| Title | Anti-influenza Effect of Cordyceps militaris through Immunomodulation in a DBA/2 Mouse Model |
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| Author | Hwan Hee Lee1, Heejin Park2, Gi-Ho Sung3, Kanghyo Lee3, Taeho Lee4, Ilseob Lee5, Man-seong Park5, Yong Woo Jung6, Yu Su Shin7, Hyojeung Kang2*, and Hyosun Cho1* |
| Address | 1College of Pharmacy, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 132-714, Republic of Korea, 2College of Pharmacy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute for Microorganisms, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Republic of Korea, 3Mushroom Research Division, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, Eumseong 369-873, Republic of Korea, 4Research Center, Dong-a Pharm. Co., LTD., Yongin 446-905, Republic of Korea, 5College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 136-705, Republic of Korea, 6College of Pharmacy, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Republic of Korea, 7Department of Medicinal Crop Research, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, Eumseong 369-873, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 52(8),696–701, 2014, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-014-4300-0 |
| Key Words | Cordyceps extract, influenza A virus, IL-12, NK cells |
| Abstract | The immune-modulatory as well as anti-influenza effects of Cordyceps extract were investigated using a DBA/2 mouse model. Three different concentrations of Cordyceps extract, red ginseng extract, or drinking water were orally administered to mice for seven days, and then the mice were intranasally infected with 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1 virus. Body weight changes and survival rate were measured daily post-infection. Plasma IL-12, TNF-α, and the frequency of natural killer (NK) cells were measured on day 4 post-infection. The DBA/2 strain was highly susceptible to H1N1 virus infection. We also found that Cordyceps extract had an antiinfluenza effect that was associated with stable body weight and reduced mortality. The anti-viral effect of Cordyceps extract on influenza infection was mediated presumably by increased IL-12 expression and greater number of NK cells. However, high TNF-α expression after infection of H1N1 virus in mice not receiving treatment with Cordyceps extract suggested a two-sided effect of the extract on host immune regulation. |