RESUMEN
Echinacea purpurea has been widely used for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infections and the common cold. The restraint stress has been reported to suppress a broad spectrum of immune functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of the pressed juice of E. purpurea (L.) Moench (EFLA®894; Echinacea) against restraint stress-induced immunosuppression in BALB/c mice. Echinacea significantly normalized the restraint stress-induced reduction in splenocyte proliferation and splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity (P < .05). Echinacea treatment significantly increased the percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the blood (P < .05). In addition, Echinacea restored serum cytokine levels, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-17 (IL-17), as well as the mRNA expressions of these cytokines in spleen (P < .05). Our findings suggest that Echinacea might have beneficial effects on restraint stress-induced immunosuppression by increasing splenocyte proliferation and NK cell activity, while modulating T lymphocyte subsets and cytokine levels in the blood.
Asunto(s)
Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/uso terapéutico , Suplementos Dietéticos , Echinacea/química , Componentes Aéreos de las Plantas/química , Extractos Vegetales/uso terapéutico , Estrés Fisiológico/inmunología , Estrés Psicológico/inmunología , Animales , Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/administración & dosificación , Biomarcadores/sangre , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Linfocitos T CD4-Positivos/inmunología , Linfocitos T CD4-Positivos/metabolismo , Linfocitos T CD4-Positivos/patología , Linfocitos T CD8-positivos/inmunología , Linfocitos T CD8-positivos/metabolismo , Linfocitos T CD8-positivos/patología , Proliferación Celular , Células Cultivadas , Citocinas/antagonistas & inhibidores , Citocinas/sangre , Citocinas/genética , Citocinas/metabolismo , Terapia de Inmunosupresión/efectos adversos , Terapia de Inmunosupresión/psicología , Células Asesinas Naturales/inmunología , Células Asesinas Naturales/metabolismo , Células Asesinas Naturales/patología , Recuento de Linfocitos , Masculino , Ratones Endogámicos BALB C , Extractos Vegetales/administración & dosificación , Distribución Aleatoria , Restricción Física/efectos adversos , Restricción Física/psicología , Bazo/inmunología , Bazo/metabolismo , Bazo/patología , Estrés Psicológico/etiología , Estrés Psicológico/metabolismo , Estrés Psicológico/patologíaRESUMEN
The field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) posits that relationships exist between stress, immunological impairment, and health outcomes. Accumulating evidence suggests that stress may hasten HIV disease progression by increasing viral replication, suppressing immune response, and inducing deleterious health-related behaviors. Interventions that attenuate the effects of stress are postulated to operate by altering cognitive perception and/or modulating neuroendocrine and sympathetic reactivity. A review of HIV/PNI intervention studies is presented as a guide for the inclusion of stress reduction interventions in comprehensive plans of care for HIV-infected individuals. Although effect and sample sizes are small, the results of these studies provide support for a positive effect of various interventions on immunological and health-related indices in HIV-infected individuals.