Dose, route, and time dependence of serum lysozyme and antitumor activity following administration of glucan, Corynebacterium parvum, pyran, or lipopolysaccharide to mice.

Following the administration of Di Luzio particulate glucan, Corynebacterium parvum, pyran (maleic anhydride vinyl ether 6), and lipopolysaccharide (Shigella) to inbred C57BL/6J mice, dose, route, and time-dependent studies were undertaken on antitumor activity and serum lysozyme levels to explore the possible relevance of serum lysozyme as a useful index of antitumor activity. Antitumor activity was assessed by measurement of the extent of loss of iv injected 125I-labeled 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine-labeled B16 tumor cells. Increases in serum lysozyme levels were dose-, route-, and time-dependent and varied greatly from one agent to another. The peak levels of antitumor activity were similar for all agents but were also critically dose- and time-dependent. Correlations of serum lysozyme levels and antitumor activity were inexact. The doses for peak lysozyme level increases were higher than those for peak antitumor activity. Antitumor activity peaked earlier and lasted longer than serum lysozyme level increases.