Antitumor activity and immune response of Mekabu fucoidan extracted from Sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida.
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.
Maruyama
Hiroko
H
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
Tamauchi
Hidekazu
H
Hashimoto
Minoru
M
Nakano
Takahisa
T
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
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; C007789:fucoidan