Abstract
The anti-rhinitis properties of Sparassis crispa were investigated in mice. To examine the immunomodulative activity of oral administration of S. crispa, splenocytes obtained from ovalbumin-sensitized BALB/c mice fed S. crispa were restimulated in vitro with the same antigen. Oral administration of S. crispa induced IFN-γ, but inhibited IL-4 and IL-5 secretion, and suppressed ovalbumin-specific IgE secretion by ovalbumin-stimulated splenocytes. The effects of S. crispa were further investigated by using the allergic rhinitis model in BALB/c mice. Nasal symptoms, sneezing and nasal rubbing induced by ovalbumin challenges were inhibited by oral administration of S. crispa in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, ovalbumin-specific serum IgE levels were diminished in this model. These results demonstrated that S. crispa may be effective in suppressing symptoms of allergic rhinitis through its immunomodulating activities.
