ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of andrographolide on immune functions and the immune mechanism of its clinical application.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The amounts of IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-8 in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) culture supernatants deal with by different concentrations of LianBiZhi (LBZ) injection made of andrographolide were detected by biological activity test or ELISA in vitro. The effects of LBZ injection on macrophage phagocytotic function and natural killer cells cytotoxicity were examined by means of macrophage to phagocytize cock erythrocyte and measurement of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) activity released from the damaged cells, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The LBZ injection could promote IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha inductions of PBMCs, but had no effect on IL-8. At the same time, the LBZ injection could not only enhance the phagocytosis activity of peritoneal macrophage from guinea pig to phagocytosis cock erythrocyte, but also augment the cytotoxicity mediated by natural killer cells from PBMCs to damage the K562 cell lines.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Andrographolide is an immunostimulant agent which can modulate both antigen specific and nonspecific immune function by means of its natural killer cells and macrophage and cytokines induction.</p>