title: Antitumor effect of degalactosylated gc-globulin on orthotopic grafted lung cancer in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Group-specific component (Gc)-globulin-derived macrophage-activating factor (GcMAF) generated by a cascade of catalytic reactions with deglycosidase enzymes exerts antitumor activity. We hypothesized that degalactosyl Gc-globulin (DG3), a precursor of GcMAF, also plays a role in recovery from cancer as well as GcMAF due to progression of deglycosylation by generally resident sialidases and mannosidases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prepared the subtypes of DG3, such as 1f1f and 1s1s and its 22 homodimers, by using vitamin D3-binding Sepharose CL-6B and examined their antitumor activity in mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma cells, by counting the number of nodules formed in their lungs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antitumor activity of DG3 was observed regardless of its subtype, being equivalent to that of GcMAF. The injection route of DG3 affected its antitumor activity, with subcutaneous and intramuscular administration being more favorable than the intraperitoneal or intravenous route. In order to obtain significant antitumor activity, more than 160 ng/kg of DG3 were required.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DG3 proved to be promising as an antitumor agent, similarly to GcMAF.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uto
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Onizuka
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018827:Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014809:Vitamin D-Binding Protein / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors; D014809:Vitamin D-Binding Protein; C101908:vitamin D-binding protein-macrophage activating factor; D005690:Galactose
keywords: Degalactosylated Gc-globulin; a precursor of Gc-derived macrophage activating factor; antitumor activity; injection route; subtypes of Gc-globulin