Research

Immunomodulatory responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from multiple sclerosis patients upon in vitro incubation with the flavonoid luteolin: additive effects of IFN-β

Zohara Sternberg¹ , Kailash Chadha² , Alicia Lieberman² , Allison Drake¹ , David Hojnacki¹ , Bianca Weinstock-Guttman¹ and Frederick Munschauer¹

¹  Department of Neurology, Baird MS Center, Jacobs Neurological Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA

²  Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA

author email corresponding author email

Journal of Neuroinflammation 2009, 6:28doi:10.1186/1742-2094-6-28

Published:	13 October 2009

Abstract

The study is aimed to determine the role of luteolin (3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone), alone and in combination with human interferon-beta (IFN-β), in modulating the immune response(s) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. PBMC proliferation in the presence or absence of these drugs was determined and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α), and the ratio of cell migration mediator MMP-9, and its inhibitor, TIMP-1 was assessed in the culture supernatants. Luteolin reduced, in a dose-dependent manner, the proliferation of PBMCs, and modulated the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α released by PBMCs in the culture supernatants. Luteolin reduced the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio via lowering MMP-9 production. In the majority of cases, luteolin, when combined with IFN-β, had additive effects in modulating cell proliferation, IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-9 and TIMP-1.