Thymoquinone, the active ingredient ofNigella sativaseeds, enhances survival and activity of antigen-specific CD8-positive T cellsin vitro

Abstract

Recent preclinical and clinical studies provide evidence that adoptive transfer of in vitro activated T cells can results in significant antitumour responses in vivo upon acquisition of certain survival and homing properties during in vitro activation. Based on recent studies showing in vivo antioxidant effects of thymoquinone (TQ), the active ingredient of Nigella sativa seeds, this study aims to determine whether or not TQ can increase survival and sustain the expression of the homing receptor CD62L in antigen-specific T cells in vitro. The results showed that stimulation of OT-1 (transgenic CD+) T cells with OVA antigen resulted in activation, as shown by a decrease in the surface expression of CD62L which coincided with significant apoptosis measured three and five days after antigen stimulation. Addition of low concentrations of TQ during CD85+ T-cell activation resulted in enhanced survival of the activated T cells and sustained expression of CD62L. These effects coincided with enhancement in the capability of CD8+ T cells to produce the effector cytokine interferon-gamma (IFNgamma). These results suggest that TQ has a beneficial effect in conditioning T cells in vitro for adoptive T-cell therapy against cancer and infectious disease.

Effect of Nigella sativa oil on experimental toxoplasmosis

“…Furthermore, CLN was proven to trigger apoptosis-like cell death of intracellular parasites (Ni Nyoman and Lüder 2013). Whereas, with NSO, through its strong enhancement of immune cells (T helper 1) counteracts the known strategies employed by Toxoplasma to inhibit T lymphocyte function which in turn leads to T cells unresponsive and exhaustion (Liu et al 2006;Salem et al 2011). Therefore, the effect of NSO +PYR combination on survival rate and tachyzoite counts was comparable to that of CLN+PYR (Rodrigues et al 2014).…”

“…The highest significant level was observed in NSO-only treated mice (group III) followed by mice receiving NSO+ PYR (group IV) when compared to infected control (group II). Cytokine release may be the key component in NSO efficacy when cell-mediated immunity is required (Salem et al 2011). In T. gondii cellular immunity develops primarily by local Th-1 host immune responses.…”

“…Nigella sativa oil (NSO) has a potent immunostimulant effect; it increases IFN-γ levels and potentiate T cells in vitro for adoptive T cell therapy against cancer and infectious diseases (Keyhanmanesh et al 2010;Salem et al 2011).Therefore, several therapeutic effects have been described for N. sativa including anti-asthma (Suzuki et al 1988), hypotensive, anti-nociceptive, antifertility, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-microbial (Ali and Blunden 2003). Moreover, NSO has been tried for treatment of cancer (Padhye et al 2008).…”

A review on therapeutic potential of Nigella sativa: A miracle herb

“…These effects coincided with enhancement in the capability of CD8 + T cells to produce the effector cytokine interferon-gamma (IFNgamma). This is concluded that TQ has a beneficial effect in conditioning T cells in vitro for adoptive T-cell therapy against cancer and infectious disease [55] . The cytotoxic effects of different N. sativa seed extracts as an adjuvant therapy to doxorubicin on human MCF-7 breast cancer cells was reported.…”

Antitumor Activity of Monoterpenes Found in Essential Oils

“…Tundis and collaborators [94] demonstrated the possible involvement of the PPAR- γ pathway in the anticancer activity of thymoquinone in breast cancer cells. Thymoquinone enhances survival and activity of antigen-specific CD8-positive T cells in vitro , a result that can be useful in the cancer therapy [95]. Exposure of cancer cells derived from lung, liver, colon, melanoma, and breast to increasing thymoquinone concentrations presented a significant inhibition of viability with an inhibition of Akt phosphorylation, DNA damage, and activation of mitochondrial proapoptotic pathways.…”