Effects of carboxymethylpachymaran on signal molecules in chicken immunocytes

The study was carried out to investigate the immunomodulation mechanism of carboxymethylpachymaran (CMP). Chicken splenic lymphocytes were cultured in medium alone or with CMP at the final concentration of 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, 200 mg/L or 400 mg/L in vitro for 4 h, 8 h, 12 h or 24 h, respectively. The supernatants at different culture periods were analyzed for changes in levels of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-keto-PGF1α), thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and nitric oxide (NO). The cells were collected to determine contents of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), reduced glutathione (GSH), cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP). The results showed that CMP increase the values of NO, 6-keto-PGF1α, TXB2, and the ratio of 6-keto-PGF1α to TXB2 in supernatants. The contents of intracellular GSH, cAMP, cGMP and the ratio of cAMP to cGMP were increased in the cells treated with CMP. The results suggested that CMP enhanced immune functions by increasing the contents of GSH and by regulating arachidonic acid signal transduction systems in chicken splenic lymphocytes. The signal pathway of NO-cGMP plays an important role in CMP-induced activation of chicken splenic lymphocytes.