Int J Mol Sci. 2014 Jul 14;15(7):12469-79. doi: 10.3390/ijms150712469.

Ficus carica polysaccharides promote the maturation and function of dendritic cells.

Tian J1, Zhang Y2, Yang X3, Rui K4, Tang X5, Ma J6, Chen J7, Xu H8, Lu L9, Wang S10.

• 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212002, China. tjj850913@163.com.
• 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212002, China. einachang@163.com.
• 3School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China. zjyxm2003@hotmail.com.
• 4Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212002, China. j827864988@163.com.
• 5Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212002, China. xinyitang0301@sina.com.
• 6School of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China. zjflmj19780723@126.com.
• 7Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212002, China. cjg02@126.com.
• 8School of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China. xuhx@ujs.edu.cn.
• 9Department of Pathology and Centre of Infection and Immunology, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China. liweilu@hkucc.hku.hk.
• 10Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212002, China. sjwjs@mail.ujs.edu.cn.

Abstract

Various polysaccharides purified from plants are considered to be biological response modifiers and have been shown to enhance immune responses.

Ficus carica L. is a Chinese traditional plant and has been widely used in Asian countries for its anti-tumor properties. Ficus carica polysaccharides (FCPS), one of the most essential and effective components in Ficus carica L., have been considered to be a beneficial immunomodulator and may be used in immunotherapy. However, the immunologic mechanism of FCPS is still unclear.

Dectin-1 is a non-toll-like pattern recognition receptor, predominately expressed on dendritic cells (DCs). Activation of DCs through dectin-1 signaling can lead to the maturation of DC, thus inducing both innate and adaptive immune responses against tumor development and microbial infection.

In our study, we found that FCPS could effectively stimulate DCs, partially through the dectin-1/Syk pathway, and promote their maturation, as shown by the up-regulation of CD40, CD80, CD86, and major histocompatibility complex II (MHCII). FCPS also enhanced the production of cytokines by DCs, including IL-12, IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-23. Moreover, FCPS-treated DCs showed an enhanced capability to stimulate T cells and promote T cell proliferation. Altogether, these results demonstrate that FCPS are able to activate and maturate DCs, thereby up-regulating the immunostimulatory capacity of DCs, which leads to enhanced T cell responses.

PMID:  25026176