decreased it in the peritoneal cavity. Treatment with 20 mg/kg chitosan led to a reduction in the cytotoxic activity of NK cells at an effector to target ratio of 25:1. Chitosan did not significantly promote B-cell proliferation in lipopolysaccharide-pretreated cells, but significantly decreased T-cell proliferation in concanavalin A-pretreated cells, and decreased the activity of GOT and GPT compared with that in the acetic acid-treated group,. In addition, it significantly increased LDH activity, to a level similar to that in normal mice, indicating that chitosan can protect against liver injury.

Laminarin Promotes Immune Responses and Reduces Lactate Dehydrogenase but Increases Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase in Normal Mice In Vivo

“…Although it has been reported that laminarin induces immune responses (7,8), although not in a vertebrate model, herein, we show that laminarin did not significantly affect B-and T-cell proliferation when compared to the control group of BALB/c mice in vivo. It is well documented that concanavalin A is a mitogen for T-cells and LPS is for B-cells (16). Although in this study cells were pre-stimulated with these two agents, treatment with laminarin did not elicit B-or T-cell response.…”

HTCC: Broad Range Inhibitor of Coronavirus Entry

“…Thus, HTCCs hold great promise as anticoronaviral agents for use in the treatment of respiratory tract infections. Importantly, chitosan and chitosan-based polymers are not toxic in vivo, as shown by Yeh et al [28]. Further, Zeng et al demonstrated that HTCC is rapidly absorbed from gastrointestinal tract.…”

Chitosan promotes immune responses, ameliorating total mature white blood cell numbers, but increases glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and ameliorates lactate dehydrogenase levels in leukemia mice in vivo

“…Chitosan powder with molecular weight of ~86,000 kDa (Koyo Chemical Co., Ltd, Osaka, Japan) was obtained from the National Taiwan University College of Medicine Animal Medicine Center (Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China). It was dissolved in acetic acid, and 5 and 20 mg/kg solutions were separately suspended in 0.2 ml acetic acid at room temperature for 1 h before use ( 20 ).…”