title: Response of human dendritic cells to different immunomodulatory polysaccharides derived from mushroom and barley.
abstract: Polysaccharides derived from fungi and plants have been increasingly used as dietary supplement with therapeutic intention for cancer. However, whether these polysaccharides from different sources and structures can elicit similar immunological effects remain unknown. This study aims to investigate and compare the effects of selected groups of purified and crude polysaccharides on human dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent antigen-presenting cells. The selected polysaccharides were from Ganoderma lucidum [(GL) Lingzhi, Reishi], a medicinal mushroom commonly used by oriental; and barley glucan, a purified polysaccharide with known in vivo immunomodulating effect. We found that purified polysaccharides from GL mycelium could induce human PBMC proliferation and phenotypic and functional maturation of DCs with significant IL-12 and IL-10 production. Polysaccharides of GL spore and barley were both rather weak immunostimulator in vitro. In general, all these polysaccharides did not polarize T cells into either T(h)1 or T(h)2 or regulatory T cells, except for crude spore polysaccharides-treated DCs which could suppress T cell proliferation with IL-10 production. This study revealed the polysaccharides of different sources have different immune potency and effect on human immune cells including DCs. Our study also provides a reproducible biological platform for comparing the potential therapeutic effects of different herbal-derived polysaccharides in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Hong Kong Jockey Club Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Wing Keung
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Helen Ka Wai
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Zhi-Bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yu Lung
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Godfrey Chi-Fung
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D004705:Endocytosis; D001467:Hordeum / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000378:metabolism; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020940:Reishi / Q000737:chemistry*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D011134:Polysaccharides; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12