DOWN-REGULATION OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA, MODERATE REDUCTION OFINTERLEUKIN-1-BETA, BUT NOT INTERLEUKIN-6 OR INTERLEUKIN-10, BY GLUCAN IMMUNOMODULATORS CURDLAN SULFATE AND LENTINAN

The effects of glucan-based immunomodulators curdlan sulfate (CRDS) an d lentinan on cytokine production stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LP S) in bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-primed mice were investigated. Pr etreatment with CRDS or lentinan before LPS administration induced a s triking inhibition of up to 89% of circulating tumor necrosis factor-a lpha (TNF), a moderate reduction of 25% of interleukin (IL)-1 beta, no significant differences in IL-6 or IL-10 levels, and a marked depress ion of chemiluminescence activity. Animals receiving CRDS prior to inf ection with alpha-hemolysin positive Escherichia coli inhibited measur able TNF production by 63%. The ability of CRDS and lentinan to signif icantly reduce the TNF production in vivo indicates the potential of g lucans in possible therapeutic strategies that are based on down-regul ation of TNF. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the International Society for Immunopharmacology.