Antiatherogenic and antiatherosclerotic effects of mushroom extracts revealed in human aortic intima cell culture

Abstract

AbstractAlcohol and water extracts from 20 edible fungi species belonging to the following genera— Agaricum, Armillaria, Boletus, Collybia, Coriolus, Cortinfrius, Flammulina, Ganoderma, Hirneola, Lentinus, Lyophyilum, Pleurotus, Sarcodon, Tremella, and Tricholoma— were added to primary culture of cells isolated from atherosclerotic lesions of human aorta to ascertain their influence on the major cellular manifestations of atherosclerosis. Thirteen of the 20 tested extracts were antiatherosclerotic in culture, that is, they caused the decrease in the cellular cholesterol level and/or the inhibition of cellular proliferation ([3H]thymidine incorporation). The antiatherogenic (prophylactic) action of mushroom extracts was also tested using cell culture. The extracts were added to the primary culture of normal intimal cells, which had been stimulated by atherogenic serum from coronary heart disease (CHD) patients to undergo atherogenic transformation (increase in total cholesterol and stimulation of proliferation). Ten of the 20 tested extracts displayed antiatherogenic as well as antiatherosclerotic effects. Four mushroom species were chosen for the study of antiatherosclerotic effects in vivo. Cultivation of “atherosclerotic” cells during 24 hr in the presence of serum from healthy subjects who had had mushroom meals resulted in a 21–30% decrease in the cellular cholesterol level. The atherogenic serum obtained from CHD patients after dietary mushroom consumption partly (30–41%) lost its ability to increase the cellular cholesterol content. The current study presents data suggesting that some mushroom species may be useful as dietary supplements in the prevention and therapy of atherosclerosis.