Ganoderma formosanum polysaccharides attenuate Th2 inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in a murine model of allergic asthma

Abstract

Allergic asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways mediated by Th2 immune responses and characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Fungi of the genus Ganoderma are basidiomycetes that have been used in traditional Asian medicine for centuries. We recently found that PS-F2, a polysaccharide fraction purified from the submerged culture broth of Ganoderma formosanum, stimulates the activation of dendritic cells and primes a T helper 1 (Th1)-polarized adaptive immune response. This study was designed to investigate whether the Th1 adjuvant properties of PS-F2 could suppress the development of allergic asthma in a mouse model. BALB/c mice were sensitized by repeated immunization with chicken ovalbumin (OVA) and alum, followed by intranasal challenge of OVA to induce acute asthma. PS-F2 administration during the course of OVA sensitization and challenge effectively prevented AHR development, OVA-specific IgE and IgG1 production, bronchial inflammation, and Th2 cytokine production. Our data indicate that PS-F2 has a potential to be used for the prevention of allergic asthma.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi: 10.1186/2193-1801-3-297) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Red bayberry extract prevents high-fat diet-induced metabolic disorders in C57BL/6 mice

“…Polysaccharide has many biological activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antitumor, neuroprotection, immunomodulation, anti-inflammation, anticoagulant, improvement of hepatic function, and promotion of burn wound healing (Khoo, Abas, Abdullah, Mohd Tohit, & Hamid, 2014;Li & Shah, 2014;Pang et al, 2013;Pi, Wang, Lu, Lu, & Chen, 2014;Wang et al, 2014aWang et al, , 2014bXiao et al, 2014;Yang, Lu, Hsieh, & Lin, 2014a;Yang et al, 2014b). Jia, Yang, Wang, Liu, and Xie (2014) reported that polysaccharide from Laminaria japonica exhibited hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities in mice with experimentally induced diabetes.…”

Ganoderma formosanum Exopolysaccharides Inhibit Tumor Growth via Immunomodulation

“…GF-P2 was later shown to stimulate macrophages via pattern-recognition receptors, Dectin-1, CR3, and TLR4, and to stimulate TNF-α production via the ERK and NK-κB pathways [ 6 ]. GF-P2 has also been shown to stimulate DC function and trigger Th1-polarized effects in ovalbumin-treated mice splenocytes, suggesting that PS-F2 can also activate an adaptive immune response against viruses and tumors [ 7 ]. Despite differences, PS-F2 and GF-EPS monosaccharide compositions are similar.…”

“…PS-F2 has also been shown to activate Dectin-1, CR3, and TLR4, as well as downstream Syk, JNK, p38, ERK, and NK-κB, which may in turn trigger innate immunity [ 6 ]. Using an airway hyperresponsiveness mice model, one study showed that PS-F2 inhibited airway hyperresponsiveness via reducing Th2 cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13 [ 7 ]. Overall, the findings of previous research suggests that GF-EPS exhibits immunomodulatory effects on both innate and adaptive immunity in preclinical studies and may be potential material for application in cancer treatment, prevention, and therapy.…”

Mycosphere Essays 20: Therapeutic potential of Ganoderma species: Insights into its use as traditional medicine

“…PS-F2 functions as an adjuvant capable of inducing a Th1-polarized adaptive immune response, which would be useful in vaccines against viruses and tumors (Pi et al 2014b). The polysaccharide fraction purified from a culture broth of G. formosanum has been shown to have notable anticancer activity.…”