title: In vivo growth-inhibition of Sarcoma 180 by an alpha-(1-->4)-glucan-beta-(1-->6)-glucan-protein complex polysaccharide obtained from Agaricus blazei Murill.
abstract: Agaricus blazei Murrill, a native mushroom of Brazil, has been widely consumed in different parts of the world due to its anticancer potential. This effect is generally attributed to its polysaccharides; however, the precise structure of these has not been fully characterized. To better understand the relationship between polysaccharide structures and antitumor activity, we investigated the effect of the intraperitoneally (i.p.) or orally (p.o.) administered alpha-(1-->4)-glucan-beta-(1-->6)-glucan-protein complex polysaccharide from A. blazei alone or in association with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in tumor growth using Sarcoma 180 transplanted mice. Hematological, biochemical, and histopathological analyses were performed in order to evaluate the toxicological aspects of the polysaccharide treatment. The polysaccharide had no direct cytotoxic action on tumor cells in vitro. However, the polysaccharide showed strong in vivo antitumor effect. Thus, the tumor growth-inhibitory effect of the polysaccharide is apparently due to host-mediated mechanisms. The histopathological analysis suggests that the liver and the kidney were not affected by polysaccharide treatment. Neither enzymatic activity of transaminases (AST and ALT) nor urea levels were significantly altered. In hematological analysis, leucopeny was observed after 5-FU treatment, but this effect was prevented when the treatment was associated with the polysaccharide. In conclusion, this polysaccharide probably could explain the ethnopharmacological use of this mushroom in the treatment of cancer.
authors: Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Federal University of Ceará, P.O. Box 12200, Fortaleza, Ceará, 60455-760, Brazil.
authors: Maria Leônia Costa
authors: ML
authors: Gonzaga
authors: Daniel Pereira
authors: DP
authors: Bezerra
authors: Ana Paula Negreiros Nunes
authors: AP
authors: Alves
authors: Nylane Maria Nunes
authors: NM
authors: de Alencar
authors: Rodney de Oliveira
authors: Rde O
authors: Mesquita
authors: Michael Will
authors: MW
authors: Lima
authors: Sandra de Aguiar
authors: Sde A
authors: Soares
authors: Cláudia
authors: C
authors: Pessoa
authors: Manoel Odorico
authors: MO
authors: de Moraes
authors: Letícia Veras
authors: LV
authors: Costa-Lotufo
mesh_terms: D000364:Agaricus / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D005936:Glucans / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012510:Sarcoma 180 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005936:Glucans; D011134:Polysaccharides