Direct cytotoxicity of Lentinula edodes mycelia extract on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line.
Lentinula edodes mycelia (L.E.M.) is a dried powder extracted from shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes). We previously demonstrated that it has immunomodulatory effects. In this paper, the direct cytotoxic effects of the polysaccharide-rich fraction of L.E.M. (L.E.M. ethanol precipitate; LEP) on HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were investigated. LEP directly killed the HepG2 cells efficaciously, but had only minor effects on normal rat hepatocytes and normal mouse dermal cells under the same conditions. Characteristic morphological changes associated with apoptosis such as shrinkage, rounding, and floating as well as chromatin condensation were confirmed; terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining was positive as determined by fluorescence microscopy analyses. The caspase-3 and -8 death receptor pathway was found largely responsible for the apoptotic death of HepG2 cells treated with LEP. In conclusion, LEP can directly induce apoptosis of HepG2 cells, and thus may have potential chemotherapeutic applications for the treatment of HCC.
Department of New Product and Business Development, Central R&D Laboratory, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Japan. hiroshiy@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Hiroshi
H
Yukawa
Satoru
S
Ishikawa
Takashi
T
Kawanishi
Makoto
M
Tamesada
Hironori
H
Tomi
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D025282:Mycelium; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020942:Shiitake Mushrooms; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D045424:Complex Mixtures; D053148:Caspase 3