[Change of blood lentinan level in patients with advanced cancers].
A conventional limulus test can detect not only endotoxin but also beta(1----3) glucan. Therefore, with a quantitative limulus test, the limulus colorimetric test, we studied the pharmacokinetics of lentinan, an antitumor beta(1----3) glucan preparation, in the blood of 10 healthy volunteers and 20 patients with advanced cancers. The calibration curve of lentinan in the human plasma was linear in the range of 0 to 100 ng/ml. Two mg of lentinan was administered once a week and blood samplings for the measurement were done immediately before the next lentinan administration to document trough-levels serially at a week interval. Trough-levels tended to rise gradually and showed a rapid elevation between 4 and 8 weeks after beginning of administration. This phenomenon may correlate closely with the antitumor effect of lentinan and, therefore, deserves further investigations.
Third Dept. of Internal Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine.
Y
Y
Yajima
J
J
Satoh
T
T
Kikuchi
I
I
Fukuda
T
T
Toyota
H
H
Saito
N
N
Okabe
H
H
Suzuki
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007912:Lentinan / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008033:Limulus Test; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000097:blood*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011134:Polysaccharides; D007912:Lentinan