title: Effects of lectins with different carbohydrate-binding specificities on hepatoma, choriocarcinoma, melanoma and osteosarcoma cell lines.
abstract: The effects of lectins with different carbohydrate-binding specificities on human hepatoma (H3B), human choriocarcinoma (JAr), mouse melanoma (B16) and rat osteosarcoma (ROS) cell lines were investigated. Cell viability was estimated by uptake of crystal violet. Wheat germ lectin was the lectin with the most deleterious effect on the viability of H3B, JAr and ROS cell lines. The cytotoxicity of lectins with similar sugar-binding specificity to wheat germ lectin, including Maackia amurensis lectin and Solanum tuberosum lectin, was weaker than that of wheat germ lectin. N-acetylgalactosamine-and galactose-binding Tricholoma mongolicum lectin ranked third, after wheat germ lectin and Maackia amurensis lectin, with regard to its effect on H3B, and ranked, together with Maackia amurensis lectin, as the lectins with the second most pronounced effects on ROS. However, the cytotoxic effects of Tricholoma mongolicum lectin on JAr were much weaker than those of Maackia amurensis lectin, Solanum tuberosum lectin and Anguilla anguilla lectin. Artocarpus integrifolia lectin, Lens culinaris lectin and Anguilla anguilla lectin possessed milder cytotoxicity than the remaining lectins. which were approximately equipotent. The mannose-binding Narcissus pseudonarcissus and Lens culinaris lectins were only weakly cytotoxic, the exception being a stronger effect on H3B. The N-acetylgalactosamine-binding Glycine max lectin and methylgalactose-binding Artocarpus integrifolia lectin similarly exhibited low cytotoxicity. It can thus be concluded that in general the ranking was wheat germ lectin > Maackia amurensis lectin approximately Trichloma mongolicum lectins > other aforementioned lectins in cytotoxicity. A particular lectin may manifest more conspicuous toxicity on certain cell lines and less on others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: V E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Ooi
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins