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. 2017 Nov 23;27(1):227-232.
doi: 10.1007/s10068-017-0255-3. eCollection 2018 Feb.

Effects of ginsenosides on regulatory T cell differentiation

Jisu Kim  1 , Hyeyoung Byeon  1 , Kyungtaek Im  1 , Hyeyoung Min  1
Affiliations

Effects of ginsenosides on regulatory T cell differentiation

Jisu Kim et al. Food Sci Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) are a subpopulation of T cells defined as CD4+Foxp3+CD25+. They mainly function as immunosuppressive T cells by downregulating the induction and proliferation of effector T cells, but also modulate the immune system by maintaining self-tolerance and preventing autoimmune disease. In this study, the regulatory roles of ginsenosides, one of the active components in ginseng, Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, in Treg cell differentiation were examined. The results demonstrated that ginsenoside Rd induced Treg differentiation by upregulating Foxp3 expression and increased the generation of TGF-β1, IL-10 and IL-35. The data suggest that ginsenoside Rd may be a potential immunomodulating agent or supplement that can be applied for transplantation and autoimmune disorders.

Keywords: Foxp3; Ginsenoside; Korean red ginseng; Regulatory T cell.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Cytotoxic effects of ginsenosides on Treg cells. Cell viability was observed by MTT assay under Treg differentiation condition, and expressed as the percent ratio of ginsenoside (100 μM) treatment normalized over 0.5% DMSO control value
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Effects of ginsenosides on Treg differentiation. CD4+ T cells from C57BL/6 mice were differentiated into Treg cells in the presence of various ginsenosides, and Treg cell differentiation was determined based on Foxp3 expression. Effects of ginsenosides on Treg differentiation (A). Dose-dependent effects of ginsenoside Rd (G-Rd) on Treg differentiation in C57BL/6 mice (B). Increase in Foxp3GFP+ Treg differentiation by G-Rd treatment (C, D). Flow cytometry plot shows the representative result of three experiments with similar results
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Changes in the production of inhibitory cytokines by G-Rd treatment. Expression levels of TGF-β (A), IL-10 (B), and IL-35 (C) were measured by ELISA for TGF-β and by flow cytometry for IL-10 and IL-35 after G-Rd treatment. Flow cytometry plots show the representative results of three experiments with similar results
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