Anti-tumor effects of (1 -> 3)-beta-D-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in S180 tumor-bearing mice

作者：Mo, Li; Chen, Yafei; Li, Wenjian; Guo, Shuai; Wang, Xuzhao; An, Hailong^*; Zhan, Yong^*

来源：International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2017, 95: 385-392.

DOI：10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2016.10.106

• (1 -> 3)-beta-D-Glucan
• Anti-tumor
• S180-bearing mice
• Immunomodulatory
• Apoptosis

(1 -> 3)-beta-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)-beta-D-glucan in tumor-bearing animals in vivo, however, is limited. Here, we investigated the effects of (1 -> 3)-beta-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)-beta-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)-beta-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 (CD4 and CD8), as well as interleukins (IL)-2, (IL-2, IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-a were assayed to detect the immunoregulatory and anti-tumor effects after (1 -> 3)-beta-D-glucan intragastrical administration. (1 -> 3)-S-D-Glucan was shown to significantly potentiate the mouse immune responses by, among other effects, decreasing the ratio of CD4 to CD8. The expression levels of IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-alpha were also significantly increased by (1 -> 3)-beta-D-glucan. These results suggest that (1 -> 3)-beta-D-glucan enhances the host's immune function during the tumor inhibition process. S180 tumor cells treated with (1 -> 3)-beta-D-glucan also exhibited significant apoptotic characteristics. (1 -> 3)-beta-D-glucan increased the ratio of Box 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)-beta-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.

• 出版日期2017-2
• 单位河北工业大学; 中国科学院近代物理研究所