title: Enhanced cytokine synthesis of leukocytes by a beta-glucan preparation, SCG, extracted from a medicinal mushroom, Sparassis crispa.
abstract: Sparassis crispa is edible mushroom recently cultivable in Japan. It contains significantly high content (approximately 40%) of 6-branched 1,3-beta-D-glucan showing antitumor activity in mice. We recently purified a beta-glucan preparation designated as "SCG." It was considered worth while to test SCG in vitro with whole blood collected from human volunteers. The present study is focusing on the cytokine productivity of SCG in an in vitro human system. The following results were observed: (i) SCG dose dependently enhanced IL-8 synthesis of whole blood cell culture of human peripheral blood. (ii) IL-8 synthesis was enhanced in both PBMC and PMN cultures. (iii) IL-8 synthesis was induced in the culture with autologous plasma, but significantly reduced after 56 degrees C treatment. (iv) The activity was also weak in heat inactivated fetal calf serum (FCS). (v) A complement fragment, C5a, was released by SCG dependently upon dose and kinetics. (vi) Anti-SCG natural antibody was detected in human plasma. From these facts, SCG was observed to have the capacity to activate human leukocytes and related immune system.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Immunopharmacology of Microbial Products, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nameda
authors.forename: Toshie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Noriko N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yadomae
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Naohito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohno
mesh_terms: D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D015936:Complement C5a / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007700:Kinetics; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D011509:Proteoglycans; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; C508606:CXCL8 protein, human; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016209:Interleukin-8; D011509:Proteoglycans; D047071:beta-Glucans; C010770:polysaccharide-K; D015936:Complement C5a