ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of Agaricus brasiliensis S. Wasser et al. (= Agaricus blazei Murrill sensu Heinem.) aqueous extract on small intestinal sIgA levels, serum TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-10 levels, splenic index, bacterial translocation, and histology of small intestine, spleen, and liver from mice orally challenged with 10⁶ CFU of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (SEST). Splenic index values as well as sIgA, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-10 levels were not affected by either A. brasiliensis aqueous extract treatment or by pathogenic challenge. Typical colonies of SEST were recovered from liver, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes of challenged animals, but there was no significant difference in this translocation between groups treated or not with A. brasiliensis aqueous extract. Translocation was confirmed by histopathological analysis in mice challenged with SEST, which showed small and diffuse foci of mixed inflammatory infiltrate in hepatic parenchyma. In conclusion, A. brasiliensis aqueous extract as tested in the present study did not influence any of the variables selected to evaluate in vivo its immunomodulatory effect suggested in the literature.