1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol (EC-18) Modulates Th2 Immunity through Attenuation of IL-4 Expression

Controlling balance between T-helper type 1 (Th1) and T-helper type 2 (Th2) plays a pivotal role in maintaining the biological rhythm of Th1/Th2 and circumventing diseases caused by Th1/Th2 imbalance. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is a Th2-type cytokine and often associated with hypersensitivity-related diseases such as atopic dermatitis and allergies when overexpressed. In this study, we have tried to elucidate the function of 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol (EC-18) as an essential modulator of Th1/Th2 balance. EC-18 has showed an inhibitory effect on the production of IL-4 in a dose-dependent manner. RT-PCR analysis has proved EC-18 affect the transcription of IL-4. By analyzing the phosphorylation status of Signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6), which is a transcriptional activator of IL-4 expression, we discovered that EC-18 induced the decrease of STAT6 activity in several stimulated cell lines, which was also showed in STAT6 reporter analysis. Co-treatment of EC-18 significantly weakened atopy-like phenotypes in mice treated with an allergen. Collectively, our results suggest that EC-18 is a potent Th2 modulating factor by regulating the transcription of IL-4 via STAT6 modulation, and could be developed for immune-modulatory therapeutics.

Effect of 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol on Immune Functions in Healthy Adults in a Randomized Controlled Trial

We previously reported that 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol (PLAG) accelerates hematopoiesis and has an improving effect on animal disease models such as sepsis and asthma. The effects of PLAG supplementation on immune modulation were assessed in healthy men and women. The objective was to evaluate the effects of PLAG supplementation on immune regulatory functions such as activities of immune cells and cytokine production. A randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Seventy-five participants were assigned to one of two groups; all participants had an appropriate number of white blood cells on the testing day. The PLAG group (n=27) received oral PLAG supplements and the control group (n=22) received oral soybean oil supplements. IL-4 and IL-6 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were lower (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively) with PLAG than with soybean oil. However, the production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma by PBMC was unaltered with PLAG supplementation. The B cell proliferation decreased significantly in the PLAG group compared to the soybean oil control (p<0.05). The intake of PLAG in healthy adults for 4 weeks was deemed safe. These data suggest that PLAG has an immunomodulatory function that inhibits the excessive immune activity of immunological disorders such as atopic and autoimmune diseases. PLAG could improve the condition of these diseases safely as a health food supplement.