The Effect of Polysaccharide Krestin on GPx Gene Expression in Macrophages

There are two kinds of glutathione peroxidases in cells, selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (SeGPx) and non-selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (non-SeGPx, GST), playing important roles in protecting cells from oxidative injury. In order to find out whether the effect of polysaccharide Krestin (PSK) is somehow associated with antioxidant enzymes, its effect on peroxidases gene expression was studied by determining glutathione peroxidase activities and the contents of glutathione peroxidase mRNA in PSK-treated mouse peritoneal macrophages. The results showed that PSK could improve glutathione peroxidase activities and increase the contents of glutathione peroxidase mRNA in mouse peritoneal macrophages; PSK might also induce the glutathione peroxidases expression through synthesis of a new protein.