Antitumour activity of cordycepin in mice.
1. The antitumour effect of orally administered cordycepin, a component isolated from water extracts of Cordyceps sinensis, was examined in mice inoculated with B16 melanoma (B16-BL6) cells. 2. B16-BL6 (1 x 10(6)) cells were inoculated subcutaneously into the right footpad of mice. At 2 weeks after the cell inoculation, the enlarged primary tumour lump was weighed. Cordycepin (0, 5 and 15 mg/kg per day) was administered orally to the mice for 2 weeks from the date of tumour inoculation. Cordycepin (15 mg/kg per day) significantly reduced by 36% the wet weight of the primary tumour lump compared to that of the untreated control mice, without any loss of bodyweight or systemic toxicity. 3. Cordycepin (15 mg/kg per day) administered orally for 2 weeks inhibited the tumour enlargement in the right thigh inoculated with B16-BL6 cells premixed with extracellular matrix (Matrigel). 4. These results indicate that orally administered cordycepin inhibits melanoma cell growth in mice with no adverse effects.
Yoshikawa
Noriko
N
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukpgawa Women's University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Nakamura
Kazuki
K
Yamaguchi
Yu
Y
Kagota
Satomi
S
Shinozuka
Kazumasa
K
Kunitomo
Masaru
M
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003839:Deoxyadenosines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005260:Female; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000187:drug effects
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003839:Deoxyadenosines; C058120:cordycepin