Amelioration of skewed Th1/Th2 balance in tumor-bearing and asthma-induced mice by oral administration of Agaricus blazei extracts

Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2008;30(4):747-60. doi: 10.1080/08923970802279092.

Abstract

We showed in a previous study that hot-water extracts of Agaricus blazei (Agaricus extracts) had anti-tumor activity to Meth A fibrosarcoma, but it remains unclear whether the Agaricus extracts ameliorate the skewed balance of type-1 T helper (Th1) and type-2 T helper (Th2) cells. We examined whether Agaricus extracts effect the skewed Th1/Th2 balance in tumor-bearing and asthma-induced mice. When Meth A-bearing mice were given orally either Agaricus extracts or water once a day starting 5 days after tumor implantation, spleen T cells, prepared from tumor-bearing mice treated with Agaricus extracts, in response to anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody produced significantly higher levels of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) than that of controls. The mRNA expression of IFN-gamma-inducing protein 10 and the frequency of CD69(+) or CD49d(+) cells, among activated T cells infiltrated into tumors, significantly increased in Agaricus-treated mice, compared with those of tumor-controls. In asthma-induced mice, treatment with the Agaricus extracts caused significant downregulation of OVA-specific antibody responses of IgG1 and IgE but not of IgG2a, and significantly decreased total cell numbers, levels of interleukin 5, and eosinophil numbers in bronchial alveolar lavage fluids. IFN-gamma production by anti-CD3-stimulated spleen cells, obtained from Agaricus-treated mice, significantly increased. Our results strongly suggest that oral administration of Agaricus extracts ameliorates the Th1/Th2 balance from the Th2-skewed conditions.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Agaricus / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / toxicity
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Asthma / immunology*
  • Asthma / microbiology
  • Asthma / therapy*
  • Female
  • Fibrosarcoma / immunology*
  • Fibrosarcoma / microbiology
  • Fibrosarcoma / therapy*
  • Histocompatibility Antigens / toxicity
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Th1 Cells / immunology*
  • Th1 Cells / microbiology
  • Th1 Cells / pathology
  • Th2 Cells / immunology*
  • Th2 Cells / microbiology
  • Th2 Cells / pathology

Substances

  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents
  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Histocompatibility Antigens
  • tumor-associated transplantation antigen