Scientific Researches On:
Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi Mushroom)
USA National Center for Biotechnology Information
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21:
Oncol Rep. 2006 Dec;16(6):1313-6.
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Antiproliferative ability of a combination regimen of
crocodile egg extract, wild radix ginseng and natural
Ganoderma lucidum on acute myelogenous leukemia.
Chui CH,
Wong RS,
Cheng GY,
Lau FY,
Kok SH,
Cheng CH,
Cheung F,
Tang WK,
Teo IT,
Chan AS,
Tang JC.
Central Laboratory of the Institute of Molecular
Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis, State Key
Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology,
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong,
P.R. China.
Chinese practitioners have employed the use of traditional
Chinese medicine as an anti-cancer agent since the ancient
period. Different combinations have been formulated for
various purposes. Some have been claimed for
post-chemotherapy use but their direct actions on cancer
cells may not be significantly reported. In the present
study, we have tested the possible anti-leukemia potential
of a combination regimen including crocodile egg extract,
wild radix ginseng and natural Ganoderma lucidum (CGG
extract) on acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in vitro. A
water soluble CGG extract was prepared and its
antiproliferative activity was tested on the KG1a AML cell
line and two freshly prepared bone marrow aspirate samples
isolated from patients with de novo AML during
presentation by a MTS/PMS assay. Furthermore, the possible
activity of the CGG extract on the regeneration potential
of KG1a cells was also investigated using a semi-solid
methyl-cellulose colony formation assay. Lastly, the acute
toxicity of CGG extract was further examined by a single
high-dose oral feeding to rats. We found that the CGG
extract could possess significant antiproliferative
activity on AML cells. A strong colony formation
inhibition was further demonstrated on KG1a cells. After
feeding the rats with an excessive dose of CGG extract, we
observed no development of acute toxicity. We concluded
that the CGG extract has growth inhibitory potential on
KG1a cells and AML bone marrow samples in vitro. An in
vivo toxicity test revealed that no acute toxicity was
observed after feeding the rats a high dosage of the CGG
extract. Further animal model tests are necessary to
investigate the possible chronic toxicity of the CGG
extract.
PMID: 17089055 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Inhibitory effect of a water-soluble extract from the
culture medium of Ganoderma lucidum (Rei-shi) mycelia on
the development of pulmonary adenocarcinoma induced by N-nitrosobis
(2-hydroxypropyl) amine in Wistar rats.
Kashimoto N,
Hayama M,
Kamiya K,
Watanabe H.
Department of Experimental Oncology, Research Institute
for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University,
Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
A water-soluble extract from the culture medium of
Ganoderma lucidum (Rei-shi) mycelia (MAK) has been shown
to exert a potent chemopreventive effect. The present
study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary
MAK supplementation on the development of lung tumors
initiated by N-nitrosobis (2-hydroxypropyl) amine (BHP) in
male Slc:Wistar rats. A total of 77 animals, 6 weeks of
age, were divided into 5 groups and given BHP (2,000 ppm)
in their drinking water for 10 weeks. The normal controls
were not supplied with BHP. After treatment with the
carcinogen, the rats were fed a normal control MF solid
diet, or the same diet containing MAK (1.25%, 2.5% or 5%)
for 12 weeks. Macroscopically, all the doses of MAK
reduced the number of nodules, and the effect of 5% MAK
was found to be especially significant. Microscopically,
an increase in the number of proliferating cell nuclear
antigen (PCNA)-negative tumors and a decrease in the
number of tumors strongly positive for PCNA were observed
in the tissue sections from the rats that had received all
the doses of MAK. The present results thus indicate that
dietary supplementation with MAK inhibits the development
of lung tumors, suggesting that MAK may be a potent
chemopreventive agent against lung carcinogenesis.
PMID: 17089035 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Comparative studies of various ganoderma species and
their different parts with regard to their antitumor and
immunomodulating activities in vitro.
Yue GG,
Fung KP,
Tse GM,
Leung PC,
Lau CB.
