Propolis anti-inflammatory effects on MAGE-1 and retinoic acid-treated dendritic cells and on Th1 and T regulatory cells

• Published in: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
• Main Authors: Karina Basso Santiago, Bruno José Conti, Eliza de Oliveira Cardoso, Fernanda Lopes Conte, Karen Ingrid Tasca, Graziela Gorete Romagnoli, Marjorie de Assis Golim, Maria Tereza Cruz, José Maurício Sforcin
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SciELO 2023
• Subjects: Dendritic cells; T CD4+ cells; MAGE-1; Retinoic acid; Propolis; Immunomodulation; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Toxicology. Poisons; RA1190-1270; Zoology; QL1-991; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2022-0044; https://doaj.org/article/8f38ce5cd8fc4695b740345fd4dd97c1

Abstract Background: Propolis exhibits huge potential in the pharmaceutical industry. In the present study, its effects were investigated on dendritic cells (DCs) stimulated with a tumor antigen (MAGE-1) and retinoic acid (RA) and on T lymphocytes to observe a possible differential activation of T lymphocytes, driving preferentially to Th1 or Treg cells. Methods: Cell viability, lymphocyte proliferation, gene expression (T-bet and FoxP3), and cytokine production by DCs (TNF-α, IL-10, IL-6 and IL-1β) and lymphocytes (IFN-γ and TGF-β) were analyzed. Results: MAGE-1 and RA alone or in combination with propolis inhibited TNF-α production and induced a higher lymphoproliferation compared to control, while MAGE-1 + propolis induced IL-6 production. Propolis in combination with RA induced FoxP3 expression. MAGE-1 induced IFN-γ production while propolis inhibited it, returning to basal levels. RA inhibited TGF-β production, what was counteracted by propolis. Conclusion: Propolis affected immunological parameters inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines and favoring the regulatory profile, opening perspectives for the control of inflammatory conditions.