Effect of honey on killing power and nitric oxide production in peritoneal macrophage against Aspergillus fumigatus in BALB/c mice

Nikaein, Donya; Erfanmanesh, Ahmad; Ghorbani Choboghlo, Hasan; Shokri, Hojatollah; Tootian, Zahra; Bagheri, Hadi; Khosravi, Alireza

doi:10.22059/jvr.2014.52279

Effect of honey on killing power and nitric oxide production in peritoneal macrophage against Aspergillus fumigatus in BALB/c mice

Authors

Donya Nikaein ¹

Ahmad Erfanmanesh ²

Hasan Ghorbani Choboghlo ³

Hojatollah Shokri ⁴

Zahra Tootian ⁵

Hadi Bagheri ⁶

Alireza Khosravi ³

¹ 1Applied Microbiology Research Group, Academic Center for Education Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran Branch, Tehran-Iran; Mycology Research Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran-Iran

² Veterinary Biological Products Research Group, Academic Center for Education Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran Branch, Tehran-Iran

³ Mycology Research Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran-Iran

⁴ Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Modern Technologies, Amol-Iran

⁵ Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran-Iran

⁶ Aquatic Animals Health & Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran-Iran

10.22059/jvr.2014.52279

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In recent years, immunocompromised patients are at high risk for the development of invasive aspergillosis. Due to the increase of antimicrobial resistance, natural agents with medicinal and immunomodulatory effects has gained more attention. Honey is a natural substance with documented antimicrobial, anti-inflamatory and wound healing effects. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of three Iranian kinds of honey on Killing Power and Nitric Oxide Production in Peritoneal Macrophage in BALB/c mice. Methods: Male BALB/c mice were gavaged with three different kinds of honey for a 10-day period. Then the mice were euthanized and their peritoneal macrophages were cultured. Macrophage killing and nitric oxide production was evaluated. Results: Our results showed that honey could significantly increase the killing power of macrophage which was significantly higher than in control group (p<0.05). Nitric oxide production in groups treated by northern and central honey was lower than the control group, whereas in groups treated by southern and mixed honey nitric oxide production was significantly higher than control group (p<0.05). LPS stimuli had no significant effect on neither macrophage killing nor nitric oxide production (p>0.05). Conclusions: In conclusion, honey could act as an immunomodulator during Aspergillus fumigatus infections.

Keywords

Aspergillus fumigatus

honey

macrophage

macrophage killing

nitric oxide