title: Activation of the alternative complement pathway by Agaricus blazei Murill.
abstract: Components of Agaricus blazei Murill have been demonstrated to have a wide range of immunopotentiating activities. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of A. blazei Murill upon activation of the complement system in human serum in vitro. Additional studies were performed to determine the cytotoxic effect of complement-opsonized particles of A. blazei Murill against human tumor cells in culture. A fine particle of A. blazei Murill (ABP), prepared by mechanical disruption, was used throughout the experiments. ABP activated the human complement system via the alternative pathway in human serum. Activation of the alternative pathway was both time- and dose-dependent. When the particles from fruiting bodies of A. blazei Murill (ABP-F) were reacted with human serum, the formation of complement-opsonized ABP, iC3b-ABP-F complexes, and binding of the complexes to human peripheral blood monocytes, were demonstrated in vitro by immunofluorescence. Further, the resident human peripheral nucleated cells incubated in the presence of iC3b-ABP-F complexes inhibited the proliferation of human tumor cell line TPC-1 in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Serology & Microbiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Ishikawa, Japan. shi-shi@kanazawa-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamakawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murayama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000364:Agaricus; D003179:Complement C3b / Q000378:metabolism; D003170:Complement Pathway, Alternative / Q000187:drug effects*; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D016264:Dextran Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D056229:Fungal Structures / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000378:metabolism; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D007106:Immune Sera; D003179:Complement C3b; D016264:Dextran Sulfate