Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil.
Eur J Nutr. 2012 Dec;51(8):927-37. doi: 10.1007/s00394-011-0270-8. Epub 2011 Nov 16.
Extracts of the mushroom Agaricus blazei (A. blazei) have been described as possessing immunomodulatory and potentially cancer-protective activities. However, these effects of A. blazei as a functional food have not been fully investigated in vivo.
Using apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice, an experimental model of atherosclerosis, we evaluated the effects of 6 or 12 weeks of A. blazei supplementation on the activation of immune cells in the spleen and blood and on the development of atherosclerosis.
Food intake, weight gain, blood lipid profile, and glycemia were similar between the groups. To evaluate leukocyte homing and activation, mice were injected with (99m)Tc-radiolabeled leukocytes, which showed enhanced leukocyte migration to the spleen and heart of A. blazei-supplemented animals. Analysis of the spleen showed higher levels of activation of neutrophils, NKT cells, and monocytes as well as increased production of TNF-α and IFN-γ. Circulating NKT cells and monocytes were also more activated in the supplemented group. Atherosclerotic lesion areas were larger in the aorta of supplemented mice and exhibited increased numbers of macrophages and neutrophils and a thinner fibrous cap. A. blazei-induced transcriptional upregulation of molecules linked to macrophage activation (CD36, TLR4), neutrophil chemotaxy (CXCL1), leukocyte adhesion (VCAM-1), and plaque vulnerability (MMP9) were seen after 12 weeks of supplementation.
This is the first in vivo study showing that the immunostimulatory effect of A. blazei has proatherogenic repercussions. A. blazei enhances local and systemic inflammation, upregulating pro-inflammatory molecules, and enhancing leukocyte homing to atherosclerosis sites without affecting the lipoprotein profile.
蘑菇 Agaricus blazei（A. blazei）的提取物被描述为具有免疫调节和潜在的抗癌作用。然而，A. blazei 作为一种功能性食品的这些效果尚未在体内得到充分研究。
使用载脂蛋白 E 缺陷（ApoE(-/-)）小鼠，一种动脉粥样硬化的实验模型，我们评估了 6 或 12 周 A. blazei 补充对脾和血液中免疫细胞激活以及动脉粥样硬化发展的影响。
各组的食物摄入量、体重增加、血脂谱和血糖相似。为了评估白细胞归巢和激活，用（99m）Tc 放射性标记的白细胞注射小鼠，结果表明补充 A. blazei 的动物白细胞向脾和心脏的迁移增加。对脾的分析显示，中性粒细胞、NKT 细胞和单核细胞的激活水平更高，以及 TNF-α 和 IFN-γ 的产生增加。补充组的循环 NKT 细胞和单核细胞也更活跃。补充组小鼠主动脉中的动脉粥样硬化病变面积较大，巨噬细胞和中性粒细胞数量增加，纤维帽变薄。补充 12 周后，观察到与巨噬细胞激活（CD36、TLR4）、中性粒细胞趋化（CXCL1）、白细胞黏附（VCAM-1）和斑块脆弱性（MMP9）相关的分子的 A. blazei 诱导的转录上调。
这是第一项体内研究表明 A. blazei 的免疫刺激作用具有促动脉粥样硬化的影响。A. blazei 增强了局部和全身炎症，上调了促炎分子，并增强了白细胞向动脉粥样硬化部位的归巢，而不影响脂蛋白谱。
