title: Differential effect of Coriolus versicolor (Yunzhi) extract on cytokine production by murine lymphocytes in vitro.
abstract: Being one of the commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs, Coriolus versicolor (CV), also named as Yunzhi, was known to possess both anti-tumor and immunopotentiating activities. The present study aimed to investigate the in vitro immunomodulatory effect of a standardized ethanol-water extract prepared from CV on the proliferation of murine splenic lymphocytes using the MTT assay, and the production of six T helper (Th)-related cytokines using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. The results showed that the CV extract significantly augmented the proliferation of murine splenic lymphocytes in a time- and dose-dependent manner, maximally by 2.4-fold. Moreover, the production of two Th1-related cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-12, in culture supernatants from the CV extract-activated lymphocytes was prominently upregulated at 48 and 72 h. Positive correlations were found between the levels of these two cytokines and the MTT-based proliferative response. In contrast, the production of two other Th1-related cytokines, including interferon (IFN)-gamma and IL-18, was significantly augmented only at 24 h, but not at 48 and 72 h. On the other hand, the levels of two Th2-related cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-6 were undetectable in the culture supernatants of lymphocytes treated with the CV extract. The CV extract was suggested to be a lymphocyte mitogen by differentially enhancing the production of Th1-related cytokines.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Clara B S
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: Helen H L
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Moses S S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020072:Polyporales / Q000737:chemistry*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal