Immunobiological Studies on Beta-Carotene

베타-카로틴의 면역생물학적 연구

Effects of beta-carotene on the immunobiological responses were studied in ICR mice. ICR male mice were divided into 8 groups (10 mice/group), and beta-carotene at doses of 4, 20 and 100 mg/kg were orally administered to ICR mice once daily for 28 consecutive days. Cyclophosphamide (CY) was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) to ICR mice with a single dose of 5 mg/kg body weight at 2 days before secondary immunization. Mice were sensitized and challenged with sheep red blood cells (5-RBC). Immune responses were evaluated by humoral immunity, cellular immunity and non-specific immunity. The results of this study were summarized as follows: (1) Beta-carotene significantly increased the weight ratios of liver, spleen and thymus to body weight depending on dose, and significantly increased the increasing rate of body weight and the number of circulating leukocyte. (2) Beta-carotene dose-dependently increased hemagglutination titer, Arthus reaction and hemolytic plaque forming cell related to humoral immunity. (3) Beta-carotene significantly increased delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction and rosette forming cell related to cellular immunity. (4) Beta-carotene dose-dependently increased phagocytic activity, and significantly increased natural killer (NK) cell activity. (5) Beta-carotene dose-dependently inhibited reductions in humoral immunity, cellular immunity, NK cell activity and phagocytic activity by treatment with CY.