Effect of Dietary Low-molecular-weight Hyaluronic Acid on Ear Swelling in 2,4-Dinitro-1-fluorobenzene-treated BALB/c Mice

抄録

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a straight chain, glycosaminoglycan polymer composed of repeating units of the disaccharide [-β(1,4)-d-glucuronic acid-β(1,3)-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine-]n that is found in the extracellular matrix. HA has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. However, little information is available on the anti-inflammatory effects of dietary HA. In this study, we evaluated the effect of dietary low-molecular-weight HA (LMW-HA) on 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced contact hypersensitivity in BALB/c mice because the absorption of LMW-HA in the small intestine seems to be better than that of high-molecular-weight HA (HMW-HA). Dietary LMW-HA significantly inhibited ear swelling in mice. Analysis of cytokine mRNA expression in the spleen indicated that supplementation with dietary LMW-HA may improve the Th1/Th2 imbalance in DNFB-treated mice. Our results suggest that dietary LMW-HA exerts anti-inflammatory effects via improvement of Th1/Th2 balance.