title: Antitumor effects of various low-molecular-weight chitosans are due to increased natural killer activity of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes in sarcoma 180-bearing mice.
abstract: Various low-molecular-weight chitosans such as the 21-kDa, 46-kDa, and 120-kDa chitosans obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of a high-molecular-weight chitosan (average molecular weight, 650 kDa) had low viscosity and were water soluble. We examined the antitumor activity of various water-soluble chitosans with different molecular weights in sarcoma 180-bearing mice. A 21-kDa water-soluble chitosan and oligochitosan (100 and 300 mg/kg body) administered by i.g. intubation reduced the tumor growth and final tumor weight in sarcoma 180-bearing mice. A 46-kDa water-soluble chitosan at a dose of 100 mg/kg body reduced the tumor growth and final tumor weight, but had no effect at 300 mg/kg. On the other hand, a 130-kDa water-soluble chitosan had no effect on tumor growth. The 21- and 46-kDa chitosans (10 mg/L) enhanced the natural killer (NK) activity in intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) or splenic lymphocytes. The NK activity of low-molecular-weight chitosan (21- and 46-kDa chitosans)-treated IELs or splenic lymphocytes was stronger than that of high-molecular-weight chitosan (130- and 650-kDa chitosans)-treated IELs or splenic lymphocytes. In addition, low-molecular-weight chitosan-treated IELs or splenic lymphocytes also enhanced the cytotoxic activity against sarcoma 180 cells. In an in vivo study, although low-molecular-weight chitosan-treated IELs had cytotoxic activity against tumor cells, splenic lymphocytes treated with chitosans had no effect. These findings suggest that the antitumor activity of low-molecular-weight chitosans (12- and 46-kDa chitosans) and oligochitosan might be due in part to the enhancement of NK activity in IELs. Thus, the low-molecular-weight chitosans or oligochitosan might be useful in preventing tumor growth through the activation of intestinal immune functions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Maeda Kampo Medicine, Kure-city, Hiroshima 737-0889, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000277:Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001835:Body Weight; D002686:Chitin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D048271:Chitosan; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009929:Organ Size; D012510:Sarcoma 180 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D000277:Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014867:Water; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan