The influence of active
hexose correlated compound (AHCC) on cisplatin-evoked chemotherapeutic and
side effects in tumor-bearing mice.
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2007 Apr 20;
Hirose A, Sato E, Fujii H, Sun B, Nishioka H, Aruoma OI.
Cisplatin (cis-diaminedichloroplatinum (II) or CDDP) (a
widely used platinum-containing anticancer drug) is nephrotoxic and has a
low percentage of tolerance in patients during chemotherapy. The active
hexose correlated compound (AHCC) is an extract of Basidiomycotina marketed
as a supplement for cancer patients due to its nutrients and fibre content
and its ability to strengthen and optimize the capacity of the immune
system. The possibility that AHCC could reduce the side effects of cisplatin
was assessed in the tumor-bearing BALB/cA mice on the basis of the ability
to ameliorate the cisplatin-induced body weight loss, anorexia,
nephrotoxicity and hematopoietic toxicity. Although cisplatin (8 mg/kg body
weight) reduced the size and weight of the solid tumors, supplementation
with AHCC significantly enhanced cisplatin-induced antitumor effect in both
the size (p<0.05) and weight (p<0.05). Food intake in the cisplatin-treated
mice were decreased following commencement of treatment and this remained
low compared with the cisplatin-untreated group (control) throughout the
experiment period. Supplementation with AHCC increased the food intake in
the cisplatin-treated mice. The blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine
concentrations, and the ratio of blood urea nitrogen to serum creatinine
were significantly increased in the cisplatin alone treated group compared
to the control group. Their increased levels were mitigated by
supplementation with AHCC (100 mg/kg body weight) in the cisplatin-treated
group. AHCC was also able to modulate the suppression of bone marrow due to
cisplatin and the improvement was statistically significant. The
histopathological examination of the kidney revealed the presence of
cisplatin-induced damage and this was modulated by AHCC treatment. The
potential for AHCC to ameliorate the cisplatin-evoked toxicity as well as
the chemotherapeutic effect could have beneficial economic implications for
patients undergoing chemotherapy with cisplatin.
Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) enhances resistance to infection
in a mouse model of surgical wound infection.
Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2006 Dec;7(6):527-35.
Aviles H, O'Donnell P, Sun B, Sonnenfeld G.
BACKGROUND: Infection is the most common postoperative
complication within the surgical wound and during severe trauma. In spite of
the use of modern sterile techniques and prophylaxis, infection continues to
be a leading cause of death in these patients. Therefore, it has become
crucial to develop new alternatives to prevent the effects of trauma and
other complications on the immune system and improve resistance to
infection. The objective of this study was to test the prophylactic effects
of oral administration of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC), a
natural immunoenhancer, on survival in a mouse model of surgical soft tissue
infection. METHODS: The model involves the intramuscular administration of a
50% lethal dose (LD50) of K. pneumoniae to mice that have restricted food
intake for 24 hours prior to and six hours after infection and simulates
local infection and food deprivation that often occur during trauma or
surgical procedures. In the present study, AHCC was administrated orally to
Swiss Webster mice for eight days prior to and during the infection period.
Survival, time of death, LD50, and clearance of bacteria of this group were
compared with those control mice receiving the excipient alone. RESULTS:
Survival and mean time to death were increased significantly in the AHCC-treated
group; the LD50 was greater in mice receiving AHCC than in mice receiving
the excipient. Mice receiving AHCC were better able to clear bacteria from
their systems than were control animals. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest
that AHCC protects mice in this model by restoring the immune and other
systems negatively affected by trauma, infection, and food deprivation. More
studies are necessary to determine the intrinsic mechanisms involved in this
model and whether AHCC can prevent infection or improve survival in human
beings with severe trauma or undergoing surgical procedures.
Supplementation with active hexose correlated compound increases the
innate immune response of young mice to primary influenza infection.
J Nutr. 2006 Nov;136(11):2868-73.
Ritz BW, Nogusa S, Ackerman EA, Gardner EM.
The emergence of H5N1 avian influenza and the threat of
new or adapted viruses in bioterrorism have created an urgent interest in
identifying agents to enhance the immune response to primary virus
infection. Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) is a natural mushroom
extract reported to increase natural killer (NK) cell activity, survival,
and bacterial clearance in young mice. However, the effects of AHCC on the
response to viral infections have not been studied. In this study, young
C57BL/6 mice were supplemented with 1 g AHCC/(kg body weight x d) for 1 wk
prior to and throughout infection with influenza A (H1N1, PR8).
Supplementation increased survival, decreased the severity of infection, and
shortened recovery time following intranasal infection with flu, as
determined by the recovery of body weight and epithelial integrity in the
lungs. AHCC increased NK activity in lungs at d 1 (P < 0.05) and d 4 (P <
0.01) and in the spleen at d 2 postinfection (P < 0.01). Supplementation
increased the percentage (P < 0.05) and number (P < 0.01) of NK1.1+ cells in
the lung and reduced the infiltration of lymphocytes and macrophages
compared with controls (P < 0.01). These data suggest that AHCC
supplementation boosts NK activity, improves survival, and reduces the
severity of influenza infection in young mice. Bolstering innate immunity
with dietary bioactives may be one avenue for improving the immune response
to primary flu infection.