Antitumor effect of a Coliolus preparation, PSK: induction of macrophage chemotactic factor (MCF) in spleens of tumor bearing mice.

The effect of administration of PSK (Polysaccharide Kureha), a Coliolus preparation, in Meth-A solid tumors was analyzed in BALB/c mice. Spleen cells prepared from normal, non-treated Meth-A bearing, PSK-treated normal and PSK-treated tumor bearing mice were examined for induction of macrophage chemotatic factor (MCF). Only spleen cells from the latter mice produced MCF after 48 hrs of cultivation in the presence of Meth-A cells or concanavalin A (Con A). MCF-producing cells were indicated to be Lyt-1 positive, L3T4 positive and Lyt-2 negative cells in the negative elimination assay. There were no differences in the production of other cytokines including interleukin-2, interferon and tumor necrosing factor, spleen cells obtained other different groups of mice. The antitumor effect of either crude or purified MCF (molecular weight 100,000) was examined by daily consecutive intratumoral injections into Meth-A tumor tissues, and a significant inhibitory effect was detected.