ANTI-TUMOR ACTIVITY OF CELL-WALL SKELETON OF PROPIONIBACTERIUM-ACNES C7 IN MICE AND GUINEA-PIGS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 70  (6) , 737-748
Abstract
The antitumor activity of the cell-wall skeleton (CWS) of P. acnes C7 was examined by using transplantable tumors in syngeneic mice and in guinea pigs and autochthonous tumors in mice. P. acnes-CWS suppressed the growth of fibrosarcomas, EL4 leukemia and MH134 hepatoma in syngeneic mice, and regressed the established tumors of a fibrosarcoma (MC104) in C57BL/6J mice and a hepatoma (line-10) in strain-2 guinea pigs. The oil-attached P. acnes-CWS mixed with fructose mycolate was effective for suppression of the autograft of fibrosarcoma in mice. The repeated intralesional injections of suspension of P. acnes-CWS in phosphate-buffered saline prolonged the survival period of mice bearing 3-methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma. The test results on the cell fractions of P. acnes indicated that the CWS, but not the cytoplasmic or glucan fraction, of P. acnes had antitumor activity. Intraperitoneal injection of P. acnes-CWS, but not the cytoplasmic fraction, led to peritoneal macrophage activation: 4 days after injection in mice. The relationship between the cytolytic activity of peritoneal macrophages and antitumor activities of P. acnes-CWS are discussed.