Agaricus blazei Murill ameliorates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

Background: Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) is a widely accepted health food and is known to present anti-tumorigenic activities. ABM has also been reported to modulate oxidative stress after inflammation and infection. Reactive oxygen free radicals have been shown to be critically involved in ischemia-reperfusion injury cascades. We aimed to study the antioxidant activities of ABM against tissue injury caused by myocardial ischemia- reperfusion processes. Methods: A rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 cell line was set up and used for the study. Cell viabilities after different dosages of ABM extract treatment and hydrogen peroxide injuries were checked. A cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury model was set up to elucidate the cardioprotective roles of ABM extract. Different doses of 22.5 mg/kg of body weight and 45 mg/kg of body weight ABM extract were pre-treated at 24 and 48 hours before inducing the ischemia-reperfusion injury. Results: ABM extract treatment increased the survival of cardiomyocytes without cytotoxicity. Pretreatment with ABM extract reduced hydrogen peroxide-induced cell damage and increased cell survival (0.86 ± 0.15 in ABM 6.0 mg/ml vs. 0.45 ± 0.03 in control, p = 0.019). ABM-pretreated rats that underwent myocardial ischemia-reperfusion had greatly reduced infarct areas compared to those in the control group (14.3 ± 3.3% in control group, 4.6 ± 1.9% in 22.5 mg/kg group, 4.9 ± 2.1% in 45 mg/kg group, p < 0.05). Conclusion: ABM increases antioxidant activity, which greatly ameliorates myocardial injuries caused by myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injuries. Using ABM as a health food may provide cardioprotective effect against ischemia-reperfusion injuries.