White button mushroom extract was examined in this study on (1) its potential effect on angiogenesis in chorioallantoic culture and (2) its recovering effect on the skin after injury in the ICR mice. Methods used included TUNEL assay on apoptosis, immunohistochemistry for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), and immune factor CD4 and western blotting. The results of chorioallantoic culture showed that the mushroom treatment led to significant increase in densities of VEGF sites. In the skin injury, ICR mice model increased EGF, PCNA, and collagen fibers, along with decrease of TUNEL positive apoptotic cells and limited reaction of TGF-β and CD4 indicated that white button mushroom extract appeared to have beneficial effects on skin in regeneration and after injury.

AIM:To test the hypothesis that enhancement of the activity of heme oxygenase can interfere with processes of fibrogenesis associated with recurrent liver injury, we investigated the therapeutic potential of over-expression of heme oxygense-1 in a CCl 4 -induced micronodular cirrhosis model. Methods:Recombinant adeno-associated viruses carrying rat HO-1 or GFP gene were generated. 1×10 12 vg of adeno-associated viruses were administered through portal injection at the time of the induction of liver fibrosis.Results: Conditioning the rat liver with over-expression of HO-1 by rAAV/HO-1 significantly increased the HO enzymatic activities in a stable manner. The development of micronodular cirrhosis was significantly inhibited in rAAV/HO-1-transduced animals as compared to controls. Portal hypertension was markedly diminished in rAAV/HO-1-transduced animals as compared to controls, whereas there are no significant changes in systolic blood pressure. This finding was accompanied with improved liver biochemistry, less infiltrating macrophages and less activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in rAAV/ HO-1-transduced livers. ConClusIons

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