title: Fucoidan inhibits the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma independent of angiogenesis.
abstract: Some sulphated polysaccharides can bind bFGF but are unable to present bFGF to its high-affinity receptors. Fucoidan, a sulphated polysaccharide purified from brown algae, which has been used as an anticancer drug in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years, exhibits a variety of anticancer effects, including the induction of the apoptosis and autophagy of cancer cells, the inhibition of the growth of cancer cells, the induction of angiogenesis, and the improvement of antitumour immunity. Our research shows that fucoidan dose not inhibit the expressions of VEGF, bFGF, IL-8, and heparanase in HCC cells and/or tumour tissues. Moreover, fucoidan exhibited low affinity for bFGF and could not block the binding of bFGF to heparan sulphated. Although fucoidan had no effect on angiogenesis and apoptosis in vivo, this drug significantly inhibited the tumour growth and the expression of PCNA. These results suggest that fucoidan exhibits an anticancer effect in vivo at least partly through inhibition of the proliferation of HCC cells, although it is unable to suppress the angiogenesis induced by HCC.
authors.affiliation: Zhong-Shan-Men In-Patient Department, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Huan-Hu-Xi Road, He-Xi District, Tianjin 300060, China ; Department of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Chest Hospital, Jinan 250013, China.
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Shuang-Xia
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ya-Nan
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: Xiong-Zhi
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Wu