Both common and specialty mushrooms inhibit adhesion molecule expression and in vitro binding of monocytes to human aortic endothelial cells in a pro-inflammatory environment.
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality in the United States as well as globally. Epidemiological studies show that regular fruit and vegetable consumption reduces CVD risk, in part, due to antioxidant activity and immunomodulation since oxidative stress and inflammation are features of atherogenesis. Accumulating evidence also shows that dietary fungi, viz., mushrooms, can protect against chronic disease by altering inflammatory environments such as those associated with CVD although most research has focused on specialty mushrooms. In this study, we tested the ability of both common and specialty mushrooms to inhibit cellular processes associated with CVD.


METHODS
Human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) were incubated overnight with control media with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) vehicle (1% v/v) or containing DMSO extracts of whole dehydrated mushrooms (0.1 mg/mL), which included Agaricus bisporus (white button and crimini), Lentinula edodes (shiitake), Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster), and Grifola frondosa (maitake). Monolayers were subsequently washed and incubated with medium alone or containing the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1beta (5 ng/mL) for 6 h to upregulate pro-atherosclerotic adhesion molecules (AM). AM expression was assayed by ELISA and binding of U937 human monocytes pre-loaded with fluorescent dye was determined.


RESULTS
White button mushrooms consistently reduced (p < 0.05) VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and E-selectin-1 expression, whereas other test mushrooms significantly modulated AM expression singly, collectively, or combinatorially. All mushrooms, however, significantly reduced binding of monocytes to both quiescent and cytokine-stimulated monolayers.


CONCLUSIONS
These data provide evidence that dietary mushrooms can inhibit cellular processes such as adhesion molecule expression and ultimate binding of monocytes to the endothelium under pro-inflammatory conditions, which are associated with CVD. As a result, these findings support the notion that dietary mushrooms can be protective against CVD.
Martin
Keith R
KR
Healthy Lifestyles Research Center, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85212, USA. Keith.R.Martin@asu.edu
D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D020298:U937 Cells; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019040:E-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1