Effects of Chinese medicinal fungus water extract on tumor metastasis and some parameters of immune function.

The effects of the immunomodulation and antitumor metastasis of the Chinese medicinal fungus water extract (FWE) were investigated. After B16 melanoma cells were implanted in C57BL/6 mice through their tail veins, the mice were orally administered by FWE at low dose (160 mg/kg/day) and high dose (400 mg/kg/day) for 14 days. The tumor metastatic foci on the lung surface were observed under dissecting microscope. Phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages was detected through ingesting chicken red blood cells (CRBC) test. Lymphocyte proliferation and the natural killer (NK) cell activity were determined by MTT method and lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH)-release assay, respectively. The expressions of bcl-2 and p53 of livers and lungs were assayed by immunohistochemical method. The results showed that FWE could increase body weights of mice dose dependently. The lung metastasis inhibition rates (MIR) of B16 melanoma cells by low dose and high dose of FWE were 15.5% and 72.7%, respectively. FWE at the two doses enhanced significantly (p<0.05) the phagocytosis, which was evaluated using the phagocytic rate (PR) and phagocytic index (PI). FWE had significantly promoted mice' NK activity at high dose (p<0.001). Lymphocyte proliferation was not significantly elevated in both of low- and high-dose groups. FWE depressed the levels of bcl-2 and p53 protein in the liver and lung cells at both of the two doses. These results indicate that FWE not only promoted the mouse's immunity, but also inhibited tumor metastasis.