Immunostimulation effects of yellowtail heart extracts in vitro and in vivo

The immunostimulation effects of yellowtail heart extracts were examined. Screening various parts of the yellowtail viscera, we found that extracts from the yellowtail heart enhanced IgM production by human hybridoma HB4C5 cells. Yellowtail heart extracts heated at 121°C for 20 min and dialyzed showed the highest IgM production-stimulating activity toward HB4C5 cells. Also, immunoglobulin production by mouse spleen lymphocytes was stimulated by yellowtail heart extracts in vitro, and lymphocytes derived from mice administered the extract for 20 d were activated in vivo. Yellowtail heart extracts were partially purified by anion-exchange chromatography, and fractions containing a 33 kDa-protein exhibited immunostimulating activity. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that the 33 kDa-protein was most similar to tropomyosin-4 from various fishes. Purified tropomyosin from porcine muscle enhanced IgM production by HB4C5 cells. This means that tropomyosin-4 is one of the immunostimulating substances in the yellowtail heart.