Sulfated polysaccharides of Laetiporus sulphureus fruiting bodies exhibit anti-breast cancer activity through cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction, and inhibiting cell migration.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Laetiporus sulphureus has long been used as an edible and medicinal mushroom in Asia, America, and Europe. Its fruiting bodies are widely used in folk medicine for treating cancer, gastric diseases, cough, and rheumatism. Polysaccharides are an important bioactive component of mushrooms.

Metabolomic Profiling of Different Phenotypes.

(AC) is a precious medicinal fungus with numerous therapeutic benefits. Based on the color appearance of its fruiting bodies, AC can be divided into red AC (RAC), yellow AC (YAC), and white AC (WAC); however, the differences in their metabolomic profiles remain unknown. This study aimed to analyze the metabolomic profiles of three different AC phenotypes and examine their relationship to the color appearance of fruiting bodies.

Chemical Composition and Chronic Toxicity of Disc-Cultured Fruiting Bodies.

(AC) is a popular fungus for use as folk medicine in health maintenance and disease prevention and treatment. Disc culture is a novel technique for producing AC fruiting bodies. This study aimed to investigate the bioactive components and toxicological properties of disc-cultured AC fruiting body powders (ACP) in rats.

Synergistic anti-inflammatory effects of different polysaccharide components from Xylaria nigripes.

Nondigestible polysaccharides are essential nutrients, which are also important bioactive constituents of mushrooms. This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties and anti-inflammatory effects of different polysaccharide components of Xylaria nigripes in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages.

Differences in anti-inflammatory properties of water soluble and insoluble bioactive polysaccharides in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.

β-Linked polysaccharides including β-glucans are well known to be important functional ingredients, and are known to possess immunomodulatory and anti-tumor activities. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties and participating receptor of water soluble and insoluble bioactive polysaccharides from Grifola frondosa (GFP, non-digestible water soluble polysaccharides), Laminaria digitata (laminarin, a water soluble β-glucan) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (zymosan, a water insoluble β-glucan) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated parental and Dectin-1 highly expressing RAW264.7 macrophages.

A (1→6)-Branched (1→4)-β-d-Glucan from Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Cytokine Production in RAW264.7 Macrophages by Binding to TLR2 Rather than Dectin-1 or CR3 Receptors.

Mushroom polysaccharides including β-glucans possess various health-promoting properties and are known to be the major bioactive constituents of (GF), which is a popular edible and medicinal mushroom. Dectin-1, a pattern-recognition receptor, is responsible for recognizing β-glucans. In this study, parental RAW264.

Herbal Medicine Containing Aristolochic Acid and the Risk of Primary Liver Cancer in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Background: We investigated the association between taking herbal medicine (HM) containing aristolochic acid (AA) and the risk of primary liver cancer (PLC) among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods: This is a prospective study for the long-term follow-up of a nationwide population-based cohort of patients ages 18 years or older diagnosed with HCV infection during 1997 to 2010. A total of 223,467 HCV-infected patients were identified using the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan.

Differences in water soluble non-digestible polysaccharides and anti-inflammatory activities of fruiting bodies from two cultivated Xylaria nigripes strains.

Polysaccharides including β-glucans are important bioactive components of mushroom. Xylaria nigripes is a popular medicinal fungus that has been used for treating trauma, insomnia and mental illness. This study examined the physicochemical characteristics and anti-inflammatory activities of water soluble non-digestible polysaccharides (TXNP and CXNP) from fruiting bodies of two cultivated X.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Bioactive Constituents of Cultivated Fruiting Bodies of Xylaria nigripes (Ascomycetes), a Chinese Medicinal Fungus.

Xylaria nigripes, also known as Wu Ling Shen, is popular for treating insomnia and trauma in traditional Chinese medicine. This study aimed to examine the anti-inflammatory activity and bioactive constituents of cultivated X. nigripes fruiting bodies in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.

Increased risk of urinary tract cancer in ESRD patients associated with usage of Chinese herbal products suspected of containing aristolochic acid.

Introduction: Both end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and urothelial cancer (UC) are associated with the consumption of Chinese herbal products containing aristolochic acid (AA) by the general population. The objective of this study was to determine the risk of UC associated with AA-related Chinese herbal products among ESRD patients.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study using the National Health Insurance reimbursement database to enroll all ESRD patients in Taiwan from 1998-2002.

Increased upper and lower tract urothelial carcinoma in patients with end-stage renal disease: a nationwide cohort study in Taiwan during 1997-2008.

Background: Urothelial cancer (UC) is the leading cancer of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Taiwan. The aims of this study were to explore the time trends of UC incidences and propose possible etiologic factors.

Methods: Abstracting from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), there were 90,477 newly diagnosed cases of ESRD between 1997 and 2008 covering the patients aged 40-85.

Addition of immunosuppressive treatment to hemoperfusion is associated with improved survival after paraquat poisoning: a nationwide study.

Paraquat poisoning associates very high mortality rate. Early treatment with hemoperfusion is strongly suggested by animal and human studies. Although the survival benefit of additional immunosuppressive treatment (IST) in combination with hemoperfusion is also reported since 1971, the large-scale randomized control trials to confirm the effects of IST is difficult to be executed.

Increased risk of urothelial cancer in young and middle aged patients with end-stage renal disease.

Background/purpose: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) may increase the likelihood of malignancy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of increased urothelial cancer (UC) risk in patients with ESRD in Taiwan by a population-based study.

Methods: The standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for UC among a registered cohort of ESRD in Taiwan during 1997-2002 were calculated using reimbursement data obtained from the Bureau of National Health Insurance (NHI), with the incidence rates of UC in the general population as the reference.

Risks of kidney failure associated with consumption of herbal products containing Mu Tong or Fangchi: a population-based case-control study.

Background: Taiwan has a remarkably high incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The objective of this study is to determine the association between prescribed herbal products containing aristolochic acid and ESRD.

Study Design: Population-based case-control study.

Population-based case-control study of Chinese herbal products containing aristolochic acid and urinary tract cancer risk.

Background: Consumption of Chinese herbs that contain aristolochic acid (eg, Mu Tong) has been associated with an increased risk of urinary tract cancer.

Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study in Taiwan to examine the association between prescribed Chinese herbal products that contain aristolochic acid and urinary tract cancer. All patients newly diagnosed with urinary tract cancer (case subjects) from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2002, and a random sample of the entire insured population from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2002 (control subjects), were selected from the National Health Insurance reimbursement database.

Increased risks of chronic kidney disease associated with prescribed Chinese herbal products suspected to contain aristolochic acid.

Aim: Nephropathy associated with aristolochic acid (AA) has been documented by human and animal studies. Ancient Chinese herbology claimed to reduce toxicity in their mixtures. It was the objective of this study to determine the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with AA-related Chinese herbal products (CHP) or mixtures of herbs in a national cohort.

Comparisons of the peritoneal equilibration test and ultrafiltration in patients with and without diabetes mellitus on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Background/aims: To compare dialysance and ultrafiltration (UF) of peritoneum in diabetes mellitus (DM) and non-DM patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Methods: A total of 162 adult patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (40 DM and 122 non-DM patients) were studied with the peritoneal equilibration test (PET) using 2.5% glucose dialysis solution retained for 4 h.

Effects of pentoxifylline on peritoneal fibroblasts and silica-induced peritoneal fibrosis.

Background: Peritoneal fibrosis is a long-term complication following continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Peritoneal fibroblasts may play an important role in peritoneal fibrosis. Up to now, the treatment of peritoneal fibrosis in patients with CAPD remains unsatisfactory.