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of
Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
OBJECTIVES: Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi) has been
commonly suggested in East Asia as a potential candidate
for prevention and treatment of different diseases,
including cancer. Ganoderma extracts, in particular
Ganoderma lucidum (extracts or isolated components), have
previously been shown to possess antitumor activities. The
present study aimed at comparing three different species
of Ganoderma, wildly grown versus cultivated, as well as
the different parts of the fruiting body (whole fruiting
body, pileus, and stipe), with regard to their antitumor
effects in human breast cancer cells and immunomodulatory
activities in mouse splenic lymphocytes in vitro. METHODS:
The aqueous extracts (12.5-400 microg/mL) of G. lucidum,
G. sinense, and G. tsugae were examined for their
antiproliferative activities in human breast cancer cell
lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, as well as in normal human
mammary epithelial cells (primary culture). The
immunomodulatory effects of the extracts were evaluated in
mouse splenic lymphocytes. The proliferative responses of
the mentioned cell types were determined by MTT
[3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium
bromide] assay. RESULTS: The present results demonstrated
that the extracts of all tested Ganoderma samples could
significantly inhibit cell proliferation in human breast
cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, with G. tsugae
being the most potent. The extracts, however, did not
exert any significant cytotoxic effect on human normal
mammary epithelial cells. Within the species G. sinense,
the inhibitory effects of wildly grown samples were not
significantly different from those of the cultivated
samples, except at 400 microg/mL. Most of the tested
extracts of Ganoderma stimulated mouse splenic lymphocytes
proliferation. The extracts from the stipes of the G.
tsugae and wildly grown G. sinense showed much stronger
inhibitory effects than the other parts of the fruiting
body in both cancer cell lines, whereas the extracts from
the stipes of G. lucidum and wildly grown G. sinense
showed stronger immunopotentiating activities in mouse
splenic lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate
that the aqueous extracts of these commonly available
Ganoderma fruiting bodies, G. lucidum, G. sinense, and G.
tsugae have antitumor activities in human breast cancer
cells and immunomodulatory activities in murine
lymphocytes. In addition, the present findings also
suggest that the stipes of fruiting bodies of Ganoderma
species should be included in the preparation of extract
of these fungi in order to obtain the most comprehensive
active ingredients. To the best of the authors' knowledge,
this is the first detailed comparison among the different
parts of the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma.
Publication Types:
PMID: 17034284 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Ganoderic acid T from Ganoderma lucidum mycelia induces
mitochondria mediated apoptosis in lung cancer cells.
Tang W,
Liu JW,
Zhao WM,
Wei DZ,
Zhong JJ.
State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China
University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road,
Shanghai 200237, China.
Ganoderma lucidum is a well-known traditional Chinese
medicinal herb containing many bioactive compounds.
Ganoderic acid T (GA-T), which is a lanostane triterpenoid
purified from methanol extract of G. lucidum mycelia, was
found to exert cytotoxicity on various human carcinoma
cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, while it was less
toxic to normal human cell lines. Animal experiments in
vivo also showed that GA-T suppressed the growth of human
solid tumor in athymic mice. It markedly inhibited the
proliferation of a highly metastatic lung cancer cell line
(95-D) by apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest at
G(1) phase. Moreover, reduction of mitochondria membrane
potential (Delta psi(m)) and release of cytochrome c were
observed during the induced apoptosis. Our data further
indicate that the expression of proteins p53 and Bax in
95-D cells was increased in a time-dependent manner,
whereas the expression of Bcl-2 was not significantly
changed; thus the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was decreased. The
results show that the apoptosis induction of GA-T was
mediated by mitochondrial dysfunctions. Furthermore,
stimulation of the activity of caspase-3 but not caspase-8
was observed during apoptosis. The experiments using
inhibitors of caspases (Z-VAD-FMK, Z-DEVD-FMK and Z-IETD-FMK)
confirmed that caspase-3 was involved in the apoptosis.
All our findings demonstrate that GA-T induced apoptosis
of metastatic lung tumor cells through intrinsic pathway
related to mitochondrial dysfunction and p53 expression,
and it may be a potentially useful chemotherapeutic agent.
Publication Types:
PMID: 17007887 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Inhibition of oxidative stress-induced invasiveness of
cancer cells by Ganoderma lucidum is mediated through the
suppression of interleukin-8 secretion.
Thyagarajan A,
Jiang J,
Hopf A,
Adamec J,
Sliva D.
