Lentinan from shiitake selectively attenuates AIM2 and non-canonical inflammasome activation while inducing pro-inflammatory cytokine production

Sci Rep. 2017 May 2;7(1):1314. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-01462-4.

Abstract

Lentinan extracted from shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is a β-glucan that has been reported as an intravenous anti-tumor polysaccharide via enhancement of the host immune system. In this study, we determined the effect of lentinan on inflammasome activation, a multi-protein platform, in myeloid cells. Mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages were treated with lentinan with/without inflammasome triggers, and maturation of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, or caspase-1 was measured as a readout of inflammasome activation. As a result, lentinan selectively inhibited absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome activation. In addition, lentinan up-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines and induced expression of inflammasome-related genes through toll-like receptor 4 signaling. Furthermore, we assessed the effect of lentinan on mice treated with Listeria monocytogenes or lipopolysaccharide as an AIM2 or non-canonical inflammasome-mediated model. Lentinan attenuated IL-1β secretion resulting from Listeria-mediated AIM2 inflammasome activation and reduced endotoxin lethality via inhibition of non-canonical inflammasome activation. Thus, lentinan is suggested as an anti-AIM2 and anti-non-canonical inflammasome candidate despite its up-regulation of cytokine expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caspase 1 / genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Inflammasomes / drug effects
  • Inflammasomes / genetics*
  • Interleukin-18 / genetics
  • Interleukin-1beta / genetics
  • Lentinan / chemistry
  • Lentinan / pharmacology*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / toxicity
  • Listeria monocytogenes / pathogenicity
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / pathology
  • Mice
  • Shiitake Mushrooms / chemistry
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

  • Aim2 protein, mouse
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • IL18 protein, human
  • Inflammasomes
  • Interleukin-18
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Lentinan
  • Caspase 1