Effects of Natural Polysaccharides from Tremella fuciformis Berk, Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Ganoderma tsugae on Proinflammatory Cytokine Production by THP-1 Cells

Abstract

Regulatory effects of polysaccharides from Tremella fuciformis Berk (T₂), Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (S_B), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SP₁) and Ganoderma tsugae (FIII-2-b) on proinflammatory cytokine production were investigated. Cytokine production was measured by radioimmunoassay. mRNA for tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) was measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. If the production of proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin 1 α (IL-1α), interleukin 8 (IL-8) and TNF α by LPS-PMA-stimulated THP-1 cells was at low level, herbal polysaccharides, T₂, S_B, SP₁ and FIII-2-b, up-regulated cytokine production. On the contrary, if the cytokine production was at high level, these polysaccharides down-regulated the cytokine production (bi-directional regulation) . Natural polysaccharides, T₂, S_B, SP₁ or FIII-2-b, themselves induce production of proinflammatory cytokines and also have bi-directional immunomodu-latory effects at various stimulatory conditions.