Immunomodulation Agents that enhance the functioning of the host immune system could be expected to enhance health in terms of improved resistance and, thus, removal of malignant or premalignant cells. Many G. lucidum/LingzhiExtract products on the market are labelled or promoted as immunomodulating agents. There is considerable evidence to support the immunostimulating activities of G. lucidum via induction of cytokines and enhancement of immunological effector (Wang et al. 1997; Zhu and Lin 2006). Different components from G. lucidum were proved to enhance the proliferation and maturation of T and B lymphocytes, splenic mononuclear cells, NK cells, and dendritic cells in culture in vitro and in animal studies in vivo (Bao et al. 2001; Cao and Lin 2002; Zhu, Chen, and Lin 2007; Ma et al. 2008). In normal BALB/c mice, a polysaccharide-rich extract of G. lucidum/Lingzhi promoted the proliferation of splenocytes and enhanced the activities of macrophages and NK cells, which resulted in the increase of IL-6 and IFN-γ (Chang et al. 2009). Although a commercial G. lucidum extract did not stimulate proliferation of lymphocytes, it activated the gene expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (Mao et al. 1999). A polysaccharide fraction (F3) was shown to enhance both adaptive and innate immunities by triggering the production of cytokines IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and colony stimulating factors (CSFs) from mouse splenocytes (Chen et al. 2004). It was reported also that TNF-α and IL-6 production were stimulated in human and murine macrophages by G. lucidum mycelia (Kuo et al. 2006). This effect might be due to increased synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) induced by β-D-glucan (Ohno et al. 1998). These polysaccharides were also found to be highly suppressive to tumor cell proliferation in vivo while enhancing the host’s immune response (Ooi and Liu 2000). Wang et al. (1997) found that a polysaccharide-enriched fraction from G. lucidum/Lingzhi activated cultured macrophages and T lymphocytes in vitro, which led to an increase of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the culture medium. In another study (Zhang and Lin 1999), incubation of macrophages and T lymphocytes with a polysaccharide resulted in an increase in TNF-α and INF-γ levels in the culture medium. This “conditioned” culture medium was found to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in sarcoma 180 and HL-60 cells (Zhang and Lin 1999). Furthermore, serum-incorporated treatment with a polysaccharide peptide fraction from G. lucidum markedly inhibited the proliferation of human lung carcinoma (PG) cells, whereas the pure fraction by itself did not induce similar effects (Cao and Lin 2004). In addition to polysaccharides, a lanostane triterpenoid, ganoderic acid Me, inhibited tumor growth and metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma in “T helper 1 responder” C57BL/6 mice by enhancing immune function in terms of IL-2 and IFN-γ expression and NK cell activity (Wang et al. 2007). Zhu and Lin (2006) used cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells to investigate the interaction between GL-PSs and cytokines, which mediated cell proliferation and antitumor activity. The cytotoxicity of CIK cells was correlated well with the expression of perforin and granzyme B induced by IL-2 and anti-CD3. Results indicated that GL-PSs enhance IL-2 and TNF-α production as well as protein and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of granzyme B and perforin in CIK cells culture, and thus decrease the doses of IL-2 and anti-CD3 without affecting the killing effects on NK-resistant mouse P815 mastocytoma cells and NK-sensitive mouse YAC-1 lymphoma cells (Zhu and Lin 2006). #GreatHerbs #GreatHealth #HerbalMedicine #TraditionalMedicine #GoHerbalOne #HerbalOne
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 00:24:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015