title: Amelioration of skewed Th1/Th2 balance in tumor-bearing and asthma-induced mice by oral administration of Agaricus blazei extracts.
abstract: We showed in a previous study that hot-water extracts of Agaricus blazei (Agaricus extracts) had anti-tumor activity to Meth A fibrosarcoma, but it remains unclear whether the Agaricus extracts ameliorate the skewed balance of type-1 T helper (Th1) and type-2 T helper (Th2) cells. We examined whether Agaricus extracts effect the skewed Th1/Th2 balance in tumor-bearing and asthma-induced mice. When Meth A-bearing mice were given orally either Agaricus extracts or water once a day starting 5 days after tumor implantation, spleen T cells, prepared from tumor-bearing mice treated with Agaricus extracts, in response to anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody produced significantly higher levels of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) than that of controls. The mRNA expression of IFN-gamma-inducing protein 10 and the frequency of CD69(+) or CD49d(+) cells, among activated T cells infiltrated into tumors, significantly increased in Agaricus-treated mice, compared with those of tumor-controls. In asthma-induced mice, treatment with the Agaricus extracts caused significant downregulation of OVA-specific antibody responses of IgG1 and IgE but not of IgG2a, and significantly decreased total cell numbers, levels of interleukin 5, and eosinophil numbers in bronchial alveolar lavage fluids. IFN-gamma production by anti-CD3-stimulated spleen cells, obtained from Agaricus-treated mice, significantly increased. Our results strongly suggest that oral administration of Agaricus extracts ameliorates the Th1/Th2 balance from the Th2-skewed conditions.
authors: Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Graduate School of Science, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. takimoto@sci.kitasato-u.ac.jp
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Takimoto
authors: Hanano
authors: H
authors: Kato
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Kaneko
authors: Yoshio
authors: Y
authors: Kumazawa
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000364:Agaricus / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000633:toxicity; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000633:toxicity; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; C029237:tumor-associated transplantation antigen