EFFECTS OF LENTINUS-EDODES, GRIFOLA-FRONDOSA AND PLEUROTUS-OSTREATUS ADMINISTRATION ON CANCER OUTBREAK, AND ACTIVITIES OF MACROPHAGES AND LYMPHOCYTES IN MICE TREATED WITH A CARCINOGEN, N-BUTYL-N-BUTANOLNITROSOAMINE

ICR mice were treated with a carcinogen, N-butyl-N'-butanolnitrosoamin e BBN), every day for 8 consecutive weeks and the effects of oral admi nistration of edible mushrooms on the induction of urinary bladder car cinoma and on the activities of macrophages and lymphocytes were studi ed. Bladder carcinoma were found in all 10 mice (100%) treated with BB N alone, while we observed carcinoma only in 9 of 17 mice (52.9%), in 7 of 15 mice (46.7%) and 13 of 20 mice (65.0%) treated with Lentinus e dodes, Grifola frondosa and Pleurotus ostreatus, respectively. Chemota ctic activity of macrophages was suppressed in mice treated with BBN a lone but maintained almost the normal level in mice treated with BBN p lus Lentinus, Grifola or Pleurotus. Lymphocytes collected from mice tr eated with BBN plus each mushroom showed almost normal blastogenic res ponse against concanavalin A, although those from mice treated with BB N alone completely retarded their response. Cytotoxic activity of lymp hocytes against Yac-l cells was also maintained at a normal level in m ice treated with BBN plus each mushroom. Whereas in mice treated with BBN alone significant depression of NK cell activity occurred. Signifi cantly higher cytotoxic activity against P-815 cells was observed in l ymphocytes from mice treated with BBN plus each mushroom than that in lymphocytes from normal mice or mice treated with BBN alone.