Silver ear (Tremella fuciformis) also named white tree ear has been often used for common food, soup and food supplements historically in the Chinese and Taiwanese populations. Many people have recognized that consuming silver ear can improve their health. Our first year project was focused on the immune response of Silver ear in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that 1) Crude extratct of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (CTFP) did not have cytotoxic effects on normal BALB/c mice and athymus nu/nu mice; 2) CTFP can promoted T-cell population; 3) CTFP can promoted macrophague phagocytosis; 4) CTFP can promoted NK cell activities; 5) CTFP can promoted T-cell proliferation; 6) CTFP can promoted B-cell proliferation. In order to investigate regarding the promotion of macrophage phagocytosis from blood of normal BALB/c mice and athymus nu/nu mice which may are involved the secretions and function of cytokines and further investigate whether or those observations and anti-inflammation are also happen in leukemia and ageing mice. Thus, in our laboratory we have already established the experimental protocol and ready for further investigations for these experiments. The purpose of this subjects 3 including 1) cytotoxic effects of CTFP on normal mice; 2) CTFP affected the immune responses of severe combined immunodeficiency mice (SCID mice); 3) CTFP affected the immune responses of leukemia mice; 4) CTFP affected the immune responses of ageing mice; 5) CTFP affected the phagocytosis of RAW 264.7 cells and associated molecular mechanisms such as the NF-κB and TNF-α signal pathways; 6) CTFP affected the inflammatory responses of mice after injection formalin by s.c. We will publish at least 2 research papers on effects of silver ear (Tremella fuciformis) on immune responses and major components in vivo and offer new knowledge on the associate mechanisms regarding to promote immune response of silver ear (Tremella fuciformis) in vitro and in vivo.
