An extract of the mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill administered orally protects against systemic Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in mice. 2005

S Bernardshaw, and E Johnson, and G Hetland
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

The aim was to investigate the antibacterial effect of the biologically active and edible mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM). A water extract of AbM or PBS control was administered orally before or with challenge to NIH/OlaHsd mice, experimentally infected intraperitoneally with the moderately virulent Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 6B. End points were bacteraemia and survival rate. The AbM extract, protected against systemic S. pneumoniae 6B infection in the mice. It was most effective when given 24 h before inoculation but did also have protective effects when given together with challenge compared with control. The lack of antibiotic effect on pneumococci in vitro and increased levels of cytokines MIP-2 and TNF-alpha in the serum of mice receiving AbM extract, indicated that the protective effect of AbM was due to the involvement of the native immune system. This is the first report of anti-infection effects of AbM in vivo. Our results suggest that AbM extract may be useful as additional prophylactic and possibly therapeutic treatment against bacterial and possibly other infections in humans.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011008 Pneumococcal Infections Infections with bacteria of the species STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE. Streptococcus pneumoniae Infections,Infections, Pneumococcal,Infections, Streptococcus pneumoniae,Pneumococcal Diseases,Disease, Pneumococcal,Diseases, Pneumococcal,Infection, Pneumococcal,Infection, Streptococcus pneumoniae,Pneumococcal Disease,Pneumococcal Infection,Streptococcus pneumoniae Infection
D000276 Adjuvants, Immunologic Substances that augment, stimulate, activate, potentiate, or modulate the immune response at either the cellular or humoral level. The classical agents (Freund's adjuvant, BCG, Corynebacterium parvum, et al.) contain bacterial antigens. Some are endogenous (e.g., histamine, interferon, transfer factor, tuftsin, interleukin-1). Their mode of action is either non-specific, resulting in increased immune responsiveness to a wide variety of antigens, or antigen-specific, i.e., affecting a restricted type of immune response to a narrow group of antigens. The therapeutic efficacy of many biological response modifiers is related to their antigen-specific immunoadjuvanticity. Immunoactivators,Immunoadjuvant,Immunoadjuvants,Immunologic Adjuvant,Immunopotentiator,Immunopotentiators,Immunostimulant,Immunostimulants,Adjuvant, Immunologic,Adjuvants, Immunological,Immunologic Adjuvants,Immunological Adjuvant,Adjuvant, Immunological,Immunological Adjuvants
D000284 Administration, Oral The giving of drugs, chemicals, or other substances by mouth. Drug Administration, Oral,Administration, Oral Drug,Oral Administration,Oral Drug Administration,Administrations, Oral,Administrations, Oral Drug,Drug Administrations, Oral,Oral Administrations,Oral Drug Administrations
D000364 Agaricus A basidiomycetous fungal genus of the family Agaricaceae, order Agaricales, which includes the field mushroom (A. campestris) and the commercial mushroom (A. bisporus).
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000900 Anti-Bacterial Agents Substances that inhibit the growth or reproduction of BACTERIA. Anti-Bacterial Agent,Anti-Bacterial Compound,Anti-Mycobacterial Agent,Antibacterial Agent,Antibiotics,Antimycobacterial Agent,Bacteriocidal Agent,Bacteriocide,Anti-Bacterial Compounds,Anti-Mycobacterial Agents,Antibacterial Agents,Antibiotic,Antimycobacterial Agents,Bacteriocidal Agents,Bacteriocides,Agent, Anti-Bacterial,Agent, Anti-Mycobacterial,Agent, Antibacterial,Agent, Antimycobacterial,Agent, Bacteriocidal,Agents, Anti-Bacterial,Agents, Anti-Mycobacterial,Agents, Antibacterial,Agents, Antimycobacterial,Agents, Bacteriocidal,Anti Bacterial Agent,Anti Bacterial Agents,Anti Bacterial Compound,Anti Bacterial Compounds,Anti Mycobacterial Agent,Anti Mycobacterial Agents,Compound, Anti-Bacterial,Compounds, Anti-Bacterial
D013296 Streptococcus pneumoniae A gram-positive organism found in the upper respiratory tract, inflammatory exudates, and various body fluids of normal and/or diseased humans and, rarely, domestic animals. Diplococcus pneumoniae,Pneumococcus
D016207 Cytokines Non-antibody proteins secreted by inflammatory leukocytes and some non-leukocytic cells, that act as intercellular mediators. They differ from classical hormones in that they are produced by a number of tissue or cell types rather than by specialized glands. They generally act locally in a paracrine or autocrine rather than endocrine manner. Cytokine
D051379 Mice The common name for the genus Mus. Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus

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