Influence of berbamine on immune function in mice infected with influenza virus

The dysfunction of the alveolar microphages from mice associated with sublethal infection [10(5.3) LD50/0.05 ml] of influenza A/FM1. The results showed that ip berbamine 10 mg/kg qd * 7 d enhanced the phagocytic function, intracellular bactericidal activity and phagosome-lysosome fusion after the mice were intranasally inoculated with FM1, as revealed by staining with methylene blue and fluorescein-labelling. On d 7 the phagocytosis rats was 48.0+/-1.5% in the control group, whereas 72.8+/-1.6% in berbamine group; the cytocidal rates were 2.9+/-1.0% and 5.9+/-1.2%, and the inhibitions of phagosome-lysosome fusion were 65+/-3% an 25+/-3%, respectively. All the differences were statistically significant. But berbamine did not influence the hemagglutinating titer in brondhoalveolar spaces, production of anti-influenza antibodies and the viral pneumonia. The results suggest that berbamine is an immunostimulating agent.