Inhibition of murine tumor development by the lectin wheat germ agglutinin.
The antitumor activity of lectins were examined by studying the effect of lectins on the in vivo growth of murine tumors. The lectin wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) inhibited the growth of MM46 ascites tumors in vivo as effectively as syngeneic antitumor antiserum, but other lectins were not effective in vivo. WGA also had an inhibitory effect on other syngeneic and allogeneic ascites tumors, a fact which is consistent with its wide range of target tumor cells demonstrated in the in vitro cytolysis system. These results suggest that WGA is a better antitumor agent than other plant lectins. The therapeutic effect of WGA might be, in part, due to its ligand activity between tumor cells and macrophages that induces lectin-dependent macrophage-mediated cytolysis, in addition to its direct cytostatic activity.
D000818:Animals; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins
D037102:Lectins; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins