Abstract: Objective: To study the effect of Ganoderma atrum polysaccharide (GAP) on intestinal mucosal morphology and immunity in immunosuppressed mice. Methods: A mouse model of immunosuppression was established by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide for 3 consecutive days. The mice were randomly divided into 6 groups: normal control, model, low-, medium- and high-dose (25, 50 and 100 mg/(kg·d)) GAP, and positive groups. Body mass was recorded and the status of the mice was observed every day. The mice were sacrificed after administration for 7 days. The mucosal morphology of the jejunum was observed by optical microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTqPCR) was used to analyze the relative mRNA expression of T-bet and GATA-3. Results: Compared with the model group, administration of GAP at all three doses increased body mass, improved intestinal mucosal morphology, augmented the levels of IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ, elevated the relative mRNA expression levels of T-bet and GATA-3, and shifted the Th1/Th2 balance to Th1. Conclusion: GAP can improve intestinal mucosal morphology and regulate intestinal mucosal immunity in immunosuppressed mice.

Key words: Ganoderma atrum polysaccharide, intestinal mucosa, immunomodulation