title: Hepatoprotective effect of extracts from Lentinus edodes mycelia on dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver injury.
abstract: Mycelia of the edible mushroom Lentinus edodes (shiitake) were cultivated in a solid medium, and two fractions were obtained by hot-water extraction (L.E.M.) and then ethanol extraction followed by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography (ESMe). The L.E.M. and ESMe were then examined for their hepatoprotective effect on dimethylnitrosamine-injured mice. Both fractions decreased the blood aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, partially inhibited the overaccumulation of collagen fibrils, and suppressed the overexpression of genes for alpha-smooth muscle actin and/or heat-shock protein 47 in the mice. Both fractions also inhibited the morphologic change and proliferation of isolated rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which play a central role in liver fibrosis, in a dose-dependent manner and without cytotoxicity. The direct interaction between the extracts and HSCs appears to be important for the hepatoprotective activity. Polyphenols contained in both fractions are considered to be potential candidates for expressing the hepatoprotective effects. The finding of antifibrotic activity in extracts from an edible mushroom is expected to be helpful in the development of hepatoprotective agents with few side effects.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akamatsu
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamesada
authors.forename: Risa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: Kiyohito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yagi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020942:Shiitake Mushrooms / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; C061242:Lentinus edodes mycelia extract E-P-LEM; D011134:Polysaccharides; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine