Mitogenic activity of high molecular polysaccharide fractions isolated from the cuppressaceae Thuja Occidentalis L. enhanced cytokine-production by thyapolysaccharide, g-fraction (TPSg)

Thuja polysaccharide g fraction (TPSg) was shown to be an inducer of the CD4+ fraction of the human peripheral blood T-cell subset (1,2). Furthermore, it could be demonstrated that TPSg is a potent inhibitor of the expression of HIV-1-specific antigens and of the HIV-1-specific reverse transcriptase (3). This report deals with the cytokine pattern induced by TPSg in human peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) and purified monocyte/macrophage cultures. In addition, a further characterization of the CD4+ T-cell fraction stimulated by TPSg was performed by FACS analysis. TPSg is induces IL-Iβ, IL-2, IL-3, IL-6, γ-IFN, G-CSF, GM-CSF, and TNF-β production in PBL cultures; and IL-1β and IL-6 in monocyte/macronphage cultures. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) demonstrated that no IL-4 was produced by PBL cultures under TPSg influence.