Although it has been established that soluble
glucan in fungi is important to host defence against
infection, the importance of insoluble
glucans is not clear. We have examined the in-vivo immunopharmacological activity of the insoluble
glucan,
zymocel. Administration of
zymocel increased peritoneal exudate cell number and spleen weight, and enhanced: phagocytic activity,
hydrogen peroxide production, and
nitric oxide production of peritoneal exudate cells; the extravascular release of
Evans blue (which might reflect vascular permeability);
lipopolysaccharide-triggered synthesis of tumour
necrosis factor (TNF); and recovery of white blood cell number in
cyclophosphamide-induced
leukopenia.
Zymocel also showed anti-tumour activity against
sarcoma 180 in mice and also enhanced TNF synthesis and
hydrogen peroxide production by macrophage-like cell line in-vitro, i.e. resulted in direct macrophage activation. These results show that
zymocel shows varied immunopharmacological activity; it is suggested that the administration of insoluble
glucan induces the inflammatory response, the subsequent activation of the immune systems via the
cytokine network, and direct macrophage activation.