Abstract
These experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of glycyrrhizin(GL) and glycyrrhetinic acid(GA) on histamine synthesis, lymphocyte blastogenesis in C57BL/6J mice splenocytes, IL-1 production, $Ca^{2+}$ uptake by macrophage-like P388D$_{1}$ cells and plaque forming cell assay against SRBC. Histamine contents, lymphocyte blastogenesis, IL-1 activity, $Ca^{2+}$ uptake and plaque forming cell were determined by enzyme isotope method, [sup 3/H]-thymidine incorporation, C3H/HeJ mouse thymocytes proliferation, the addition of 5 $\mu$Ci/ml $^{45}$Ca$^{2+}$ to P388D$_{1}$, cell suspension and assay to sheep red blood cell, respectively. Cytotoxicity, which was expressed as 50% mortality, was occurred by the addition of GL(10$^{-3}$M) and GA(10$^{-4}$M). Histamine production in mouse spleen cell culture was significantly increased by the addition of 0.25 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml of Con A, after 48 hour incubation. Con A dependent T-lymphocyte proliferation was also enhanced by the addition of 0.25 .mu.g/ml of Con A. The effects of GL on histamine contents and T-lymphocyte proliferation were significantly decreased at high dose (10$^{-5}$M), while IL-1 activity was remarkably suppressed by 10$^{-8}$~10$^{-4}$M of GL. $Ca^{2+}$ uptake was not changed, but antibody production was increased by GL(10 mg/kg). GA inhibited histamine contents at 10$^{-9}$~10$^{-7}$ and depressed Con A (0.25 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) dependent T-lymphocyte proliferation at 10$^{-7}$~10$^{-5}$M of GA, but increased suboptimal dose (Con A 0.1 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) at 10$^{-9}$~10$^{-7}$M of GA. IL-1 activity was suppressed by 10$^{-8}$~10$^{-4}$M of GA and $Ca^{2+}$ uptake was enhanced by 10$^{-9}$~10$^{-6}$ of GA, but antibody production was not changed by GA. From the above results, it is suggested that GL and GA have immuno-regulatory action. GL decreased cell-mediated immune response, and increased humoral immune response at high dose. On the other hand, low dose of GA enhanced cell-mediated immune response, while high doses of GA decreased humoral immune reaction.
