title: Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides enhance the function of immunological effector cells in immunosuppressed mice.
abstract: The present study was designed to determine in vivo efficacy of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (Gl-PS) for enhancing the activity of immunological effector cells in immunosuppressed mice. Mice were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) once daily with low-dose (2.5mg/kg), intermediate-dose (25mg/kg), and high-dose (250 mg/kg) of Gl-PS, respectively, for 7 consecutive days 24h after i.p. injection of a immunosuppressing anti-tumor agent cyclophosphamide (Cy, 300 mg/kg). In Cy-treated mice, compared to vehicle, low-dose Gl-PS accelerated recovery of bone marrow cells, red blood cells and white blood cells, as well as splenic natural killer cells and natural killer T cells, and enhanced T and B cell proliferation responses on day 8, cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity on day 5, as well as NK cell and lymphokine activated killer cell activity on days 7-9. Furthermore, it promoted phagocytosis and cytotoxicity of macrophages on day 12. The above beneficial effects induced by the low-dose Gl-PS treatment did not result in any side effects. These results demonstrate the efficacious effects of low-dose Gl-PS treatment for enhancing the activity of immunological effector cells in immunosuppressed mice, and may provide a basis for applying this herb as an efficacious adjacent immunopotentiating therapy against cancer chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, PR China. xiaolingzhu88yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Alex-F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-Bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D002452:Cell Count; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000633:toxicity; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020940:Reishi / Q000737:chemistry*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008934:Mitogens; D011134:Polysaccharides; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003520:Cyclophosphamide