Polysaccharide-K (PSK) may suppress surgical stress-induced metastasis in rat colon cancer.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

We previously demonstrated that hepatic ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury increased liver metastasis and cancer growth of RCN-H4 cells. Using a rat model of hepatic I/R-induced liver metastasis, we investigated the metastasis-suppressing effect of polysaccharide-K (PSK), a biological response modifier composed of protein-bound polysaccharide.

METHODS:

Fischer rats underwent 60 min of 70% partial hepatic ischemia. After 60 min of reperfusion, rat colon adenocarcinoma cells (RCN-H4) were inoculated intrasplenically. PSK was administered orally before I/R, after I/R, or before and after I/R. The weights of metastatic lesions of the liver or the numbers of liver metastatic nodules were determined on day 21. The effect of PSK on angiogenesis was studied by a rat cornea model using RCN-H4 cells or a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-containing pellet and an in vitro VEGF-induced endothelial cell migration assay.

RESULTS:

PSK administration significantly (p < 0.05) suppressed the I/R-induced increase in hepatic metastasis of RCN-H4 cells. The suppression of I/R-promoted metastasis was observed irrespective of the timing of administration. Furthermore, PSK significantly suppressed angiogenesis induced by RCN-H4 cells (p < 0.05) and the VEGF pellet (p < 0.01). PSK significantly suppressed the VEGF-induced migration of vascular endothelial cells (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

PSK may suppress metastasis induced by hepatic I/R. The suppression of angiogenesis by PSK may be one of the mechanisms of the inhibition of hepatic metastasis.

• Authors: Koji Tamagawa, Tetsuya Horiuchi, Tsutomu Wada, Kenji Bannai, Takao Ando
• Journal: Langenbeck's archives of surgery (Langenbecks Arch Surg) Vol. 397 Issue 3 Pg. 475-80 (Mar 2012) ISSN: 1435-2451 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 22207390 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Immunologic Factors
• Proteoglycans
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
• polysaccharide-K

Topics

• Animals
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Colonic Neoplasms (pathology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Immunologic Factors (therapeutic use)
• Liver Neoplasms (physiopathology, secondary)
• Male
• Neovascularization, Physiologic (drug effects)
• Proteoglycans (therapeutic use)
• Rats
• Rats, Inbred F344
• Reperfusion Injury (physiopathology)
• Stress, Physiological (drug effects, physiology)
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (metabolism)