Agaricus blazei vs. Viruses

Research has indicated Agaricus blazei (ABM) has an antagonistic relationship with viruses. In vitro research has indicated Agaricus blazei directly inhibits certain viruses such as the Poliovirus(1) and the Western equine encephalitis virus(2). Like other mushrooms, Agaricus blazei probably has an inhibitory effect on a much larger variety of viruses, although this has yet to be tested.

Two interesting in vivo experiments noted that Agaricus blazei could improve the efficiency of vaccination. The two experiments, which were conducted on mice, showed that ABM improved the ability of the Hepatitis B vaccine(3) as well as the vaccine for the foot-and-mouth disease virus(4). Researchers noted that mice treated with ABM produced a higher amount of antibody production specific to the vaccine. Researchers also noted that mice treated with ABM produced a higher number of T cells, important white blood cells of the immune system.

Reference:
1. Faccin LC, Benati F, Rincão VP, Mantovani MS (Jul 2007), "Antiviral activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts and of an isolated polysaccharide from Agaricus brasiliensis against poliovirus type 1.", Lett Appl Microbiol. 45 (1): 24-8, PMID 17594456
2. Sorimachi K, Ikehara Y, Maezato G (Jul 2001), "Inhibition by Agaricus blazei Murill fractions of cytopathic effect induced by western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus on VERO cells in vitro.", Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 65 (7): 1645-7, PMID 11515550
3. Chen L, Shao HJ, Su YB (March 2004), "Coimmunization of Agaricus blazei Murill extract with hepatitis B virus core protein through DNA vaccine enhances cellular and humoral immune responses", Int Immunopharmacol 4 (3): 403–409, doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2003.12.015, PMID 15037217
4. Chen L, Shao H (15 January 2006), "Extract from Agaricus blazei Murill can enhance immune responses elicited by DNA vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease", Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 109 (1-2): 177–182, doi:10.1016/j.vetimm.2005.08.028, PMID 16213597

ABM as a cellular health Promotor

Agaricus blazei (ABM) has demonstrated a variety of ways it promotes cellular health. In vitro research has shown that ABM can induce apoptosis (shut down) unhealthy cells of the blood(1), ovaries(2), and fibrous connective tissue(3). In vitro research demonstrated ABM prevented the development of unhealthy cells of the liver(4).

Further in vitro research revealed that ABM had a protective effect on cells exposed to radiation(5) as well as cells exposed to the toxic chemical methyl methanesulphonate(6). In vitro research also demonstrated that healthy cells exposed to ABM were not damaged or adversly affected by ABM(7)(8)(9).

Reference:
1.Gao L, Sun Y, Chen C, Xi Y, Wang J, Wang Z (November 2007), "Primary mechanism of apoptosis induction in a leukemia cell line by fraction FA-2-b-β prepared from the mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill", Braz J Med Biol Res 40 (11): 1545–1555, doi:10.1590/S0100-879X2006005000181, PMID 17934651
2.Kobayashi H, Yoshida R, Kanada Y, Fukuda Y, Yagyu T, Inagaki K, Kondo T, Kurita N, Suzuki M, Kanayama N, Terao T (August 2005), "Suppressing effects of daily oral supplementation of beta-glucan extracted from Agaricus blazei Murill on spontaneous and peritoneal disseminated metastasis in mouse model", J Cancer Res Clin Oncol (Berlin; Heidelberg: Springer) 131 (8): 527–538, doi:10.1007/s00432-005-0672-1, PMID 15883813
3.Fujimiya Y, Suzuki Y, Oshiman K, Kobori H, Moriguchi K, Nakashima H, Matumoto Y, Takahara S, Ebina T, Katakura R (May 1998), "Selective tumoricidal effect of soluble proteoglucan extracted from the basidiomycete, Agaricusblazei Murill, mediated via natural killer cell activation and apoptosis.", Cancer Immunol Immunother (Springer Verlag) 46 (3): 147–159, doi:10.1007/s002620050473, PMID 9625538
4.Sorimachi K, Akimoto K, Koge T (February 2008), "Inhibitory effect of Agaricus blazei Murill components on abnormal collagen fiber formation in human hepatocarcinoma cells", Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 72 (2): 621–623, doi:10.1271/bbb.70700, PMID 18256462
5.Kubo N, Myojin Y, Shimamoto F, Kashimoto N, Kyo E, Kamiya K, Watanabe H (March 2005), "Protective effects of a water-soluble extract from cultured medium of Ganoderma lucidum (Rei-shi) mycelia and Agaricus blazei murill against X-irradiation in B6C3F1 mice: Increased small intestinal crypt survival and prolongation of average time to animal death", Int J Mol Med (Athens: D.A. Spandidos) 15 (3): 401–406, OCLC 39728400, PMID 15702228
6.Luiz RC, Jordão BQ, da Eira AF, Ribeiro LR, Mantovani MS (25 July 2003), "Mechanism of anticlastogenicity of Agaricus blazei Murill mushroom organic extracts in wild type CHO (K(1)) and repair deficient (xrs5) cells by chromosome aberration and sister chromatid exchange assays", Mutat Res (Amsterdam: Elsevier) 528 (1–2): 75–79, OCLC 1590350, PMID 12873725
7.Lee IP, Kang BH, Roh JK, Kim JR (January 2008), "Lack of carcinogenicity of lyophilized Agaricus blazei Murill in a F344 rat two year bioassay.", Food Chem Toxicol (New York: Pergamon) 46 (1): 87–95, doi:10.1016/j.fct.2007.07.001, PMID 17707568
8.Martins de Oliveira J, Jordão BQ, Ribeiro LR, Ferreira da Eira A, Mantovani MS (December 2002), "Anti-genotoxic effect of aqueous extracts of sun mushroom (Agaricus blazei Murill lineage 99/26) in mammalian cells in vitro", Food Chem Toxicol (New York: Pergamon) 40 (12): 1775–1780, doi:10.1016/S0278-6915(02)00156-4, PMID 12419691
9.Bellini MF, Giacomini NL, Eira AF, Ribeiro LR, Mantovani MS (August 2003), "Anticlastogenic effect of aqueous extracts of Agaricus blazei on CHO-k1 cells, studying different developmental phases of the mushroom", Toxicol in Vitro (Oxford; New York: Pergamon) 17 (4): 465–9, doi:10.1016/S0887-2333(03)00043-2, OCLC 13144158, PMID 12849730

