GANODERMA-TSUGAE MYCELIUM ENHANCES SPLENIC NATURAL-KILLER-CELL ACTIVITY AND SERUM INTERFERON-PRODUCTION IN MICE

Effects of the water-soluble extract of Ganoderma tsugae mycelium (GT), its alcohol-insoluble subfraction (GTI), and its alcohol-Soluble subfraction (GTS) on splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity and serum interferon (IFN) production were assessed in mice. Intraperitoneal administration of GT (4 - 200 mg/kg) or GTI (1 - 50 mg/kg). but not GTS, augmented the NK cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner in C3H/HeN mice. This augmentation of splenic NK cytolytic activity was not mouse-strain-dependent. The serum IFN titers of mice were also elevated after i.p.-doses of GTI. The GTI-induced serum IFN was reduced by either IFN-(alpha + beta) antiserum or IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody in vitro. The treatment with antiserum neutralizing IFN-(alpha + beta) resulted in a 70% reduction of GTI-induced IFN, while monoclonal antibody against mouse IFN-gamma, moderately neutralized the GTI-induced IFN (50%). These results demonstrated that both thc splenic NK activity and serum IFN [IFN(alpha + beta) and IFN-gamma] titers are elevated by Ganoderma tsugae mycelium extracts in mice.