Immunosuppressive Effect of Prodigiosin on Murine Splenocyte and Macrophages

Abstract

Prodigiosin was isolated from marine bacteria Hahella chejuensis which has been recently discovered from Marado, Cheju Island, Republic of Korea. Immunosuppressive properties have been reported for prodigiosin members such as undecylprodigiosin, metacycloprodigiosin, prodigiosin ,and its synthetic analogue PNU156804 (PNU). However, the effect of this agent on the function of macrophage and splenocyte has not been characterized in detail. In the present study, we examined the effects of prodigiosin for its ability to alter the function of murine macrophage and NK cell, and the proliferation of splenocytes. When thioglycollate-elicited macrophages pre-exposed to prodigiosin (1-50 ng/ml) were stimulated with LPS/IFN-γ, pretreatment with prodigiosin resulted in the inhibition of tumoricidal activity of macrophage in a concentration-dependent manner. Tumoricidal activity of NK cell was also inhibited by prodigiosin. Moreover, we found that prodigiosin was able to cause a dose-dependent inhibition of murine lymphocyte responsiveness to Con A and LPS although T-mitogenic response was the more sensitive one. Taken together, the present results point out that prodigiosin has a suppressive effect on the mitogen-induced proliferation of murine lymphocytes and the function of macrophage and NK cell.