Immunomodulatory Effects of ZYM-201 on LPS-stimulated B Cells

Abstract

ZYM-201 is a methyl ester of triterpenoid glycoside fromSanguisorba officinalis which has been used for treatment ofinflammatory and metabolic diseases. In this study, immunomodulatoryeffects of ZYM-201 on B cells were examinedin vitro and in vivo. When splenocytes were activatedwith lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the major population whichhad shown an increase in cell numbers was B cells. However,when the B cells were treated with ZYM-201 after LPS activation,their cell numbers and the expression of major costimulatorymolecules, CD80 and CD86, were decreased. Furthermore, the effect of LPS, which induces activation ofNF-κB, was abolished by ZYM-201: LPS-stimulated B cellsshowed decrease of phosphorylation after treatment ofZYM-201. The same results were shown in vivo experiments. These results suggest that ZYM-201 may play a role in themodulation of inflammatory responses through inhibitingNF-κB activation and downregulating the expression of costimulatorymolecules on B cells.