C-Phycocyanin ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and induces regulatory T cells

• Published in: International immunopharmacology Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 29 - 38
• Main Authors: Pentón-Rol, Giselle, Martínez-Sánchez, Gregorio, Cervantes-Llanos, Majel, Lagumersindez-Denis, Nielsen, Acosta-Medina, Emilio Felino, Falcón-Cama, Viviana, Alonso-Ramírez, Ruby, Valenzuela-Silva, Carmen, Rodríguez-Jiménez, Efraín, Llópiz-Arzuaga, Alexey, Marín-Prida, Javier, López-Saura, Pedro Antonio, Guillén-Nieto, Gerardo Emilio, Pentón-Arias, Eduardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - isolation & purification; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - analysis; Biomarkers - blood; Brain - immunology; Brain - metabolism; Brain - ultrastructure; Cells, Cultured; Central nervous system; Cyanobacteria - chemistry; Demyelination; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - blood; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - immunology; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - pathology; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - prevention & control; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Hydrocortisone - administration & dosage; Hydrocortisone - therapeutic use; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Male; Medical sciences; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - blood; Multiple Sclerosis - immunology; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neurodegenerative disorder; Neurology; Oxidation-Reduction; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phycocyanin - administration & dosage; Phycocyanin - isolation & purification; Phycocyanin - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Regulatory T cells; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; Neurodegenerative disorder; Multiple sclerosis; Regulatory T cells; Demyelination; Central nervous system; Autoimmunity; Animal model; Nervous system diseases; Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis; Inflammatory disease; Central nervous system disease; T-Lymphocyte; Regulatory cell
• ISSN: 1567-5769; 1878-1705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2010.10.001

For decades Experimental Autoimmune Encephalitis (EAE) has remained as an unsurpassed multiple sclerosis (MS) animal model. C-Phycocyanin (C-Pc) has been reported to exhibit pharmacological properties that may be expected to symptomatically improve EAE and MS. However, in this paper we reveal a basic underlying mechanism that may provide a new approach to the rationale of the overall beneficial effect of this natural antioxidant. We demonstrate that C-Pc is able to trigger mechanisms preventing or downgrading EAE expression and induces a regulatory T cell (Treg) response, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from MS patients. These results agree with reports suggesting that Treg limit acute MS attacks and that C-Pc may act as a neuroprotector and thereby reverts the organic and functional damage in neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Moreover, evidence is provided on the antioxidant activity of C-Pc within the CNS, intended to improve the myelin and axonal damage of EAE induced Lewis rats. Our results indicate that specific Treg activation may represent a central and essential mechanism in supporting the therapeutic potential of C-Pc for MS and may lead to new and more effective therapies; this property would then complement and enhance other proven active principles such as interferons (IFN), giving rise to combined therapies.
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