Evaluation of the Number of CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + Treg Cells in Normal Mice Exposed to AFB1 and Treated with Aged Garlic Extract

Objective: aflatoxin b1 (afb1) suppresses the immune system. to decrease such suppressiveeffectsontheimmunesystem,awiderangeofherbalmedicineslikegarlic are utilized. biological activities of garlic in vitro and in vivo have also been verified. our previousstudies demonstrated that aged garlic (dry garlic bulbs preserved in the freezer for six months at -20°c) have increased immunostimulator fractions and reduced immunosuppressorfractions. this study focuses on the immunosuppressor activity of afb1 and immunostimulator activity of aged garlic extract (age) through the evaluation of cd4+ cd25+ foxp+ regulator cell (treg) counts and the pattern of cytokine production in balb/c normal mice.materials and methods: in this experimental research, afb1 was separated from aspergillusflavus(ptcc5004)byhplcandagepreparedusingthemantismethod.thedelayed-typehypersensitivity(dth)testwascarriedouttodeterminatetheeffectivenessofdifferent doses of age and afb1, which can both have an effect on the immune system.subsequentexperimentswerecarriedouton20balb/cmicetoestimatetheeffectsofageandafb1 on the number of treg cell in 4 groups: 10 µl/kg/day of afb1 and age diluents were administered for 4 consecutive days to group 1. afb1, 2. control, 3. age + afband 4. age via intraperitoneal (ip) route, respectively. mice were sacrificed and splenocytes harvested and the percentage of splenic treg cells was measured by flow cytometry analysis. the elisa method was utilized to measure cytokine production.results: the findings reveal that age increased the level of ifn-? and il-4 cytokines producedbysplenocytesstimulatedbyspecifictumorantigenanddecreasedthenumberoftregcellsinthespleen(p < 0.05).afb1 increased the number treg cells in the spleen and decreased cytokine production (p < 0.05). in groups 2 (control) and 4 (age) the number of treg cells decreased (p value < 0.05) whereas in groups 1 and 3 the number of treg cells increased (p < 0.05).conclusion: this study indicated that age is able to alter the cytokine production in normalmiceintoath1 protective pattern which is beneficial to the immune system in general and anti-tumor immunity in particular. afb1is able to alter the cytokine production into a th2protective pattern. therefore, age might be used as herbal medicine with few side effects as compared to chemotherapy in treating cancers caused by substances like afb1.