Effects of peat humic acids on phagocytic activity of innate immunity cells and humoral immune response

Aim. To study the effect of a course administration of peat humic acids from bogs of the Tomsk Region on the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages and blood neutrophils in mice, and the thymus-dependent humoral immune response induced by the administration of sheep erythrocytes.

Materials and methods. The following immunological methods were used: study of the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages and blood neutrophils of mice, determination of the number of antibody-forming cells (AFC) in the spleen of mice, measurement of the serum level of antibodies to sheep erythrocytes by the hemagglutination assay after the course administration of three samples of peat humic acids. The experiment involved 70 C57Bl/6J mice (females), aged 7–8 weeks.

Results. It was found that the course administration of all studied samples of humic acids resulted in an increase in the number of phagocytes and the intensity of particle engulfment. Two out of three samples enhanced the humoral immune response induced by the administration of sheep erythrocytes, which was manifested by an increase in the number of AFCs in the spleen and the hemagglutination assay titer in the blood serum.

Conclusion. The samples of humic acids that influence the phagocytic function of macrophages and neutrophils and enhance the humoral immune response may serve as a basis for the development of new therapeutic agents for the treatment of immunodeficiency states.

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