Suppression of Th2 immune responses by the sulfated polysaccharide from Porphyra haitanensis in tropomyosin-sensitized mice.

The sulfated polysaccharide from Porphyra was hypothesized to exhibit immunoregulatory, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activity, but its anti-allergic activity is not fully understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to isolate sulfated polysaccharide from Porphyra haitanensis (PHPS) and investigate its anti-allergic potential using a tropomyosin (TM)-induced mouse allergy model. Intraperitoneal injection of PHPS suppressed the allergic reaction by modulating serum IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a levels in mice. In particular, when PHPS was injected prior to the first immunization with TM, the IgE level decreased by 34.2% compared with the control (PBS) group. Oral therapeutic administration of PHPS to TM-sensitized mice decreased histamine release and repaired the pathology in the jejunum of the small intestine. In vitro, the mRNA expressions of the TM-induced Th2 cytokines (interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5 and IL-13) in splenic lymphocytes were reduced by PHPS; however, the expression of Th1 and regulatory cytokines (interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and IL-10) were up-regulated in PHPS-treated splenic lymphocytes. In the splenic lymphocyte supernatant, the IL-4, IL-13 and IFN-γ levels were also regulated by PHPS. Moreover, PHPS induced IFN-γ secretion via the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) signaling pathways. Therefore, these results suggest that PHPS suppresses the TM-induced allergic reaction, possibly by modulating the imbalance of the Th1/Th2 immune response.

Allergenicity and allergens of amphipods found in nori (dried laver).

Gammaridean and caprellid amphipods, crustaceans of the order Amphipoda, inhabit laver culture platforms and, hence, are occasionally found in nori (dried laver) sheets. Amphipods mixed in nori may cause allergic reactions in sensitized patients, as is the case with other crustaceans, such as shrimp and crab, members of the order Decapoda. In this study, dried samples of amphipods (unidentified) found in nori and fresh samples of gammaridean amphipod (Gammarus sp., not accurately identified) and caprellid amphipod (Caprella equilibra) were examined for allergenicity and allergens using two species of decapods (black tiger prawn and spiny lobster) as references. When analyzed by ELISA, sera from crustacean-allergic patients reacted to extracts from amphipod samples, although less potently than to the extracts from decapods. In IgE-immunoblotting, a 37-kDa protein was found to be the major allergen in amphipods. Based on the molecular mass and the cross-reactivity with decapod tropomyosin evidenced by inhibition ELISA and inhibition immunoblotting, the 37-kDa protein was identified as amphipod tropomyosin.