Antitumor potential of low-dose chemotherapy manifested in combination with immunotherapy of Viva-Natural, a dietary seaweed extract, on Lewis lung carcinoma.
Beneficial antitumor effects of low-dose chemotherapy (Adriamycin, BCNU, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, 6-thioguanine or vincristine) combined with an immunotherapy with a partially purified polysaccharide of Viva-Natural, an edible seaweed extract, have been demonstrated against intraperitoneally implanted Lewis lung carcinoma in syngeneic mice. Adriamycin, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and vincristine at low doses, that were not effective when given alone, manifested antitumor activity when combined with the polysaccharide fraction of Viva-Natural. Other three drugs (BCNU, methotrexate and 6-thioguanine) at the noneffective low doses exhibited no further antitumor activity when combined with Viva-Natural. Cytotoxic activation of peritoneal macrophages in mice has been induced by single administration of the polysaccharide fraction of Viva-Natural, but the combined regimen of low dose drugs plus viva-Natural was no more effective than Viva-Natural alone. Therefore, the mechanism of action of the beneficial combination is not clear yet.
Furusawa
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Department of Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu.
Furusawa
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D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002330:Carmustine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D012624:Seaweed
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002330:Carmustine; D008727:Methotrexate