Immunomodulatory Function of Egg White Peptides in RAW264.7 Macrophage Cells and Immunosuppressive Mice Induced by Cyclophosphamide

In this study, the immunomodulatory function of egg white peptides (EWP) was evaluated using RAW264.7 macrophage cells and an immunosuppressive BALB/c mice model. In vitro, 100 mu g/mL EWP significantly increased cell viability and upregulated expression of immunomodulators (NO, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha) in RAW264.7 cells, which contributed to macrophage activation. In vivo, 150 mg/kg/day EWP alleviated splenomegaly and rebound thymic hyperplasia in BALB/c mice during recovery from immunosuppression. Numbers of white blood cells in peripheral blood and levels of cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha) in spleen tissue were significantly increased in mice given 150 mg/kg/day EWP. Spleen pathological changes and oxidation degree showed that EWP promoted the recovery of spleen tissue from immunosuppression and oxidation. Oligopeptides with common characteristics of immunomodulatory peptides might be responsible for the immunomodulatory function of EWP. Therefore, EWP may be considered as a natural immunomodulator that can help immune function recover from immunosuppressive state.