Herbal supplement formula of Elephantopus scaber and Sauropus androgynus promotes IL-2 cytokine production of CD4+T cells in pregnant mice with typhoid fever

Abstract

Production of IL-2 by CD4+ T cells is shown to be suppressed in pregnant women infected by bacteria such as Salmonella typhi. Elephantopus scaber and Sauropus androgynus may be used as herbal supplement to ameliorate this condition. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of E. scaber and S. androgynus formulation to promote lymphoid proliferation and CD4 cytokine productions. The pregnant mice were randomly divided into seven experimental groups: K-(control), K+ (with S. typhi), P1 (S. typhi + E. scaber 100%), P2 (S. typhi E. scaber 75% and S. androgynus 25%), P3 (S. typhi+ E. scaber 50% and S. androgynus 50%), P4 (S. typhi+scaber 25% and S. androgynus 75%), and P5 (S. typhi S. androgynus 100%). FACS analysis was done on day 18. Typhoid fever caused decreasing IL-2 and IFN-γ and in contrast increasing IL-4 production. In this experiment we clearly showed that typhoid fever decreased the amount of CD4 T cells but rather increased the amount of B cells. Formulation of E. scaber and S. andogynus was able to ameliorate the condition by increasing IL-2, IFN-γ, CD4 T cells and decreasing both IL-4 cytokine production and the amount of B cells.