title: Stimulation by PSK of interleukin-1 production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: PSK (Krestin), a protein-bound polysaccharide extracted from Coriolus versicolor, stimulated the production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells more efficiently than the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). More IL-1 alpha was accumulated in the cells than in the medium fraction, whereas IL-1 beta was distributed evenly into both fractions. PSK stimulated the production of adherent mononuclear cells, in which significantly higher amounts of IL-1 alpha/IL-1 beta were accumulated per cell than in nonadherent cells. Although IL-1 alpha mRNA synthesis (assessed by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction) was slightly enhanced, IL-1 beta mRNA synthesis was not significantly changed by PSK treatment. This suggests that PSK might increase the efficiency of IL-1 mRNA translation or the posttranslational processing of IL-1 protein. Despite potent cytokine-inducing activity, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) did not significantly stimulate the production of adherent cells. These data suggest that PSK and LPS might stimulate mononuclear cells by different mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakagami
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugaya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Utsumi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujinaga
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeda
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C010770:polysaccharide-K