Anti-inflammatory properties of GLPss58, a sulfated polysaccharide from Ganoderma lucidum

Sulfated polysaccharides exhibit various biological properties, including anti-coagulant, anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory activities. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory properties of GLPss58, a sulfated polysaccharide from Ganoderma lucidum formed by chemical sulfation, were investigated. We found that GLPss58 inhibited L-selectin/sTyr-sLeX binding significantly, blocked the binding of anti-l-selectin antibodies to L-selectin on the surface of human peripheral blood lymphocytes, and inhibited the secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine-induced chemotactic invasion of HPBLs. In vivo studies in mice showed that lymphocyte homing from peripheral blood to spleen and lymph nodes was significantly inhibited by GLPss58. Furthermore, GLPss58 also inhibited the activation of complement systems and blocked the binding of TNF-α and IFN-γ to their antibodies. These results indicate that GLPss58 is able to inhibit not only the L-selectin-mediated inflammation, but also the complement system- and cytokines mediated-inflammation. Our results suggest that GLPss58 is a favorable potential anti-inflammatory agent.