After antigen uptake, immature DCs become mature and sensitize naive T cells, which leads to clonal expansion and differentiation into effector helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells, which

produce IFN-γ. Mouse DCs treated with ginsenosides in a recent study showed a suppressed maturation process [10]. In mouse DCs stimulated with LPS, the ginsenosides inhibit the secretion of IL-12, an important cytokine that induces T cell activation. However, no reports have revealed learn more the effect of ginsenosides on the differentiation of immature DCs from human monocytes. In the present study, we therefore explored the effect of ginsenoside fractions on the differentiation of CD14+ monocytes to DCs, and explored the expression of cell surface markers (e.g., CD80, CD86, CD40, and MHC class II) on the differentiated DCs and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) production in CD4+ T cells when cocultured with DCs that were differentiated

in the presence of ginsenoside fractions. Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) 1640 medium, fetal bovine serum (FBS), and antibiotics (e.g., penicillin and streptomycin) were purchased from Gibco-BRL (Grand Island, NY, USA). Escherichia coli LPS (026:B6), the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125, and polymyxin B (PMB) were purchased from Sigma–Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor U0126 was purchased from EMD Millipore (San Diego, CA, USA). Human recombinant IL-4, GM-CSF, and anti-Annexin-V-FITC antibody were purchased from R&D Systems (Minneapolis, MN, USA). Rabbit antiphospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 LY294002 cost (antiphospho-ERK1/2), anti-ERK1/2, antiphospho-JNK, anti-JNK, antiphospho-p38, anti-p38, and anti-inhibitory kappa B (anti-IκB) antibodies were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology (Danvers, MA, USA). Goat antimouse immunoglobulin G-horseradish peroxidase (IgG-HRP), mouse antirabbit IgG-HRP, and mouse monoclonal anti-β-actin were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA, USA).

The specific antibodies for flow cytometric analysis, which included human anti-CD80-PE, anti-CD86-antigen-presenting cell (APC), anti-CD40-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), anti-CD14-FITC, anti-CD11c-APC, and anti-human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR)-FITC were purchased from BD Biosciences (San Diego, C1GALT1 CA, USA). Unless otherwise noted, all other reagents were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). Ginsenoside fractions were extracted from Panax ginseng, as previously described [11]. In brief, the dried root of Panax ginseng was refluxed twice with 80% methanol and concentrated with a vacuum-evaporator. The concentrate was diluted with water and the solution was extracted with 1 L of diethyl ether. The aqueous phase was briefly evaporated under vacuum to remove the remaining ether. The solution was then extracted with n-butanol. The organic phase was finally collected and evaporated.