Antitumor activity of a fungal glucan tylopilan and Propionibacterium acnes preparation

Abstract

The study evaluated the antitumor activity of tylopilan, aβ- (1→3) (1→6) linked glucan isolated from fruiting bodies of <i>Tylopilus felleus</i> (Bull.: Fr.) P. Karst. (<i>Boletaceae</i>), and <i>Propionibacterium acnes</i> (<i>P.a.</i>) preparation. The antitumor effect of tylopilan and <i>P.a.</i> used alone or in combination was studied in NMRI mice inoculated i.p. with 106 180-TG Crocker tumor cells. All experiments were based on a pretreatment with tylopilan and/or <i>P.a.</i> 5 days and/or 2 h before tumor cell inoculation. Mean survival time (MST) of tumor - bearing mice was significantly prolonged in comparison to control mice by a single injection of tylopilan (25 µg/mouse or 50 µg/mouse) or <i>P.a.</i> (1 mg/mouse). MST was 23.6; 22.8 days in the tylopilan injected mice and 17.5 in the control animals. Tylopilan injected in conjunction with <i>P.a.</i> prolonged signifi-cantly MST in comparison to control mice as well as to tylopilan alone treated mice. We have found that <i>P.a.</i> which stimulate immune response enhanced significantly antitumor activity of tylopilan. The cytotoxicity of tylopilan at concentrations of 300, 150, 75 and 37.5 µg/ml towards 180-TG Crocker cells in vitro studies was evaluated. All examined tylopilan concentrations showed cytotoxic activity.