This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chevrier, M. R. Articles by Via, C. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chevrier, M. R. Articles by Via, C. S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, May 2005, p. 575-580, Vol. 12, No. 5
1071-412X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CDLI.12.5.575-580.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Boswellia carterii Extract Inhibits TH1 Cytokines and Promotes TH2 Cytokines In Vitro

Marc R. Chevrier,^1, Abigail E. Ryan,¹ David Y.-W. Lee,² Ma Zhongze,² Zhang Wu-Yan,² and Charles S. Via^1*

Research Service, Baltimore VAMHCS and Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201,¹ McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts²

Received 18 November 2004/ Returned for modification 14 January 2005/ Accepted 23 February 2005

Traditional herbal formulas used to treat inflammatory arthritis in China and India include Boswellia carterii or Boswellia serrata. They both contain boswellic acids (BAs) which have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic properties. This study tests the hypothesis that mixtures of BAs derived from B. carterii have immunomodulatory properties. B. carterii plant resin obtained from China was prepared as an ethanol extract, and the presence of seven BAs was confirmed by column chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and UV laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectroscopy. The extract was then tested for its ability to alter in vitro production of TH1 cytokines (interleukin-2 [IL-2] and gamma interferon) and TH2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) by murine splenocytes. Delivery of the resin extract using ethanol as a solvent resulted in significant cellular toxicity not seen with the addition of ethanol alone. By contrast, delivery of the resin extract using a sesame oil solvent resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of TH1 cytokines coupled with a dose-dependent potentiation of TH2 cytokines. These results indicate that a purified mixture of BAs from B. carterii plant resin exhibits carrier-dependent immunomodulatory properties in vitro.

Present address: Human Genome Sciences Inc., 14200 Shady Grove Rd., Rockville, MD 20850.