Alpinia oxyphylla Fruit Extract Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis through the Regulation of Th1/Th17 Cells.

Alpinia oxyphylla Fruit Extract Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis through the Regulation of Th1/Th17 Cells. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:6797030 Authors: Huang KK, Lin MN, Hsu YL, Lu IH, Pan IH, Yang JL Abstract Alpinia oxyphylla is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used for treating diarrhea, ulceration, and enuresis. Moreover, A. oxyphylla is effective for cognitive function improvement and nerve regeneration. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuronal inflammatory autoimmune disease that commonly affects young adults in high-latitude regions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of A. oxyphylla in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model, which is an extensively used model for human MS. The ethanolic extract of A. oxyphylla fruit (AO-1) was orally administered to EAE mice. Our results showed AO-1 significantly reduced EAE symptoms. Histopathological analysis showed AO-1 reduced demyelination, inflammation, gliosis, and axonal swelling in the spinal cord. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) studies revealed that the infiltration of CD4+, CD8+ T cells, and CD11b+ monocytes into the spinal cord decreased in the AO-1-treated group. Mechanistically, the Th1 transcription factor T-bet, Th17 transcription factor retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γ (RORγt), and inflammatory cytokines inte...
Source: Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Category: Complementary Medicine Tags: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Source Type: research