Cordyceps militaris Enhances MHC-restricted Antigen Presentation via the Induced Expression of MHC Molecules and Production of Cytokines.

Background: Cordyceps militarys water extract (CME) has been reported to exert antitumor and immunomodulatory activities in vivo and in vitro. However, the therapeutic mechanism has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we examined the effects of CME on the antigen presenting function of antigen presenting cells (APCs).

Immunostimulatory Effects of Cordyceps militaris on Macrophages through the Enhanced Production of Cytokines via the Activation of NF-kappaB.

Background: Cordyceps militaris has been used in traditional medicine to treat numerous diseases and has been reported to possess both antitumor and immunomodulatory activities in vitro and in vivo. However, the pharmacological and biochemical mechanisms of Cordyceps militaris extract (CME) on macrophages have not been clearly elucidated. In the present study, we examined how CME induces the production of proinflammatory cytokines, transcription factor, and the expression of co-stimulatory molecules.

Role of Cordycepin and Adenosine on the Phenotypic Switch of Macrophages via Induced Anti-inflammatory Cytokines.

Background: Chronic low grade inflammation is closely linked to type II diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis. Macrophages play a key role in the regulation of pro- or anti-inflammatory actions at the lesion sites of disease. Components of cordyceps militaris, cordycepin and adenosine, have been used for the modulation of inflammatory diseases.

Cordycepin Suppresses Expression of Diabetes Regulating Genes by Inhibition of Lipopolysaccharide-induced Inflammation in Macrophages.

Background: It has been recently noticed that type 2 diabetes (T2D), one of the most common metabolic diseases, causes a chronic low-grade inflammation and activation of the innate immune system that are closely involved in the pathogenesis of T2D. Cordyceps militaris, a traditional medicinal mushroom, produces a component compound, cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine). Cordycepin has been known to have many pharmacological activities including immunological stimulating, anti-cancer, and anti-infection activities.

Macrophage-colony stimulating factor enhances MHC-restricted presentation of exogenous antigen in dendritic cells.

Previous studies have shown that dendritic cells (DCs) can phagocytize, process and present a microencapsulated form of ovalbumin (OVA) in the context of class I MHC as well as class II MHC. In the present study, we examined the effects of recombinant human macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) on the MHC-restricted presentation of microencapsulated OVA by DCs. Two types of DCs were generated from mouse bone marrow (BM) cells, one type with granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) alone, the other type with GM-CSF and interleukin (IL)-4.

Immunomodulatory activity of betulinic acid by producing pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of macrophages.

Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic triterpene isolated from Lycopus lucidus, has been reported to be a selective inducer of apoptosis in various human cancer and shown anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. We postulated that BA modulates the immunomodulatory properties at least two groups of protein mediators of inflammation, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on the basis of the critical role of the monocytes and tissue macrophages in inflammatory and immune responses. TNF-alpha and IL-1beta were produced by BA in a dose dependent manner at concentration of 0.

Activation of murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 by Korean propolis.

Monocytes and macrophages play a major role in defense mechanism of the host response to tumor, in part through the secretion of several potent products and macrophage cytokines. Monocytes and tissue macrophages produce at least two groups of protein mediators of inflammation, interleukin 1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Recent studies emphasizes that TNF and IL-1 modulate the inflammatory function of endothelial cells, leukocytes, and fibroblasts.