Recognition of the impact of Hericium erinaceus mycelium extract on ethanol-damaged gastric epithelial cells using atomic force microscopy

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to measure live cells. Changes in the biomechanical properties of a single cell under Hericium erinaceus mycelium extract (Heme) treatment play a critical role in drug efficacy evaluation and drug development, but they remain underexplored. In this study, ethanol-damaged human gastric mucosal cells (GES-1) treated with Heme were examined through AFM to investigate the physical changes. GES-1 cells were exposed to 5% ethanol to create a cell damage model. Heme-induced physical changes in the cell damage model were evaluated using AFM, including cell surface morphology, adhesion force, Young's modulus, and cell surface roughness. For comparison, the GES-1 cells were treated with various concentrations of Heme as a normal group. The scratch assay and colony-forming assay were conducted to determine the growth-promoting effects of Heme. The results show that 200 μg mL⁻¹ of Heme is the optimal dosage, exhibiting the best repair capacity. This study presents a single-cell in situ approach for evaluating the drug efficacy of Heme, and the methodology used in this study is expected to investigate the effects of other drugs and physical and chemical factors.