Inhibitory effects of Agaricus blazei extracts on human myeloid leukemia cells

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Agaricus blazei has been used as an adjuvant in cancer chemotherapy and is found to inhibit the growth of various types of tumor cells.

Aim of the study

Our study has adopted a systematic and bioassay-guided approach to optimize the extraction of Agaricus blazei for anti-leukemic bioactive components. The tumor-selective growth inhibitory activity of the extracts on leukemic cell lines was evaluated in vitro and in vivo using tumor-bearing nude mice.

Materials and methods

Agaricus blazei extracts were prepared using different methods. MTT and tritiated thymidine incorporation assays were used to evaluate the in vitro anti-leukemic effects. The most potent extract was further investigated using NB-4 cells-bearing nude mice and mechanistic studies using DNA fragmentation assay and cell death detection ELISA.

Results

The JAB80E70 extract showed the most potent tumor-selective growth inhibitory activity against human leukemia NB-4 and K-562 cells. This is the first report of anti-leukemic activity of JAB80E70 in athymic nude mice bearing NB-4 cells. Using DNA fragmentation assays and cell death detection ELISA, JAB80E70 was found to induce apoptosis in NB-4 cells. However, the polysaccharide enriched fractions failed to show significant cytotoxicity on NB-4 cells in vitro.

Conclusions

The JAB80E70 extract exhibited potent anti-leukemic effect in vitro and in vivo. The effect can be attributed, at least in part, to the induction of apoptosis. Besides, polysaccharides in Agaricus blazei may not possess direct anti-leukemic activity in vitro.