Immunomodulation Induced By Chinese Medicine Herb, Rhodiola algida, On Th1- and Th2-dependent Cytokine Production

Abstract

Recent developments has shown that the Rhodiola plant has potent adaptogenic, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, immune enhancing activities and immunomodulatory activity. Rhodiola algida (R. algida) is one of most effective species of Rhodiola and has clinically proven potential in enhancing human immune responses. However, its underlying mechanism in immunomodulation is still unclear. Although immunomodulatory Chinese Medicinal herbs have been used extensively in basic research or clinic, there are still many problems that hinder its popularity in the world. This is because of 1) a lack of proper quality control and 2) obscure biological mechanisms have seriously limited their further development. The current study provides a quantitative assay for the marker compound, salidroside, in an R. algida extract for ensuring the extraction method used in the following experiments. It suggests that the HPLC method used for quantitative assay is simple, quick and reliable. Biological assay indicated that R. algida stimulates human peripheral blood lymphocytes and the underlying immunomodulating effects might be through its regulation of IL-2 in Th1 cells and IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 in Th2 cells. In summary, R. algida is a Chinese herb with potential to regulate human immune responses through modulating both Th1 and Th2 immunities. The findings may enable us to further explain the pharmacological properties in clinic and make R. algida a very promising immunomodulating agent.