Shoji Shimizu

Activation of the alternative complement pathway by Agaricus blazei Murill

Components of Agaricus blazei Murill have been demonstrated to have a wide range of immunopotentiating activities. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of A. blazei Murill upon activation of the complement system in human serum in vitro. Additional studies were performed to determine the cytotoxic effect of complement-opsonized particles of A. blazei Murill against human tumor cells in culture. A fine particle of A. blazei Murill (ABP), prepared by mechanical disruption, was used throughout the experiments. ABP activated the human complement system via the alternative pathway in human serum. Activation of the alternative pathway was both time- and dose-dependent. When the particles from fruiting bodies of A. blazei Murill (ABP-F) were reacted with human serum, the formation of complement-opsonized ABP, iC3b-ABP-F complexes, and binding of the complexes to human peripheral blood monocytes, were demonstrated in vitro by immunofluorescence. Further, the resident human peripheral nucleated cells incubated in the presence of iC3b-ABP-F complexes inhibited the proliferation of human tumor cell line TPC-1 in vitro.

Maternal cell traffic bounds for immune modulation: tracking maternal H‐2 alleles in spleens of baby mice by DNA fingerprinting

We have previously reported that the immunization of pregnant mice with T‐dependent antigens successfully induced suppression of the antigen‐specific plaque‐forming cell (PFC) response to the relevant antigens in the offspring. This suppression was not caused by the administered antigens, the antibodies produced by the pregnant mother, or lactational transfer, but was dependent on the presence of the intact maternal T cells. It was major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐restricted manner tolerance, which continued for at least one‐sixth of the murine life. Traditionally, the placenta acts as a natural barrier, not allowing the cells to pass through. However, the results presented strongly suggested that maternal T cells pass through the placenta and subsequently induce tolerance. In this present study, we attempted to substantiate the presence of maternal cells in the fetal circulation through the use of molecular techniques. We found that a highly polymorphic microsatellite sequence within the class II Eb gene of the H‐2 complex is useful for the molecular detection of various H‐2 alleles. DNA polymorphic analysis was used for tracking maternal H‐2 alleles in the spleens of baby mice. The main procedure involved polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the DNA sequence encompassing the H‐2‐specific microsatellite from the genomic DNA of baby mice. The results indicated that maternal T cells of immunized pregnant mice cross the placenta into the fetus, eventually inducing antigen‐specific immunological tolerance in the offspring.

Hydrotherapy can modulate peripheral leukocytes: an approach to alternative medicine.

Along with treating illness, one of the purposes of alternative medicine is to promote the quality of life (QOL) of healthy people. In Japan, centuries of tradition have shown that alternative therapies like hot spring hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and herbal medicine enhance the QOL of empirically healthy individuals. Evidence has been accumulating that this may be the result of immune system regulation. The scientific basis, however, has not yet been established.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Japan

In recent years, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown in popularity worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies 65–80% of the world’s health care services as “traditional medicine” 1. Therefore, from the viewpoint of the population ratio, more people use CAM than modern Western medicine.

Antimicrobial activities of benzylpenicillin in combination with Traditional Herbal Medicines against β-Lactamase-producing bacteria.

The antibacterial activities of benzylpenicillin (PCG) alone or in combination with herbal medicines, Jyuzen-Taiho-Toh (JTT), Hotyu-Ekki-Toh (HET) and Tohki-Rikuoh-Toh (TRT), were examined against penicillinase (PCase)-producing organisms using an agar dilution method. All of the combinations of PCG and each herbal medicine substantially enhanced the activity of PCG against carbenicillin resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO2142RP(r)/pMG26: the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value was decreased eightfold. The susceptibility of E. coli strains harboring plasmid encoding PCase, types I, II, and III, respectively, increased slightly to PCG in these combinations, whereas none of these combinations produced the effect in E. coli with type IV PCase. Preincubation of various types of PCase with each herbal medicine induced a reduction in enzymatic activities. The inhibitory activity was found to increase in the following order: TRT < HET < JTT. In the case of JTT, the % inhibitions for types I, II, III, and IV PCase were found to be 104, 100, 97, and 94, respectively. The type I PCase-inhibiting activity of JTT was unaffected by heat treatment at 121°C for 15 min at neutral pH. These results suggested that the combination effect between PCG and herbal medicines might be due to the inhibitory activity of herbal medicines against the PCases.