Abstract
INTRODUCTION kawa et al., 1990). However, the links between oral ingestion of cartilage and its anti-angiogenic and anti-tumour properties have yet to be convincingly The oral consumption of dried powdered shark demonstrated. cartilage has been widely promoted as a natural Clinical trials of powdered shark cartilage as an health remedy for the treatment of cancer (Wilson, anti-cancer agent have been initiated in Mexico and 1994; Lane and Comac, 1992, 1996). It is proposed to the United States but the results have yet to be pubact by preventing the angiogenesis required by solid lished. In this study we have examined whether the tumours to grow larger than 2 –3 mm (Folkman, oral ingestion of powdered shark cartilage by rats 1995). has any effect on the angiogenesis induced in mesenThere is some evidence for the presence of antiteric windows by mast cell stimulation. angiogenic factors in shark cartilage. Implantation of polymer pellets containing a shark cartilage extract alongside tumours in rabbit corneas inhibited tuMATERIALS AND METHODS mour neovascularization (Lee and Langer, 1983). Injection of a suspension of shark cartilage reduced angiogenesis in tumours implanted in mice (Cataldi Shark cartilage. Dried powdered samples of cartiand Osbourne, 1995) and anti-angiogenic factors lage from two commercial batches (designated A and could be partially purified from shark cartilage (OiB) manufactured principally from blue shark were supplied by McFarlane Laboratories Ltd. (Auckland, 1 Supported by the New Zealand Foundation of Science, Research New Zealand). and Technology, the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board and the Induced angiogenesis. A modification of the rat Wellington Medical Research Foundation. We thank Mr. John Croft mesenteric-window assay (Norrby et al., 1990) was of McFarlane Laboratories (NZ) Ltd. for providing samples of shark used. Sprague– Dawley rats (6 weeks old, equal numcartilage. 2 To whom correspondence should be addressed. bers of male and female) were assigned to one of
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