Active Hexose Correlated Compound Feeding to Stress Mice Induces Differential Cytokine Production during Chlamydia muridarum Genital Infection

Abstract

Oral supplementation of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) mushroom extract is reported to enhance resistance to infection. However, AHCC feeding to stressed mice during Chlamydia muridarum. genital infection and host immune response remain unexplored. This study aimed to explore cytokine production profiles of immune cells of AHCC-fed stressed mice. Wildtype C57BL/6J mice that were stressed and infected with C. muridarum intravaginally. After seven days, splenic T cells and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs), and macrophages (MØs) were proliferated, and culture supernatants were collected to determine cytokine production by ELISA. Phenotyping of surface markers of immune cells using flow cytometry is underway. ELISA results show that AHCC increases the production of Th1 (IL-12 and IFN-g) and Th2 (IL-10, IL-13, IL.23) cytokines compared to PBS-fed stressed mice. Increased production of TNF-α in LPS-treated DCs and MØs of WT was observed. Overall, AHCC-feeding increases the production of protective and suppressive cytokines.