Abstract
The effect of various glycosidases on the growth of solid hypotetraploid Ehrlich ascites tumour was investigated. The purified bacterial chondroitinase-ABC significantly inhibited the growth of tumour; chondroitinase-AC inhibited the tumour to some extent but chondro-4-sulphatase, chondro-6-sulphatase, streptomyces hyaluronidase, and β-glucuronidase had no inhibitory effect. Heat-treated chondroitinase-ABC had no inhibitory effect on the tumour growth. The growth of tumour cells which were injected subcutaneously after in vitro incubation with chondroitinase-ABC or -AC solution was decreased when compared with that of sham-treated cells. The injection of 1 ml of chondroitin sulphate A and chondroitin sulphate C solution prior to tumour inoculation into the same site promoted the tumour growth, while growth-stimulating effect of chondroitin sulphate B was ambiguous. The chondroitin sulphate appears to serve as a growth supporter which protects the surface of tumour cells and promotes the physiological surface function of the cells.