[Effects of ingestion of "BON-NARINE" on immune functions in mice]

A study was carried out to examine the effects of ingestion of "BON-NARINE" (BN) on mice immune functions. Mice aged 12 weeks were divided into 4 groups. The first group was given BN at 30 mg/kg (BN-30 group), the second group was given BN at 90 mg/kg (BN-90 group), the third group was given zymosan at 50 mg/kg (Zy group) and the fourth group was a control receiving no treatment. The mice of groups BN-30 and BN-90 were given BN p.o. at doses of 30 mg/kg and 90 mg/kg per day for 20 consecutive days, respectively. The mice of group Zy were given zymosan i.p. at a dose of 50 mg/kg per day for 2 consecutive days. The results obtained were as follows: 1) Potentiation of phagocytic function of the reticuloendothelial system, examined by the carbon clearance method, was seen in the BN-30, BN-90 and Zy groups. 2) The glucose consumption of peritoneal macrophages (M phi) increased significantly in the BN-30 and Zy groups, but not in the BN-90 group. 3) Superoxide anion (O2-) production of peritoneal M phi significantly increased in the BN-30 and Zy groups compared with the control group, but an increasing tendency was observed in the BN-90 group. 4) The acid phosphatase (APH), beta-glucuronidase (GLU) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities of peritoneal M phi increased significantly in the BN-30, BN-90 and Zy groups. 5) The proliferation of splenocytes induced by Con A in the BN-30, BN-90 and Zy groups significantly increased compared with the control group. These results demonstrated that the ingestion of "BON-NARINE" promotes phagocytic activity in the reticuloendothelial system in mice and has a stimulatory effect on M phi because of increases in glucose consumption, O2- production, APH, GLU and LDH activities in the peritoneal M phi of mice. BN also intensified the T-cell function represented by Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation.