AUTHOR=Zhang Huahua , Jiao Qingqing , Gong Qianfeng , Zhang Yan , Zhang Weidong , Hu Zhenlin 

TITLE=RETRACTED: Baicalin Induced Dendritic Cell Apoptosis in Vitro

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=volume 2 - 2011

YEAR=2011

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2011.00015

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2011.00015

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=This study was aimed to investigate the effects of Baicalin (BA), a major flavonoid constituent found in the herb Baikal skullcap, on dendritic cells (DCs). DCs were generated by culturing murine bone marrow cells for 6 days with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was added on day 5 to stimulate DCs maturation. The expression levels of DC maturity markers (CD80/CD86) were assessed by flow cytometry using direct immunofluorescence method. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) levels in the culture supernatants were assayed by ELISA. Apoptosis of DCs was analyzed by flow cytometry after Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. The mitochondrial membrane potential changes were measured by using the J-aggregate forming lipophilic cation 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1). Exposure of DCs to BA (2-50 microM) during bone marrow cell differentiation showed no effects on the up-regulation of CD80/CD86 expression on DCs in response to LPS stimulation, but reduced DCs recovery by inducing apoptosis, and significantly inhibited the release of IL-12 to culture supernatants. BA induced DC apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent way, and immature DCs were more sensitive for BA-induced apoptosis than mature DC. BA also induced mitochondrial membrane potential changes in DCs. These results demonstrate that BA induces selective apoptosis in immature DCs possibly through mitochondria-mediated pathway.