CONTRIBUTION OF POLYANIONIC CHARACTER OF DEXTRAN ULFATE TO INHIBITION OF CANCER METASTASIS

Abstract

1) Pulmonary metastasis produced after intravenous inoculation of transplantable pulmonary carcinoma of the rat was inhibited by treatment of the cells with dextran sulfate prior to inoculation.
2) No cytocidal effect of dextran sulfate on the tumor cells was demonstrated by culturing them in the medium containing dextran sulfate.
3) Dextran sulfate promoted electrophoretic mobility of the tumor cells as well as cultured endothelium-like cells obtained from the rat aorta.
These results suggest that dextran sulfate binds with the surface of tumor cells and cultured endothelium-like cells whereby electrostatic repulsion, induced by their increased surface negativity, disturbs adhesion between the two in vivo. It is possible that lodgement of tumor cells in the capillaries is inhibited by dextran sulfate and thus the agent contributes to the reduction of experimental pulmonary metastasis.