Abstract
Hemocyanin is a multifunctional glycoprotein, which also plays multiple roles in immune defense. While it has been demonstrated that hemocyanin from some mollusks can induce potent immune response and is therefore undergoing clinical trials to be used in anti-tumor immunotherapy, little is currently known about how hemocyanin from arthropods affect tumors. In this study we investigated the anti-tumor activity of hemocyanin from Litopenaeus vannamei on Sarcoma-180 (S180) tumor-bearing mice model. Eight days treatment with 4mg/kg bodyweight of hemocyanin significantly inhibited the growth of S180 up to 49% as compared to untreated. Similarly, histopathology analysis showed a significant decrease in tumor cell number and density in the tissues of treated mice. Moreover, there was a significant increase in immune organs index, lymphocyte proliferation, NK cell cytotoxic activity and serum TNF-α level, suggesting that hemocyanin could improve the immunity of the S180 tumor-bearing mice. Additionally, there was a significant increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and a decrease in the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and liver, which further suggest that hemocyanin improved the anti-oxidant ability of the S180 tumor-bearing mice. Collectively, our data demonstrated that L. vannamei hemocyanin had a significant antitumor activity in mice.
Highlights
Hemocyanin is a large copper containing glycoprotein which functions as a respiratory molecule in mollusk and arthropods
Other researchers documented that hemocyanin from Limulus polyphemus, Oncomelania hupensis, and Cherax quadricarinatus could be functionally converted into phenoloxidase-like enzymes after treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and phosphatidylserine [8,9,10,11]
To gain a better insight into the antitumor effects of hemocyanin from L. vannamei, we investigated its effects in an S180 tumor-bearing mouse model
Summary
Hemocyanin is a large copper containing glycoprotein which functions as a respiratory molecule in mollusk and arthropods. Recent studies revealed that hemocyanin played additional roles in energy storage, osmoregulation, molting regulation, and non-specific immune defense [1,2,3,4,5,6]. In 1998, Decker et al first reported that hemocyanin from the spider eurypelma californicum had phenoloxidase activity [7]. Other researchers documented that hemocyanin from Limulus polyphemus, Oncomelania hupensis, and Cherax quadricarinatus could be functionally converted into phenoloxidase-like enzymes after treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and phosphatidylserine [8,9,10,11].
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