Nishimura S, Nishi N, Tokura S, Nishimura K, Azuma I
Carbohydr Res. 1986 Feb 1;146(2):251-8. doi: 10.1016/0008-6215(86)85044-3.
The effect of O-(carboxymethyl)chitins (CM-chitins) on the activation of mouse-peritoneal macrophages in vivo and their mitogenic activity on mouse spleen-cells were investigated. The induction of cytotoxic macrophages is enhanced by an increase of negative charge at O-6 and decreased by further modification at O-3 of the GlcNAc residue. CM-Chitins had a minor effect on mitogenic activity that was independent of the site of modification; partially N-deacetylated chitins had little activity. Although there was remarkable enhancement of accessibility to lysozyme upon modification at O-6 of the GlcNAc residue, the accessibility was decreased by further substitution at O-3.