Cancer Research Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute,
Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
Epidemiological studies suggest that the intake of
natural/nutrient products is inversely related to cancer
risk. While oxidative stress, generating reactive oxygen
species, has been linked to cancer initiation and
progression, dietary antioxidants have reduced the risk of
certain cancers. Experimental studies have demonstrated
that antioxidants and phytochemicals could prevent cancer
metastasis, and antioxidants were suggested as adjuvants
in cancer therapy. Ganoderma lucidum is an Asian medicinal
mushroom that has been used for the past two thousand
years for the treatment of various diseases, including
cancer. G. lucidum is currently popular as a dietary
supplement in the form of tea, powder or extract. We have
previously demonstrated that G. lucidum suppresses growth,
angiogenesis and invasiveness of highly invasive and
metastatic breast cancer cells. The present study was
undertaken to evaluate the effect of G. lucidum on
oxidative stress-induced metastatic behavior of
poorly-invasive MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We show that G.
lucidum inhibits oxidative stress-induced migration of
MCF-7 cells by the down-regulation of MAPK signaling. G.
lucidum suppressed oxidative stress stimulated
phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein
kinases (Erk1/2), which resulted in the down-regulation of
expression of c-fos, and in the inhibition of
transcription factors AP-1 and NF-kappaB. The biological
effect of G. lucidum on cell migration was mediated by the
suppression of secretion of interleukin-8 from MCF-7 cells
exposed to oxidative stress. In summary, our results
suggest that G. lucidum inhibits the oxidative
stress-induced invasive behavior of breast cancer cells by
modulating Erk1/2 signaling and can be potentially
considered as an antioxidant in adjuvant cancer therapy.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16964420 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Anti-tumor activities of the antlered form of Ganoderma
lucidum in allogeneic and syngeneic tumor-bearing mice.
Nonaka Y,
Shibata H,
Nakai M,
Kurihara H,
Ishibashi H,
Kiso Y,
Tanaka T,
Yamaguchi H,
Abe S.
Institute for Health Care Science, Suntory Ltd., Osaka,
Japan. Yuji_Nonaka@suntory.co.jp
We investigated the anti-tumor effects of a dry powder
preparation of the antlered form of Ganoderma lucidum (G.
lucidum AF, rokkaku-reishi in Japanese), a variant type of
G. lucidum, not only in allogeneic Sarcoma 180-bearing ddY
mice, but also in syngeneic MM 46-bearing C3H/He mice. G.
lucidum AF inhibited tumor growth and elongated the life
span when orally administered to mice by free-feeding of a
2.5% G. lucidum AF-containing diet. It also showed
anti-tumor activity in spite of post-feeding after tumor
inoculation. G. lucidum AF significantly countered the
depression of splenic CD8+ cells and protected the
decrease in interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production in
regional lymph nodes of MM 46-bearing mice, indicating
that the anti-tumor activity of G. lucidum AF might be
caused by its immunostimulating action. These results
suggest that the ingestion of G. lucidum AF can be useful
for the prevention and curing of cancer.
PMID: 16960396 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Ganoderma - a therapeutic fungal biofactory.
Paterson RR.
Micoteca da Universidade do Minho, Centro de Engenharia
Biológica, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
russell.paterson@deb.uminho.pt
Ganoderma is a basidiomycete white rot fungus which has
been used for medicinal purposes for centuries
particularly in China, Japan and Korea. A great deal of
work has been carried out on Ganoderma lucidum. The common
names for preparations include Lingzhi, Munnertake,
Sachitake, Reishi and Youngzhi. This review collates the
publications detailing activities and compounds by
representative species whilst considering the most valid
claims of effectiveness. The biological activities
reported of preparations from Ganoderma are remarkable and
given most emphasis herein as distinct from
structure/activity information. The metabolites consist of
mainly polysaccharides and terpenoids. Many are activities
against the major diseases of our time and so the present
review is of great importance. The list of effects is huge
ranging from anti-cancer to relieving blockages of the
bladder. However, the reports have not all been tested
scientifically with the convincing evidence is reserved
for assays of pure compounds. It is a prime example of an
ancient remedy being of great relevance to the modern era.
There does appear to be an assumption that the therapeutic
effects attributed to the fungus have been proven. The
next step is to produce some effective medicines which may
be hampered by problems of mass production.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16905165 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Ganoderma lucidum inhibits proliferation of human
breast cancer cells by down-regulation of estrogen
receptor and NF-kappaB signaling.
