title: [Effects of Sargassum confusum polysaccharide on the expression of p53 and Rb genes in mouse sarcoma S180 cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate effects of Sargassum confusum polysaccharide (SP) on the expressions of p53 and Rb genes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mice bearing S180 sarcoma were treated with abdominal SP injection at the daily dose of 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg for 10 consecutive days, The mice injected with 0.85% saline served as the negative control group and those with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) injection as the positive control group. The tumor weight was measured to calculate the tumor inhibition rate. RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression levels of p53 and Rb genes at the mRNA and protein levels, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 10-day SP treatment at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg resulted in tumor growth inhibition rates of 30.5%, 47.6% and 63.5%, respectively. SP treatment upregulated the mRNA expressions and increased the protein levels of p53 and Rb in the tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SP has inhibitory effect against S180 sarcoma in vivo and can increase the expression levels of p53 and Rb genes at both the mRNA and protein levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Guangzhou, China. qiuyingliu@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Qiu-ying
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qing-yong
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Meng