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Kombucha ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis through activation of Treg and Th2 cells

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Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). Kombucha is produced by the fermentation of sugared tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts. This research was designed to reveal the therapeutic impact and the molecular and cellular processes determining the effect of kombucha on MS alleviation in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The EAE was induced using myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG35–55) peptide emulsified in CFA and injected subcutaneously over two flank areas in C57BL/6 mice. In addition, pertussis toxin was injected intraperitoneally and repeated 48 h later. Treatment groups were received three different doses of kombucha (K1: low dose, K2: medium dose and K3: high dose) to obtain a maximum protection. Clinical scores and other criteria were followed daily for the 25 days. At the end of the course, T-helper-related cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-4, and TGF-β) were measured through ELISA. Moreover, nitric oxide (NO) concentration in spinal cord tissue was detected. The severity of disease on the peak of disease in K1, K2, and K3 groups were 3.4 ± 0.18 and 2.6 ± 0.18 and 2 ± 0.14 respectively, compared to the CTRL group with 4.5 ± 0.19 (p < 0.001). Kombucha increased production of interleukin IL-4 (K1 = 95 ± 5, K2 = 110 ± 10, K3 = 115 ± 5 and CTRL = 65 ± 5; p < 0.05) and TGF-β (K1 = 1750 ± 80, K2 = 2050 ± 65, K3 = 2200 ± 75 and CTRL = 850 ± 85; p < 0.001) but concurrently resulted in a remarkable reduction in the production of IFN-γ (K1 = 950 ± 70, K2 = 890 ± 65, K3 = 850 ± 85 and CTRL = 3850 ± 115; p < 0.001) and IL-17 (K1 = 1250 ± 75, K2 = 1050 ± 90, K3 = 970 ± 80 and CTRL = 6450 ± 125; p < 0.001). Moreover, NO concentration in spinal cord tissue in the treatment groups was significantly less than the control group (K1: 35.42 ± 2.1, K2 = 31.21 ± 2.2, K3 = 28.24 ± 2.6 and CTRL = 45.25 ± 2.7; p < 0.05). These results supported that kombucha could reduce the severity of disease in an EAE model through motivating polarization of CD4+ T cells by induction of IL-4 and TGF-β as well as inhibition of IFN-γ and IL-17.

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Funding

The authors would like to thank the authorities in research council of Semnan University of Medical Sciences for their financial support (Grant Numbers 671).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

    Dariush Haghmorad

  2. Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

    Dariush Haghmorad, Bizhan Sadighimoghaddam, Bahman Yousefi, Pegah Sahafi, Narges Ghorbani & Parviz Kokhaei

  3. Department of Immunology and Allergy, Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Esmaeil Yazdanpanah

  4. Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

    Ali Rashidy-Pour

  5. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

    Ali Rashidy-Pour

  6. Immune and Gene Therapy Lab, Cancer Centre Karolinska, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    Parviz Kokhaei

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Haghmorad, D., Yazdanpanah, E., Sadighimoghaddam, B. et al. Kombucha ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis through activation of Treg and Th2 cells. Acta Neurol Belg 121, 1685–1692 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-020-01475-3

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