Protective effect of Agaricus bisporus intracellular polysaccharides and exopolysaccharides against concanavalin A-induced immunological liver injury in mice / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the protective effect of Agaricus bisporus intracellular polysaccharides(IPS) and exopolysaccharides (EPS) on immunological liver injury induced by concanavalin A (Con A). METHODS Mice were pretreated with IPS and EPS (100, 200 and 400 mg kg- 1, ig) daily for 12 d. Immunological liver injury was induced by Con A 25 mg·kg-1 byinjection via the tail vein of mice.Eight hours after injection of Con A, the indexes of the liver, spleen and thymus, serum level of glutamicpyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon- γ (IFN- γ), splenic lymphocyte percentages of CD4 + and CD8 + , and liver homogenate content of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. Liver pathological changes were observed by HE staining. RESULTS Compared with normal group, the autoimmune liver injury in mice induced by Con A resulted in an increase in the liver index (P<0.01) , spleen index (P<0.01), the activity of GPT (P<0.01) and GOT (P<0.01), the content of TNF- α (P<0.01) and IFN- γ (P< 0.01), and the level of MDA (P<0.01), but a decrease in the thymus index (P<0.01), the percentage of CD4+ (P<0.01) , the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ (P<0.01), and SOD activity (P<0.01). Compared with model group, treatment with IPS (200 and 400 mg·kg-1) and EPS (200 and 400 mg·kg-1 ) respectively resulted in an increase in the thymus index (P<0.01) but in a decrease in the liver index and spleen index (P<0.01). Similarly, the activity of GOT and GPT was decreased obviously (P<0.01), and the content of TNF-α and IFN-γ in IPS and EPS 200 and 400 mg·kg-1 groups was decreased. Compared with model group, the activity of SOD in IPS and EPS (200 and 400 mg·kg- 1) group was increased (P<0.01) while MDA was decreased (P<0.01). Moreover, the percentage of CD4 + Iymphocytes decreased (P<0.01), whereas no significant difference was found in the ratio of CD4 +/CD8 + .Pathological changes of the liver were observed under a microscope. Pretreatment with IPS and EPS could effectively reduce the liver injury induced by Con A. CONCLUSION IPS and EPS have certain protective effect on immunological liver injury, which may be related to their ability to clean up free radicals, control lipid peroxidation and regulate the balance of the immune system.