Jiang J,
Slivova V,
Sliva D.
Cancer Research Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute,
Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
Ganoderma lucidum, an oriental medical mushroom, has been
used in Asia for the prevention and treatment of a variety
of diseases, including cancer. We have previously
demonstrated that G. lucidum inhibits growth and induces
cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase through the inhibition of
Akt/NF-kappaB signaling in estrogen-independent human
breast cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanism(s)
responsible for the inhibitory effects of G. lucidum on
the proliferation of estrogen-dependent (MCF-7) and
estrogen-independent (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cells
remain to be elucidated. Here, we show that G. lucidum
inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer MCF-7 and
MDA-MB-231 cells by the modulation of the estrogen
receptor (ER) and NF-kappaB signaling. Thus, G. lucidum
down-regulated the expression of ERalpha in MCF-7 cells
but did not effect the expression of ERbeta in MCF-7 and
MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, G. lucidum inhibited
estrogen-dependent as well as constitutive transactivation
activity of ER through estrogen response element (ERE) in
a reporter gene assay. G. lucidum decreased TNF-alpha-induced
(MCF-7) as well as constitutive (MDA-MB-231) activity of
NF-kappaB. The inhibition of ER and NF-kappaB pathways
resulted in the down-regulation of expression of c-myc,
finally suppressing proliferation of estrogen-dependent as
well as estrogen-independent cancer cells. Collectively,
these results suggest that G. lucidum inhibits
proliferation of human breast cancer cells and contain
biologically active compounds with specificity against
estrogen receptor and NF-kappaB signaling, and implicate
G. lucidum as a suitable herb for chemoprevention and
chemotherapy of breast cancer.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16865287 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Antimutagenic activity of methanolic extract of
Ganoderma lucidum and its effect on hepatic damage caused
by benzo[a]pyrene.
Lakshmi B,
Ajith TA,
Jose N,
Janardhanan KK.
Department of Microbiology, Amala Cancer Research Centre,
Amala Nagar, Thrissur 680555, Kerala, India.
The antimutagenic activity of the methanolic extract of
the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.) P. Krast.
occurring in South India was investigated. The activity
was assayed by Ames Salmonella mutagenicity test using
histidine mutants of Salmonella typhimurium tester
strains, TA98, TA100 and TA102. The methanolic extract of
the mushroom significantly inhibited (P<0.001) the in
vitro sodium azide (NaN(3)), N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine
(MNNG) and 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPD), and
benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) induced his(+) revertants in a dose
dependent manner. In vivo antimutagenic activity of
extract was also assayed by determining the mutagenicity
of the urine of rats administrated with B[a]P as a
mutagen. The prior administration of extract markedly
inhibited mutagenicity induced by B[a]P. The results
indicated that the methanolic extract of Ganoderma lucidum
occurring in South India possessed significant
antimutagenic activity. The effect of B[a]P on hepatic
enzymes, such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase
(GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and alkaline
phosphtase (ALP), were also evaluated. The extract
prevented the increase of SGOT, SGPT, and ALP activities
consequent to B[a]P challenge, and enhanced the levels of
reduced glutathione (GSH) and activities of glutathione
peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST),
superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). The
extract also profoundly inhibited lipid peroxidation
induced by B[a]P. The results revealed that Ganoderma
lucidum extract restored antioxidant defense and prevented
hepatic damage consequent to the challenge by B[a]P.
PMID: 16713154 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Ganoderma lucidum extract inhibits proliferation of SW
480 human colorectal cancer cells.
Xie JT,
Wang CZ,
Wicks S,
Yin JJ,
Kong J,
Li J,
Li YC,
Yuan CS.
Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, the Pritzker
School of Medicine, University of Chicago, USA.
AIM: Ganoderma lucidum is a commonly used Chinese herb and
an important ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine
herbal formulations for immune dysfunction related
illnesses. The effects of this medicinal mushroom on human
colorectal cancer cells have not yet been evaluated. In
this study, we investigated the effects of Ganoderma
lucidum extract using SW 480 human colorectal cancer cell
line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two different fractions of
Ganoderma lucidum extract, i.e., a fraction containing
mainly polysaccharides (GLE-1), and a triterpenoid
fraction without polysaccharides (GLE-2) were analyzed.
