This study was designed to investigate the antitumor effects of Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharides (SFPS) on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and the underlying mechanism of its effect on splenic lymphocytes. As a result, SFPS significantly inhibited the growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE in vivo, and remarkably increased the serum cytokines and IgM levels in CNE-bearing mice. Meanwhile, SFPS stimulated the peritoneal macrophages to secrete the cytokines, exerted a stimulatory effect on splenic lymphocytes proliferation, and increased the expression of IgM from splenic lymphocytes. The pretreatment of splenic lymphocytes with special antibodies (anti-TLR4 and anti-TLR2) significantly suppressed the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes and blocked SFPS-induced IgM production. SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK, effectively suppressed SFPS-induced IgM secretion in splenic lymphocytes. Taken together, SFPS has antitumor and immunomodulatory activities in NPC, and its activity is mediated, at least in part, by TLR2/TLR4 receptors and p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
Keywords: Antitumor; Immunomodulatory; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Sargassum fusiform polysaccharide; Splenic lymphocytes.
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