title: Antitumor activity and immune response of Mekabu fucoidan extracted from Sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We showed that fucoidan, extracted from dietary seaweed, could inhibit tumor growth. However, the mechanism of Mekabu (Sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida) fucoidan antitumor activity and how it enhances the immune response remains unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the effect of Mekabu fucoidan in P-388 tumor-bearing mice and in T cell-mediated NK cell activity in normal mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survival of mice was prolonged when Mekabu fucoidan was administered for 4 days before tumor cell inoculation, compared with non-treated mice. Fucoidan significantly enhanced the cytolytic activity of NK cells and increased the amount of IFN-gamma produced by T cells up to about 2-fold compared with non-treated mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anti-tumor effect of Mekabu fucoidan appears to be mediated by IFN-gamma-activated NK cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Kitasato 1-15-1, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan. maruyama@ahs.kitasato-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamauchi
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D007564:Japan; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D007941:Leukemia P388 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D044648:Undaria
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; C007789:fucoidan