Their antiproliferative activity was evaluated by cell
proliferation assay and 3H-thymidine incorporation assay.
Scavenging effects of DPPH radical were assessed using ESR-spectroscopy.
RESULTS: Our data showed that both GLE-1 and GLE-2
significantly inhibited the proliferation of SW 480 cells.
The inhibitory effect of GLE-2 was much stronger than that
of GLE-1. GLE-1 inhibited DNA synthesis in the cells and
reduced the formation of DPPH radicals. CONCLUSION:
Ganoderma lucidum extract inhibits proliferation of human
colorectal cancer cells and possesses antioxidant
properties.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16614703 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Enhanced induction of mitochondrial damage and
apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells by the Ganoderma
lucidum and Duchesnea chrysantha extracts.
Kim KC,
Kim JS,
Son JK,
Kim IG.
Environmental Radiation Research Division, Department of
Radiation Biology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute,
Yusong, Daejeon, South Korea.
Combined treatment with the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma
lucidum and the herb Duchesnea chrysantha extracts (GDE)
causes a synergistic induction of mitochondrial damage and
apoptosis in HL-60 cells. GDE treatment is selectively
toxic to HL-60 leukemia cells whereas no cytotoxic effect
is observed in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
GDE-induced apoptosis is associated with Bcl-2
down-regulation, Bax translocation, mitochondrial
cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation, suggesting
that apoptosis by this combination occurs through the
mitochondria-dependent pathway. The present findings
suggest that this combination merits further investigation
as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of
cancer.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16574319 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Comment on:
Ganoderma lucidum in cancer research.
Sliva D.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16458355 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Monitoring of immune responses to a herbal immuno-modulator
in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.
Chen X,
Hu ZP,
Yang XX,
Huang M,
Gao Y,
Tang W,
Chan SY,
Dai X,
Ye J,
Ho PC,
Duan W,
Yang HY,
Zhu YZ,
Zhou SF.
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, 1st Affiliated Hospital,
Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Many herbal medicines are widely used as immuno-modulators
in Asian countries. Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi) is one of
the most commonly used herbs in Asia and preclinical
studies have established that the polysaccharide fractions
of G. lucidum have potent immuno-modulating effects.
However, clinical evidence for this is scanty. The present
open-labeled study aimed to evaluate the effects of G.
lucidum polysaccharides on selected immune functions in
patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Forty-seven
patients were enrolled and treated with oral G. lucidum at
5.4 g/day for 12 weeks. Selected immune parameters were
monitored using various immunological methods throughout
the study. In 41 assessable cancer patients, treatment
with G. lucidum tended to increase mitogenic reactivity to
phytohemagglutinin, counts of CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD56
lymphocytes, plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2,
IL-6 and interferon (IFN)-gamma, and NK activity, whereas
plasma concentrations of IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha
were decreased. For all of these parameters, no
statistical significance was observed when a comparison
was conducted between baseline and those values after a
12-week treatment with G. lucidum. The changes of IL-1
were correlated with those for IL-6, IFN-gamma, CD3, CD4,
CD8 and NK activity (p<0.05) and IL-2 changes were
correlated with those for IL-6, CD8 and NK activity. The
results indicate that G. lucidum may have potential immuno-modulating
effect in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.
Further studies are needed to explore the benefits and
safety of G. lucidum in cancer patients.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16428086 [PubMed - in process]
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Comment in:
Ganoderma lucidum causes apoptosis in leukemia,
lymphoma and multiple myeloma cells.
Müller CI,
Kumagai T,
O'Kelly J,
Seeram NP,
Heber D,
Koeffler HP.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, David Geffen School of
Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States. MullerCI@cshs.org
Over many centuries, herbal remedies have treated a
variety of ailments. This empiric observational approach
has produced a number of leads for formulated medicines.
