title: Immunopharmacological activity of the purified insoluble glucan, zymocel, in mice.
abstract: Although it has been established that soluble glucan in fungi is important to host defence against infection, the importance of insoluble glucans is not clear. We have examined the in-vivo immunopharmacological activity of the insoluble glucan, zymocel. Administration of zymocel increased peritoneal exudate cell number and spleen weight, and enhanced: phagocytic activity, hydrogen peroxide production, and nitric oxide production of peritoneal exudate cells; the extravascular release of Evans blue (which might reflect vascular permeability); lipopolysaccharide-triggered synthesis of tumour necrosis factor (TNF); and recovery of white blood cell number in cyclophosphamide-induced leukopenia. Zymocel also showed anti-tumour activity against sarcoma 180 in mice and also enhanced TNF synthesis and hydrogen peroxide production by macrophage-like cell line in-vitro, i.e. resulted in direct macrophage activation. These results show that zymocel shows varied immunopharmacological activity; it is suggested that the administration of insoluble glucan induces the inflammatory response, the subsequent activation of the immune systems via the cytokine network, and direct macrophage activation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunopharmacology of Microbial Products, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yadomae
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D005936:Glucans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D005936:Glucans; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C084912:Zymocel; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide