Protective effect of PSK, a protein-bound polysaccharide preparation against candidiasis in tumor-bearing mice.
In an experimental Candidiasis of tumor-bearing mice, the administration of PSK resulted in a prolongation of lifespan when mice were treated with PSK before infection or before and after infection. The viable fungal counts in kidneys 3 weeks after infection was found to be less in PSK-treated mice than the control mice without PSK administration. The delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction in infected tumor-bearing mice against Candida dead cells were stimulated to some extent by PSK administration. The fungal proliferation in kidneys of tumor-bearing mice at the early stage of infection was prevented by PSK administration. The experimental results involving chemotaxis and phagocytosis suggest that PSK administration restores or enhances the depressed protection of tumor-bearing mice against Candida infection, mostly due to potentiating the phagocytic activity of macrophages.
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D002175:Candida; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002452:Cell Count; D007668:Kidney / Q000382:microbiology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D011509:Proteoglycans; C010770:polysaccharide-K