Studies on antitumor activity of wood hemicelluloses. II. The host-mediated antitumor effect of 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan

Mechanism of the antitumor action of the 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan obtained from beech wood (Fagus clenata Blume) was studied and compared with that of other hemicelluloses. It was revealed that 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan did not show any direct cytocidal effect on tumor cells. Hemagglutinating antibody in mice was markedly enhanced by administration with 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan. Furthermore, treatment with the polysaccharide succeeded to prevent the suppression of hemagglutinating antibody production accompanied with the tumor development. Incorporation of 3H-thymidine into spleen cells at the 4 days after immunization with human red blood cell was increased by the pretreatment of 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan. On the other hand, metabolic process of 4-O-methyglucuronoxylan was followed by the measurement of the radioactivity in plasma, kidney, spleen and liver after intraperitoneal injection with 3H-4-O-methylglucuronoxylan. The polysaccharide seemed to be incorporated into reticuloendotherial systems. An admi...