Effects of phellodendron and its main components on the cell membrane fluidity / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the effect of phellodendron and three kinds of its main components, which have asuppressive effect on the immune system, on the membrane fluidity of normal murine splenocytes. METHODS: The fluidity ofmembrane lipid regions of splenocytes was determined by the fluorescence polarization technique using 1, 6 - diphenyl - 1, 3, 5- heatriene (DPH) as a fluorescence probe. RESULTS: The results showed that the water extract of phellodendron and one of itsmain components (palmatine) increased the cell membrane fluidity in the inactive state, but the other two components, berberineand jatrorrhizine, decreased the cell membrane fluidity. After activated by ConA, all of them can decrease the cell membrane flu-idity. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that their immunosuppressive function might be due to decreasing the cell membranefluidity.