Lentinus lindquistii extract effect on antioxidant-oxidant radical generation and apoptosis in Balb C mice after challenge with ROFA (Residual Oil Fly Ash)

FERNÁNDEZ E, ALVAREZ C, MARTÍN S, ALBERTÓ E AND DR TASAT,

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; VI Reunión SETAC; 2003

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)

Resolving the underlying causes for respiratory health effects of particulate pollution is of great interest as a number of recent epidemiological studies have associated increased mortality and morbidity to episodes of high particulate air pollution. Mushrooms comprise a vast source of powerful new pharmaceutical products. Among them, higher Basidiomycetes produce biologically active compounds which are mainly concentrated in the fruit-bodies. Thus, the aim of the present study was to characterize the effect of a fungal extract obtained from fruitbodies of a native specie: Lentinus lindquistii (Agaricales, Tricholomataceae), which fruits in subtropical areas in Argentina. The objective was to determine biological activity of L. lindquistii (FI) fungal extract pre-exposure in vivo on mice lung before pulmonary challenge with ROFA, a known ambient particulate matter. FI extract of Lentinus lindquistii in all the doses assayed: 1- Significantly increase total cell number, particularly alveolar macrophages; 2- Maintains the PMNs percentage; 3-Decreases significantly ROS production. This results suggest that this extract is a potent chemoattractant and that pre-exposure to bioactive molecules from the extract may reduce susceptibility to ROFA-mediated lung injury due to its antioxidant activity.