Ganoderma lucidum extract was screened for its anti-proliferative
activity using a panel of 26 human cancer cell lines. The
six most sensitive hematologic cell lines were: HL-60
(ED50 26 microg/ml), U937 (63 microg/ml), K562 (50 microg/ml),
Blin-1 (38 microg/ml), Nalm-6 (30 microg/ml) and RPMI8226
(40 microg/ml). Cell cycle analyses revealed a G2/M
arrest, most prominently in HL-60 cells. Four
hematopoietic cell lines (HL-60, Blin-1, U937, RPMI8226)
were examined for apoptosis, which ranged between 21 and
92%. After exposure to G. lucidum extract, HL-60 cells
became multinucleated with an increased DNA content. These
results indicate that G. lucidum extract has a profound
activity against leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma
cells and may be a novel adjunctive therapy for the
treatment of hematologic malignancies.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16423392 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Ganoderma lucidum mycelium and spore extracts as
natural adjuvants for immunotherapy.
Chan WK,
Lam DT,
Law HK,
Wong WT,
Koo MW,
Lau AS,
Lau YL,
Chan GC.
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Hong
Kong Jockey Club Clinical Research Centre, Faculty of
Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR,
China.
OBJECTIVES: Ganoderma lucidum (GL) is one of the most
commonly used Chinese herbs in the oriental community,
with more than 30% of pediatric cancer patients taking GL.
The immunomodulating and anticancer effects exerted by GL
extracts have been demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo
studies. There was, however, no comparison between the
immunomodulating effects of GL mycelium extract (GL-M) and
spore extracts on human immune cells. Dendritic cells (DCs)
are professional antigen-presenting cells and their role
in DC-based tumor vaccine has been well defined. The
possibility of GL as natural adjuvant for human DCs
remains unknown. DESIGN: This study explored the
differential effect of GL-M and GL spore extract (GL-S) on
proliferation and Th1/Th2 cytokine mRNA expression of
human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and
monocytes. Their effects on the phenotypic and functional
maturation of human monocyte-derived DCs were also
investigated. RESULTS: GL-M induced the proliferation of
PBMCs and monocytes, whereas GL-S showed a mild
suppressive effect. Both extracts could stimulate Th1 and
Th2 cytokine mRNA expression, but GL-M was a relatively
stronger Th1 stimulator. Different from GL-S, GL-M
enhanced maturation of DCs in terms of upregulation of
CD40, CD80, and CD86, and also reduced fluorescein
isothiocyanate-dextran endocytosis. Interestingly, GLM-
treated DCs only modestly enhanced lymphocyte
proliferation in allogenic mixed lymphocyte culture with
mild enhancement in Th development. CONCLUSION: These
findings provide evidences that GL-M has immunomodulating
effects on human immune cells and therefore can be used as
a natural adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy with DCs.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16398597 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Medicinal mushroom cuts off prostate cancer cells'
blood supply.
Johnston N.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16376814 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Anticancer effects of Ganoderma lucidum: a review of
scientific evidence.
Yuen JW,
Gohel MD.
Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong
Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, SAR, China.
"Lingzhi" (Ganoderma lucidum), a popular medicinal
mushroom, has been used in China for longevity and health
promotion since ancient times. Investigations into the
anticancer activity of lingzhi have been performed in both
in vitro and in vivo studies, supporting its application
for cancer treatment and prevention. The proposed
anticancer activity of lingzhi has prompted its usage by
cancer patients. It remains debatable as to whether
lingzhi is a food supplement for health maintenance or
actually a therapeutic "drug" for medical proposes. Thus
far there has been no report of human trials using lingzhi
as a direct anticancer agent, despite some evidence
showing the usage of lingzhi as a potential supplement to
cancer patients. Cellular immune responses and mitogenic
reactivity of cancer patients have been enhanced by
lingzhi, as reported in two randomized and one
nonrandomized trials, and the quality of life of 65% of
lung cancer patients improved in one study. The direct
cytotoxic and anti-angiogenesis mechanisms of lingzhi have
been established by in vitro studies; however, clinical
studies should not be neglected to define the applicable
dosage in vivo. At present, lingzhi is a health food
supplement to support cancer patients, yet the evidence
supporting the potential of direct in vivo anticancer
effects should not be underestimated. Lingzhi or its
products can be classified as an anticancer agent when
current and more direct scientific evidence becomes
available.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16351502 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Ganoderma lucidum inhibits inducible nitric oxide
synthase expression in macrophages.
