Dietary Chlorella vulgaris Ameliorates Altered Immunomodulatory Functions in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppressive Mice

Abstract

Based on the well-known toxicity of cyclophosphamide (CYP) on the immune system, this research investigated the modulating effects of the long-term dietary Chlorella vulgaris (CV) supplementation on the immunosuppression induced by CYP in mice, in order to provide a novel dietary design to mitigate the side effects of CYP therapy. Control, CYP-treated, CYP + CV (6%), CYP + CV (12%) and CYP + CV (24%) were used for 6 weeks, CV supplement in diet recovered the significantly reduced immunological function in CYP treated mice. As CV may have a modulating function through the inducible expression of cytokines, we assayed the expressions of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-12 (IL-12), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Our results suggested that CYP significantly reduced the lymphocytes proliferation and phagocytic activities of macrophages, and stimulated the production of IL-2, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ and that this impairment has been successfully adjusted by CV supplementation. Treatment with the algae also enhanced the natural killer (NK) cells cytotoxicity, and ameliorate histological changes of the spleen in CYP-treated mice. Therefore, as we found in this study, a diet supplemented with whole CV has beneficial effects on CVP-induced immunosuppression, through its immunomodulatory potential.

Immunomodulatory effect of Schisandra polysaccharides in cyclophosphamide‑induced immunocompromised mice

“…Macrophages, an important type of immune cell, have a key role in the immune response and host defense, and mediate inflammation in non-specific immunity by phagocytosis to kill and clear away pathogens and foreign bodies ( 22 , 23 ). It is known that Cyp significantly lowers the phagocytosis of mouse macrophages ( 2 ). The present study indicated that SCP significantly preserves the function of macrophages of Cyp-induced immunocompromised mice.…”

“…Malignant tumors are a serious threat to the health of patients and a burden on their families and society. Cyclophosphamide (Cyp) is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of malignant tumors, but due to its severe immunosuppressive adverse effect ( 1 , 2 ), it is necessary to co-administer drugs with immunomodulatory function and food supplements with an immune-regulating function.…”

Chlorella sp. and Nannochloropsis sp. Inclusion in Plant-Based Diets Modulate the Intestine and Liver Antioxidant Mechanisms of European Sea Bass Juveniles

“…Besides their value as protein and lipid sources, microalgae are also being considered for their health-promoting potential, as they are a rich source of bioactive compounds, such as pigments, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (14). These bioactive compounds are reported to have a high spectrum of biological functions, including anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities (15)(16)(17).…”

Effect of inhibiting ACAT‑1 expression on the growth and metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma

“…The avasimibe and CTX+avasimibe group exhibited increased spleen weights and spleen index values compared with the control group, but these values were higher in the avasimibe treatment group compared with the CTX+avasimibe group, which may be due to the effects of CTX on the immune system in these mice. CTX is commonly used as an immunosuppressant to inhibit tumor growth, which may inhibit immune system function (43–45). Furthermore, the inhibition of ACAT-1 by avasimibe may improve the immune function in mice (38,41,42).…”