title: Macrophage activation and nitric oxide production by water soluble components of Hericium erinaceum.
abstract: Hericium erinaceum is a medicinal and edible mushroom with anti-microbial and anti-cancer activities. To evaluate the immunoregulatory functions of H. erinaceum, we prepared water extract from H. erinaceum (WEHE) and investigated its ability to activate macrophages and to induce nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophages. Rat peritoneal macrophages stimulated with 1 to 100 mug/ml of WEHE for 24, 48, or 72 h produced NO in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that WEHE augmented the steady-state level of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA in both the peritoneal macrophages and a murine macrophage cell-line, RAW 264.7. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that WEHE increased DNA binding activity of the transcription factor NF-kappaB, which is responsible for iNOS gene expression. Furthermore, its trans-acting activity was confirmative as determined by in vitro transfection assay using a reporter gene construct, p(NF-kappaB)(3)-CAT, whose expression is solely regulated by the activity of NF-kappaB. Concomitantly with the activation of NF-kappaB, WEHE markedly decreased intracellular IkappaBalpha level as demonstrated by Western blot assay. These results suggested that WEHE induces iNOS gene expression followed by NO production in macrophages via enhancing the activation of transcription factor, NF-kappaB.
authors.affiliation: East-West Cancer Center, Dunsan Oriental Hospital of Daejon University, Daejon 301-724, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Gue
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Jang Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jung Hyo
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Chong Kwan
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Cheol-Heui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Wantae
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Seung Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014867:Water; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II