Immunological effects of partially hydrolyzed arabinoxylan from corn husk in mice

The effect of oral administration of partially hydrolyzed water-soluble corn husk arabinoxylan (CHAX), the average molecular weight of which is about 53 kDa, on immunopotentiating activity was investigated in mice. Oral administration of CHAX to healthy mice significantly augmented the production of interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-γ with a slight increase in IL-4 in mitogen-induced proliferation of spleen cells. Natural killer (NK) cell activity in spleen cells from mice, which were transplanted tumor and administrated CHAX, was augmented about 2-fold. In model mice of atopic dermatitis, the average ear thickness of mice administrated CHAX was induced by dinitrophenyl-fluorobenzene (DNFB) after injection of an anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-IgE monoclonal antibody was much smaller than that in control animals. These results suggest that CHAX has the ability to increase the level of immunopotentiating activity without causing over response of immunological reaction even if it is administrated orally to mice.