title: Enhancement of cytokine production by macrophages stimulated with (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan, grifolan (GRN), isolated from Grifola frondosa.
abstract: The ability of grifolan (GRN), a purified fungal (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan, to induce various cytokines from macrophages was examined in vitro. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) activity in supernatants from the culture of macrophage cell line, RAW264.7 was dependent on increasing doses of GRN. The level of IL-6 induced with 500 micrograms/ml of GRN was comparable to that induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 10 micrograms/ml. Enhancement of the mRNA level of IL-6 by treatment with GRN was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The effect of GRN on production of IL-6 was also observed using peritoneal macrophages from C3H/HeJ mice which did not respond to endotoxins. This data suggested that the ability of GRN to activate IL-6 production of macrophages is not due to contamination of endotoxins in the preparation. Enhanced production of cytokine by GRN was observed not only with IL-6, but also with interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha). In the production of TNF alpha, GRN was more effective than LPS used in this study. Other soluble or gel-forming(1-->3)-beta-D-glucans from various sources did not enhance the production of such cytokines although they are structurally similar to GRN. The above results indicate that GRN is a novel macrophage activator which augments cytokine production without dependence on endotoxins.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunopharmacology of Microbial Products, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yadomae
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005936:Glucans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D047071:beta-Glucans
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016207:Cytokines; D005936:Glucans; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D047071:beta-Glucans; C048444:grifolan; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase