Effects from Extracts of Health Products Agaricus blazei Murill and Lentinula edodes mycelia on Macrophage Function

Abstract

We studied the effects of Agaricus blazei Murill (Agaricus) and Lentinula edodes mycelia (LEM) extracts on macrophage function using J774A.1 mouse macrophage-like cells.  The macrophages were pretreated with either Agaricus or LEM for 1 day, followed by an infection with Listeria monocytogenes, and subsequently, cultured for 3 hours.  The growth of L. monocytogenes was suppressed in Agaricus- or LEM-treated macrophages. Agaricus and LEM enhanced the production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) in macrophages infected with L. monocytogenes; however, neither agents increased macrophage release of reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) after infection. Therefore, the present findings show that Agaricus and LEM potentiated the antilisterial activity of macrophages.  Furthermore,
it suggests that ROI play a more important role than RNI in the expression of macrophage antilisterial activity induced by Agaricus and LEM.