Interleukin-12 fuels Natural Killer Cells and the Immune Response

Agaricus blazei (ABM) has demonstrated its ability to induce interluekin-12 in both in vitro as well as in vivo research.

In vitro research demonstrated ABM caused in increase in interleukin-12 production in human peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC), monocytes, and macrophages.

In vivo research demonstrated ABM's effect on interleukin-12 in mice. Mice given ABM were noted to have increased activity of Natural Killer cells when compared to mice without ABM. Knowing Natural Killer cells are stimulated by interleukin-12, ABM was administered to mice which due to a genetic mutation, are unable to produce interleukin-12. These mice did not experience an increase in Natural Killer cell activity. This result strongly suggests that ABM increases Natural Killer cell activity by stimulating the production of interluekin-12.

Interleukin-12 has many jobs in the immune system. Some of its roles are presented below.

1. IL-12 increases activity of Natural Killer cells and T lymphocytes.
2. IL-12 stimulates production of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis
factor-alpha (TNF-α), two important cytokines (signalling molecules) of the immune system.
3. Possible protection from food allergies due to research which has revealed a lack of IL-12 is associated with severe food allergys in animal models.


References:
Kasai H, He LM, Kawamura M, Yang PT, Deng XW, Munkanta M, Yamashita A, Terunuma H, Hirama M, Horiuchi I, Natori T, Koga T, Amano Y, Yamaguchi N, Ito M (2004), "IL-12 production induced by Agaricus blazei fraction H (ABH) involves toll-like receptor(TLR).",
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 1 (3): 259–267, doi:10.1093/ecam/neh043, PMID 15841259

Yuminamochi E, Koike T, Takeda K, Horiuchi I, Okumura K (2007), "Interleukin-12- and interferon-gamma-mediated
natural killer cell activation by Agaricus blazei Murill", Immunology 121 (2): 197–206, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2567.2006.02558.x, PMID 17346284

Temblay JN, Bertelli E, Arques JL, Regoli M, Nicoletti C. Production of IL-12 by Peyer patch-dendritic cells is critical for the resistance to food allergy, J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 Sep;120(3):659-65. Epub 2007 Jun 28.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6254576.stm

TNF-α, a powerful tool of the Immune System

TNF-α (Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha) is a chemical which is used by many immune system cells. A list of a few of its biological functions is presented below.

1. TNF-α is known to stimulate unhealthy cells of the body to shut down, an essential cellular process of the human body known as apoptosis.

2. Another role of TNF-α is to disrupt and inhibit the process of viruses and bacterial infections.

3. TNF-α also directs the processes of many different types of immune system cells. For example, TNF-α serves as a powerful attractant to signal neutrophils (the most common white blood cell of the immune system in the human body) to move to a specific location. TNF-α also increases the phagocytotic process of macrophages (the main process in which macrophages rid the body of pathogens and unhealthy cells).

Agaricus blazei (ABM) has demonstrated ability to induce TNF-α in both in vitro studies as well as in vivo studies. In vitro research has demonstrated ABM could increase TNF-α in two varieties of cell types, human monocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

In vivo research demonstrated ABM enhanced TNF-α in an animal model. In the particular experiment mice were infected with a lethal strain of the bacteria S. pneumoniae. Half of the mice received ABM prior to infection while the rest of the mice did not.
Scientists confirmed mice given ABM experienced an increase in
TNF-α (relative to mice not given ABM) by way of monitoring gene expression and gene products using microarrays and immunoassays. In addition, mice which received ABM had a higher rate of survival and lower rates of the lethal S. pneumoniae infection. Scientists concluded that since ABM had no antibiotic effect on S. pneumoniae, the increased resistance to S. pneumoniae was due to an upregulation of the immune system.


References:
Bernardshaw S, Hetland G, Ellertsen LK, Tryggestad AM, Johnson E (December 2005), "An extract of the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill differentially stimulates production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in human monocytes and human vein endothelial cells in vitro", Inflammation 29 (4-6): 147–153, doi:10.1007/s10753-006-9010-2, PMID 17091395

Bernardshaw S, Johnson E, Hetland G (October 2005), "An extract of the mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill administered orally protects against systemic Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in mice", Scand J Immunol 62 (4): 393–398, doi:10.1111/j.1365-3083.2005.01667.x, PMID 16253127

Clinical Trial with Agaricus blazei Published

In 2009 a randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial documenting 6 months of Agaricus blazei consumption was published. The study revealed that consumption of the mushroom enhanced people's immune response. At the end of the study, subjects given Agaricus blazei increased their neutrophil levels (neutrophils are a type of white blood cell essential for the immune response).
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