Augmentation of protective immune responses against Sendai virus infection by fungal polysaccharide schizophyllan

When treated with fungal polysaccharide schizophyllan, mice survived otherwise lethal Sendai virus infection. Both intraperitoneal and oral administrations were effective when sonicated schizophyllan with a relative molecular mass (M(r)) of 4.6 x 10(5) was used. Antiviral antibody in the serum could be detected at an earlier time after virus infection and virus spread in the lung was more efficiently inhibited in schizophyllan-treated mice than in untreated controls. Schizophyllan also augmented protective immune responses induced by low doses of a live Sendai virus vaccine that were insufficient to confer complete protection against challenge infection with a virulent strain. On the other hand, schizophyllan did not influence interferon production in mice whether or not infected with Sendai virus. The present results suggest that schizophyllan confers better protection against virus infection through augmentation of antiviral immune responses and can be used as an immune enhancer.