Aim: To investigate the immunoregulatory functions of water extracts of Hericium erinaceum (WEHE) focusing on natural killer (NK) cell-based anticancer activities. Methods: Mouse splenocytes or purely isolated NK cells were stimulated with 1-100 mg/L WEHE for 24 h followed by co-culture with 51 Cr-labled Yac-1 cells for 4 h, then NK cell-derived cytolytic activity was measured using a radio-release assay. Neutralizing antibodies against mouse interleukin-12 (IL-12) were added into the WEHE-stimulated splenocytes, thereafter, cytotoxicity was measured to examine the involvement of IL-12. RT-PCR and ELISA analyses were performed to confirm the induction of transcription and the translation of IL-12 and interferongamma (IFN-gamma) in the WEHE-treated splenocytes. Results: WEHE enhanced the cytolytic activity of total splenocytes towards Yac-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, this activation was not observed when the NK cells isolated from the splenocytes were treated with WEHE. Furthermore, the treatment with antibodies against IL-12 abolished the effect of WEHE on splenocyte-derived cytolytic activity. RT-PCR and ELISA analyses showed the induction of IL-12 and IFN-gamma in the WEHE-treated splenocytes. Conclusion: WEHE indirectly activates the cytolytic ability of NK cells via the induction of IL-12 in total splenocytes, and possibly via other immuno-mediators or cellular components.

Aim: To investigate the inductive effect of water extract from Hericium erinaceum (WEHE) on interleukin‐1 β (IL‐1β) expression. Methods: A murine macrophage cell‐line, RAW 264.7 was stimulated with 1 to 10 mg/L WEHE and inductions of IL‐1β protein and its steady state mRNA were examined using a bioassay, Western blotting, and reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis. The inductive effect of WEHE on IL‐1β gene expression was further investigated by a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene assay using a transient transfection with pIL‐1(870 bp)‐CAT where the expression of the CAT gene was regulated by a IL‐1β promoter. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMS A) was also performed to examine transcription factors, nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB), activator protein 1 (AP‐1), nuclear factor interleukin‐6 (NF‐IL6), and cAMP response element (CRE)/activating transcription factor (ATF). Results: WEHE induced IL‐1β production in both its mRNA and protein expression in a dose‐dependent manner. The inductive effect of WEHE on IL‐1β gene expression was due to the augmentation of the IL‐1β transcription. Furthermore, EMSA showed that WEHE markedly increased the binding activities of NF‐κB, and to a lesser extent, those of AP‐1 and NF‐IL6 to their cognate DNA recognition sites, whereas CRE/ATF binding remained constant, all of which are known to be involved in the regulation of IL‐1β gene expression. Conclusion: WEHE induces IL‐1β expression in macrophages at a transcriptional level by enhancing the activation of transcription factors, NF‐κB, NF‐IL6, and AP‐1.

Traditional oriental herbal medicine (HM) is used by cancer patients to improve immunity. Natural killer (NK) cells are associated with development and progression of tumor and survival of cancer patients. This literature review examined randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in four electronic databases until October 2015 to evaluate the effects of oral HM on NK cells in cancer patients. Data were pooled and computed in a meta-analysis. The methodological quality was assessed according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Sixteen RCTs involving 1326 cancer patients were identified. Combination of HM and conventional treatment was associated with significantly higher level of NK cells compared with conventional cancer treatments (standardized mean difference, 1.218; 95% confidence interval 0.719-1.717; p < 0.001). Eight RCTs reported statistically significant improvements in the proportions or activity of NK cells in patient groups who received both HM and conventional treatment compared with patients who received conventional treatment alone, while eight RCTs reported no statistically significant differences between the two groups. Studies (n = 16) included in this review had insufficient quality of evidence with unclear (n = 1) and high (n = 15) values of the risk of bias. Although traditional oriental HM may have the positive effects on preserving the level of NK cells in cancer patients receiving conventional treatments, current evidence is inconclusive because of lack of high-quality evidence. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of autonomic nerve pharmacopuncture (ANP) treatment on cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in patients with advanced cancer. This observational case study was conducted at the East West Cancer Center of Daejeon University's Dunsan Korean Medical Hospital. Two patients were observed. One patient was diagnosed with left thymic cancer metastatic to the left pleura. The other patient had terminal-stage cervical cancer with iliac bone and lumbar 5 metastases. We injected mountain ginseng pharmacopuncture (MGP) into acupoints alongside the spine (Hua-Tuo-Jia-Ji-Xue, EX B2). We examined the patients for CRF using the Korean version of the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale (RPFS-K), which is a self-assessment tool. The scores on the RPFS-K for both patients tended to decrease during the treatment. Laboratory findings, including hematological changes, were also checked. Liver and renal function tests showed that the treatment was safe. Although further large-population studies are necessary, this case study suggests that ANP has a favorable effect on CRF in patients with advanced cancer.