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doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2005.08.009 
Copyright © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ganoderma tsugae supplementation alleviates bronchoalveolar inflammation in an airway sensitization and challenge mouse model
Received 25 May 2005;
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Abstract
Ganoderma tsugae (a Chinese mushroom Songshan lingzhi) cultivated in Taiwan is extensively used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat different diseases. To determine whether G. tsugae has anti-inflammatory effects on bronchoalveolar inflammation in vivo, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of G. tsugae products, YK01 and YK07, on bronchoalveolar inflammation using an airway sensitization and challenge mouse model. Female BALB/c mice were weekly sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) three times and challenged with aerosolized OVA twice. Differential cell counts of infiltrating leukocytes, inflammatory mediators, cytokines in bronchoalvelor lavage fluid (BALF) of OVA-challenged mice were examined after continuously consuming G. tsugae diets for 5 weeks. We found that supplementation of G. tsugae significantly decreased total infiltrating leukocytes and lymphocyte percentage in BALF in the experimental groups. Supplementation of G. tsugae also significantly reduced inflammatory mediators in BALF including histamine, prostaglandin E2, eotaxin, and protein levels, however the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, in BALF did not significantly change. These results suggest that both G. tsugae supplementation diets YK01 and YK07 might alleviate bronchoalveolar inflammation via decreasing the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the secretion of inflammatory mediators into the local tissues of lungs and airways. Further, these results indicate that the relief of bronchoalveolar inflammation in an airway sensitization murine model provides a possible therapeutic application for G. tsugae in allergic asthma.
Keywords: Ganoderma tsugae; Bronchoalvelor lavage fluid (BALF); Anti-inflammatory effects; Airway sensitization and challenge mouse model
Article Outline
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Materials and methods
- 2.1. Materials and sample preparations
- 2.2. Experimental animals and feeds
- 2.3. Sensitization of allergic airway inflammation
- 2.4. Collection of BALF and cellular differential counts
- 2.5. Assay of BALF
- 2.5.1. Inflammatory mediators in BALF
- 2.5.1.1. Histamine
- 2.5.1.2. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)
- 2.5.1.3. Nitric oxide (NO)
- 2.5.2. Protein content analysis
- 2.5.3. Measurement of cytokine and chemokine levels in BALF by an ELISA
- 2.5.3.1. IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6 levels in BALF
- 2.5.3.2. Eotaxin level in BALF
- 2.6. Statistical analysis
- 3. Results
- 3.1. Effects of G. tsugae supplementation on cellularity of BALF from OVA-sensitized and -challenged mice
- 3.2. Effects of G. tsugae supplementation on eotaxin levels in BALF from OVA-sensitized and -challenged mice
- 3.3. Effects of G. tsugae supplementation on inflammatory mediator levels in BALF from OVA-sensitized and -challenged mice
- 3.4. Effects of G. tsugae supplementation on protein levels in BALF from OVA-sensitized and -challenged mice
- 3.5. Effects of G. tsugae supplementation on the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in BALF from OVA-sensitized and -challenged mice
- 3.6. Effects of G. tsugae supplementation on the levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines in BALF from OVA-sensitized and -challenged mice
- 4. Discussion
- Acknowledgements
- References
