• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.635-641
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• 1999

In this study, we investigated the immunopotent activities of lepidan, a water soluble proteoglycan from Lentinus lepideus. To examine whether lepidan may affect nonspecific immune responses, we determined the effect on the production of nitric oxide (NO). Lepidan effectively increased the NO production in IFN-${\gamma}$ and LPS triggered RAW 264.7 cells. To further demonstrate the evidence that lepidan activates various immune cells, we determined the alkaline phosphatase activity, plaque-forming cell number and secretion of interleukine-4 (IL-4) and granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) after lepidan treatment in murine splenocytes. The results showed that lepidan increased alkaline phosphatase activity and the number of plaque-forming cells, which indicates that lepidan can lead B lymphocytes to late stage of differentiation. Also, when the splenocytes were cultured with lepidan for 48 hr, the level of IL-4 and GM-CSF in the supernatant dramatically increased. Taken together, these data suggest that lepidan is a biological response modulator that is able to activate immune responses.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.480-486
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• 1998

Many antitumor and immune modulating components have been isolated from fungal extracts. In this study, the authors isolated the proteoglycans from cultured mycelia of Lentin us lepideus, including especially the acidic polysaccharide fraction, named lepidan. It was obtained by extraction with hot water followed by purification using DEAE cellulose anion exchange. To elucidate antitumor effects against different type of tumor, the proteoglycans were tested on sarcoma 180, C3H MCA clone 16 and P388 leukemia in vivo. Lepidan showed 58.3% of tumor inhibition against solid form of sarcoma 180 and 58.6% against MCA clone 16. But lepidan did not affect life span of mice against P388 leukemia. Also when Lepidan was applicated to MTT assay, it did not show any direct cytotoxicity against various tumor cells in vitro.