STUDIES ON ANTI-TUMOR ACTIVITY OF WOOD HEMICELLULOSES .1. ANTI-TUMOR EFFECT OF 4-O-METHYLGLUCURONOXYLAN ON SOLID TUMOR IN MICE

The present studies were undertaken to evaluate antitumor activities of 4-0-methylglucuronoxylan isolated from beech wood (Fagus denata Blume), based on the inhibition of tumor growth of Sarcoma-I 80, Ehrlich carcinoma and Ll2l0 leukemic cells in mice. The growth rate of Sarcoma-180 subcutaneously implanted into ICR mice was significantly inhibited by intraperitoneal administrations of 4-o-methylglucuronoxylan and the most significant effect was found at doses ranging 200 mg/kg. On the other hand, such a treatment failed to suppress the growth of ascites form of Ll2l0 leukemic cells arising BDFI mice. Attempts to induce prolongation of life span by intralesional injection into Ll2l0 solid tumor itself were successful. The xylan studied here has a main chain of (1-4)β-J-D-xylopyranosyl unit with every nine or tenunits carrying (1-2) α-4-0-methylglucuronic acid. For comparison, several common wood hemicelluloses were tested. These involved O- cetylgalactoglucomannan, arabino-4-0-methylglucuronoxylan, arabinogalactan, partially acetylated arabinogalactan and carboxymethyl-4-0-methylglucuronoxylan. Of these hemicelluloses, the O-acetylgalactoglucomannan showed a slight growth inhibition of Sarcoma180, whereas the inhibition rate of other hemicelluloses was 40%or less. The inhibitory effect of 4-0-methylglucuronoxylan can be considered to be not due to its cytocidal action but to be a host-mediated action on tumor cells similar to that originally proposed by Nakahara et al.1.2). © 1979 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.