Optimal Level for the Protection of Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Sprague-Dawley Rat Liver Damage by Mycelial Cultures of Lentinus edodes

The protective effects of a powder mixed with solid-cultured and liquid-cultured Lentinus edodes mycelia (2 : 1, w/w) (designate LED) with different doses of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) on induced hepatotoxicity in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was investigated. The rats were divided into seven groups (6 rats/group) and the following substances were administered orally to each group: Vehicle (0.2 ㎖ distilled water), Control (0.2 ㎖ distilled water), LED (LED 100, 200, 300 and 400 ㎎/㎏ BW in 0.2 ㎖ distilled water), and Silymarin (200 ㎎/Kg BW in 0.2 ㎖ distilled water). After two weeks of daily administration, all groups except for the Vehiclegroup were subjected to abdominal injection with CCl₄ (CCl₄ : corn oil, 1 : 1 v/v; 0.5 ㎖/㎏ BW). One day later, blood and liver samples were collected to analyze biomarkers. All LED treatments elevated hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH peroxidase) activities, and reduced thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), resulting in the reduction of glutamate-oxalate transaminase (GOT), glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in plasma. These results indicate that LED effectively protected SD rat hepatotoxicity induced by CCl₄ through its antioxidative activity and reduction of some cytokines. The highest efficacy was found in LED 200 ㎎/㎏ BW, showing potential as a useful material for protection from hepatotoxicity in humans.