Antitumor activity of chitosan

Jeon, Y. J. and Kim, S. K. (2002). Antitumor activity of chitosan oligosaccharides produced in an ultra filtration membrane reactor system. J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 12,503-507. 

Qi L, Xu Z. In vivo antitumor activity of chitosan nanoparticles. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2006 16 4243-5. 

Gastrointestinal toxicity and myelotoxicity are caused by the 5-FU after its phosphorylation in the digestive tract and bone marrow tissue. To clarify whether chitosan enhances the antitumor activity of 5-FU and prevents the side effects induced by 5-FU, we examined the antitumor activity and side effects, such as myelotoxicity, immimocompetent organ toxicity, and gastrointestinal toxicity of combined treatment with chitosan and 5-FU in sarcoma 180-beaiing mice. 

Fig. (S3). The combined antitumor activity Fig. (54). Inhibitoiy effects of chitosan on of 5-FU and chitosan in sarcoma myelotoxicity of 5-FU in sarcoma...

To clarify the mechanisms of antitumor actions of various chitosans, we examined the cytotoxic activity against YAC-1 (NK cell-sensitive target ceils) or sarcoma 180 cells by intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (lELs) or splenic lymphocytes treated various chitosans. Treatment of lELs with oligochitosan (10 to 1000 jlg/mL), chitosan-21 (10 to 1000 jXg/mL), or chitosan-46 (10 to 1000 jXg/mL) enhanced their c>i otoxic activity against YAC-1 cells compared with that of untreated lELs Fig. (12) . 

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