title: Anti-tumor effects of (1→3)-β-d-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in S180 tumor-bearing mice.
abstract: (1→3)-β-d-Glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a typical polysaccharide with various biological effects and is considered a candidate for the prevention and treatment of cancer in vitro. Research into the function of (1→3)-β-d-glucan in tumor-bearing animals in vivo, however, is limited. Here, we investigated the effects of (1→3)-β-d-glucan from S. cerevisiae on S180 tumor-bearing mice and on the immunity of the tumor-bearing host. The molecular mechanisms underlying the observed effects were investigated. (1→3)-β-d-Glucan was shown to exert anti-tumor effects without toxicity in normal mouse cells. The volume and weight of S180 tumors decreased dramatically following treatment with (1→3)-β-d-glucan, and treatment with the polysaccharide was furthermore shown to increase the tumor inhibition rate in a dose-dependent manner. Spleen index, T lymphocyte subsets (CD4and CD8), as well as interleukins (IL)-2, (IL-2, IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α were assayed to detect the immunoregulatory and anti-tumor effects after (1→3)-β-d-glucan intragastrical administration. (1→3)-β-d-Glucan was shown to significantly potentiate the mouse immune responses by, among other effects, decreasing the ratio of CD4to CD8. The expression levels of IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α were also significantly increased by (1→3)-β-d-glucan. These results suggest that (1→3)-β-d-glucan enhances the host's immune function during the tumor inhibition process. S180 tumor cells treated with (1→3)-β-d-glucan also exhibited significant apoptotic characteristics. (1→3)-β-d-glucan increased the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 at the translation level by up-regulating Bax expression and down-regulating Bcl-2 expression, resulting in the initiation of cell apoptosis in S180 tumor-bearing mice. Taken together, these results indicate that the anti-tumor effects exerted by (1→3)-β-d-glucan may be attributed to the polysaccharide's immunostimulating properties and apoptosis-inducing features. Further investigation into these properties and their associated mechanisms will contribute to the development of potent polysaccharide-based anti-tumor agents.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Hebei Province, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Hebei Province, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China.
authors.forename: Yafei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
authors.forename: Wenjian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Hebei Province, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Hebei Province, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China.
authors.forename: Xuzhao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Hebei Province, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China. Electronic address: hailong_an@hebut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Hebei Province, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China. Electronic address: zhany@hebut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry*; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000187:drug effects; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D011509:Proteoglycans; D047071:beta-Glucans; C010770:polysaccharide-K
keywords: (1→3)-β-d-Glucan; Anti-tumor; Apoptosis; Immunomodulatory; S180-bearing mice