Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1998. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 15, 1998; 4(2): 103-105
Published online Apr 15, 1998. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v4.i2.103
Inhibitory effects of two oligosaccharides on murine melanoma experimental liver metastasis
Yi-Ping Liu, Rou-Li Zhou, Yong-Fu Wang, Meng-Chen Cai
Yi-Ping Liu, Department of Biology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
Rou-Li Zhou, Department of Cell Biology, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100083, China
Yong-Fu Wang, Meng-Chen Cai, Department of Organic Chemistry, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100083, China
Yi-Ping Liu, Ph.D., female, born on January 16, 1963, is now an assistant professor of cell biology, graduated from Hunan Medical University and Beijing Medical University (Ph.D.), won Japan Sasakawa Medical Scholarship, worked in Japan National Cardiovascular Center from 1989 to 1990, and published 16 papers.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Rou-Li Zhou, Department of Cell Biology, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100083, China.
Telephone: +86·21·65347018 ext 71315
Received: September 2, 1997
Revised: December 26, 1997
Accepted: February 24, 1998
Published online: April 15, 1998
Abstract

AIM: To observe the effects of a chemically synthesized tetrose and a natural yeast mannan on experimental liver metastasis of mouse melanoma.

METHODS: After treated with 4mg tetrose (tetrose group) or 4 mg mannan (mannan group) for 30 min at 37 °C, 0.5 ml 1 × 106 B16-MBK melanoma cells were injected into the spleen of mice. Fifty-five days later, melanoma metastatic nodes on the surface of the liver and in other organs as well as mouse survival time were observed.

RESULTS: Of the 6 mice in control (B16 cell + PBS) group, 4 died naturally within 55 d, and 2 were killed on the 55th day. All of the 6 mice had metastases in livers, the total number of the melanoma nodes on each liver surface ranged from 2 to 30, with the largest one merging into the whole liver. One mouse had a neo-plasm in the remnant site of injection, and 3 had metastases in lungs. In contrast, of the 6 mice in tetrose group, only one died on the 50th day after injection, with 3 metastases in the liver, the largest being 10 mm in diameter, the other 5 mice survived until being dissected on the 55th day after injection and had no liver metastasis, but 3 of them had neoplasms in their remnant sites of injection. In mannan group, all of the 6 mice survived and no metastasis was seen except for 2 liver nodes in one mouse with the largest diameter of 1 mm. Neither tetrose nor mannan group had metastasis out of the liver, and the weight of liver in the two groups was significantly lower than those in the control group.

CONCLUSION: Both tetrose and mannan had the effects of preventing melanoma cells from experimental metastasis to and out of the liver, and prolonging the survival time of the mouse.

Keywords: liver neoplasms, experimental; melanoma; oligosaccharides; neoplasm metastasis; disease models, animal