Abstract:
Red yeast rice (RYR) is a traditional Chinese medical agent that is produced by
fermenting rice with Monascus purpureus, and has been used as an alternative treatment for a
variety of diseases, including dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease. Statins are HMG-CoA
reductase inhibitors that are most commonly used for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. In
addition to their lipid-lowering properties, statins also display anti-inflammatory abilities and act
by inhibiting T-cell activation and recruitment. RYR contains a group of naturally occurring
polyketides known as monacolins that are similar in structure and are HMG-CoA reductase
inhibitors. Monacolin K, also known as lovastatin, is in the highest concentration in RYR, which
can reduce serum cholesterol levels similarly to statins. However, endogenous lovastatin levels
in RYR are significantly lower than that of a prescribed statin regiment. Therefore, the goal of
this study was to investigate the ability of RYR to alter T-cell functions, including proliferation,
protein expression, and cytokine production.
Our results show that RYR treatment significantly decreased the proliferation of activated
T-cells as compared to untreated controls. Additionally, results showed the RYR treatment may
alter expression of key proteins involved in T-cell activation, stimulation, and regulation. A significant decrease in the expression of CD25 was observed in RYR treated T-cells. A possible
decrease in expression of CD45R was observed and a possible increase in expression of CD95
and CD178, though these results were not significant.
