PROTEOLYTIC-ENZYMES STIMULATE THE CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF HUMAN GRANULOCYTES IN-VITRO AND IN-VIVO

Granulocytes can be primed for tumoricidal activity by exposure to cyt okines and biological response modifiers. The polyenzyme preparation W obenzym(R) (WE) is used with success in adjuvant tumor therapy The mec hanism of action is not completely understood. We analyzed cytotoxicit y of WE-exposed PMN in vitro and in vivo. PMN from healthy donors were added to tumor cells and incubated for 48 h with WE or with constitue nts of WE (10 or 50 mu g/ml). Cytotoxicity was assessed by tetrazolium assay. Depending on dose and effector : target ratio Wobenzym(R) stim ulated the cytotoxic capacity of granulocytes in vitro against tumor c ells (50 mu g/ml: p<0.01). Similarly, oral administration of Wobenzym( R) resulted in a significant increase of PMN cytotoxicity against tumo r cells. These findings point to an immunomodulatory capacity of WE as a biological response modifier.