epiglucan and Prostatic-Neoplasms

In this study, the effects of melatonin or beta-glucan treatments on tumor growth, pro-oxidant, and antioxidant status in tumor tissue were investigated in Dunning 3327 MatLyLu prostatic adenocarcinoma model. Prostate cancer (PCa) was induced by single intradermal injection of 2 x 10(4) MatLyLu cells into the right hind leg of Copenhagen rats. Melatonin (10 mg/kg/daily; IP) or beta-glucan (50 mg/kg/daily; orally) treatments applied alone and together continued for 39 days. Melatonin or beta-glucan treatments alone or together inhibited tumor growth and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in tumor tissues of Dunning rats. However, there were no significant differences in tumor volumes and MDA levels among treatment groups. Melatonin and melatonin + beta-glucan treatments elevated glutathione (GSH) levels and superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione transferase activities in tumor tissues. However, beta-glucan treatment did not influence GSH levels and antioxidant enzyme activities in tumor tissue of Dunning rats. These results indicate that melatonin and beta-glucan treatments alone or together inhibit tumor progression and oxidative stress in tumor tissues of rats with Dunning PCa.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Animals; Antioxidants; beta-Glucans; Blotting, Western; Disease Models, Animal; Glutathione; Glutathione Peroxidase; Glutathione Transferase; Lipid Peroxidation; Male; Malondialdehyde; Melatonin; Oxidative Stress; Prostatic Neoplasms; Rats; Superoxide Dismutase; Tumor Cells, Cultured

To improve the poor efficacy (< 10%) of chemotherapy for patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, we investigated a possible cytotoxic effect of carmustine/beta-glucan combination on prostatic cancer PC-3 cells, focusing on a glutathione-dependent detoxifying enzyme, glyoxalase I (Gly-I).. Carmustine (BCNU) is an anticancer agent and a putative inhibitor of Gly-I, while beta-glucan is a unique, nontoxic polysaccharide extracted from maitake mushrooms. The cytotoxic effects of BCNU or other anticancer agents with beta-glucan on PC-3 cells were assessed by cell-viability testing and Gly-I activity was measured using the spectrophotometric method.. BCNU, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and methotrexate (MTX) were capable of inducing approximately a 50% reduction in cell viability at 72 hours, while etoposide, cisplatin, and mitomycin C were all ineffective. Only the combination of BCNU (50 micro ;mol) and beta-glucan (60 micro g/mL) exhibited an enhanced cytotoxicity with an approximate 90% cell viability reduction, but little improvement was seen with any combinations of 5-FU, MTX, or beta-glucon. Gly-I assays revealed that such a profound (approximately 90%) cell death was accompanied by an approximate 80% reduction in Gly-I activity by 6 hours.. This study demonstrates a sensitized cytotoxic effect of BCNU with beta-glucan in PC-3 cells, which was associated with a drastic (approximately 80%) inactivation of Gly-I. Therefore, the BCNU/beta-glucan combination may help to improve current treatment efficacy by targeting Gly-I, which appears to be critically involved in prostate cancer viability.

Topics: Agaricales; Androgens; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; beta-Glucans; Carmustine; Cell Survival; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fluorouracil; Glucans; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Lactoylglutathione Lyase; Male; Methotrexate; Prostatic Neoplasms; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The in vivo antitumour activity of a beta 1----3/1----6 glucan from the fungus Glomerella cingulata was investigated in vivo. The glucan exhibited a strong inhibition of tumour growth of the allogeneic Sarcoma-180 as well as the syngeneic DBA/2-MC.SC-1 fibrosarcoma with inhibition ratios up to 100%. Against the hormone sensitive Noble-Nb-R prostate carcinoma the glucan alone showed a moderate antitumour effect, whereas in combination with diethylstilbestrol an almost complete regression of the tumour could be achieved. It could be demonstrated that a highly ordered structure of the glucan is not essential for the antitumour activity. Since the glucan expressed no direct cytotoxic effects, the immunomodulating activity was investigated in vitro in order to get an indication for a possible mode of action. In the lymphocyte transformation assay the glucan at a dose of 100 micrograms/ml caused a fourfold increase in the proliferation of murine spleen lymphocytes. Moreover, the glucan stimulated the phagocytosis of zymosan by bone marrow macrophages up to 100%. However, the glucan was not able to render macrophages cytotoxic against P-815 mastocytoma cells.

Topics: Animals; Diethylstilbestrol; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Fibrosarcoma; Glucans; Lymphocyte Activation; Macrophage Activation; Male; Mast-Cell Sarcoma; Methylcholanthrene; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred DBA; Prostatic Neoplasms; Rats; Sarcoma 180; Sizofiran