The effect of Echinops lasiolepis extracts, native plant of yazd province, on peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation and IFN-γ secretion

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of Echinops lasiolepis extract on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) proliferation and interferon (IFN)-γ secretion. PBMCs were obtained from three healthy volunteers and cultured in presence of Echinops lasiolepis methanol extract in different concentrations of 0.1, 1, 10, 100 and 200 µg/ml. Lipopolysacharide (LPS) and Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) were considered as mitogen. BrdU cell proliferation assay was used to determine cell proliferation. The concentration of IFN-γ in the PBMCs supernatant was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Most concentrations of Echinops lasiolepis methanol extract showed inhibitory effect on PBMCs proliferation. There were significant differences between the concentrations of 200, 1 and 0.1 µg/ml (p<0.05). The optimum proliferation (30.66±24.67%) was obtained at concentration 1 µg/ml. The PBMCs supernatant IFN-γ concentrations in extract treated group without PHA and LPS and in PHA activated group were not significantly different. Our findings indicated that Echinops lasiolepis extract has immunomodulating activity which may be potentialy to used as an immunotherapy agent.