NOS2 and atherosclerosis: Woo et al. (2005) demonstrated that G. lucidum extracts suppressed LPS-induced iNOS mRNA expression and NO production in human monocytic cell-derived macrophages. This effect was mediated via its antioxidant action against LPS-induced superoxide anion generation in macrophages, suggesting that G. lucidum may exert a therapeutic effect against atherosclerosis via ameliorating iNOS-mediated NO overproduction in macrophages (Woo et al., 2005).