Woo CW,
Man RY,
Siow YL,
Choy PC,
Wan EW,
Lau CS,
O K.
Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Nitric oxide (NO) is a principal mediator in many
physiological and pathological processes. Overproduction
of NO via the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) has
cytotoxic effect through the formation of peroxynitrite
with superoxide anion. The iNOS is mainly expressed in
macrophages and is able to produce large amount of NO. The
expression of iNOS is mainly regulated at the
transcriptional level. The iNOS-mediated NO production
plays a role in the development of atherosclerosis.
Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum, Linzhi or Reishi) is a
traditional herbal medicine which is commonly used as
health supplement. Several studies have demonstrated its
effectiveness against cancer, immunological disorders and
cardiovascular diseases. The objective of the present
study was to investigate the effect of G. lucidum on iNOS-mediated
NO production in macrophages. Human monocytic cell (THP-1)
derived macrophages were incubated with lipopolysaccharide
(LPS) for 24 h. Such treatment significantly stimulated NO
production (253% versus the control). Such a stimulatory
effect was resulted from increased iNOS mRNA expression
(270% versus the control) and iNOS activity (169.5% versus
the control) in macrophages. The superoxide anion level
was also elevated (150% versus the control) in LPS-treated
macrophages. Treatment of macrophages with G. lucidum
extract (100 microg/ml) completely abolished LPS-induced
iNOS mRNA expression and NO production. Such an inhibitory
effect of G. lucidum was mediated via its antioxidant
action against LPS-induced superoxide anion generation in
macrophages. These results suggest that G. lucidum may
exert a therapeutic effect against atherosclerosis via
ameliorating iNOS-mediated NO overproduction in
macrophages.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16335796 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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[Soothing effect of Ganoderma lucidum antlered form on
cyclophosphamide-induced adverse reaction]
[Article in Japanese]
Nonaka Y,
Ishibashi H,
Nakai M,
Shibata H,
Kiso Y,
Abe S.
Institute for Health Care Science, Suntory Ltd.
The immunological functions of Ganoderma lucidum antlered
form (AF) (Rokkaku-Reishi in Japanese), a variant type of
Ganoderma lucidum, were investigated in C57BL/6 mice
treated with cyclophosphamide (CY). Ganoderma lucidum AF
alleviated CY-induced decrease in body weight and abnormal
increase in blood neutrophil level, when the mice were fed
a diet containing 2.5% Ganoderma lucidum AF starting one
week before CY treatment (150 mg/kg, ip). The recovery of
CD8+ and NK1.1+ cells in the spleen was accelerated in
Ganoderma lucidum AF group compared to the control group.
Ganoderma lucidum AF also both alleviated CY-induced
splenic lymphopenia and suppressed the abnormal increase
in splenocytes 7 days after CY treatment. These results
suggest that ingestion of Ganoderma lucidum AF is
beneficial for improvement of quality of life reduced by
anti-cancer chemotherapeutic drugs such as CY.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16315878 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides peptide inhibits the
growth of vascular endothelial cell and the induction of
VEGF in human lung cancer cell.
Cao QZ,
Lin ZB.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical
Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, 38
Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100083, China.
Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharide Peptide (Gl-PP) has shown
some effects as anti-tumors in mice and potential
anti-angiogenesis. In this study, we elucidated the
possible mechanism of Gl-PP action on anti-angiogenesis of
tumor. Our research indicated that the proliferation of
HUVECs was inhibited by Gl-PP in a dose-dependent fashion,
but not because of cytotoxicity. Flow cytometric studies
revealed that Gl-PP treatment of HUVECs could induce cell
apoptosis directly. Moreover, addition of Gl-PP also led
to a reduction of Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic protein expression
and an increase of Bax pro-apoptotic protein expression of
HUVECs. Therefore, inducing cell apoptosis by Gl-PP might
be the mechanism of inhibiting HUVEC proliferation. Human
lung carcinoma cells PG when exposed to high dose of Gl-PP
in hypoxia for 18 h resulted in a decrease in the secreted
VEGF. Taken together, these findings support the
hypothesis that the key attribute of the anti-angiogenic
potential of Gl-PP is that it may directly inhibit
vascular endothelial cell proliferation or indirectly
decrease growth factor expression of tumor cells.
PMID: 16269156 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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