[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.
Yajima
Y
Y
Third Dept. of Internal Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine.
Satoh
J
J
Kikuchi
T
T
Fukuda
I
I
Toyota
T
T
Saito
H
H
Okabe
N
N
Suzuki
H
H
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