Immunomodulatory Effect of Agave tequilana Evaluated on an Autoimmunity Like-SLE Model Induced in Balb/c Mice with Pristane

Abstract

In this work, the immunomodulatory activity of the acetone extract and the fructans obtained from Agave tequilana were evaluated, on the systemic autoimmunity type-SLE model generated by the administration of 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane (TMPD, also known as pristane) on Balb/c female mice. The systemic autoimmunity type-SLE was observed seven months after the application of TMPD, in which the animals from the negative control group (animals with damage and without any other treatment) developed articular inflammation, proteinuria, an increment of the antinuclear antibody titters and tissue pro-inflammatory cytokines levels (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α e IFN-γ) as well as the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. The administration of the different treatments and the extracts of A. tequilana, provoked the decrease of: articular inflammation, the development of proteinuria, ssDNA/dsDNA antinuclear antibody titters and cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-10. The phytochemical analysis of the acetone extract identified the presence of the following compounds: β-sitosterol glycoside; 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol (phytol); octadecadienoic acid-2,3-dihydroxypropyl ester; stigmasta-3,5-dien-7-one; cycloartenone and cycloartenol. Therefore, A. tequilana contains active compounds with the capacity to modify the evolution of the systemic autoimmunity type-SLE on a murine model.

Keywords: Agave tequilana; SLE; autoimmunity; inflammation; pristane.

Figure 1

Effect of the oral administration of different treatments on joint size of Balb/c female mice with SLE induced with pristane. Methotrexate, 3 mg/Kg (Mtx); prednisone, 2.5 mg/Kg (Pdn); Agave acetone extract, 50 mg/Kg (ExA); fructans, 50 mg/Kg (Fr); mixture of acetone extract and fructans, 100 mg/Kg (MxAFr) (each column represents an average ± S.E., n = 12, ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test, * p < 0.05 compared to the negative control group).

Figure 2

Effect of oral administration of different treatments on the concentration of urine protein of Balb/c female mice with SLE induced with pristane. Methotrexate, 3 mg/Kg (Mtx); prednisone, 2.5 mg/Kg (Pdn); Agave acetone extract, 50 mg/Kg (ExA); fructans, 50 mg/Kg (Fr); mixture of acetone extract and fructans, 100 mg/Kg (MxAFr) (each column represents an average ± S.E., n = 12, ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test, * p < 0.05 compared to the negative control group).

Figure 3

Effect of oral administration of different treatments on the concentration of antinuclear autoantibodies (anti-ssDNA, anti-dsDNA) in serum of Balb/c female mice with SLE induced by pristine administration. Methotrexate, 3 mg/Kg (Mtx); prednisone, 2.5 mg/Kg (Pdn); Agave acetone extract, 50 mg/Kg (ExA); fructans, 50 mg/Kg (Fr); mixture of acetone extract and fructans, 100 mg/Kg (MxAFr) (each column represents an average ± S.E., n = 12, ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test, * p < 0.05 compared to the negative control group).

Figure 4

Effect of oral administration of different treatment on the concentrations of different cytokines obtained from kidney homogenates of Balb/c female mice with SLE induced by TMPD. (a) IL-1β; (b) IL-6; (c) TNF-α; (d) IFN-γ; (e) IL-10. Methotrexate, 3 mg/Kg (Mtx); prednisone, 2.5 mg/Kg (Pdn); Agave acetone extract, 50 mg/Kg (ExA); fructans, 50 mg/Kg (Fr); mixture of acetone extract and fructans, 100 mg/Kg (MxAFr) (each bar represents an average ± S.E., n = 12, ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test, * p < 0.05 compared to the negative control group).