title: In vitro influence of lectins and neoglycoconjugates on the growth of three human sarcoma cell lines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study is to investigate the in vitro effects of plant lectins, galectins and neoglycoconjugates on the proliferation of three human sarcoma cell lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proliferation was assessed by means of the tetrazolium derivative reduction (MTT) assay. In addition, glycohistochemistry was used to make visible the plant-lectin-specific binding sites; the intensity of the lectin binding pattern was quantified by means of image analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depending on the cell lines, the staining intensity and the percentage of labelled cells were different. With respect to growth modulation, the cell lines also responded differently to the probes used. Besides a predominant inhibitory effect elicited by the probes at 50 microg/ml, dose-dependent effects, including growth stimulation, were detectable in several instances. These effects relate to the animal galectins tested and several neoglycoconjugates, e.g. the lactose- and blood-group-A-trisaccharide-bearing probes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endogenous lectins and lectin-reactive cellular glycoconjugates can apparently affect the regulation of the growth of human sarcoma cells. We suggest that these results are relevant for further histopathological monitoring in correlation with prognosis and in vitro assays to reveal possible clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Remmelink
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Darro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Decaestecker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Decker
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Bovin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gebhart
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaltner
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gabius
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Danguy
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D037161:Galectins; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000378:metabolism*; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D037161:Galectins; D006001:Glycoconjugates; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D037102:Lectins