Orally administered β-glucan attenuates the Th2 response in a model of airway hypersensitivity

Burg, A., Quigley, L., Jones, Adam V., O'Connor, G., Boelte, K., McVicar, D. and Orr, Selinda Jane 2016. Orally administered β-glucan attenuates the Th2 response in a model of airway hypersensitivity. SpringerPlus 5 , 815. 10.1186/s40064-016-2501-1

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Abstract

β-Glucan is a polysaccharide that can be extracted from fungal cell walls. Wellmune WGP®, a preparation of β-1,3/1,6-glucans, is a dietary supplement that has immunomodulating properties. Here we investigated the effect WGP had on a mouse model of asthma. OVA-induced asthma in mice is characterized by infiltration of eosinophils into the lung, production of Th2 cytokines and IgE. Daily oral administration of WGP (400μg) significantly reduced the influx of eosinophils into the lungs of OVA-challenged mice compared to control mice. In addition, WGP inhibited pulmonary production of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13), however serum IgE levels were unaffected by WGP treatment. These data indicate that WGP could potentially be useful as an oral supplement for some asthma patients, however, it would need to be combined with therapies that target other aspects of the disease such as IgE levels. As such, further studies that examine the potential of WGP in combination with other therapies should be explored.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Medicine Systems Immunity Research Institute (SIURI)
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General) R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Publisher:	Springer
ISSN:	2193-1801
Funders:	NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Cancer Institute., Sir Henry Dale Fellowship jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society (Grant Number 099953/Z/12/Z).
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 June 2016
Date of Acceptance:	2 June 2016
Last Modified:	05 May 2023 22:27
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/92162

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